What I Eat In A Day and Vegan Raspberry Oat Energy Bites
I often get asked what I eat, because there is a common misconception that because I have a blog filled with delicious desserts, that I eat them for breakfast lunch, and dinner. But that is not the case at all. In fact, I eat mostly vegetables, the desserts are just a treat. In order to understand how I eat now, I might as well explain how I started out eating. I grew up eating the standard American Diet, and my two favorite food groups were cheese and sweets (not really food groups I know, but hey that is what I really liked and ate a lot of). There was a time when I would just want to eat grilled cheese for dinner growing up. I loved fast food, and in high school, I ate it often. I remember one time after a Nordic ski meet, I ate a whole large pizza and five candy bars. I figured I burned it off so I deserved it. But, all that fast food caught up with me, and I wasn't feeling so good all of the time. I was never overweight really since I ran and skied, but my diet needed work. I decided to become a vegetarian and cut out refined sugars my first year of college in 2003, and what a difference it made. I became better and better at my running, and felt so much better too. By the time I was 21, I was breaking age group records for 5k, 10k, and 8k distances in running road races. I felt pretty good!
But what I did not realize was all of the dairy I was still eating was giving me a lot more stomach upset than I should have been having. A friend inspired me to try out raw vegan food in 2012, and it stuck. I honestly was in love with the desserts (he had asked me to make him a raw cake, and it was so good I wanted to try savory stuff too). I wondered if it would make me feel better. It did for a while, I was sleeping better, had more energy and less stomach troubles. I gave up dairy and all animal products and became vegan as well as fully raw. If you are new to reading my blog and wondering why there are so many raw desserts on here that is why. I ate completely raw for about 2 1/2 years. Then my body started to tell me I needed to add back in some cooked foods, and that is where I am at today. If you would like to know also why I stay vegan you can read THIS POST I recently shared.
I eat lots of raw veggies along with the cooked, and I make desserts that are cooked as well as raw. I felt I was being a bit too restrictive with just the raw as well, so now I feel free with what I eat, healthy, and energized. I really do eat mostly veggies as I mentioned before, but now lets get to what my daily meals look like. For breakfast almost every morning I have a bowl of spiced overnight oats as well as some protein powder after my workout. Sprout Living Epic Green Kingdom is my favorite protein, followed by Epic Vanilla Lucuma. Sometimes on weekends when I have more time, I make fancy overnight oats like carrot cake or pb & J flavor.
For lunch, I have a salad with some sautéed tempeh. Usually a slaw, like this Festive Pomegranate Slaw, or Spring Asparagus Slaw because they are good to make ahead of time and hold up crunch well. I prepare all of my meals for lunch during the week at the beginning of the week, so they are ready to bring to work with me. For an afternoon snack, I like to have hummus with veggies or home made crackers. Like this Spicy Jalapeno Mint Hummus or Roasted Sweet Potato Hummus. If I am making something for the blog that day, I snack on that as well in the afternoon.
For dinner, I like a big salad, or a big bowl of stew most nights, occasionally a gluten free pasta. Spicy Simple Veggie Lentil Soup, Roasted Sweet Potato and Chickpea Salad, and Spring Roasted Carrot Pasta are the types of things I like to eat. Of course I cook with what I happen to have on hand that day to keep costs down. And, of course I like to have dessert, and you can find plenty of them on this blog. I have a piece or serving of whatever I happen to be making at the time. As far as snacks go, Raspberry Oat Energy Bites, which I am sharing with you today have been my favorite lately. They hold up well for traveling, and stave off hunger when I need a little boost. They are sweetened with dates, so they are not sugar bombs, and filled with heart healthy seeds to make them satisfying.
I hope this post has provided some insight into what my diet looks like for you. I am a very active person, and this is what keeps me feeling good and going strong. I also take a few supplements including iron, vitamin B12, probiotics, and a vegan omega 3 supplement among others to make sure I am getting exactly the amount of nutrients I need no matter what I happen to be eating that day. I know all bodies are different, so what works for me might be different than what works for you. Be sure to listen to your body, and figure out works best for it, and what you need to fuel it with!
Vegan Raspberry Oat Energy Bites
Makes 16
½ cup raw almond butter
1/4 cup soft dates, pitted
½ cup raw coconut butter, warmed to liquid
½ cup raw rolled oats
¼ cup chia seeds
¼ cup hemp seeds
2/3 cup dried raspberries
2 scoops Sprout Living Epic Vanilla Lucuma Protein Powder (about 1/4 cup)
In a food processor, blend the almond butter, dates, and coconut butter until smooth. Add to a bowl. Mix together all ingredients in a the bowl, until well distributed. Roll into balls (squeezing more than rolling so they hold together). Set on a plate, and place in the freezer for about 30 minutes until they firm up.
