Yesterday, Kelly started her Journey asking how to prepare for meals on-the-go with her busy schedule and traveling. There was some discussion about veggie burgers and finding out about hidden animal products in restaurant foods. Fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds (the original fast food) will always be quick and nutritious.
Kelly, we’d love to hear about your trip to the grocery store in prep for this week’s journey. Did you have any challenges with shopping or looking for Ghost-Free items? How about recipes or meal planning?
What would would be helpful to focus on today?
Coach Donna and Coach Rosemary
The opinions we express as GFJ Coaches are ours personally. We are not professional health practitioners. Neither are we treating a specific health care issue. That means we are not offering advice on health-care problems. If you are experiencing a health-care problem, it is important to seek the advice of a health professional. However we are experienced, practicing vegans and we look forward to coaching you on your journey..
Hello! Well yesterday went well. I am out of town visiting my Family and I survived it. Lol… I made a big Vegan fajita meal and it was delicious. My sister decided to bring her own Chicken, she was just a little stuck in her ways. The struggles I had with dinner… Quick bites. My sister brought over a 7layer dip and remembering to stay away from that one was a struggle. It looked good! Usually during family functions it is just a grazing fest so I will need to have my own ghost free solutions! Social situations will be interesting to navigate, I have a birthday party tonight…. Any tips for parties? I can imagine that dinner at other peoples houses will sometimes be a little awkward…
Kelly, is the birthday party a dinner party or just dessert?
If it’s a dinner party, you can call the host and let them know you’re vegan and would like to offer an vegan dish to bring along and share as well. I usually tell my host that I don’t expect them to prepare for me and want to give them ample notice so they can prepare accordingly with their servings for his/her meal plan. This approach has worked for me, and usually allows for the host to feel less pressure to figure out something that may be totally foreign to them.
What’s your inclination about this particular situation?
If it’s just dessert, no one will notice if you’re eating cake or not. Or, you can bring some yummy vegan ice cream to share.
I’m sure others will have alot to say about this social situation we all share.
I think it will just be casual snacks, I will bring a dip and stuff. I am sure there will be some veggies and I will make a vegan dips!
Great idea! Let us know how it goes.
Hi Kelly!
I think it’s brilliant to ring the host/ess of the party to let them know that you’re vegan. I do think sometimes this can send that person into a bit of a panic, especially if they’re not sure what to make or if they can even attempt it. You could always offer to come over, and you can both prepare something together.
I’ve even attended parties where I don’t call, and often I find some veggies and such (what I call the “stereoptypic vegan fare” there) I also notice that my choice of foods begins some pretty amazing conversations.
If you’re uncomfortable calling and saying “I’m Vegan”, you could always ring and say “would it be okay if I brought a dish to pass? I’m trying something new, I’d love feedback” This way there’s not much chance of hurting feelings, or scaring the host/ess AND it takes a little weight of their shoulders too. (best part? You’re sharing Ghost Free Food)
Grocery shopping yesterday went pretty good. I had my 9yr old nephew so it was a little tough to concentrate at times, they never stop talking!! It did start some interesting conversation though, my nephew asked lots of questions and is now telling people I am a vergan… Lol…
I am really realizing how going with whole foods is the easiest way to stick to a Vegan Diet. Another life goal I have is to lose weight, the foods I am choosing are so healthy. Lots of nuts, fruits and veggies… It’s the unhealthy quick food that has the most animal by products. Grocery shopping will definitely take some practice but I am sure that the extra time I am putting in now will pay off later.
You took on a family function with a vegan meal on your first day? How courageous! Some veteran vegans wouldn’t be so brave.
It sounds like you handled it very well, and temptations and culturally ingrained habits are sometimes challenging (the dip!). While you’re navigating your way through this, it’s helpful to know this is not about perfection, and do the best you can given your resources. 7 layer dip can be easily veganized for example, and preparing ahead is always a good thing.
When it comes to entertaining guests or going to someone’s home as a guest I find it best to be open and honest, and offer to bring a vegan dish that everyone can enjoy in addition to the hosts’ meal.
How did you handle the social aspect of the gathering yesterday? What did your family think about your vegan choices?
My family is pretty open minded but they do find my choices weird sometimes. They tell me I am such a city girl! I have made an impact on them though… My mom especially. We are going to watch Food, Inc together and she is trying to cut out meat… Baby steps. There are always questions asked to which people don’t really want to know the answers to. I am lucky though, my family is very supportive!
Hi Kelly, The vegan discussion with my kids has been interesting. My daughter age 17 totally gets it and is vegetarian herself-we support each other – my 14 year son-not so much-but we keep talking about it…
I took the ghost journey in October of last year. My husband has not yet taken that journey. If he prefers to eat meat. he will go out and get that as I do not have anything that is not vegan in the house. If I do buy something that is not actually vegan, I will donate it to our local food pantry. It is a process and I’m still learning to read labels and make mistakes. I’m not perfect although I have a very supportive daughter who helps me through this.
It’s wonderful that your family is open and supportive. It’s an art in and of itself to figure out how far to go with family and friends, regarding our choices. I love Colleen Patrick-Goudreau’s approach and resources to social issues regarding this topic. Check out “Vegan’s Daily Companion” , “30-day Vegan Challenge, and other books of hers when you have a chance.
Nina, it must be wonderful for you to have these discussions with your children and support one another. Has it been a year for you already?
[img]https://www.theghostsinourmachine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/97815925367951.jpg[/img]
Hi Rosemary-it has been over a year-as a matter of fact-13 months now! I still love your recommendation of cashew nut with garlic clove chopped up in the blender as a garnish for salad, rice, pasta and you name it – it really helps fill in for that ‘missing’ protein on the plate.
Congratulations, Nina! I hope the transition continues to be fun for you. I’d love to see some of you food photos again; they were so beautiful.
The condiment you mentioned is a cashew “parmesan”. So glad you still like to use it. I usually make a batch of it and keep it in a glass container in the fridge for safe keeping. It’s an instant way to add some flavor and zip to a dish.
If anyone is interested in Cashew Parmesan:
1 cup raw cashews
1clove garlic
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, dash pepper
blender or food processor works to grind to a parmesan texture.
[img]https://www.theghostsinourmachine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/260435_2166378364729_6858719_n.jpg[/img]
Photo is zucchini pasta with cashew parmesan on top.
Recipe adapted from Mimi Kirk’s “Live Raw”
YUM!
YUM is right!
Hi Kelly!
I couldn’t get online yesterday but welcome on the Journey!
I have found hummus and guacamole to be lifesavers when going to parties where there will be munchies. Both go very well with chips or veggies.
When eating breakfast on the go, bagels with peanut butter are also a good go to, as most places have them.
I have the cookbook Vegan a Go Go, which is an excellent book for when travelling, as it is made for people having cook when they are in places where a lot fo the specialized food items might not be readily available. It also helps that it’s pocket sized!
Cheers!
It’s so nice of you to join in, Judy! As past participant in the Ghost-Free Journey, your unique perspective is so appreciated and valuable. Your ideas about bagels and PB, and dips to bring to parties are great.
The book you suggest sounds really good, but I haven’t heard of Vegan a Go Go…who wrote it, and where is it available?
It’s written by Sarah Kramer. I just found it on amazon.
Wow, so many great ideas!!! I had a great and easy day so far today as I was prepared. I have noticed that the biggest question i get is “what do you eat??”.
Today I had raisin bread with peanut butter and an orange this morning for Breaky. I also found an amazing cafe in my Mom’s small town and had a delicious quinoa fruit salad. DELICIOUS. I was a bit confused on where to go for lunch, knowing that it can be hard to navigate some menus, I am so glad I found the Harvest Cafe!! Although I had about 3 choices instead of 20, the food was great!
I am going to download the Vegan’s Daily Companion and start reading it tonight.
[img]https://www.theghostsinourmachine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/IMG_0476.jpg[/img]
Here is the salad!
Thanks for all your tips, this is the motivation and inspiration I need!
xo
Kelly, this salad looks really yummy! How did you find this restaurant?
Sounds like you’re navigating well, especially being away from home. Do you feel like you’re missing anything (taste, habit or otherwise)?
How do you feel about people asking you questions about what you eat?
Hope you like Vegan’s Daily Companion! Check out more books and films in our resource guides under all the categories. “Tips for Getting Started” (on a Ghost-Free Journey) is located on the main GFJ page.
Well the Birthday party went well!! My friend knew about my journey from Facebook and made sure to have some vegan treats for me!!! Successful day 2 overall!!
So glad your second day went well, and your friend providing food for you is a sign of a tried and true-blue friend. Wonderful <3