What I Ate Yesterday! (Vegan)

Heeeelllo! I’m very excited about this post because I love reading “What I Ate” posts on other blogs.

Mostly because I’m nosey. Like, horrifically so. Ask my mother.

But also because it’s an awesome way to get ideas for my own meals.

Not gonna lie, this week has been rough. Seriously busy in every way, shape, and form. But I’m ending it on an incredibly high note (more on that next week!), and I couldn’t be more excited.

During this busy week, I got an email from a dear reader that said, “This may be a strange question, but how do you eat all of this wonderful food and stay so skinny?”

First of all, I love it when you guys email me. I’m not the best at responding super quick, but I will respond! Second, this question really made me think about my progress as a plant-fueled chica.

Years ago, my answer would be that I didn’t eat a ton of wonderful food and I stayed “skinny” because I seriously restricted my calorie intake. “Skinny” was an unattainable end-goal for me; my “skinniest” was never good enough.

Now? My answer is that I eat whole plant-based foods most of the time, I eat when I’m hungry, and I throw in some exercise throughout the week. Now, I strive for healthy (both in mind and body), rather than “skinny.” There are still hard days, but the easy days far outweigh the hard.

When I make a cake and post it to the blog, you better believe I’m eating that whole thing (okay, I shared a few pieces with Mark, but only because I think he’s really cute). Same with when I make healthier stuff like Quinoa Falafel or Buffalo Chickpea Chili. Everything you see on the blog is something I have and will eat. Pinky promise.

That said, I don’t eat cake every day. I would love to, but that’s just not how things work, you know? So this (below) is what I eat in a typical day right now.

An important note: this is a typical day for me. We’re all different. We all get fueled and full from different foods at different times of the day. Just because this works for me, doesn’t mean it’ll work for everyone. This is simply to give you some ideas about what I eat at home during the workday.

Another important note: I don’t eat like this every day. I can guarantee I’ll be eating desserts, baked goods, rich meals, and more this weekend. But come Monday? I’ll still be my plant-lovin’ self and struttin’ my whole plant-based foods walk.

Good to go? Let’s jump into deliciousness!

7am: Rooibos Tea

Yep, I start out my day with some tea. I’m always cold when I get up, but I can’t usually jump face-first into a cup of coffee that early in the morning. I have to ease into my morning because I’m slightly high maintenance.

That said, I love reaching for this naturally caffeine-free tea! It has a great flavor, and I just add a small splash of almond milk to make it a little creamier. I have it on the couch while I’m checking email and jumping into work.

I also grabbed some water, but I’m horrible at making sure I drink enough water throughout the day. I had a few sips.

9am: Chocolate Oatmeal with Dates

YAAAS. I literally go to bed excited for my oatmeal the next morning. You know how much I love my oats. A whole heck of a lot.

I love this combo: heaping 1/2 cup oats, 1 cup water, 1/2ish Tbsp. cocoa powder, cinnamon, salt, a splash of almond milk, and a drizzle of maple syrup. Then I top it with chopped dates (or my favorite, raisins). Again, this was enjoyed on the couch as I worked.

9:15am: Coffee

After I wolf down my oatmeal for breakfast, I always have a cup of coffee. I have no idea why, but I think it’s because the caffeine high doesn’t hit me as hard when I have something in my stomach first. I make a full french press for me, and I’ll drink the coffee throughout the day. I typically just have one cup in the morning, and then another cup sometime in the afternoon.

ps. who else sees the heart in my coffee?!

I also have a Nespresso machine (affiliate link) (it’s one of my few prized possessions), and I make that on the weekends! The pods are a bit more expensive than making coffee in the french press, so I save it for Saturdays and Sundays. Or when I’m having a particularly crazy day. Or when I really want some.

11am: Sparkling Water

I love having fun drinks in the morning! It helps me get my water in, and it helps me not graze through the entire morning (working from home is amazing, but constant access to my pantry isn’t always a good thing). This one was grapefruit flavored!

1pm: Carrots & Hummus

I usually eat a bit earlier, but I was in a meeting until 1 on this particular day. I was starving, so I grabbed the giant Costco-sized tub of hummus and bag of carrots, sat at my desk, and went.to.town. This is my favorite hummus brand!

I don’t typically measure out hummus, but it wouldn’t be a bad idea to scoop some into a bowl and then put the tub back in the fridge. Too many times I find myself eating more hummus I intended to. But hey. Protein, right?

1:30pm: Smoothie

Woot! I love smoothies for lunch because they’re quick, and they’re a great way to get in some extra veggies. Sometimes I’ll make a stir fry or something, but I usually reach for a smoothie.

I typically make this recipe and top it with oats and hemp hearts. I mixing oats into my smoothies by hand because the texture ends up being like overnight oats! And yes, I have oats twice a day, almost every day. #oatobsessed

2pm: Coffee

Finished off the french press and drank it at my desk while motoring through some work.

2:30pm: Peanut Butter

Yep, wasn’t full from lunch. So I grabbed the peanut butter and a spoon and dug in. I’m the only peanut butter eater in the house, so this isn’t an issue.

Again, I don’t portion it out (I probably should), but I probably ate 2-3 Tbsp. in total.

ps. This is my all-time favorite brand of peanut butter!

4pm: Cara Cara Orange

I LOVE THESE ORANGES. They’re pink on the insides, kinda tart, a little sweet, and perfectly refreshing.

I like eating one of these before a workout (which I left for at 4:30) because they’re light, but give me a nice boost in energy.

They’re also only around for a few months out of the year, so I always horde them like a crazy person. My fave!

7:45pm: Grain Bowl with Spicy Creamy Sauce

Back from class, freshly showered, ravenous as ever.

If I had to guess, 6/7 of my dinners each week look like this. Crazy right? I love grain bowls because they fill me up, and they’re so easy to pack full of nutrients and good stuff.

My grain bowls follow this simple equation: grain (or pseudo-grain) + veggies + protein = one happy, full Alexa.

Tonight’s grain bowl was made up of leftover quinoa, sautéed kale (in olive oil and seasoned with salt, pepper, and Everything But the Bagel Seasoning from TJs), leftover roasted broccoli, chickpeas, avocado, and a simple sauce made up of hummus and hot sauce. Random, but it totally hit the spot!

I’m not great at meal prepping, so these bowls are always just made up of whatever I can find in the fridge. If we have fun nuts or seeds, I’ll chop them up and put them on top. Sometimes I add nutritional yeast. Sometimes I use balsamic vinegar or salsa as a dressing. Just whatever I’m feelin’ for the night!

8:15pm: Dates and Peanut Butter

Yep, peanut butter again. Every once in a while, I get these peanut butter cravings that are so intense. It’s crazy. I had it with a few dates for some sweetness as I finished up this post (which is like…totally meta, right?).

Other nights I’ll have some chocolate for dessert, or maybe a piece of fruit if I’m feeling it. But I almost always have to finish out my day with something sweet. It’s totally who I am, and there ain’t no way I’m falling asleep without a little shuga.

Well. This got weird.

I hope you liked this post! Thoughts? Should I do more of these? Less? Happy Friday Eve!

ps. Affiliate links were used in this post. That means if you click the link and purchase through that link, Fooduzzi will get some moolah at no cost to you. Kinda cool, right? Thanks for supporting more plant-based yum on the blog!