What goes on a food plate?

First off, hey!
Haven't been here in a while. I just been working like crazy.

Second I have a very, very BIG argument with my exbff about me and this "faze". Supposedly, I am in a faze that I will come out of very soon.

Third, I have been getting emails about what I should eat on my plate. Well I am here to tell you.

You want 5+ serving of grains & starchy vegetables:
-Grains are a great source of fiber and iron, they also contain some protein. They are rich in vitamin B.
-You need 5 or more serving per day to get all the nutritious you need.
-Brown rice, whole wheat pasta, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, yams are all amazing sources.
-My serving are 1/2 cup cooked rice or pasta. 1 sweet potato, 1 ounce oatmeal (flavored), 1 slice of whole wheat bread (toasted).

You want 3+ serving of legumes & soyfoods:
-Legumes (funny word to say) and soyfoods provide an amazing!! amount of protein. Which is the basic component of all living cells that supports growth, maintenance, and repair.
-Most have calcium and iron.
-You need 3 or more serving per day.
-Kidney beans, tofu, tempeh, lentils, peas are all good sources.
-My serving are 1/2 cup cooked beans, 1/2 cup tofu, 1/2 cup tempeh, 1 cup fortified soy milk.


You want 2+ serving of fruit:
-Fruits are great for hydration and they're a fantastic source of fiber, potassium, and antioxidants.
-You need 2 or more serving per day.
-Apples, oranges, blueberries, blackberries, and bananas are the best sources.
-My serving are 1 medium-sized, fresh fruit, 1 cup cut-up fruit.

You want 1-2 serving of seeds & nuts:
-Nuts and seeds provide protein, iron, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids.
-You need 1 to 2 servings per day.
-Pumpkin seeds, peanut butter, tahini, flax seeds, walnuts, and almonds are wonderful sources.
-My servings are 1/4 cup nuts, 2 tbsp seeds, 1 tbsp nut or seed butter.

You want 4+ serving of vegetables:
-Vegetables are provide beta carotene which turns into vitamin A in your body, vitamin C, and cancer-fighting phytochemicals.
-You need 4 or more servings per day.
-Kale, broccoli, spinach, romaine lettuce, peppers, and cabbage are fantastic source.
-My serving are 1/2 cup cooked veggies, 1 cup raw veggies, 1/2 cup veggie juice.

If you need any help you can go to; http://www.chooseveg.com/foodplate

Shopping vegan.

Can I eat that?

What about that?

That has no meat, but cheese... Wait is it fake cheese? 

No it's real.

Hey! I can have this.

1 thing in my cart after 15 minutes looking at frozen dinners.

I think the most hardest part of shopping is the temptations of the product you use to get. I walked by the meat and just had a craving for a steak. But I looked at it, had the images of a poor baby cow and walked away. It still sucks my local stores don't have a lot of vegan or meat-free food. I usually just shop for fresh fruits and veggies, but tonight I had the craving for some tofo hot dogs. I went to the closest store, because the fair people are crazy right now to go to my usual store. They didn't have it, so I went to the frozen area. Man, I was so backwards there. 

On my way home, I stopped by McDonald's to get a sweet tea, because I am addicted. Well, I was standing behind a pregnant lady with a "I <3 Animals" shirt on. I told her I loved her shirt and she said thanks. I stood there talking to her even after getting my cup. We started talking about being vegan for some odd reason, in a McDonald's! She told me about a couple places near my house that actually have more vegan food than the place I went to miles away. 

She was amazing. So I ended up stopping by before they closed, and walked around just looking. The same lady walks in and smiles when she see me. I just think she is there picking a few things up. Turns out she was the manager. I am a sold costumer. She is an amazing women and gave me tips. I even got a free magazine, even though it's a vegetarian one. I feel blessed. I am so happy I stood behind her and started talking.

If she can do it while pregnant, I can do it too!

Nutrition Must-Haves:

EVERYONE; I MEAN EVERYONE: Ask me where do I get my nutrition's that are found in meat if I don't eat meat..

Good question young one. I have my key elements in my diet to help me where I need it.

Fats: I get my fats from whole foods, such as nuts, seeds, nut butters, and avocados (ewh). I also pay very close attention to foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as flax seeds, hemp seeds, and walnuts. Other sources I get my fats from is plant-based mayo and margarine.

Vitamin D: I said in my other post that I tried drinking Soy Milk (ewh). But it is key to make sure your bones are healthy. Vitamin D helps even protect you against many illnesses, from cancer to autoimmune diseases. I never tried Silk Milk, but I was told it's better than Soy. I might have to try it and give my opinion.

Vitamin B12: It finds its way into animal foods, this bacteria-borne vitamin (yes you just read that right) doesn't get into plants. So it's very important you get it. You can get it from lots of foods, such as non-dairy milks like silk or soy, many cereals, and nutritional yeast. I bought b12 supplements from Wal-Mart and I take them every day. It works for me.

Now I already knew a little bit of this, but I got all my information from http://www.chooseveg.com/foodplate if you need help in finding out what you wanna do, check them out. They have tons of helpful hints.

XOXO

The Hardest Part.. Switching.

TO MEAT

NOT TO MEAT

TO MEAT

NOT TO MEAT

AHH! Was it hard to finally do that switch? Yes! It was a NIGHTMARE! I grew up eating meat, knowing it was okay to eat an animal, but what shocked me, was how they were treated. It's not all bubble gum and candy for them. They don't have the normal life of a farm animal. They were born and raised to basically die! I don't think I would have started eating meat when I was younger knowing that. 

A lot of people know I am a HUGE animal lover. I hate watch "Animal Cops" on Animal Planet because I just wanna beat the crap outta those people who hurt them. Even though they got what they deserve. But what gets me are these big labels out there. 'CAGE FREE' it doesn't always mean that the animals are happy and healthy. It doesn't always mean their 'owners' are nice to them.

But the switch was more harder than actually thinking about it.Which supplement do I need? Things that are hand put into meat. B12 and Omega 3 are 2 of the things I didn't get when I cut meat out. I didn't get my calcium like I needed too. Soy milk was the death of me. I couldn't get over how watery it taste. I even tried to add a little milk to get use to it. I stopped drinking it, and moved on to actually milk from farmers who don't hurt their cows. 

But with all that help, it still was hard. When my family was eating their hamburgers, I was sitting to the side eating my no meat burger which was made before everyone else's in a special way. I felt like I was being pushed out of the family. Until one day, I was told I was doing a brave thing. Brave?? How was cutting meat out of my diet brave? I stopped and thought, a lot of vegans are brave, they are standing up for animal rights, just like people do for every other rights. 

I wouldn't say I agree 100% with PETA, but I do agree with MFA (Mercy For Animals). I am proud to say that, they are the reason I changed.

But not only was switching hard for me, it was for my cat. I took her to a diet called Good Recipes. It made her healthy and a happier kitty. I let her have some actual wet food from time to time because I don't want her to think I don't love her.

But it was the most challenging part of this whole thing. I was scared to get sick! I was told I was going to get sick and die if I didn't have meat. But I realize that it's only people who are scared to do the switch themselves. I am healthier and so much happier with my switch.

XOXO