Ahhh, the weekend. A time to relax and catch up on sleep. And that’s exactly what I did this past Sunday, which coincidentally happened to be WORLD VEGAN DAY! So exciting.
Sunday was also daylight savings day so I slept in extra hard. I woke up around 10 or so, fed the dogs, and took them on their daily walk. They always eat before me, lucky pups.
After I finished cleaning a bit I decided it was time to indulge in some delicious protein pancakes. I got a new vegan pancake mix from Target called Purely Elizabeth, Ancient Grain Pancake Mix. Since this blend only has about 7 grams of protein per serving, I decided to also add in my Tru Supplements Banana Maple Muffin protein to give it an extra 20 grams of protein. I replaced the called for egg with a “flax egg,” basically for one egg replacer you mix two tablespoons of ground flaxseed with two tablespoons of water. I layered banana between the pancakes and topped with some date syrup. These were ooey gooey delicious!
Breakfast | Banana Maple Muffin Protein Pancakes
Ingredients:
62 Grams Ancient Grain Pancake Mix
1 Scoop Banana Maple Muffin Protein Powder
1 Banana
¼ Cup Rice Milk
2 Tablespoons Flax Seed
1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil
Drizzle of Date Syrup
Macronutrients:
724 Calories
32g Protein
54g Carbohydrates
44g Fat
So after that meal I knew I had to keep it lower in the fat since most days I aim to only get about 50g of fat. I went to the gym and worked my back and biceps and by the time I got home, I needed to quickly refuel since it was already about 5PM..yes, I lagged hard.
I decided to make a quick carb and protein heavy meal to refuel, so I made a lentil wrap with veggies and hummus.
Lunch/Post-Workout Meal | Lentil Veggie Wrap
Ingredients:
1 Mission Spinach Carb Balance Tortilla
.25 Tablespoon Spicy Hummus Dip
1 Sweet Mini Pepper
1 Cup Pre Cooked Seasoned Lentils
1 Handful Baby Spinach
3 Cherry Tomatoes
Macronutrients:
331 Calories
26g Protein
63g Carbs
4g Fat
As the night drew near I got hungry again. After spending a decent amount of time in the kitchen in the morning(ish) for the protein pancakes, I did not feel like cooking much. So I went with a simple asian inspired bowl that only required minimal effort and the only cooking involved was in the microwave.
I nuked some edamame and left over brown rice and while those were heating up I cut up the rest of the ingredients to just toss on top of the hot food.
Dinner | Kimchi Tofu Bowl
Ingredients:
100 Grams Shelled Edamame
210 Grams Brown Rice
7.5Oz Organic Firm Tofu
2Oz Organic Romaine Lettuce
2 TBSP Spicy Korean Kimchi
Macronutrients:
533 Calories
36g Protein
57g Carbs
18g Fat
With all three meals I consider this day a good day of eating. I stayed on track and got very close to my goals.
My daily macronutrient goals:
1520 Calories
114g Protein
152g Carbs
50g Fat
My actual day of eating:
1588 Calories
94g Protein
174g Carbs
66g Fat
Normally I am very low on the fat and around the same on protein and carbohydrates so other days will make up for the higher amount of fat. But this is just me after a lot of goal setting and attention to how my body feels with certain macronutrients.
If you are starting out a vegan diet and need help figuring out your macronutrients in terms of your physical goals, I suggest speaking with a medical professional to make sure you are getting all the nutrients you need!
You can also go on the app My Fitness Pal and set your goals there and try it out that way. Either way, eating vegan doesn’t mean you won’t get your protein, you just have to be aware of what you’re putting into your body. Tracking calories and macronutrients helps me keep myself in line, it doesn’t work for everyone but I love the sense of accomplishment I get when I get very close to my goals.
I hope this inspires you and please let me know in the comments below if you try out any of these meals.
Have a vegan day!