So 2020 has come and we find ourselves locked away indoors with not much to do but entertain ourselves?
Who knew that this would be so hard? I spent most of my pre-lockdown days wishing I could get home: during work, sitting in rush hour and at the gym. Now I find myself working and excising under one roof, no need for transport and the bar is always in sight: isn’t this all I have ever wanted? Turns out not. I make sure I take my one a day activity outdoors. I’m actually excited when the once a week Tesco shop comes around, just for a bit of social distanced socialising. When arriving at the entrance you’re greeted with “please stand two meters apart, thank you. ” I’m delighted. Right there was my first interaction with a stranger for over a week. I thank them, beaming too enthusiastically for someone who is about to enter a potentially virus ridden store. I see it in their inquisitive face but I can’t help it, I just want to feel like things are normal for a second.
During the early days of covid19 (too long ago to recall now) I was fuelled on crisps, store cupboard food, and plenty of alcohol in the hope that this would all be over if I kept merrily drinking through. Of course, that was naive of me and I felt worse for making these choices. It wasn’t until a recent MRI had come showing a spinal injury I had somehow acquired that I realised I had to make some healthier choices. I am an active person, and this really set me back so I decided to make some changes to my diet. It has now become my personal goal to fuel my body on good, balanced vegan food.
So, charting my progress, I thought I would share a few of my daily plans and recipes with you. Many of my meal plans are low calorie; due to my current injury I need to sustain my weight, but this is not aimed at being a weight loss diet. I regularly snack and occasionally (or weekly) drink. I am, however, sharing healthy meal ideas so feel free to change portion sizes as you please. I have added a few recipes below, but I will be posting full recipes for some of my favourite meals during quarantine in due course. Stay safe!
Breakfast : Almond and banana Porridge
Serves: 1 Calories: 313
30g Porridge
50g Alpro unsweetened soy yogurt
Half a banana
1tsp Almond butter
50ml Oat Milk
Lunch: Flavoursome pea and spinach dahl
Serves: 1 Calories: 350
74g Red lentils
1tsp olive oil
40g Onion
1 clove of garlic
20g of Spinach
10g Root Ginger
45g frozen garden peas
200 ml water
1 stock cube
1tsp gara masala
1tsp hot paprika
1/2 TSP tumric
1tsp curry powder
Dinner: Stuffed pepper & green veg
Serves: 1 Calories: 240
50g Meat free mince
50g Mixed beans
1 Linda McCartney vegetarian sausage
40g tenderstem broccoli
40g Green beans
1 Red pepper
2tsp of tomatoes purree
1/2 stock cube
50ml water
Breakfast : Sweetend porridge oats with banana and dried cranberries.
Serves: 1 Calories: 260
30g Porridge Oats
30g Alpro unsweetened soy yogurt
Half a banana
1tsp golden suryp
5g dried cranberry mix
30ml oat milk for coffee
50ml oat milk for porridge
50ml water
Lunch: Avocado and sausage salad bowl
Serves: 1 Calories: 306
1 Linda McCartney vegetarian sausage
40g Mushrooms
40g spinach
Half a tomato
1tsp oil
60g of Chickpeas (flavoured with cumin and curry powder quickly fryed)
1/2 Avocado
Dinner: Meat free burger with steamed broccoli and kale salad.
Serve: 1 Calories: 325
100g Brocoli florets steamed
60g mushrooms
30g kale
75g beetroot spicy salsa (tesco) mix
3g Almond flakes
1 Plant chef meat free burger (tesco range)
1 tsp apple cider vinger
Squeeze of fresh lemon
Parsly