Since I have been on the transition to veganism lots of people have asked me what the heck is it that I eat! Surprisingly, everything meat eaters consume, I eat the same thing, respectively. Believe me, my first impression of vegan food were sticks and berries but in reality, those sticks and berries are actually quite delicious. Officially it has been about 4 weeks and along the way I have developed a culinary creativity as well as an eye for the tastiest vegan based substitutes.
So here we have some really yummy basics. I am part Hispanic and have been brought up with quick and traditional meals. The problem with that is, quick traditional food is greasy with lots of cheese, cream, and red meat. Here we have Light Life Smart Ground soy bits or "ground beef". I couldn't believe how similar the texture and taste was to real ground beef. Next we have the Tofutti sour cream. The consistency is a bit thicker than dairy based sour cream but softer than cream cheese and the taste is like a more bland watered down sister to dairy sour cream. But what do you expect? All natural food isn't plagued with nasty chemicals and artificial flavors, give and take, people. Lastly, the Tofu Rella cheese, this is my favorite! There are few other vegan cheeses like soy, veggie, and rice, but tofu is the closest substitute to the real deal. Melting and taste are again watered down, but you really can't get any better than that.
I bought these tonight at Ralph's in their little vegan section next to the vegetables and dairy cheese. So far this has been my go to store for my food. Downside is the cost; it's much pricier than Trader Joe's and I have been told that Sprouts is the best place for selection and value. I'd say Whole Foods and Bristol Farms would be the priciest but obviously the creme de la creme of all foods vegan or not.
Next we have pretty basic, just your ordinary vegetables. Before transitioning, I did a ton of research to what specific foods are best for nutrients as well as best weight loss benefits. Apparently, high carb low fat diets are best for the weight savoy herbivores. On the flip side, I am starting to train again for 5 and 10k races (running) like in high school, so healthy carbs are very ideal. With the vegetables, you generally want to pick the ones that are high in fiber like broccoli, peppers, lettuce and stay away from veggies that are high on the GI scale such as carrots. GI stands for Glycemic Index by the way, you can look up GI charts and see which veggies work best for you. I read that potatoes are super good to keep your energy up and hunger down, french fries/potato chips need no apply. Now, baked potatoes loaded with sour cream, chives, cheese and butter are totally out of the question, unless you use a little bit of the previous soy and tofu based goodies. I boil my potatoes in plain water and eat them with light salt and pepper. Lastly, my favorite; lentils. The woman that raised me used to make these all the time when I needed to get the ol' bowels moving again. Yes, ew gross ick! Everybody Poops, every heard of the book? Word. Get on that! In all seriousness, these are packed with fiber which helps move all the undigested waste in our colon, in turn, that cleans our blood and even helps our immune system.
I absolutely love sweets. I am definitely a recovering emotional eater, but through transitioning to the vegan lifestyle, I have gotten that under control. Anywho, here is the one sweet vegan dessert that I have tried twice now and absolutely love it. Trade Joe's brand coconut ice cream, they have soy based, almond milk, and probably rice (like mochi) but so far this is my favorite. It is much fluffier, lighter and to me, sweeter than dairy based. So far, this is really the only sweet I have been eating, generally I've been sticking to the the previous two sections with lots of variations and different styles of food. I would love to try vegan/gluten free cookies and other baked goods soon. Any suggestions?
As for drinking, I try and at least drink a gallon of water throughout the day if not more or else I get dehydrated now. Some friends have advised against drinking soy milk and opt out for almond milk instead, however I really love your standard Silk Vanilla soy milk. I stay away from juice unless I ran organic fruits and vegetables through my juicer; fruits in general are high in sugar, so watch out for those little bastards.
These are just a few examples of what I throw together, but the food possibilities are totally endless when it comes to being a vegan! Even if you are not in it for animal rights, you can totally substitute items here and there if you are watching your waistline for the imminent spring and summer. I'd say those are the top two reasons I became a vegan and the others will be further explained the 1st of February...
Make sure to follow me on Instagram to see the daily vegan selections I consume. From pizza to ice cream, to salad and stir fry, you'll be sure to pick up some great ideas or have a blast watching this crazy new journey I've embarked in!
xoxo Drift Bunny
FOLLOW MY DAILY PINK ADVENTURES ON INSTAGRAM!
I know, I am so bad with updating my blog and having it switched over to Wordpress, FORGIVE ME! The past three months have been so difficult and the worst times of my life. Just now, I typed up a whole story of everything that I had to go through, but will not post it until the 1st of February for a variety of reasons.
One thing I am happy to announce and tell everyone is that I am contributing to a really awesome MMA website based in the UK and will be cover fights! So excited! I love fighting and fighters haha.
As I sit here here typing this with my Yorkie in my lap, it feels nice to be back here doing what I love; writing.
I had moved to LA and wanted to write about my experiences there, the people, the places, the food, the fashion, just everything! Unfortunately I did not have a laptop to do so :( living in LA has inspired me to expand my writing to other things that interest me; makeup, motorsports, fashion, music, the whole nine yards.
I guess I will start off with announcing that I have recently and proudly become a Vegan! My body has been through so much stress recently and getting back in shape meant doing major changes. I absolutely love it, my whole body feels clean and healthy. Many people think its crazy, or too hard, but it is all in the mind and how bad you want to make changes for yourself. Little effort means little change.
How does one start you ask? First step for me was to cut out all red meat and of course fast foods, which had left me with the options of chicken or turkey since I am allergic to fish. For about a week and a half I struggled, but made it. Next, I took the leap from all white meats and animal bi-products to total Vegan eating. IT SUCKED BIG TIME. I actually experienced withdrawals from all the nasty chemicals in junk food, but stuck it out for those crappy 3 days. Now, I can feel my body thanking me, also because I drink a little over a gallon of water a day. I had one cheat with chicken and it made me sick, one cheat with dairy based cheese and it made me SICK TO MY STOMACH.
Why the hell did I go Vegan? Good question! I walked through hell and back these past few months, but I won't spoil the surprise of the main post I will be releasing next month. What I can tell you is, I decided to take my life in a more positive direction after so much negativity and pain. One thing I have learned, sadly, is you can trust only few, and being in such a clique like industry, those few become rare.
Since I haven't touched on what my blog is known for, I will speak about the 2013 Formula D season! If you haven't already heard one of the biggest changes, then you are living under a rock. Vaughn Gittin Jr has left Falken Tires and is now with Nitto Tires which was a jaw dropper, but certainly a good one. This year marks the 10 years anniversary of Formula Drift, so I am betting my money that it will be an amazingly fun season to cover. As for the Drift Bunny, she will be undergoing a makeover! I started her when I was 18 years old and will be 22 when Streets of Long Beach hits, and needless to say, I've grown up a little more. Bow no more, the big pink bow will be retiring :( but replaced with something else! I am aiming to attend all 7 rounds with new camera equipment and skills, which I am dying to show off already.
One thing that will not be replaced is my passion and outgoing bubbliness for this chaotic sport. Some have actually come to hate it which makes me laugh my ass out of chairs when I hear about it. The last round of FD I was called a fan girl while getting a ride along before an interview and thought "well DUH!" I've been into it since I was 15!!! I will always be a fan girl at heart, but am taking my fan-girl-ness to this new level and bringing it to light in my amazing perspective! Sarcastic? At times. Passionate? Constantly. So while as we near the beginning of season I can promise for certain that I am dedicated to bringing you the excitement of the circuits to the colorful behind the scenes, and love you all for reading my blog! I am always blown away to see the massive amounts of hits from around the world!
Make sure to follow me on Instagram (@thedriftbunny), Tumblr, Twitter(@driftbunny) and of course check us out at everythingdrift.com !
From behind the bow,
Emma