Spring Additions to My Diet

I recently wrote a blog post about how my diet changes with the seasons, just with what’s available and what I feel like when it’s cold vs. hot outside. 

We’ve finally just slipped into summer officially, even though it’s felt like summer most of the spring here in Iowa anyway. 

Today I wanted to share some of the things that I added into my days these past few months. I know it will change more over the summer, but I always think it’s interesting to look at and share. 

So the first one, and the biggest change is probably fruit. I am a huge fruit fan, but it seems the only thing available in the winter is apples, which are fine. They’re good with peanut butter and on their own, but too much of anything gets old. 

Lately I’ve been really craving and enjoying mangoes and watermelon, as well as different berries (blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries). 

Fruit makes for a great addition to meals and is a great snack on their own. 

Now that the weather is nicer we’ve been going over to one of our friend's houses, as well as Michael’s parents to grill out and sit on the porch to enjoy the nice weather. 

Our favorite go-to thing to grill is definitely the vegan beer brats from Tofurkey. I mean I like veggie patties too, but I ate so many of those over the winter that it’s been good to have something different to eat. 

And it’s nice to still “participate” in things like grilling or a BBQ even though people don’t think plant-based people can. 

One of my favorite summer dishes, even though it’s really just a side dish is this chip dip that I make. It has everything from avocados, onions, black beans, corn, hot peppers, tomatoes and any other veggies you want to add. I season it up, and then have to keep myself from eating the whole bowl I’ve just made. 

It’s also a fan favorite for any type of potluck or "bring your own dish" sort of event. 

Finally, I love trying new recipes, and I’ve been really loving all of the recipes I’ve tried from Ellen Fisher’s eBook “Epic Vegan Food”. She’s one of those healthy vegans (aka doesn’t eat vegan processed junk food), so you know anything from her is really good for you. 

Not to mention her family is the cutest. 

I’ve been loving her Pad Thai recipe. I’ve only made it twice so far, but the sauce makes it so much better than other versions I’ve tried. The Pad Thai noodles seem to soak up all the juice and moisture so if you don’t have enough in your dish then it gets too dry. 

Other recipes from her book that I’ve enjoyed are her Creamy Kraut Salad and her Lentil Curry. 

And we can’t forget about her vegan nacho cheese recipe, which I’ve made and ate way too much of. She shares the recipe for this in a video of hers. 

I know that’s not a huge change or a ton of new recipes, but my diet doesn’t change too too much. I just slowly crave more and more fresh foods as the weather gets warmer. 

What have been some of your favorite recipes this season? 

Meals I've Been Eating Now That I'm Bored

I don’t know about you, but winter is a season full of comfort foods. They’re heavy, filling and not always the most healthy options. 

And while I try to eat intuitively, giving my body what it wants, it always gets to this point at the end of winter when I find myself weighed down and sick of what I’ve been eating. 

I wrote earlier this month about how I was over what I’d been eating for winter so today I wanted to share what I’ve been eating lately to balance out those heavy meals. 

I’ve been craving more light meals, fresh fruits and vegetables and basically foods that wouldn’t have me wanting a nap after I finished them. 

The easiest one is adding a salad to your day. People cringe when they’re told to eat salad. They think it’s so boring and unsatisfying. But that just means you’re doing it wrong. Sometimes I love salads full of other ingredients like tomato, onion, black beans, etc. and other times I just want a basic kale salad with a tasty dressing. 

Seriously, I’ve been craving salad that is literally just kale that I mash with some avocado, kraut, salt, pepper, balsamic and sriracha. There’s so much you can do with salad. If you’re not feeling greens try something like a cucumber salad with onion tomato, vinegar, salt pepper and a dash of oil. (There’s a ton of recipes online for this). 

Get on Pinterest and feel the inspiration!

Another thing that I’ve been craving and loving lately is fresh juices. Recently it’s been a basic combo of grapefruit and a few clementines that I needed to use up. And it is one of the most refreshing juices I’ve tasted. Juice is also a great way to squeeze more greens into your day. 

Along the line of liquids, I always find I come out of winter dehydrated and dry. When you’re feeling bogged down I think just drinking water is such a great trick. I always feel so much better when I’m adequately hydrated. 

But plain ol’ water can get boring. If I’m chilly I’ll make a cup of herbal tea, but now that it’s warming up I’ve been loving this light lemonade I’ve been making, and it’s so easy. Just squeeze a bit of lemon or lime into a glass of water, and mix in a bit of honey or maple syrup. You’ll be slurping that down easy. 

I’ve been avoiding pasta, potatoes, and too much bread, which were all staples in my winter diet. So many potatoes. 

Instead, I’ve been really loving rice dishes. Curries, veggie bowls, you name it. There are so many amazing recipes to try.

Last week I made a buddha bowl with roasted chickpeas that was on point. And I also made these to die for veggie rice bowls with my sister. 

Really, I’ve just been trying to listen to my body and what it wants. What are some of your favorite spring recipes to shake off the winter blues? 

I'm Bored With My Winter Meals

I wrote last week about how I was over winter and ready for spring to come. 

The same goes with my eating habits. I eat many more “comfort foods” or meals in the winter.

I’m not sure why, but I’m not super into eating fresh veggies in the winter. I much prefer warm, cooked things. I’m a cold being in the winter, and I need to warm myself with what I eat and drink. That’s why I have a problem drinking enough water in the winter as well. 

But it’s getting to that point in the season, where we’re coming to the end of winter and I’m bored with what I’m eating. I’m over the meals I’ve been making, and I’m ready to change things up. 

I also wrote a post in January about What I’ve Been Eating This Winter if you’re curious about what some of those meals are. 

And I’m at the point where I’m not craving these filling, comfort foods. I find myself wanting fresh, light meals. 

I haven’t made the transition yet into eating this way. 

To be honest I just made a huge batch of potato and onion pierogi (so good). But I did buy kale and avocados to make a quick salad to add to my diet each day. I also try to have some sort of fruit in my house to snack on when I need a little kick of something fresh. 

I’ve got a huge bag of jasmine rice that I want nothing to do with, as well as a pretty big container of couscous that I also don’t want at the moment. I know I’ll make my way through both of those eventually in the coming months, but for now, no thanks. 

I’m over bagels and oatmeal. I’m nearly over potatoes. All those heavy things I craved, hold little desire for me right now. 

I’m ready for it to get warm so I can have smoothies for breakfast, salads for lunch, and don’t even get me started on watermelon. Could I eat these things in the winter? Yes, but like I mentioned before I’m a cold person in the winter and would be miserable drinking a smoothie in the morning. 

I need to spice it up with the meals I’m making (obviously, duh). So if you have any favorite meals, share them! I also just need to get on Pinterest and do a little meal hunting. 

What I've Been Eating This Winter

I was scrolling through my Instagram the other day and I came across some of the refreshing smoothies, salads, and plates of fruit I had enjoyed in the warmer months. And while I dearly miss things like avocado and watermelon I'm still making it through the colder months just fine. 

And it got me thinking how my diet changes with the different seasons. So, today I wanted to share some of my current staple meals, regardless of how boring they might be, they are what's getting me full through the winter. 

Every now and then I like to share what I'm eating to show that you can be plant-based without having beautifully arranged acai bowls and that it doesn't have to be expensive or difficult

Oatmeal  — an easy, inexpensive breakfast that can be made without much thought. You can keep it simple with just some brown sugar, molasses or maple syrup, or you can doll it up with fruits, nuts, seeds, and countless other toppings. 

Potatoes — easy to pop two in the microwave or oven. You can pour some soup (chili or lentil) over the top of them, or you can top them with beans, hot peppers, pickled beets, sauerkraut and pickled cabbage. Potatoes is one of the things I always try to buy organic because they're on the dirty dozen list. 

Chickpea Sandwiches/toast — so easy, so filling and so customizable. I can just simple mash up some chickpeas with a few spices and sriracha or stack them to the nines with all the fixings like saurkraut, pickled beets and seeds. 

Soups — warmth is key in the winter. And whether it’s making a stew or chili from scratch, or picking up a couple cans of soup to have on hand for a quick meal, soup is an easy option. You can also add different toppings to them, eat them with potatoes or chips. And if you make a big batch from scratch it can last for quite a number of meals. Not to mention you can often make an amazing soup from leftover ingredients and vegetables in your fridge. 

Nachos — odd, I know but easy, filling and you can throw whatever you have on top of a pile of chips and it works as nachos. 

Pierogi — a little time consuming so I don’t make them more than like once a month, but they are so satisfying. I always put potato and onion in mine and then eat them with a little vegan sour cream, sriracha, and pickled beets. Drool.

Salads — a lot of my meals have been “heavy” and I guess that’s just something I crave in the winter. But I also have to balance it out with something lighter like a nice big salad. Sometimes I just want something fresh, and that’s when I go for a big salad. And there are literally so many options when it comes to salads. 

Fruit — the ultimate compliment to breakfast or any other meal to be honest. I always try to add in some fruit whether it's a snack or a side dish for the same reason I reach for salads because I’m craving something light and fresh. 

As you can see none of these are time-consuming or fancy (Pierogi maybe but they're just flour, onion and potato so therefore easy). I do try to spice things up by trying a new recipe every few weeks, but keeping things simple cut down on the time used up planning and cooking.

What are some of your staple dishes for the winter months?