If you’re looking for vegan meals ideas, here is a vegan food diary - summer edition

If you’re looking for vegan meals ideas, here is a vegan food diary - summer edition. We want to share with you our favorite recipes, so that you can have a deliciously healthy summer!

This vegan food diary is all about easy and quick recipes that can keep up with your lifestyle. The act of eating is a beautiful of act of self-love, so let’s give ourselves all the love we deserve! 

We will also share some nutritional information, but as usual, we recommend going into a certified nutritionist. This way you can make sure that you are getting all the good stuff you need to be healthy.

 

Breakfast

Waking up with the sunlight is so much better! If you can, open your windows and get some direct sunlight during breakfast. That’s a great way to get your Vitamin D in check! This amazing vitamin was shown to support your immune and nervous system. When we’re in the sun, the body will produce it, and 10 minutes a day is more than enough.

Now, what’s better than lots of fruits to start the day? It’s a great healthy way to keep hydrated and energized! Just chop some fruits the day before and keep them in the fridge. This way they will be fresh for breakfast. Our favorites are all red fruits like berries that are rich in antioxidants. You can buy them frozen to stay in the budget and make some amazing smoothies. Add some oats and oat milk and you’re ready to conquer the world!

 

Oats are amazing because besides fiber and protein, they will give you magnesium, zinc, phosphorus and potassium.

If you want to make it more special you can add goji berries for amino acids, some walnuts for omega 3 and some extra antioxidants.

This is also a great mid-afternoon snack, so if you’re getting hungry make yourself a bowl right now. We’ll wait.

Now that you’re back, let’s get to lunch!

 

Lunch

When thinking about lunch, you should consider how much energy you need for the rest of the day. Even if you don’t move a lot, your brain needs to eat. More often than not we tend to skip lunch when running around between meetings. Or even eating a sandwich in front of the computer. That’s no way to treat yourself.

We propose a new perspective on lunch. Even if you can’t have it every day at the same time, this meal is more important than we think. It’s a break during a busy day, and it usually dictates how effective we are during the afternoon. How many times hasn’t it felt like you were having a super productive morning, and then lunch arrived. We all know after lunch sleepiness is a real thing.

 

How to make the best out of your lunch?

Firstly, force yourself to take a real break. This means no work talk and getting away from your desk. Try to concentrate on the food you’re eating. If there is no nature around, simply focus on the sky. Your brain will thank you for actually having a break. This will help you start your afternoon with a lot more brainpower, without depending so much on caffeine.

 

Secondly, choose your food wisely. Carbohydrates are great brain food, but too many will make you fall asleep at your desk. That’s why we recommend a great dosage of greens to go with them. You want to get something that’s simultaneously filling and light, the perfect balance for an energized body and mind.

 

Lunch ideas

An easy to remember formula is ¼ carbs, ¼ protein and ½ veggies for all the good nutrients and vitamins. Of course, as vegans main foods are veggies, so you can get really creative with them!

Higher sources of Vegan protein are chickpeas, lentils, tofu, tempeh and all the beans. Some delicious examples are soybeans, kidney beans and black beans. 

A quick and vegan food from our diary is vegan wraps. Can I get a moment of silence for these divine sources of energy and good mood?

 

 

Vegan Wraps

Let’s start by chopping some onions and stir them in a fryer pan with olive oil and a dash of garlic. While that magic is happening let your lentils cook in a pan with only water, olive oil and salt.

Back to the chopping board,you want to add color to your lunch! So let’s use bright red bell pepper, some green broccoli and carrots. After everything is chopped and your fryer pan is calling for more, add these bright babies. They will cook in that onion magic, and all the flavours will be refined. When you get close to the end, add the lentils and let it sit.

Now your comfort carbs will also be in the wrap. Choose a good brown healthy wrap to wrap these delicious veggies. Wrap them tightly to avoid unwanted accidents. You don’t need foil, just a goodtechnic.

If you want to make it even more delicious spread some guacamole in the wrap before the filling. This can be a fast homemade recipe with one mashed avocado seasoned with lime, olive oil pepper and salt. Simple and to die for!

 

Healthy Snacks

Super important, you need to make some healthy snacks to keep your energy levels up. Dates are a simple solution, as well as fruit. Bananas, apples and kiwi are easy to eat and to carry around.

You can also make some easy delicious chia pudding, by adding chia to a small jar with water and leave it overnight. To make it more special add some berries in the morning, and you’re good to go!

These are great to take to the office but also amazing for a beach day.

 

Light Dinner

At night we want our body to rest and relax. Therefore, heavy meals that are hard to digest shouldn’t be on the menu. We recommend a cold glorious gazpacho soup! This is easy, delicious and a perfect balance between light and filling food.

You will need to chop: tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumber, half red onion, 3 cloves of garlic and add some olive oil. Then put them all in your blender and make some creamy soup! As a topping, bits of bread ( crouton) are usually the go-to. If you have a sensitive stomach, use some brown bread slices to turn down the soup’s natural acidity. You can season it with black pepper, oregano and basil leaves. Some people like to save some pieces of the chopped veggies to pour it in the end.

Wondering where to get Vegan sour cream for that extra texture? There are some great coconut-based ones you will love!

For dessert, try this vegan brownie if you’re feeling like having some chocolate!

Tell us in the comments if you like these ideas, and share your thoughts with us!

 

Have a beautiful day,

NAE