Guest Post Week: This crazy thing called food.

(My name is Morgan Wilson. I am wife to Dan and mother to sweet little Paul who will be two in August.) Note ~ Keep up with Morgan on her blog:  http://www.mmdwilson.blogspot.com/
 

My usual breakfast - a whole grain (quinoa, brown rice, whole wheat couscous), avocado, tomato, olive oil and seasoning. Super delicious and very filling!



Steam-fried veggies with spelt pancakes (we have these pancakes ALL the time - delish!

 

 I try and have a nice big salad every day



Yummy chocolate chip cookies!

 

Burgundy Bourguignon (by Gardein) with steam-fried veggies

  

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups - these went fast!

I am a vegan. This means I do not eat any animals or animal by-products (including fish and eggs.) I had contemplated it for a couple of years but didn't have the guts to make the change until now. It hasn't been a super easy transition but it has been well worth it.

I'll give you a little bit of a back story as to why I chose to go vegan. I have struggled with my weight since I was about 9 years old. It's a battle I have yet to win. I cannot tell you how many times I have tried and tried to lose it but to no avail. About 7 years ago I followed the South Beach diet and lost a bunch of weight and kept it off for a bit. Then I met my husband, got married and the weight found its way back on. While I was pregnant I actually lost weight and felt pretty good but after Paul arrived I fell back into my old habits, only worse. I was eating a lot of junk. I like junk food - I will admit that honestly. I love chips and cheese and nachos and chicken strips and everything in between. Chocolate and candy just throw me over the edge! I started eating those things more on a daily basis. Not only was I gaining weight but I was also feeling extremely tired, unmotivated, and my body inside just felt like it was going to give up on me. I knew I needed a change. I read Alicia Silverstone's "The Kind Life" and I felt so encouraged and passionate about it that I decided that it was the change I needed. I was ready to move past the "in moderation" thing and "cutting back on certain foods" diet. I needed to change my entire lifestyle and outlook on food. I have not regretted my decision for one single moment. Within a couple of days I had so much energy I didn't know what to do with it! I've also already lost close to 15 pounds and I haven't even incorporated exercise yet! I still have to be careful when it comes to fried foods (chips, fries, etc.) and carbs. I also have to watch my portion sizes. I feel like I am on the right track, though. I am finally working my way towards victory!

I mentioned earlier that it hasn't been a super easy transition. The biggest reason for that would be the effect on my family. My husband does not follow a vegan diet at all, nor does he want to. My son sits in between. I am strict with myself and even though I don't always like doing it I will feed my son foods with animal by-products in them. I am a working mom (full time) and sometimes I just go with what’s easiest for him. I try to make an effort because I have been lucky to have a child who is not very picky at all about food. The other night Paul ate two helpings of vegetable curry and he wolfs down tomatoes and red pepper like they're going to cease to exist! I feel like Paul's body and heart are so fresh and new so I don't want to taint them with processed junk. As with so many moms out there, though, it's trying to find the balance of time and perfection. I want to be that mom who only feeds her son all organic foods, everything homemade and a completely vegan diet. I want to be a granola mom! Unfortunately it isn't that easy for me. I work outside my home and that in itself makes it much harder to plan that kind of a diet for my son. My husband is home more often with him so it's easier for him to feed him what's available and what he is comfortable making. Now, I have only been following a vegan diet for about 6 weeks now. I am still finding my way and learning what I like and don't like. It takes a lot of preparation and time. I am trying new recipes and I would love to make up batches of food to keep on hand for my son. I know this would make it easier for my husband and healthier for my son.

One of the biggest impacts has been our grocery bill. It's not really more expensive but when you have a husband who does not follow the same lifestyle there is A LOT of compromising. The first couple weeks were hard trying to figure out who gets how much money. We have settled on what I think is a decent weekly budget split: $50 for him, $50 for me and $25 for our son. It's a little harder for me because I have to get fresh veggies every couple of days but I try and stay within my budget.

Other than those couple of things it hasn't had as huge of an impact on the family as you might think. My husband is learning to fend for himself and Paul is getting to taste some delicious healthy foods that otherwise he might not get a chance to. The biggest balance to keep is happiness in the home and we have definitely found that. I am a happier, more energetic person and I feel like that has trickled down into the happiness of my husband and son. I like watching them learn and grow as people. Things have shifted in how things work in our home but there is no lack of support nor is there any judgement. I feel like those are things that you hope to find in any home, vegan or not!

I think my advice if you ever think of making a drastic change like going vegan is just go for it! Your family will learn to adjust and everything will still carry on as normal. You still have to find that balance (constant work) like in every other family; you're just taking a different route there!

(Morgan very graciously shared some of her favourite vegan websites as well as a favourite recipe)

I thought I would also give you some links to blogs and recipes that I like!

BLOGS:

http://vegweb.com/index.php
http://vivelevegan.blogspot.com/
http://countercuisine.blogspot.com/ (this is mainly raw foods)
http://vegandad.blogspot.com/

RECIPES:

Pancakes: http://www.food.com/recipe/5-minute-vegan-pancakes-132263
Chocolate Chips Cookies: http://www.pagehalffull.com/eatenup/2011/05/05/vegan-chocolate-chip-cookies/

VEGAN RANCH DRESSING

Ingredients:
1 cup vegan mayonnaise
1 cup plain soy milk
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoon minced parsley
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Directions:
Place all ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake well to blend. Makes 2 cups.
Note: Best if chilled several hours or overnight.