Ciarra’s Meal Suggestions

Notes:
 All optional sides at the end of meals are mix-and-match. Choose what you
like and that you find satisfying.
 Do NOT deprive yourself. If you want a cookie for dinner, eat the freaking
cookie and enjoy it! This plan is supposed to provide meal ideas, but by no
means is it the end-all-be-all. We are advocating health, but certainly not at
the price of deprivation (which often leads to bingeing
 Make changes that you feel comfortable with. If eating cream cheese on your
bagel is something you really love, then eat it. But maybe try just eating one
side of your bagel with cream cheese and the other with vegan butter and/or
jelly/fruit preserves.
 We have compiled very simple meal options. As you inevitably start to fall in
love with the options we’ve given you and you begin yearning for more,
simply research some other recipes. SO many recipes come in a
vegan/vegetarian form, so don’t be afraid to experiment.
 For optimal health, focus on eating ‘real’ foods, rather than processed foods.
For instance, 100 calorie packs, which are nothing but chemicals that taste
like cardboard, are far less healthy than a bowl of oats, carrots and hummus,
fruit, smoothies, wheat bread with nut butter, etc.
 Try not to be afraid of healthy carbs!!!! Fruits, vegetables, whole grains—rice,
couscous, whole wheat pasta/spaghetti/bread/pizza, soup, etc. are healthy
options! They will not make you gain weight if you eat when you’re hungry
and stop when you’re full.
 Our philosophy is eat when you’re hungry, stop when you’re full, and eat
what you want. Some days I am craving

Preferences/Recommendations:
 We use Grapeseed Oil instead of Olive Oil. Grapeseed Oil can be heated to
high temperatures and not become cancerous. Plus, it’s easier to clean off of
dishes.
 We use agave, honey, and/or maple syrup instead of sugar.
 We try to buy organic as often as possible. Even more importantly, check
packages for chemicals such as High Fructose Corn Syrup and Partially
Hydrogenated Oils and STAY AWAY from those products!
 We buy huge bunches of bananas and freeze them ourselves.
 Almond Breeze almond milk is the bomb.
 If you have time, try making your own soup on the weekend. It’s a quick and
easy lunch/dinner, and is delicious in the winter. Ask us if you’d like some
soup recipes/suggestions.
 Sabra’s hummus is superior to any other hummus in existence.
 Explore different tastes and products. For instance, try not to discount
veggie burgers just because you don’t like one particular brand. They all
 taste really different, so give different ones a try. Same goes for wheat
pastas, spaghetti, wheat breads, etc.
 Sprouted wheat bread comes in the frozen section of Greenwise. It should be
stored in the fridge. If you’re not ready for sprouted bread, try to get the
wheat bread with the least amount of ingredients/chemicals as possible.
 Explore a variety of sauces and dips—hummus, tamari, General Tsao’s sauce
(my fave!), ketchup, bbq sauce, mustard, red sauces, guacamole, salad
dressings, etc. Mix and match so you don’t feel bored.
 We use Smart Balance instead of margarine/butter.
 If you have peanut butter for breakfast, you probably don’t want to eat
peanut butter for lunch (but above all, eat what your body wants so if you’re
craving peanut butter and you’ve already eaten it for breakfast, then eat it.
Don’t deprive yourself!)
 None of that low-calorie or no/low-sugar crap. They are FAKE and laden
with CHEMICALS. For instance, eat real maple syrup with your pancakes
rather than low-sugar Aunt Jemima b.s. Your body will thank you.
 We use low-sodium tamari instead of soy sauce, but you could use either.
 We use veganaise instead of mayo. We don’t use it often as a personal
preference.
 We aren’t huge fans of tofu, so we haven’t listed it in any of our recipes. Feel
free to incorporate tofu as you so desire.
Breakfasts

Creamy smoothie: 2/3 cup vanilla almond or soy milk or chocolate soy milk, 2
frozen bananas, 1 tablespoon peanut butter (optional), cinnamon (optional)

Fruit smoothie: 2/3 cup vanilla almond milk with frozen fruit of your choice (try
bananas, mangoes, blackberries, strawberries, etc.) If you get even more daring,
throw in a handful of raw spinach (you’ll get all the benefits of a salad in a delicious
smoothie… AWESOME!)

Hot Oatmeal: Oats with your choice of chopped banana, chopped apple, cinnamon,
pumpkin spice, chocolate chips, raisins, craisins, drizzle of agave, drizzle of maple
syrup, etc. heated in the microwave or made on the stovetop. Made with almond
milk or water.

Oat bowl: Put some oats in a bowl. Add some almond milk, peanut butter, honey or
agave, cinnamon, and the mixn’s of your choice (vegan chocolate chips, raisins,
crasins, granola, nuts, etc.). Mix the ingredients and place in the refrigerator for a
half an hour or over night (can be prepared the night before).

Granola: One serving of granola with almond milk and (optional) raisins, a chopped
banana, or a chopped apple. Optional side: fruit.

Bagel: Toasted bagel (preferably whole wheat) with vegan butter (such as Smart
Balance) and/or 1-2 tbsp jelly/fruit preserves. Optional sides: fruit or a glass of
orange juice.

Pancakes: Preferably a whole wheat pancake mix or grain mix of some sort. You
can use almond milk and can just leave out the eggs. Oil is optional. We use an
organic wheat mix and just add almond milk, cinnamon, nutmeg or pumpkin spice, a
bit of agave nectar or maple syrup and mix it all together. Add some chopped
banana, chopped apple, or vegan chocolate chips for extra yum. Remember, try to
avoid light or sugar-free maple syrup (or any maple syrup with High Fructose Corn
Syrup!) because it’s fake!

Fruit: Mix it up with seasonal fruit. Try bananas, oranges, clementines, apples, and
persimmons in the winter. Try bananas, watermelons, mangoes, berries—
blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, kiwis, etc. in the spring-summer. Try
bananas, grapes, pomegranates, apples in the fall.
Lunches (you can also substitute any dinner option or leftovers for lunch)

Salad: Dark, leafy greens with your choice of tomatoes, cucumbers, olives,
artichokes, mushrooms, beans (kidney, pinto, garbanzo, black, etc.), crumbled
veggie burger, small amount of nuts or seeds, raisins, chopped apple, etc. 2-3tbsp.
vegan dressing. Optional sides: fruit

Soup: Such as black bean, lentils with rice and veggies, three bean with veggies,
vegetable, tomato basil, etc. Optional sides: bread or fruit, or have your soup in a
bread bowl.

Vegetable burger: Veggie burger on toasted wheat bread/roll with the works—
lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado, ketchup, mustard, bbq sauce, hummus, etc. Amy’s
burgers are delicious. Dr. Praeger’s are good, too. Stay away from any faux meat
products that contain chemicals, such as textured soy protein, etc. Optional sides:
fruit or potato/sweet potato fries.

Avocado, tomato, cucumber, and hummus sandwich: Toasted wheat bread with
hummus, avocado, tomato, and cucumber. Add some mustard, olives, and/or onions
for more deliciousness.

Toasted peanut butter and jelly sandwich: Toasted wheat bread with peanut
butter or almond butter and fruit jelly/preserves. Optional sides: fruit.

Pasta salad: Spiraled wheat pasta tossed in Italian dressing, balsamic dressing, or
Ken’s Light Sweet Vidalia dressing (delicious if you mix Italian or balsamic and
Ken’s) with chopped onions, green peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives,
artichokes. (Needs to be refrigerated). Optional sides: fruit.

Smoothie (see breakfast)

Entrees (all entrees can be mixed and matched. Add sides to your liking)

Super Quick
Couscous: Couscous made from a box (very, very easy). Many varieties.

Rice: Brown rice and tamari. Optional: tomatoes, avocado, mango.

Rice and Beans: Brown rice with beans (black, kidney, pinto, etc.) Great with some
tomatoes, avocado or guacamole.

Rice and Mixed Veggies: Brown rice, steamed mixed veggies, and bbq sauce.

Rice and mangoes: Prepare white rice with coconut milk (found in the
international section in a can). Add chopped mangoes. This is a delicious
spring/summer dish when mangoes are ripe.

Salad: Dark, leafy greens with your choice of tomatoes, cucumbers, olives,
artichokes, mushrooms, beans (kidney, pinto, garbanzo, black, etc.), crumbled
veggie burger, small amount of nuts or seeds, raisins, chopped apple, etc. 2-3tbsp.
vegan dressing.

Vegetable burger: Veggie burger on toasted wheat bread/roll with the works—
lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado, ketchup, mustard, bbq sauce, etc. Amy’s burgers are
delicious. Dr. Praeger’s are good, too. Stay away from any faux meat products that
contain chemicals, such as textured soy protein, etc.

Gnocchi: Potato gnocchi with red sauce.

Ravioli: Vegan ravioli with red sauce or grapeseed oil.

Pasta: Spiraled wheat pasta with bbq sauce (YUM!) or red sauce. Delicious with
broccoli.

Spaghetti: Wheat spaghetti with red sauce. Delicious with olives, artichokes, and
sautéed spinach and onions.

Soup: Such as black bean, lentils with rice and veggies, three bean with veggies,
vegetable, tomato basil, etc. Have your soup in a whole wheat bread bowl if you’d
like a more filling dinner.
Moderately Quick
Sloppy Joes: Sautee chopped onions and mushrooms (optional) in grapeseed oil or
bbq sauce. Once onions and mushrooms are soft, add crumbled veggie burger and
ketchup and mustard and continue sautéing. Serve on a toasted wheat bun or wheat
bread.

Dirty Rice: Brown rice with beans and sautéed vegetables (onions, zucchini, squash,
tomatoes, artichokes,

Pasta salad: Spiraled wheat pasta tossed in Italian dressing, balsamic dressing, or
Ken’s Light Sweet Vidalia dressing (delicious if you mix Italian or balsamic and
Ken’s) with chopped onions, green peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives,
artichokes. (Needs to be refrigerated).

Wraps: Whole wheat wraps (delicious if warmed for a short bit in the oven before
eating) with sautéed strips of onion, pepper, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, etc. Add
avocado, tomatoes, lettuce, olives, artichokes, etc. to your liking. Delicious with bbq
sauce and mustard.

Asian stir fry: Stir fry onions, mushrooms, carrots, water chestnuts, bean sprouts,
and/or broccoli in grapseed oil, sesame oil, tamari, and/or General Tsao’s sauce (if
you’re more comfortable with just onions, mushrooms, and broccoli, for instance,
just use those). We usually stir fry in tamari or General Tsao’s because the
vegetables gain lots of flavor. At the same time, boil Soba noodles or Hoesin
noodles. As soon as the noodles are done, drain them and add the sauce of your
choice (probably tamari or General Tsao’s). Add the stir-fried veggies and devour.

Pizza: Make your own whole wheat dough (super easy recipes online, be sure to add
some honey or agave) or buy pre-made dough from the Greenwise or Publix bakery
section and follow the instructions on the package. Shape the dough as best you can,
but we just hold it up and make it into a circular form then form it to a circular pie
pan. And seriously the Greenwise/Publix dough in a circular pie pan is super delish!
It makes a thick, delicious crust. Throw on some red sauce, sautéed onions, spinach,
artichokes, and olives, or spice it up with some bbq sauce, sautéed onions and
mushrooms. Some words of advice—you do not need a lot of sauce! A little goes a
long way. And before you add the sauce and toppings, coat the dough with a thin
layer of grapeseed oil, it makes such a difference. (Daiya mozzarella “cheese” from
Whole Foods is a pretty good substitute for cheese and has pleased some cheese
lovers. But try it without cheese and see how you like it… Obviously you will LOVE
it)

Stromboli: Same deal as the pizza, except fold over the dough and pinch the edges.
More Time Consuming and/or Requiring More Chopping
Spaghetti squash: Cut a spaghetti squash in half. Scoop out and dispose of the
seeds (the inside portion will still be stringy). Place both parts of the spaghetti
squash face down on a casserole dish with a little bit of water on the bottom. Bake
at 400* for 45mins-1 hour. Let squash cool a bit then use a fork to scrape the insides
of the squash out from one side to another, in long movements. The squash should
come out in long, stringy portions, like spaghetti. Cover with red sauce, artichokes,
and olives, and serve with sautéed spinach and onions for foodgasms. A low-cal dish
that resembles spaghetti.

Egg rolls

Roasted squash, apples, and raisins: Heat a butternut squash, acorn squash, or
pumpkin for a short amount of time in the microwave. It should be a little warm,
but mush easier to cut. Cut the squash or pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds
(you can save pumpkin seeds and roast the seeds by spraying them with canola oil
or olive oil spray, dusting with salt, and baking at 400*. Roasted pumpkin seeds are
a delicious snack.). Cut the skin off the squash/pumpkin and chop the
squash/pumpkin into bite-size chunks. Spray a casserole dish with canola oil spray
and add the squash/pumpkin, chopped apples, and (optional) raisins. Add some
drizzles of maple syrup and (optional) a little honey, agave, or brown sugar. Bake at
350* for about 45minutes. (Use less maple syrup if you don’t want the dish as
sweet.)

Roasted vegetable dish: Chop up zucchini, squash, onion, mushrooms, tomatoes,

peppers, etc. Place the chopped vegetables in a greased casserole dish with some
tamari or balsamic and a little grapeseed oil. Bake for about 45min at 350* or until
vegetables are done. Eat over rice or noodles or by itself!
Sides
 Sautéed kale, garlic, and onions (w or w/o cranberries and using fresh kale)
 Sautéed collard greens, garlic, onions, and Bragg’s Amino Acid (fresh
collards)
 Sautéed spinach, garlic, and onions (fresh or frozen spinach)
 Steamed broccoli or Asian broccoli (just add tamari or General Tsao’s sauce)
 Steamed carrots (get a bag of baby carrots and steam them)
 Carrots sautéed with maple syrup, a bit of molasses and agave, or brown
sugar
 Steamed string beans (steam them with sliced yellow pepper and cover the
combination in balsamic dressing for deliciousness!)
 Steamed peas (frozen)
 Steamed mixed vegetables (frozen)
 Steamed corn (frozen)
 Couscous
 Bake potato (optional vegan butter)
 Potato salad: boil potatoes and chop up. Combine with chopped onions,
carrots, cucumbers, and veganaise, mustard, salt, pepper, and whatever else
you’d like to add.
 Potato fries: Chop a potato or two, spray with canola oil or olive oil spray,
sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake about 45min at 400*.
 Sweet potato fries: Chop a sweet potato or two, spray with canola oil or olive
oil spray, sprinkle with either salt and pepper, or cinnamon and nutmeg and
honey. Bake 45min-1hr at 400*.
 Mashed potatoes: prepared with almond milk, Smart Balance (vegan butter
substitute), salt and pepper.
 Mashed sweet potatoes: prepared with almond milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, and
maple syrup or agave.
 Whole wheat roll with (optional) Smart Balance (vegan butter substitute).

Snacks
 Carrots and hummus
 Veggies and/or Triscuits with hummus or guacamole
 Slice of whole wheat bread with peanut butter and/or fruit jelly/preserves
 Fruit
 Butter-free popcorn
 Pretzels
 Handful of trail mix (seeds, nuts, dried fruit, etc.) or nuts
(There are tons of snack options that aren’t listed, so feel free to add your own!)
Desserts

Oat cookie: For one or a few cookies, combine some oats, a bit of almond milk, a
scoop of peanut butter, a few drizzles of honey, cinnamon, and (all optional) vegan
chocolate chips, raisins, agave, etc. Stir together and add more ingredients to taste
preference. If your oats aren’t sticking together enough, add more honey or peanut
butter. Spray a cooking sheet and form cookies on the sheet. Bake at 350* for only a
few minutes (you should be able to smell the cookies and the top should be a little
toasted)

Oat bowl: Put some oats in a bowl. Add some almond milk, peanut butter, honey or
agave, cinnamon, and the mixn’s of your choice (vegan chocolate chips, raisins,
crasins, granola, nuts, etc.). Mix the ingredients and place in the refrigerator for a
half an hour or over night.

Fruit/Frozen fruit

Trail mix: With nuts, seeds, dried fruit, vegan chocolate

Dark chocolate/Vegan chocolate (they do make vegan chocolate chips that taste
great and just like semi-sweet chocolate chips)

Creamy smoothie: 2/3 cup vanilla almond or soy milk or chocolate soy milk, 2
frozen bananas, 1 tablespoon peanut butter (optional), cinnamon (optional)

(These are just the vegan desserts we regularly eat, but there are tons of vegan
dessert recipes online. Since we know that you love to bake, we’re leaving it up to
you to find vegan dessert recipes to try. You can use Ener-g Egg replacement or a
banana instead of eggs. You can use applesauce instead of oil to health-ify a recipe.
You can use Smart Balance instead of butter/margarine. You can use almond milk
instead of cow’s milk. You can use agave nectar or maple syrup instead of sugar.
You can also find delicious vegan treats at Whole Foods, Village Health Market, and
Rollin’ Oats Cafe.).
Eating out:

There are so many choices when it comes to eating out as a

vegan/vegetarian. *When eating out, you can ALWAYS make substitutions. The
servers are there to serve you, so don’t be afraid to ask for something without
cheese or meat and with something else instead.

Here are some places that make the most delicious vegan/vegetarian foods (but
remember, you can get vegan/vegetarian foods made almost anywhere!)
 Village Health Market (On MacDill. OMG delicious assortment of food. Try a
spinach pie, eggplant mousakka, sautéed veggies, cookies, smoothies, etc.)
 Whole Foods salad & hot bars
 Rollin’ Oats Café and Market (on MacDill and Cypress. Awesome selection.
Amazing desserts and muffins)
 Sweet Tomatoes (quick and cheap salad buffet on Dale Mabry)
 Grass Roots Restaurant (vegan/veg, and also has some raw food dishes)
 Sushi restaurants
 Downtown restaurant
 Chipotle
 Square One Burgers (Never been, but heard it’s pretty good)
 Loving Hut

Some favorite Vegan/Vegetarian references:

Eat, Drink, and Be Vegan (cookbook)
The Everyday Vegan (cookbook)
www.Vegweb.com
www.Fatfreevegan.com
www.chooseveg.com
http://peasandthankyou.com/
(Or just search for specific vegan/vegetarian recipes online)

Recommended Reads
The China Study!!!!! By T. Colin Campbell
Skinny Bitch (wasn’t my favorite, but I feel like you might like it)
In Defense of Food By Michael Pollan
The Omnivore’s Dilemma By Michael Pollan