Snow Day

Well, it wasn't really that much snow.  It was enough to make the dogs go a little crazy and jump around and play.  I wish I could tape it because they are so cute in the snow.  If we actually get several inches on Friday, they will love it.

Breakfast was the last of my Apricot Oatmeal and I made some Gingered Cantaloupe.  The melon was mixed with some powered ginger and crystallized ginger with a little honey to cut the spiciness.

Lunch was a clean out the fridge salad.  The last of my salad greens with some beets, broccoli, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, alfalfa sprouts, chickpeas, carrot, croutons made from the peasant bread and dressed with the ginger sesame vinaigrette.

For dinner we  finished off the Cuban Black Bean Soup and I made some Collard and Chard Chips.  I have used chard for chips quite a few times, but this was the first time for collard greens.  They did not crisp well.  While still crunchy, they were bitter with an unpleasant taste.  You could tell the difference between the collards and the chard even though they looked the same.  Going forward, collards will not be crisped.

While embarking on this vegan transition, I have not had this burst of energy that some claim to get from the lifestyle.  Maybe this is because I did not eat at fast food establishments or make processed foods a normal part of my diet before hand.   For me, the change was not that drastic.  Just cut out meat, cheese and eggs.  Other that cheese, dairy was already out because of my lactose intolerance and cheese was beginning to bother me.

I feel that I have done well in keeping my nutritional needs in check.  I take B12 because I have pernicious anemia.  I could eat a 100% meat diet and not get the vitamin because of my stomach's inability to digest the vitamin.  I use a sublingal B12 that is absorbed under the tongue in the same way nitroglycerin pills are for heart patients.  I also take a calcium supplement, though I don't know if that is necessary because kale and collards are full of calcium.   Protein only needs to be 10% of your daily caloric intake and I have been between 12 - 18%.  This study http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=10490&page=589  talks about the protein needs and that the 35% most people get is way too much.  Otherwise, a varied diet provides all the vitamins and minerals that you need.