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30 Day Vegan Challenge {Our Results}

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We did a 30 day vegan challenge and we’re sharing the good, bad and fun of what happened when two parents and two young kids went vegan. 

Our Journey into Veganism

As with everything in our lives, it takes us a long time. When we started talking about our semicrunchyish life, we always say one step at a time. Everyone’s journey into anything will be completely different, but we believe that cold going turkey into most things is harder. It’s also more likely to cause the person to revert back.

Veganism for us was no different.  A few years ago, we started doing a meatless meal every week. Just one and really at that time, it was to help save money. As time went on, it was more for health reasons in addition to saving money.  One meal turned into two. Then, over that past 15 months or so, that number continued to rise.  Some weeks it was up to four nights a week that we weren’t consuming meat.  I went from purchasing our chicken in bulk every 6-8 weeks to once a quarter, sometimes way longer.

Over the past 3 or 4 months, we had been talking about going vegan more and more. Finally, we agreed to just jump into it and do a 30 day vegan challenge.  We set a day for October 1st and then realized we would be doing a 31 day vegan challenge since there are 31 days in October.

Did we make the kids go vegan?

This seems to be the pressing question that everyone wants to know. And the answer is 1000% yes. Then, as soon as we say yes, people look at us like we are crazy. Like I just made them run around the yard for 16 hours without food.  I promise you veganism isn’t the end of the world, so our kids didn’t suffer.

But yes, we did make them also do the 30 day vegan challenge with us. Besides occasionally asking to go to Chick-fil-A they did great. The older one did ask why we were doing this a few times and said that she’s okay eating animals because she loves the taste. The little one didn’t seem to mind at all honestly.

How vegan did you go?

This seems to be the second most asked question. I learned very quickly during our 30 day vegan challenge that there’s levels to veganism.  I had no idea beforehand. It’s like the mommy wars and whether or not we breastfeed or formula feed.  I shouldn’t have been surprised, because everyone is going to judge you no matter what you do in life, but I was like whoa, hold on, say what?

For us, we know we didn’t go “vegan enough” for some people, but for us it was what is right. I’ll be up front and say that we didn’t give up honey.  This seems to be a huge divide from what I’ve read so far in the vegan community and for us, we’re okay with still consuming it. I do realize others do not  feel this way and will think we didn’t do enough.

We didn’t consume any meat, eggs, or dairy. We made sure that all the food products that we were consuming were vegans — as far as we could tell.

As far as our personal care products – we replaced things with vegan products as they ran out.  For some things, like our shampoo and conditioner, we were already using a vegan brand. But other things we replaced if it ran out. We did just ditch everything in our house and replace because this was a 30 day challenge to start with and our budget didn’t allow us to replace $100s worth of items that we rarely use just for 30 days. Plus, the environmental side of me feels like wasting it is wrong even more after we already purchased it.

What were the results of a 30 day vegan challenge?

Well, we survived.  That’s the first step right? We’ve also decided that we are going to move past the challenge and into living a life of veganism for good. We did continue to still eat processed vegan foods like cereals and Oreos, and our goal now is to eliminate some more of that and eat more plant based meals. I’m not sure that we will ever completely be whole foods plant based, but hey, maybe that’s the next journey that starts from here.

We learned that there’s some really gross vegan meals. But at the same time we learned that going vegan isn’t that hard and it has some really delicious alternative (like these cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting).

One of the biggest things for me we stopped feeling bloated. I used to wake up every day and feel so bloated – both in the morning and after eating meals.  Within a few days all that stopped. Even eating big portions of vegan meals or snacks, I didn’t wake up feeling like that anymore. I did notice that I was hungry more often and snacked a lot. Andrew was much better at this than I was. I did still manage to loose 5lbs this month without much effort, so I’m sure if I curb the snacking habit back, this month will be even better.

Was there anything that shocked you?

There was some things that really stuck out to us during this 30 day vegan challenge.  For starters, how much food contains animal products that you don’t even think about. We learned that regular white sugar more than likely has been processed with bone char, making it not vegan. Everything from our vitamins to worchestire sauce to tomato sauce to hair products needed to be checked for animals products.

How helpful the vegan community is. I think everyone thinks of vegans as people who shove their lifestyle down your throat, but what we found was that other vegans were insanely helpful.  They went out of their way to find us meals they thought our kids would enjoy, to help us with any questions that arose, make book suggestions, and more. We truly love some of our vegan friends that we’ve made in this short amount of time.

Lastly, we were shocked at how seamless the transition went. We were expecting it to be really rough and quite honestly it wasn’t.  The hardest thing for me was no longer having a long list of go to meals. Rather, we spent most of the month trying out new meals during our 30 day vegan challenge. Some of them worked and others, well, left a lot to be desired. The second hardest thing was probably the detox.  I had some rough headaches for the first 2 weeks, but since then so much better.  Luckily, I had read about that and knew to expect it.

What did you eat during your 30 day vegan challenge?

I know this is what a lot of people want to know.  If you can’t have meat, eggs, and dairy, what the heck can you eat? It’s so funny that people get seriously mind boggled around what to eat if there’s no “meat” involved.  Luckily, now more than ever, it’s much easier to find everything from vegan burgers and hot dogs to vegan cheese, sour cream, and milk in stores.  As more people continue to switch to vegan, plant-based, or dairy-free diets, I’m convinced it will only get easier.

For breakfast, we mainly consumed smoothies and oatmeal. This is what we already ate before going vegan so it wasn’t a big deal.  We make french toast using a vegan homemade bread and flax eggs.

For lunch, we either had leftovers from dinner, salad or PB&J. Luckily, my kids love both salad and PB&J so switching these three ideas around worked well for us.

For dinner, we tried lots of delicious meals. We used different beans in place of meat, as well as trying a few plant based meat options in our meals too. Some of our best meals came from meals we already loved and making a few swaps to make them vegan.  For instance, one of our favorite meals beforehand was this 3 bean chicken chili. In order to make it vegan, we took out the chicken, added another cup of beans, and 2 cups of veggie broth. It was delicious!

We continued to love our black bean burgers and even found Daiya cheddar slices tastes great on them. One of our favorite meals was a chickpea stew and a super easy lo mein.  I also made a veggie stew that I’ll be posting about soon. We took our homemade pizza dough and made pizzas with vegan shredded cheese and that was a big hit with everyone. Black Bean Tacos were a great hit too and there’s so many more.

What about eating out?

We were able to try a few places out while doing a 30 day vegan challenge.  We went to HipCityVeg in Philly and LUHV food at the Reading Terminal Market our first few days because we were at a conference. Both places were a hit! Also since we were at a conference, we were invited to a place to eat for dinner. I was able to find a few dishes to try and loved the one I did, but it proved tricky to Andrew who is much pickier than I am. He ended up having two orders of french fries and stopping at a CVS on the way to the train for vegan ice cream.

We went to another local place near us – Heartbeet Kitchen in Westmont, NJ and were left a little disappointed. The price was way higher than we are used to paying for similar styled foods and we just weren’t that impressed.  The Queso was delicious, but otherwise we could have passed on the other things.  Maybe it was what we ordered, maybe it wasn’t. But it’s hard to want to go back there with the taste of what did had. The atmosphere and service was great though.

We also found a pizza place local to us that serves a vegan pizza and we also got french fries.  We loved being able to go and have a a meal that everyone enjoyed without a giant price hike.

What happens now?

Well now, there’s no more challenge.  This is just going to be our new normal.  We will continue to find meals that we love, places that we love, and products that we love that are vegan.  We will work towards switching out our household and personal care products to make them vegan. Also, we will continue to watch and monitor our kids to make sure they are getting enough and proper nutrition at this vulnerable age. We are both taking vitamins for us and for the kids, as well as a B12 spray for nutrition.  With the holidays coming up we are nervous about how that will go, but we’ve done well with parties and such so far, so we are sure that it will be fine.

What about you?  Have you or would you done a 30 day vegan challenge?  Do you have any questions about how it went for us? Let us know!

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes with Sausage and Apples (Vegan Option Included)

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Delicious Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes with “Sausage” and Apples is a perfect option for lunch, dinner, or brunches!
Disclosure: This Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes with Sausage and Apples was originally sponsored by Morningstar Farms. 

twice baked sweet potatoes

I think for the first year ever, I actually met all my wellness goals this year.  Every year seems to be a struggle after the first month or two, but not this year.  This year, I actually did it.  It was a lot of work and maybe a little pouting. Larisha would probably say a lot of pouting. But, it all paid off.  I’m the healthiest I’ve ever been and it feels amazing.

How and Now What?

As we go into the New Year, it’s time to set new goals. I did two things differently this year that I think really adding to me keeping on track.

  1. I shifted my mindset.
    • Every time that I thought I wanted something bad to eat, I told myself I had to eat nuts or a fruit first.  If I couldn’t do that, I was just bored and needed to go do something else.
  2. I allowed myself a cheat day.
    • Every Saturday I was allowed to eat whatever I wanted. We typically ordered out or made a heavier meal that we didn’t have during the week.

These two little things greatly changed how I took on this year and lead me to the healthiest year I’ve ever had as an adult. Eating healthier versus an exercise focus really helped also. Now, for this year, I really want to focus on portion control and working towards a more plant-based diet. However, I’m not ready to give up that taste of meat in meals just yet.

Starting the Day off Right

Over the years of my journey to being healthier, I’ve consistently done one thing: ate breakfast. It starts your day off on the right foot and kickstarts your energy in the right direction.  On my journey now towards a more plant-based diet, I’ve found MorningStar Farms® Sausage, Egg & Cheese Breakfast Sandwiches. They are great for on the go and they are kid-approved too. It’s a simple swap that keeps me on the right track.

morning star farms products

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes with Sausage and Apples

One thing that helps stay on track is meal planning and meal prepping.  With these Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes with Sausage and Apples, you can make them on the weekend and eat them over the next few days. I’ve swapped traditional sausage for MorningStar Farms® Original Sausage Patties and loaded in more fruits and vegetables. Bonus: It’s vegan and vegetarian friendly!

vegan twice baked potatoes

It’s really a super simple recipe. Bake the sweet potatoes until fork tender. While that is happening, cook the filling mixture. Then, slice and remove the sweet potato. Combine the sweet potato with the filling mixture.

twice baked potatoes recipe

Then, you fill the sweet potato shells back up with the filling mixture and then cook for 15 minutes more.

how to make twice baked potatoes

Then end result is a flavor packed meal. MorningStar Farms® veggie sausage is packed with plant protein power is the perfect way to start your morning off right. And while this is a great breakfast, it’s definitely doable for lunch or dinner too. As a meat lover, I’m here to tell you that this meal is for everyone! You have to taste it to believe it.

how do you make twice baked sweet potatoes

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Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes with Sausage and Apples
Author: Andrew
Ingredients
  • 4 sweet potatoes washed
  • 4 tbsp coconut oil divided.
  • 1/3 cup sweet onions diced
  • 2/3 cup mixed bell peppers diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 2 sprigs of fresh sage 4-6 leaves
  • 2 cups apples diced (I used fiji and )
  • 5 MorningStar Farms® Original Sausage Patties (If vegan, use 8oz browned vegan sausage)
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
Instructions
  1. Heat an oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Using a fork, poke holes throughout the sweet potatoes.
  3. Cook sweet potatoes on a baking sheet for 45-60 minutes or until a fork easily pierces through them.
  4. While that is cooking, in a large skillet on medium heat, add 2 tbsp coconut oil.
  5. Once melted, add in onions and peppers.
  6. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
  7. Add remaining 2 tbsp of coconut oil, garlic, paprika, red pepper flakes, sage, apples, and MorningStar Farms® Original Sausage Patties.
  8. Reduce to medium low heat and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking.
  9. Flip the sausage patties over and cook for another 5 minutes, still stirring often.
  10. Add in 2 table maple syrup.
  11. Remove from heat and place into a large bowl.
  12. Cut the sausage patties into pieces.
  13. Once the sweet potatoes have finished cooking, remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
  14. Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees.
  15. Slice length wise.
  16. Carefully remove the sweet potatoes from skin and put into bowl with sausage mixture.
  17. Gently mash the sweet potatoes (it's okay is some smaller chunks remain) and then combine well the sausage mixture.
  18. Add the mixture back to the sweet potato skins and cook again at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
  19. Remove and serve. Can stay refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Enjoy!

thanksgiving twice baked sweet potatoes

You can find the MorningStar Farms® Original Sausage Patties and breakfast sandwiches that I featured in this post and other great veggie products at your local Walmart in the frozen section.

Banana Swirl Ice Cream

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This post is made possible with support from the Association of University Centers on Disabilities through a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” program. All opinions are my own.

I remember when we had our first baby.  I was OBSESSED with whether or not she was meeting her milestones. Anytime like I felt she was falling behind on something, I panicked.  I would ask the same question in all 3,421 Facebook parenting groups I’m a part of and they would all tell me the same thing, “Breathe.”

Thankfully, I was just being a first-time parent in all of the circumstances I presented. It’s important that while milestones are critical, hitting all of them exactly the second they turn 3, 6, or whatever corresponding age bracket, isn’t always going to happen.  Much to my friend’s pleasure, I calmed down a bit with my second child. I realized that sometimes she would hit things much earlier than projected, while other things took a few more weeks. And that was okay. What is important is to find reputable sources of information on developmental milestones and keep tracking your child’s progress.

CDC’s “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” program offers developmental milestones that most children should reach by different ages. What’s great about this campaign is that parents can now know exactly which milestones their children should be reaching from birth to age 5 years old.

The “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” program is geared towards early identification of children with developmental disabilities, including autism.  By detecting these concerns early, children and families are able to get the services, as well as the support, they need. Each milestone age gives targets for how your child should play, learn, speak, act, and move. By watching and tracking your little’s development, you are able to quickly act if something is not on track.

We recently hit the 18 month milestones, and are now gearing towards the 2 year old ones.

Some of the 18 month milestones she has been reaching are:

  • May have temper tantrums
  • May be afraid of strangers
  • Says and shakes head “no”
  • Knows what ordinary things are for; for example, telephone, brush, spoon
  • Scribbles on her own
  • May walk up steps and run
  • Drinks from a cup
  • Eats with a spoon
  • and more...


       

One of my favorite milestones from this age was her learning to really use a spoon.  Mostly, because it meant that there was less mess to clean up. Don’t get me wrong, there are still messes and accidents, but her learning to use a spoon has helped so much.

Today, I wanted to share one of my favorite treats to make at this age is Banana Swirl Ice Cream.

Now, I know what you may be thinking.  Ice Cream at 18 months!? This isn’t healthy! But SURPRISE!  This Banana Swirl Ice Cream has just 3 ingredients, helps to meet the daily fruit serving size AND helps with teething. SAY WHAT!?  It’s true.  Frozen foods have always helped my girls when teething and these last teeth they get between 12-24 months are always the hardest in our house. It also helps with teaching them spoon skills.  What kid won’t practice spoon skills for some ice cream! 😉

Here’s the recipe for Banana Swirl Ice Cream

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Banana Swirl Ice Cream
Author: Larisha Campbell
Ingredients
  • 6 large bananas
  • 2 cups frozen strawberries
  • 3 tbsp water
  • Chopped Walnuts Optional
Instructions
  1. On a baking sheet lined with wax paper, chop up bananas into large chunks and spread across sheet.
  2. Place in the freeze until harden.
  3. Meanwhile, place frozen strawberries and water in a suacepan and heat over medium heat.
  4. Stir often until the strawberries break down.
  5. Using a sieve, separate the strawberry juice from the pieces.
  6. Set juice aside and let cool. *You can throw away or compost the pieces.
  7. Once bananas are frozen, place in a food processor and pulse until the consistency of ice cream.
  8. This takes about 3 minutes and you may have to scrap down the sides of your food processor.
  9. Pour ice cream into a bowl and swirl in the strawberry juice.
  10. Serve immediately or place back in freezer until ready to use in an air tight container.

 

Looking for more information about where your little should be?  Head over to the Learn The Signs. Act Early page today! 

Crunchy Kale Chips

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Kale chips. You really have to try this recipe. Now, I am not saying this is going to replace your favorite bag of chips! I’m not even saying these are going to be an option to eat after you have your favorite bag of chips sitting on the counter staring you in the face.

All I am saying is…to be chewing on crunchy leafs, deez chips is good! Yea I said it. Is good. You read that right! IS GOOD!!! So good your grammar teacher will hold off on correcting you after they munch on these leaves right herre!

I’m back, preaching yet another vegan edible for all you carnivores out there! I truly never thought I’d ever be this guy. But, Hey, girl, Hey!

I should title this series…..

Andrew’s Vegan Chronicles Or Andrew takes Carnivores to Vegan Church (And it ain’t even a Sunday!) Naw, but seriously, you need to make these kale chips right now.

Let me rewind a bit. Literally, this snack happened by mistake. It started with Larisha sending me to the grocery store! WHICH IS A MISTAKE! She knows I haven’t a clue where anything is at the store. She does all the shopping! So, I went for her, because I love her and what not and I try to do my best to make her happy. I brought home what I thought was spinach…. why the hell would Aldi put the damn kale bags so close to the spinach bags?!  Don’t they know, I’m new to this healthy eating stuff!?

I KNOW WHY!

So some poor sole brings home the wrong thing, this way his woman can stare at him in disgust like “I can’t send this man no where”! (I still love you Aldi, and hopefully she still loves me).

But guess what????

When life gives you spinach (that is actually kale?!), YOU MAKE KALE CHIPS!

BOOM! Umma bad mama jama.

Here’s the recipe!

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Crunchy Kale Chips
Author: Andrew
Ingredients
  • 3 cups chopped kale we buy pre-cut kale
  • 1 tbsp olive oil.
  • Freshly cracked black pepper and pink salt to taste
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
  2. Wash and dry kale.
  3. Remove any stems that may remain.
  4. Mix together the oil and kale until well coated.
  5. Sprinkle on cracked black pepper and pink salt.
  6. Spread kale out in a single layer on a baking sheet.
  7. Bake for 12 minutes, turn the pan around, and bake for another 12 mins.
  8. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes. (DON'T SKIP THIS STEP!)
  9. ENJOY!
  10. Store leftovers in an air tight container.

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The Best Black Bean Burger

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Looking for the perfect Cinco de Mayo recipe? This Black Bean Burger is it!

Spring is here which makes me want to break out the grill. I tell Larisha that our next meal is going to be outside on the grill and she tells me that our next meal is going to be vegan. And I’m like “whhhhhaaattttt.”

She goes straight Bugs Bunny on me, rattling off all these meals with carrots and lettuce and beans, while all I can think about is a juicy steak. So I cut her off to ask her where this is coming from. To be completely honest, it’s hard for me to give things much attention unless it’s logical (maybe that’s all guys?). Not that it’s going to make things much better, that randomly I’m going to have to start eating vegan, but when it’s logical at least I’ll understand where it’s coming from. When that happens, it makes my brain give into my “happy wife, happy life” mentality.

She tells me she heard on the news some nonsense about a plant based diet being less processed and blah, and blah, and blah. That’s all I really heard.

Now I’m trying to think about how I can get the news to air a segment on steaks being healthier for you. So, this is how we negotiate. She tells me what she wants and I do it…sometimes. I sit back and start thinking about my new diet without meat which sounds devastating. She snapped me back into reality when I heard the word burger. Ok, burger, I can do this.

Wait, vegan burger? What is this crap? I bet this is about to taste like eating straight grass outside.

“Black bean burger!” I finally hear her say after the initial thoughts of disgust leave my head. She tells me what goes into the burger and it’s starting to sound a little better.  I’m determined to give it a try at least. We make them up and I’m surprised at how easily these black bean burgers grill.

Watch us make this Black Bean Burger recipe!

Then, taste test time. Verdict: amazing!  No, really, I promise. I’m not about to sit here and lie to you guys about something I was hesitant on to start. I couldn’t believe that I was eating and liking a black bean burger.  Not only that, but I told her to put it in our meal rotation.

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The Best Black Bean Burger
Author: Andrew
Ingredients
  • 2 - 15 ounce cans black beans rinsed and drained
  • 2 cups tortilla chips
  • 1 cup cooked brown rice cooled
  • 1/2 red onion
  • 1/2 cup salsa
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 3 clove garlic
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil + more
Optional toppings:
  • Buns or tostada shells
  • Lettuce
  • Salsa
  • Greek yogurt plain (or sour cream)
  • Fresh cilantro leaves chopped
  • tomatoes
  • mashed avocado
Instructions
  1. In a food processor, add 1 1/2 cans of beans (reserving 1/2 can until later), tortilla chips, rice, onion, salsa, cumin, and garlic.
  2. Turn food processor on and combine well until a thick puree has formed.
  3. Add remaining 1/2 can of black beans to food processor and pulse 2-3 times, just until combined. These should still be chunky.
  4. With a little olive oil on your hands, shape mixture into 6 patties.
  5. Brush both sides of patties with olive oil.
  6. Cook on a grill 3-4 minutes on each side (or in a skillet over medium heat).
  7. Add desired optional toppings to burger and enjoy!

Now, I’m still not convinced that we should be eating vegan 2-3 days a week and I still really want my juicy steak, I’m at least giving it a go. If you’re looking to give vegan a go, this is a great recipe to start. I can’t believe I just said that. Also, if you’re wanting a great Cinco de Mayo recipe to feed a crowd, this is it. Larisha says this pairs perfectly with a frozen margarita.

Here’s some things that may help you!


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