What is there to eat?

That's the question that baffled me on day 3. What else do I eat? I had to do my research. I had a blast reading other vegan blogs and vegan menus on the Internet. I also browsed new and used books about veganism on Amazon. I purchased a few in Kindle and paperback format. I discovered some recipes for vegan versions of my favorite foods.

Following are items that I now keep on hand in the fridge and the pantry because they make meal planning easy:

• one or two kinds of cooked beans (homemade because I make killer beans, pinto/black/lentils are my favorites)
• pre-chopped salad ingredients, preferably including green, red, yellow, and white vegetables
• two different kinds of my favorite dressings (Paul Newman's sesame ginger and homemade avocado are my current favorites). Of course, I keep my beloved olive oil and vinegar (balsamic, flavored, red wine) on hand always
• A pot of vegan soup, ready to eat at any time (tortilla soup and black bean vegetable are outstanding)
• I don't want to go overboard relying on soy products and I'm not a big fan of tofu,  but I discovered that I do like the following items and now keep them on hand:
• Vegan parmesan or nutritional yeast for sprinkling on vegan pasta and pizzas
• Soyrizo (I was raised on excellent Mexican chorizo con huevo)
• firm tofu (drain, freeze, thaw, crumble, then scramble with herbs and spices as a scrambled egg substitute)
• unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• a large bowl of cooked steel cut oats with raisins and cinnamon sticks
• Earth Balance vegan buttery spreads (I like original the best)
• two days worth of cooked vegetables
• a loaf of sprouted grain bread (e.g., Ezekiel)
• Vegan burger patties - my own homemade lentil burgers, as well as a box of Morningstar Farms vegan chicken and original burger patties

I am an excellent cook (yes, I'm vain about it), and I make sure the things I make are full of flavor. I also prefer to have more homemade items and fewer store bought items in my fridge because that's how my mama raised me.

Planning and preparing well has paid off. My hubby has been supportive during my low to no energy crises, and I don't have a problem planning my menus for the day anymore. I am also slowly learning what vegan foods I like best. I have one nice, big flavorful salad per day. My breakfast doesn't have to consist of breakfast fare anymore, and I really have enjoyed eating a veggie burger or some of my leftover veggie stew with brown rice for breakfast.

There are some recipes I am definitely excited to try. Vegan shepherd's pie, vegan meatloaf, veggie fajita tacos, black bean and sweet potato stew. 

I think I'm doing all right with this vegan endeavor. So far so good.