My Vegetarian Week

Hello Clean Eaters! This post will outline my previous week as a vegetarian so keep reading to find out if I survived or not!
Diet:

• Breakfast: Breakfast each day consisted of eggs as a base. I like my eggs scrambled with a sprinkle of black pepper and avocado slices. Mondays and Tuesdays eggs were accompanied with oatmeal while Wednesdays eggs had a fruit salad. On Thursday, I make a protein shake in the morning because I was preparing for the leg day ahead of me. Friday morning, I enjoyed a hot cup of oatmeal with my...you guessed it SCRAMBLED EGGS! What can I say? I actually really enjoy eating eggs so I didn't mind having them every single morning.

Here is an example meal with brown rice, beans, veggies, and a fruit salad

• Snacks: Here is where I got kind of creative. On some days, I ate cottage cheese while on others I had a Lara bar. In between the two were almonds, a fruit salad, protein shakes, BeKind bars, and veggies and hummus, and spoonfuls of peanut butter. Throughout this week, I found myself snacking more than I usually would. I don't know if it was because I was afraid of not consuming enough calories but I could not stop eating. Of course, my snacks were all portioned out and clean so there was no junk going into my body. Oh and I upped my daily intake of milk to a glass a day. Although I strive to get my 8 ounces, I made it a priority during this week.

• Lunch/Dinner: Here is where things got mundane. The base of  my meals were brown rice or sweet potatoes with a green vegetable on the side. This was also the first time I cooked tofu and that was quite an experience. First, you have to soak out all the moisture from the tofu. All the online articles I read said to apply pressure for at least 30 but I didn't have enough time so the three minutes I did use seemed to suffice. Lastly, no vegetarian meal is complete without beans...and I mean lots of it!

Workouts:
Did I stop weight lifting because I was not eating meat? NO. In fact, it was the weight lifting portion that kept my going. I wanted to see if I could still lift on a vegetarian diet and I could. Although I was paranoid nearly every hour of the day, I ended up meeting my caloric goal. However, the one thing I did not like was the lack of muscle tone in my legs. After that week, I realized that my legs looked like twigs and while I still had the strength, I did not have the definition that I am used to.

So my final verdict? Being a vegetarian wasn't all that bad but being a weight lifting vegetarian is hard work. From my short experience, I saw a negative change in my overall muscle definition and size. I will go back to eating meat now but I really did love trying something new! I applaud all of my vegetarian/vegan friends who have made this a lifestyle but it certainly was hard work for me!

-Eating Clean in College

The Wonders of a Salad!

Now, not too long ago I was not a fan of salad. I mainly saw them as a side and never found any use for them as a main course. Until about a year ago, I really started embracing the concept of salads being filling and appetizing. Below are some of my favorite delicious, nutritious, and cheap salad options that you can use to liven up your lettuce or spinach.

Sunflower Seeds- You can stop by your local convenience store and pick up two packs of sunflower seeds for  $1! Unless you are an avid sunflower seed fan, than 1/2 pack (plain, not seasoned or salted) is enough for 1 hearty salad. Additionally, these small seeds are packed with

• Approximately 3/4 of your daily allowance of Vitamin E- a fat soluble antioxidant that protects the cells from free radicals and some say that it contributes to healthy, glowing skin
• A variety of other nutrients that include selenium, folate, copper, zinc, iron, and magnesium 

Cucumbers- In my area, cucumbers range from $.50 to $.75 each so buying one or two isn't that big of a problem.

• They are low calorie vegetables that contains no saturated fats or cholesterol! Plus the peel (which I always leave on) is a source of dietary fiber
• Fresh cucumbers are now shown to have both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. 
• Rich in a variety of vitamins and minerals including Vitamin A, B1, B6, C, & D, folate, calcium, magnesium, and potassium.

Romaine Lettuce- combined with spinach, this 106 calorie leafy green is the bulk of my salad. I have seen a bunch of romaine range from $1.28-$2.00 depending on the store and time of year.

• PROTEIN! Romaine lettuce provides less than 1/5 of your daily needs of protein per head. Another wonderful surprise is that romaine contains 8 essential amino acids.
• Calcium- On head contains about a quarters of your Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA).
• Omegas-3- get your Omega-3 oils without leaving that fish taste in your mouth
• Vitamin A as beta-carotene and Vitamin K- each head contains a staggering 1817% RDA of beta-carotene and 535%  of Vitamin K
• Iron- if you are a vegetarian or vegan, then you should know that on head of romaine lettuce contains 6mg of iron- a significant amount for diets lacking animal protein
• Vitamin C, magnesium, manganese, copper, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, and zinc

Spinach- This vegetable is a powerhouse packed with many health promotional and disease prevention properties and is packed with vitamins, minerals, and Omega-3s. 

• The health benefits of spinach go beyond nourishing the eyes and building bones. Spinach eases constipation by protecting the mucus lining of the stomach lining, so that it stays free of ulcers. It also flushes out toxins from the colon.
• Ladies: regular consumption of fresh spinach has been shown to improve skin healthy by relieving it from itchy and dry skin! Eat up!

Red Onion

• Raw red onions provide no fat (whether saturated or trans), cholesterol, or sodium!
• Onions provide 20% of your RDA of Vitamin C and also are a good source of dietary fiber, Vitamin B6, folate, potassium, and manganese.

Bleu Cheese/Cheddar Cheese- While cheeses are high in saturated fats, if you just sprinkle a marginal amount then you would steer clear of the high levels of saturated fats, cholesterol, and sodium- all while still getting a small amount of protein and calcium

Broccoli- Broccoli is a good "super vegetable" that is extremely good for your health because it contains vitamins A and C, folic acid, and calcium

• The anti-carcinogen properties present in broccoli hinder the development of prostate, cervical, and breast cancers
• Since this cruciferous vegetable has a high potassium content, it helps maintain a healthy nervous system and also works in promoting the regular growth of muscles
• Lastly, the high nutrient and fiber content of broccoli helps regulate blood pressure and reduces cholesterol. 

Walnuts- These nuts are a rich energy source that contain nutrients and antioxidants- and are a cheaper protein source than their animal protein counterparts

• They are rich in monounsaturated fatty acids and are an excellent source of Omega-3s. Regular intake of walnuts is shown to lower total and LDL cholesterol and prevents coronary artery disease and strokes. 
• The Omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties that help to lower the risk of high blood pressure, breast, colon, and prostate cancers.
• These nuts are packed with Vitamin E and the B-complex of vitamins riboflavin, niacin, thiamine  panthothenic acid, Vitamin B6, and folate

Kidney Beans- Either dried or canned (watch out for the high sodium content in the canned varities) kidney beans protect your heart due to their high folate and fiber content. 

Dried Pomegranates- I like the sweetness and the marginal amount of Vitamin C- even with the high sugar content 

Banana Peppers- I like the spicy kick

At the end of it all, you have a delicious and colorful plate that is PACKED with vitamins and minerals, low fat protein, heart healthy fatty acids, and not to mention taste! 

-Eating Clean in College 

Day 31

Breakfast: Yay! I am finally home again so this time, I will have no excuses to cheat or stray away from my clean eating plan. I made scrambled eggs with avocado topped with natural cheese and salsa. On the side, I made a berry and cottage cheese medley. Lastly, I finished off the meal with the remaining blackberries int the basket.

Lunch: A personal chicken and artichoke pizza; a fiber bar

Dinner: After my workout, I decided to eat a hearty vegetarian meal. I made brown rice with dark red beans and a side Greek salad. The rice and beans were simply boiled until they were done. Below is the recipe for my Greek salad 

Greek Salad

• 3/4 coarsely diced cucumbers
• 1 roma tomato
• 1/2 avocado
• 1/4 cup coarsely  diced Red Delicious appple
• 1 chopped jalapeno
• chopped walnuts, adjust amount to taste
• 1/2 a lemon

 Preparation:

• Cut all the ingredients up and lightly toss in bowl  
• Sprinkle with fresh lemon juice

Giveaway Information: Today, I went shopping and was able to pick up some things for my giveaway. As of now, there are no participants so literally ANY comment at this point in time will be the winner. If there are still not any participants, then I will simply return all the items and go about my day :)


-Eating Clean in College