Category: Uncategorized

Lifestyle Tips, Uncategorized

Protein Powders

veganlivingbydanielle

Hey there! If you’re looking to lead a vegan life and love fitness like me, I have some tips for you about vegan protein! Many people think vegan protein powder has to cost a fortune and is gross, well it absolutely does not have to be either of those things! Here are my ratings on just a few vegan protein powders I’ve tried that you can find at most any Target, and sometimes Marshalls/TJMaxx has it which is nice because they generally have lower prices. I included links to these all in the vanilla flavor because I think it’s the best flavor to have on it’s own, plus you can add some coffee to it in the morning for breakfast, or mix it into a fruit smoothie!

Vega Sport Performance Protein: By far my favorite! It has the most protein of their line and also has things like BCAAs, probiotics (which is good for digestion) and superfoods like turmeric. It’s also pretty low cal!

Vega Protein and Greens: Very good flavor, texture can be a little weird because of the “greens” part.

Olly Nourishing Smoothie: This vanilla protein powder is super yummy! I didn’t like it at first because I mixed it with vegan milk, but is too think. I really suggest mixing this powder with water. This is probably the yummiest of the powders but doesn’t have as much protein and nutrients as the Vega powders.

If you’re not necessarily looking for a protein shake on it’s own, but a protein powder to add to smoothies or foods try the Manitoba Harvest brand. Some Targets and grocery stores carry it, but it’s organic and the non-flavored proteins don’t have much taste, which I like when you’re adding it to food or smoothies.

Please comment below for any yummy, wallet-friendly vegan protein powders!

***Stay away from soy based protein powders if you’re consuming daily! It is not recommended to consume soy products daily and I found out the hard way. I was consuming GNC’s soy protein powder once and sometimes twice a day and got more chunky! I lost about 5 lbs when I switched to non-soy protein powder and that was the only variable I changed at the time in my diet/exercise.***

Thanks for reading!

xo,

Danielle

Recipes, Uncategorized

Veggie Tacos

veganlivingbydanielle

 

Veggie Tacos | Vegan Living by Danielle

Ingredients:

  • taco shells
  • 1 can of beans (your choice of kidney, black, or pinto)
  • 1/2 cup of your favorite salsa
  • handful of spinach
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional if you like the spice!)

Topping Suggestions:

  • guacamole or avocado (to balance the spice and replace the cheese)
  • shredded lettuce
  • chopped tomatoes
  • black olives
  • extra salsa
  • Tofutti sour cream (optional if you don’t like avocado or aren’t worried about the extra calories)

Directions:

  1. Warm a frying pan over medium heat and preheat oven to cook your taco shells according to the package.
  2. Drain the can of beans and pour into pan with salsa.
  3. Cook stirring occasionally for about 3 minutes to cook the beans.
  4. Throw in your spinach (it doesn’t add too much taste, but adds great superfood nutrients!!) and add the spices.
  5. Lower the burner to low-medium heat and cover to wilt the spinach, stirring occasionally. Now is normally a good time to throw the taco shells in the oven, but double check against the package!
  6.  Once the spinach is wilted, serve your filling in the taco shell and top with your choice of ingredients from the topping list!

Enjoy!

Vegan Pro Tip: Use taco fillings that are left over as topping for a taco salad for lunch or dinner the next day! 

Taco Salad | Vegan Living by Danielle

Recipes, Uncategorized

Avocado Hummus Toast

veganlivingbydanielle

Avocado Hummus Toast | Vegan Living by Danielle

Ingredients:

  • 2 slices of bread (I prefer Dave’s Killer Bread – Powerseed for extra protein)
  • 1/2 hass avocado
  • 2 Tbsp classic hummus (feel free to experiment with different hummus flavors!)
  • 2 Tbsp hemp seeds optional

Directions: 

  1. Toast 2 slices of bread to your liking.
  2. Cut avocado in half.
  3. Slice the one half into equal parts length wise.
  4. Spread 1 Tbsp of hummus on each slice of toast.
  5. Top toast with slices of avocado.
  6. Optional: sprinkle finished toast with 1 Tbsp of hemp seeds each for extra protein.

Enjoy!

*Vegan Pro Tip: Add hemp seeds to this meal, salad, oatmeal, and much more for an extra boost of protein without changing too much of the flavor of your meal!

Recipes, Uncategorized

Savory Baked Sweet Potato

veganlivingbydanielle

Savory Baked Sweet Potato | Vegan Living by Danielle

Ingredients:

  • 1 small sweet potato
  • 1/2 cup of frozen, shelled edamame (found in with frozen vegetables at Target)
  • 2-3 Tbsp of salsa


Directions:

  1. Wash sweet potato.
  2. Make a shallow cut length wise on the potato.
  3. Throw sweet potato in the microwave on a microwave-safe plate and hit the potato button, or cook for about 5 minutes. Time length will vary based on size of potato.  
  4. Use oven mitt or towel to remove sweet potato from microwave and set aside to cool slightly.
  5. Put edamame in a microwaveable cup and cover beans with water. Cook for approximately 3 minutes.  
  6. Drain water from cup with edamame in it.
  7. Push the long ends of the potato in to open the sweet potato like a bowl.
  8. Top sweet potato with 1/2 cup edamame and 2-3 Tbsp salsa.
  9. Optional: heat the salsa in the microwave for 20 seconds prior to topping the sweet potato with it. I personally prefer a really warm potato and cool/room-temp salsa.

Enjoy!

One serving is approximately 300 calories.

Lifestyle Tips, Uncategorized

Vegan Documentaries

veganlivingbydanielle

Hey everyone! I wanted to learn more about meat and dairy industries and why going vegan is good for the environment, but most of these documentaries are too graphic and unbearably sad.

For anyone looking to educate themselves more about the vegan lifestyle without the sad parts, I highly recommend watching the documentary, Live and Let Live! It’s a great film that doesn’t show photos or footage of animals being killed or abused like a lot of vegan documentaries do. It is a compilation of stories from many people who you might not expect to go vegan and lots of reasons to go vegan! There are stories of witnessed abuse that is very sad, but not as bad as the footage normally included.

So if you’re considering a vegan lifestyle, looking to get more facts about your existing vegan lifestyle, or know someone who is thinking of going vegan, watch this documentary! It’s available on Netflix streaming.

UPDATE: Also check out Game Changers to learn more about health benefits of veganism!