A Vegan Experience by Lauren Johnsen Wall ( Part 2)

I hope you enjoyed Lauren’s Vegan experience as I did. I guess this article gives us a better idea about this diet that is still a mistery for most of people.

As you can see her total Calories was less that 2000 which is good for a woman. When looking at the menu and the pictures you really want to eat this kind of menu. The colors and textures looks amazing! Until I see her menu and recipes I realized that I am still almost a vegetarian but far away from being a Vegan. I decided to become a Vegetarian years ago when I started Yoga, then I realized that a  strict Vegetarian diet was not easy to deal with everyday ( I  was working long hours every day in NYC)  and it was not easy  to control my daily  intake to get enough vegetal proteins, but eggs, milk and fish was still available in my diet.  Today, still busy as a mother of young twins, my job, new projects and activities sometimes it is hard to be a “Vegan” or a “Vegetarian”. I like the idea of beeing free to be one day a “Vegan”, the other day a “vegetarian”, but not stick to it as a religion. I believe in these specific diets for a better health, energy, better sleep…but it is a lot of work and organisation in planning your weekly menu and since I am not very fond of suplements a full but healthy diet is as of now what I eat. But again I think that what Lauren did for 6 weeks ( which is pretty long) is wonderful. I really enjoyed reading this article and suggest you to try her Vegan day menu, that includes delicious and healthy recipes and to try to eat less meat, milk…to see how your body reacts and how you feel, may be you will discover that you are ready for a change that can change your life too!

Thank you again Lauren for sharing with us this fantastic adventure. Thank you also  for sharing a Vegan day menu and Nutrition facts! Your pictures are gorgeous! Merci!

Sample Vegan Menu

Breakfast:

1½ serving old-fashioned oatmeal, 1 cup calcium-fortified almond milk, ½ cup each sliced strawberries and blueberries, served with a dash of cinnamon and vanilla extract

Lunch: 

Grilled summer squash sandwich with roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, and basil with hummus on sprouted whole-grain bread

Directions:  Slice 1 medium zucchini lengthwise into ¼ inch strips and toss with a pinch of salt, ground black pepper, and garlic powder, and ¼ teaspoon dried oregano.  Heat a grill pan (or outdoor grill) to medium and brush with oil.  Grill zucchini until cooked through and slightly charred.  (I like to grill a large batch to keep in the fridge for a few days.)  Grill 2 slices of bread (I use Food for Life Ezekiel 4:9), then top with 2 tablespoons hummus (I like Trader Joe’s Organic Hummus), zucchini slices, ¼ of a jarred roasted red pepper, sliced, 2 chopped artichoke hearts (frozen and dethawed), 5 leaves of basil, chopped, and a pinch of salt and pepper

Colorful Raw Veggie Salad

1 ½ cups mixed greens (I use spinach and red-leaf lettuce), 3 sliced radishes, 5 sliced button mushrooms, ½ cup halved pear tomatoes, ¼ cup sliced carrot, ½ small avocado, cubed, 2 green onions, sliced, sprinkle of minced fresh parsley tossed with ½ tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, ½ tablespoon sherry vinegar, ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard, and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Afternoon Snack:

1½ cups frozen edamame, prepared with a sprinkle of salt

Cup of green tea

Dinner:

Recipes from Celine’s Cuisine “From Market to Table” cooking class

(modified serving sizes)

Avocado Tartines

Preheat oven to 400°.  Brush 3 ½ inch slices of baguette with 1 teaspoon olive oil and toast until golden brown.  Remove from oven and immediately rub with one garlic clove. Mash ½ of small avocado in a bowl until smooth.  Add a pinch of Meyer lemon zest and juice of 1 small lemon wedge.  Mix in 5 chopped almonds and a pinch of salt and ground pepper.  Divide mixture between toasted bread slices, and top with ½ tablespoon chopped fresh basil.  Serve immediately

Soupe au Pistou

Prepared according to recipe instructions but changed to 6 servings for dinner-size portion.  Omit the cheese.

Soupe au Pistou Recipe here

Dessert:

1 cup chopped cantaloupe melon with 1tablespoon chopped walnuts drizzled with 1 tablespoon maple syrup

Nutritional Analysis*

Macronutrients:

Total calories: 1,912

Total carbohydrates: 269 g

Dietary fiber: 65 g

Sugars: 69 g

Total protein: 79 g

Total fat: 69 g

Saturated fat: 8 g

Mono-unsaturated fat: 27 g

Poly-unsaturated fat: 18 g

Omega-3 fatty acids: 3,032 mg

Omega-6 fatty acids: 14,266 mg

Micronutrients:

Menu and images by Lauren Johnsen Wall

BIO
Lauren Johnsen Wall was born and raised in California, and received a degree in Business Management from San Diego State University. A backpacking trip through Europe after college was instrumental in expanding her culinary horizons by exposing her to new cuisines. She gives special credit to France for igniting her passion for thoughtfully planned and delicious meals. She has been on a culinary journey ever since, learning to cook along the way and pursuing a Master’s in Nutrition. Lauren truly believes that time in the kitchen is time well spent! She feels that meals prepared with locally-sourced seasonal organic ingredients taste so good; it’s worth the extra effort to procure them. She created thedomesticdish.com to document her kitchen adventures and to share her favorite culinary discoveries. Her ultimate goal is to write recipes and cookbooks that help others realize the pleasures and health benefits of a home-cooked meal. She currently resides in Southern California with her ultimate taste tester, husband Matthew Wall.

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