Oh hi there! So, funny story. Remember that time I wanted to do no soy for a work week...? And then that work week stretched into 2 weeks... and then a month... and then I have still only had soy less than half-a-dozen times in the last two months (I just realized it's been EXACTLY 2 months today!!!)...? For those of you just joining me, I gave up soy to prove the naysayers wrong, and then actually ended up really liking no soy, so I've stayed off it haha. That'll show... me? HOWEVER I also gave up sweeteners and gluten at the same time as the soy, so it really could be any of the three variables. But I'm not really having that much trouble avoiding soy and still meeting my protein goals, so I'm just going to keep doing no soy until I feel it necessary to include soy again (Or right before the tempeh I have in the fridge goes bad...) But in the last 2 months of no soy/gluten/sweeteners I have dropped from 119, where I'd been for a good few months- down to 110! That was not a healthy feeling for me, so I tried to crank up the fat, and now I'm resting between 112 and 113, so that feels a little bit better! So, if you're using my meal plans/logs as inspiration, maybe cut out a little bit of fat as I am following maintenance macros, not weight loss macros (but, of course, if you're hungry, eat more fat!) Even when I was losing weight, I was still eating like 100-110g of fat, so you don't need to deprive yourself to lose! And for the love of all things fatty, MAKE SURE YOUR FAT IS HIGHER THAN YOUR PROTEIN. Please. This is lcHF! Eat fat to lose fat! Anyway, I'm back again today to give you 25 more days of meal plans! Requests for daily logs is my most common request, so I try to log every day for y'all! (and, you know, to keep me accountable!). All except ONE or maybe TWO days are soy free. When I went out to breakfast one day I did have tofu in a hollandaise sauce, and then my mom requested vegan BLTs when I was visiting, so I obliged. Those are noted on the logs, though, so if you're a soy-avoider, just skip those days! I've noticed my appetite has definitely been going down lately, even after 14 months on keto. Maybe it's because I've (finally) started noshing on fat bombs, so even though I don't feel like I'm eating a lot of FOOD, I'm still eating a lot of FAT? Also, I started adding avocado into my morning smoothie making it even MORE BOMB.COM! (Also, apparently I'm like the only one who still uses that phrase?) See my smoothie recipe grid (maybe to the right? Or above? Or below? I'm not sure what happens to these photos when it actually publishes, especially if you're viewing on a phone haha. But I swear that smoothie is the key to my success! It makes about 6 cups of delicious protein, coffee, fat-filled drink. I blend everything listed there, plus turmeric, with LOTS OF ICE and drink two giant servings of this every morning. It's REALLY good. I've tried it with other protein powder, and it's just not as good. So humor me and try the vega essentials and let me know what you think! Alright, lady, get to the meal plans...Alright, alright, you came here for meal plans, so here are the meal plans! Days 1-30, can be found here, and here, and here. And now here are 25 more days for your viewing pleasure!!! (I swear I counted 25, but apparently there are 24! This is why I teach English, not math... At least it makes the columns nice and even LOL. and FYI if you click on the images it should blow them up bigger for you!) Again, my macros are for maintaining my weight, not losing any more, so you might need to adjust some of the fat! Usually that will probably mean just not eating a fat bomb here or there, or less MCT oil or whatever. I have to try to add a lot of fat, so it shouldn't be that hard to just take it away! But my protein goal is pretty standard at 65g and, of course, under 20 net carbs! I tried so hard to go over 20 when I was trying to gain a few pounds back and it was so hard for me! I got sick feeling, and my cravings skyrocketed. Under 20 and my body is just so much happier. So more fat, it is!!! So, what's next?So, if you follow me anywhere else but here, you might have noticed that I had a minor freak out about some products that were less than ideal keto (Earth Balance soy-free butter, soy-free vegenaise, beyond beef soy-free beefy crumbles... Even Ripple milk has some sort of oil I don't love in it...) I fully acknowledge that these are not the BEST/IDEAL keto foods. But I also had to realize that I was running a Facebook group called "Vegan Keto MADE SIMPLE" and I, myself, was complicating everything! The beefy crumbles have maltodextrin... The butter and vegenaise have some sort of less-than-keto oil...) SO HERE IS MY OFFICIAL DECLARATION/STANCE on that!!!! If it bothers you, don't eat it. If it doesn't bother you, eat up! Yep, it took me a good 2 weeks to come up with that stance. You're welcome. I have been consuming those products for over a year and I lost all my weight, regardless. They are all 0 carb. They are all soy-free. They are all vegan. I can't fight every battle at once. Sometimes you have to give a little to get a lot. WITH THAT BEING SAID, my next step is going to be to try to cut those products out as much as I can (EXCEPT RIPPLE. RIPPLE IS MY LIFE RN K THX). My meal plan for next year doesn't include any of them, so I am going to see if I feel any sort of difference without them. I am going to guess I'll feel a big fat nothing difference. BUT if I am going to do things like avoid fake sugar because it's not that great for your body, I don't want to preach that in one regard and then turn around and practice the opposite in another regard. SO, am I declaring those products demonic and preforming an exorcism to cleanse my fridge of all trace? Of course not (that's just weird, don't be silly.) BUT I AM going to try to phase them out and not depend on them so much. My prediction is that the butter and the vegenaise will be easier to give up than the beefy crumbles, so maybe I will start there (although next week I won't have any of the three). But I do get asked all the time if it's possible to do vegan keto in states/countries that don't have any of these fancy products, so it's also a good opportunity for me to make some alternative meal plans that don't involve any specialty products. I think next week my meals are... BPC Protein milkshake, chia seed pudding with blueberries and nut butter, and a CAULIFLOWER HEMP TABBOULEH THAT I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT!!!! I will post that recipe after I make it and can confirm if it is as delicious as it sounds! I used to LOVE tabbouleh so I am excited to recreate those flavors! Mmm! That's all for now!Thank you for reading! And thank you for those of you who have been leaving comments! I can always check the stats to see how many visitors I have, but it means so much more when I see the comments of those of you who are stopping by and even more so those of you who are VALUING my info! I know I am always learning and by no means am I an EXPERT, but I try to research as much as possible to give you the most well informed info I can!!!
Speaking of which, after laying out all my research about vegan ketoism to my doctor, SHE IS ON BOARD WITH THE DIET!!!! Her husband just started keto, so that helped! She doesn't love the fact that I don't eat meat, but I explained to her that I researched essential amino acids, electrolytes, healthy fats, anti-inflammatory foods, etc. and make sure my meal plans include as many of those as possible, and she gave me the green light! Well, the green light so long as my labs come back good! So keep your fingers crossed for those! I will share them when I get them! And also my arm ultrasound, which I won't get into, but can't decide if I want it to come back that I DO have Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, because then at least I will have a diagnosis, or if I want it to come back that I DON'T have it, because then I don't have to decide on surgery or not (WHERE THEY REMOVE YOUR RIB UH NO THANKS!) But, if I DON'T have it, I'm also right back at square one, just waiting for my UCSF referral and twiddling my thumbs... ANYWAY, that's all and thanks again! I appreciate each and every one of you!!! Vegan Keto Madi
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Oh, Trader Joe's! I love thee!Let me start by saying: I love Trader Joe's. I live in the middle of nowhere, so my grocery store options are pretty limited. But every so often I make the trek to the next town over and get my TJ fix! Now, I know some people say Trader Joe's is expensive. With my alternative options being Safeway and Raleys... I've always found it to be the cheapest! (And a recent comparison found it $30 cheaper than Whole Foods for a cart of groceries!) Price aside, I love Trader Joe's PRODUCTS. Even before going vegan keto, there was just something about wandering the aisles of Trader Joe's and looking at all the TJ products. So, when I found myself in the next town over today, I decided to pop into Trader Joe's with a Vegan Keto eye, so I could share my findings with you all! On my shopping trip today, I was able to find 3 "Trader Joe's" products that are sold JUST at Trader Joe's (or they're labeled Trader Joe's and I haven't seen them in other stores!) and a few "Honorable mentions" that are sold elsewhere, but you might as well throw them in your cart while you're there. My Product CriteriaOf course, all the products must be vegan! No animal products!! None. Zero. Zilch! One reason I love Trader Joe's is because they label so much with a big fat V for vegan!! Not everything is labeled, but it helps cut down on my shopping time when it's one less thing for which I have to look out! Additionally, obviously, the products needed to be keto and fit my personal vegan keto WOE. For me, that means a couple of things:
And, I think that's about it! Vegan, low carb and free of any ingredients I avoid. So, let's begin! Product #1: Sacha Inchi Seeds In this case, I am NOT going to save the best for last, because I want you all to know about this product RIGHT NOW. It is my MOST recommended vegan keto product. Before I get to the macros, let me tell you about this product! The best way to describe it, is like a corn nut and a peanut had a BIG OL' BABY. It's kinda nutty, but kinda soft. I've read the after taste described as both "buttery" and "fishy", but I just think it's plain old nutty... Actually, now that I think about it, the Trader Joe's brand has a distinctly different aftertaste as the old brand I used to order offline (that was since discontinued, hence my extreme JOY AND EXCITEMENT when I found out Trader Joe's started carrying these right around the time they ran out of stock online! Meant to be? I think so...) Anyway, so if you have read about these before, but were turned off by the "fishy" taste... I'd still give them a try! But... other than being a flavor-hybrid, why Sacha seeds? In short, they are really, really, ridiculously good for you! They contain fatty acids, protein and amino acids! They are said to be good for your cholesterol, increase well-being, serve as an anti-inflammatory, AND promote brain, heart, bone and joint health! Like I said, there's a reason this is my most recommended vegan keto product!  Oh, and wait... I haven't even gotten to the best part... They're 0 net carbs. And high in fat. And fiber. And Protein. You're welcome! Don't believe me? Check out this label, courtesy of Fooducate! Seriously 5g carbs - 5g fiber = 0 net! And 13g of fat! And 8 grams of protein!!! If I'm on the go, I like to do a half cup of these babies for 26g fat and 16g protein (and 10g fiber for 0 net carbs!) for lunch. They are GREAT to keep in my desk at work, too! Or for road trips... or on the go... Or at home... Or, you know, all the time always... You can find their bright green bag on the BOTTOM shelf with all the nuts (at least that's where it always seems to be in the stores I've been to!). For only a few bucks a bag, and 8 servings per bag (!!), I stock up! Trader Joe's says it best: "Trader Joe’s Sacha Inchi Seeds, scientifically known as plukenetia volubilis, come to us from the Southeast Asian rainforest regions, where they grow inside beautiful, myriad-shaped geometric pods. Some have taken to calling these nut-like seeds superfoods due to their impressive nutritional profile – they are among the best sources of plant-based Omega-3 Fatty Acids, with a single serving providing 300% of the daily allowance of ALA (Alpha Lineoleic Acid). A one ounce serving also packs eight grams of protein, making them a better source of protein than almonds, cashews, or walnuts. Their flavor is unique – savory and salty, similar to a pistachios or almonds, but really unlike any other nuts we’ve tasted. They’re incredibly crunchy, with a subtly buttery finish." So, go out and try some and let me know what you think! Product #2: Coconut Oil Packets As Trader Joe's describes: "This is the newest coconut oil product to hit our shelves, and perhaps the most specialized in nature. In its purest form, this is the same oil found in our Organic Virgin Coconut Oil; it’s the packaging that’s different. Here, we’ve packaged the oil in single-serve packets... Glass jars aren’t known for their ease of transport – they can get heavy after a while... We’re selling Trader Joe’s Organic Virgin Coconut Oil Packets in a 7.1 fluid ounce box of 14 packets (.51 fluid ounces each) for $3.99. " Okay, so I know that these are not a "Trader Joe's Exclusive" BUT these are BY FAR the cheapest version of this product that I've seen! I ordered something similar off Amazon last summer (though for MUCH more!) when I went to a conference in Vegas and they SAVED me! I knew I wanted to keep drinking my BPC, but I did NOT want to try to bring a bottle of coconut oil in my suitcase (and then carry it around the hotel with me until I found coffee...) No thank you! These were super easy to add to my coffee, whenever or wherever I eventually found it in the hotel! (Spoiler alert, though... do NOT try to add these to iced coffee... yep....... they solidify the second they turn cold... I was new to Keto when I went to Vegas! I definitely know better now!) Obviously, when I am at home I don't need packets of coconut oil, but you never know when you'll be on the go and need a fat boost! I'm going to keep a few in my desk at work and a few in my purse! I found these in the oil section! (They've only been out for 2 months, so if you've shopped at Trader Joe's at the past and didn't see these, check again!) Product #3: SeasoningsThe one thing I never want anyone to feel on vegan keto is DEPRIVED or overly RESTRICTED. I am a total food lover at heart, so I want you to know that Vegan Keto does NOT mean "boring food" by any means!!! And lucky for us, Trader Joe's sells some pretty amazing seasonings that help take food to the next level! There are so many more than these, but here's what's in my kitchen!  21 Seasoning Salute As per Trader Joe's: "Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute is a smooth blend of onion, black pepper, celery seed, cayenne pepper, parsley, basil, marjoram, bay leaf, oregano, thyme, savory, rosemary, cumin, mustard, coriander, garlic, carrot, orange peel, tomato, lemon juice and lemon oil. You can amp up the flavor even more if you sprinkle the blend into your palm first, and then break up the spices with your fingertips to release their essential oils... We’re selling each 2.2 ounce jar for $1.99, every day. This seasoning definitely earns a salute!  Everyday Seasoning You'll definitely want to use this versatile seasoning EVERY. SINGLE. DAY! It includes: Sea salt, mustard seeds, black peppercorns, coriander, onion, garlic, paprika, chili pepper. Has a nutritional label ever looked so pretty?! I love that this one has a grinder, so I know everything is fresh! Yum!  Everything but the Bagel I kept reading about this one, so I picked it up today! If you like everything bagels (which I definitely do!) then this seasoning will perk up your tastebuds! (I did pour some into my hand and lick it today, which definitely reminded me of an everything bagel! I think I might mix it into some vegan keto cream cheese with some flax crackers, perhaps...? Stay tuned for some recipes on that one! Although It would be more like "mix and eat with crackers"... maybe more of a review than a recipe... Ingredients: Sesame Seeds, Sea Salt Flakes, Dried Minced Garlic, Dried Minced Onion, Black Sesame Seeds, Poppy Seeds. (0 net carbs as per the label). Honorable MentionsThere are SO MANY products at Trader Joe's that I LOVE, so it was hard to narrow it down to this list! But everybody always asks "What vegan keto stuff should I get at Trader Joe's that I can't get elsewhere?" so, hopefully this gives you an answer! BUT, while you're AT trader Joe's, you might as well toss these into your cart, as well!
And, of course, to refresh yourself after your long shopping trip, make sure to grab a HUGE bottle of electrolyte Water for only $1.49 on your way out! And that sounded like an advertisement, so let me take this moment to clarify: I DID NOT RECEIVE ANY PRODUCTS OR COMPENSATION FOR TODAY'S BLOG! If Trader Joe's wants to send me some free stuff, awesome (you reading this, TJ?), but I paid real monies for this stuff today! I just love Trader Joe's and food and wanted to share some awesome products with y'all! Until Next Time... Upcoming blogs include...
AND, to share some favorites of members of the FB group "Vegan Keto Made Simple" (uh, the BEST group on FB!). Thank you ladies for your suggestions!!!
And, a blog I haven't fully organized my thoughts on yet, but what I feel must be followed "tightly" and what can be more "loose" on keto... Anyway, THANK YOU, as always, for reading!!! Keep on ketoing on, friends!!! Vegan Keto Madi Did you miss me?My dad used to sing the song "how can I miss you if you won't go away?" to us, but I AM SURE that's not how you feel about ANOTHER blog entry from me tonight, right...? RIGHT??? So, I know I JUST left, but I went downstairs to cook dinner and ended up adding some ingredients to what I had planned and HOLY MOLY it was good! So I wanted to come back here and talk to ya'll about swapping out/adding ingredients. I sort of mentioned this at the end of the recipe dump, but my recipes by no means are one-size-fits-all! My mom gags half the time when I tell her what combo of foods I am putting together LOL. My recipes are ideas of what works for ME and maybe you like the same flavors and maybe you don't, but you don't have to follow my, or ANY recipes perfectly (though you certainly CAN!) As long as you do your research and know the macros of what is in the swapped/added ingredient, get crazy! I have been doing this for over a year and let me tell you I would be SO BORED if I always had the EXACT SAME MEALS EVERY SINGLE TIME. Sometimes the swaps fail... (Blueberries win over raspberries in chia pudding ANY DAY) But sometimes... they are AMAZING... Tonight... they were AMAZING!!!So, the original bok choy recipe (posted earlier) was bok choy, some bell pepper, and mushrooms in a lemon tahini sauce... Well, I realized the bok choy I bought this time was nowhere near as big as last time, so if i wanted it to last for 6 meals (today through Friday), I needed to ration it! But I didn't want to end up being TOO hungry at dinner. (And a side note: I've talked about this before on Facebook, but I don't know how much here. I keep losing weight. "AWESOME!" you might say. Well, at first. But I'd like to STOP losing weight at some point haha. I am current;y 5ft 6 and was 111.5 this morning. And that's not a weight I think looks good on me, HA. So, I am trying my hardest to hit all my macros and/or even go up to 25g net carbs. So, depending on where you are in your journey, you might be confused why I am so determined to get to my carb/fat "goals" every day when you often hear them as a "max" or a "lever"... well, there's why! If I STOP at 112 or 113, I will be okay, but I'd like to get back to 114-116. And today I was working on recipes, so I skipped lunch, so I had a LOT of ground to make up for if I wanted to stick to my macros for today... So anyway....) So... here I am... under my macros... under bok choyed... but I was also over-vegetabled since I did skip lunch and I also had a left over zucchini from my curry soup last week.... So I looked at my recipe... looked at the fridge... looked at my Lose it! tracker... back at fridge... You get the picture. I ended up changing the recipe to be...
AND WOW! YUM!!! I love being able to fit so many vegetables in (and so many DIFFERENT ONES!) because so many people think you can't do veggies on keto! You SO CAN! You just have to plan for them! And I was able to do all these (mushrooms, zucchini, bell pepper, bok choy AND spinach!) and I was STILL only at 19g net carbs for the day!!! Now, had I eaten lunch, I would have had the spinach with lunch, and gone over 20 carbs with the broccoli, but maybe I wouldn't have added in the zucchini that way... Or done less bell pepper... who knows...? My point is, don't be afraid to try new things. Have a low carb veggie left over from an old recipe? Toss it into a new one! Didn't like the mushrooms I suggested in the bok choy (you know who you are haha!), don't add them! The zucchini here would be a great swap for that! Just have fun with your food! I LOVE cooking, so if I couldn't have fun and experiment with ingredients.... then I would NEVER last on vegan keto! This needs to be a lifelong thing, because keto is for so much more than weight loss (I mean, I am exhibit A... I'm 5 pounds below my goal weight and I could easily CARB UP and gain that 5 pounds back [ I can think of at least a dozen foods I'd love to do that with LOL] but all my inflammation would come back, and with it, all my symptoms. And, quite frankly, I am enjoying life pain free! Bloat free! CFS free (well... mostly haha). Someone asked me where I was going to go on my first cheat meal/meal after keto... I was like... these are foreign words to me... "cheat"... "after keto"... What do you mean? But seriously, keto isn't a fad diet for me any more than veganism was... I will always be vegan, and now I will always be keto. My body needs me to! So, hopefully I didn't ramble too much! I just wanted ya'll to know that this diet SHOULDN'T feel restrictive. It SHOULDN'T be frustrating... You should have all your same joys of cooking, and eating, and trying new things! There's just a... shift in what those new things might be. But if it's going to be sustainable, it can't be boring! Now I'm really done for tonight!!!Until next time.
Keto on! Vegan Keto Madi Lunch/DInner RecipesWelcome to Part 2 of the Recipe Dump! Part 1 included: Chia seed pudding, Iced BPC Protein Milkshake, Nutbutter fat bombs, coconut lemon fat bombs, and Cauliflower Hummus! So if any of that sounds good, see the previous post! BUT NOW, below, you will find recipes for the following...
Shall we? Cauliflower, Avocado and OlivesCauliflower and Avocado Mix (Madeline Alyce/ Vegan Keto Madi) Okay this recipe sounds SO SIMPLE (and a little weird), but it’s SO GOOD!
Macros (per serving) for ½ avocado and 1 cup cauliflower, with vegenaise
Macros for 1 avocado and 1 ½ cups cauliflower, with vegenaise
Note on alternative fat options:
SERVINGS: 1 Jalapeno Cauliflower "rice" bowlJalapeno Cauliflower “Rice” Bowl (Madeline Alyce/ Vegan Keto Madi) This recipe makes ONE SERVING (for me), but I also doubled it one night to save half as leftovers. So just play with it if you want to make extras! Ingredients for Rice Mix:
Ingredients for bowl:
Directions:
(My recipes are so horribly basic haha. Sorry. I’m a fan of dump and cook. There is a BIG reason the group is called “Vegan Keto Made SIMPLE!”) Macros (per serving):
SERVINGS: 1 Vegetable Curry Soup/BowlVegetable Curry Soup (Madeline Alyce/ Vegan Keto Madi) This was a recipe I originally saw on clean_keto’s instagram and could NOT STOP THINKING ABOUT IT. The original recipe was not vegan/keto, so I took some of Meg’s modifications and also a few of made my own. YUM! Ingredients:
Directions:
Macros (per serving):
Note: I did 5, but if the Macros are too high for you, this easily could have been 6 servings! Note: The final night of this soup, I drained the broth and added ½ cup beyond meat beefy crumbles to make a curry noodle “bowl” and it was DELICIOUS! Lemon Tahini Bok Choy with MushroomsLemon Tahini Bok Choy with Mushrooms (Madeline Alyce/ Vegan Keto Madi) This is simple, but warm and filling and delicious. You could also try adding tempeh or hemp tofu, if either of those are things that you’re into! Ingredients:
Directions:
Macros (per serving) (I used butter):
SERVINGS: 1 Stuffed Mushroom (Filling)Stuffed Mushroom Filling (Madeline Alyce/ Vegan Keto Madi) I LOVED THESE! They require two “specialty” ingredients (miracle rice and kite hill vegan cream cheese) but… UM YUM! Worth it for a splurge!!! This made a LOT of filling, so I just guessed that it was around 5 servings, but it could easily be 6 or 7! ...or even 8 haha. It all depends on how many mushrooms you want to stuff and how much stuffing you want in each! :) Ingredients:
Directions:
Filling is done! I divided mine into tupperware at this point then pulled out of fridge to stuff mushrooms each night. At 5 servings, this well overflowed 6-8 mushrooms. If you want to fill fewer mushrooms, divide into more servings, or you can fill MORE mushrooms with LESS filling. OR you can eat the remainder with a spoon, like I did! Macros (per serving) FOR FILLING ONLY:
SERVINGS: 5 Remember to add in any Macros for the mushrooms you stuff! :) Lemon/Basil/Garlic/Red Pepper BroccoliLemon/Basil/Garlic/Red Pepper Broccoli (Madeline Alyce/ Vegan Keto Madi) I haven’t made these yet, but I’ll let you know what I think when I do! I plan to make them with spinach, green olives, beefy crumbles and miracle noodles! https://www.ruled.me/lemon-roasted-spicy-broccoli/ Please note that the original recipe had cheese, but of course I am omitting!!! Because I am a “simple” cooker, I am also going to be using garlic powder and only lemon juice... Ingredients:
Directions:
Macros (per serving):
SERVINGS: 6 Whew!HOPEFULLY you find something that sounds yummy to you! Do not be afraid to make modifications (as long as they are vegan/keto) to fit your tastes and macros! I am a big fan of "a little of this recipe.... a little of that recipe..." But if you try any recipe from here, let me know if it works! OR if not, any modifications you might suggest! In the next blog, I will be posting my latest meal plans/grids since my soy-free challenge ended (except... spoiler alert... I've only eaten soy 3 times since then!) I also PROMISE I am going to finish The Obesity Code soon so I can give y'all a run down. IT IS SO GOOD I have been taking DETAILED notes so I can share with you all! It'll be worth it, I promise!
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About MeI have been carb-loving vegan for over a decade, but carbs stopped loving me as I approached 30... Archives |
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