People go vegan for tons of different reasons - from environmental impact to morality to health. As of 2017, there were 1.62 million vegans in the US, and the numbers are rising. About five years ago, I decided to take the plunge and go vegan myself. It definitely came with its challenges at first, as I considered myself somewhat of a fast-food connoisseur at the time. However, over time it got easier and easier, and I physically felt better as well. Unfortunately, around a year ago, I found out that I'm also celiac - meaning my body rejects the ingestion of gluten. Celiac comes in different forms for everyone, and my body reacts to gluten by slowly degenerating my nerves every time I eat it. Not so fun. Finding this out narrowed my pool of food choices down even more, and I had to decide if I even wanted to stay vegan or not.
Thankfully I did, because I feel better than ever on my celiac/vegan diet. If you're celiac and have no idea what you'd eat as a vegan, or you're just looking for some new foods to try out, here's a glimpse of the food I usually eat in a day for some inspiration
Breakfast
My favorite way to start the day is with a nice cold smoothie. I usually throw some soy milk, vega protein powder, and whatever fruit I have lying around into a blender and it always comes out tasting delicious - and if I have leftover, I can put it away for the next day or two.
I also love a nice warm bowl of oatmeal to go with my smoothie. My favorite is Quaker's gluten-free maple and brown sugar flavor, and it just takes a minute or two to warm up in the microwave.
If I have a big day ahead of me and I need some extra nutrients, I grab my avocado and gluten-free bread and whip up some avocado toast. I like to change up my toppings, too, so sometimes I'll add some tomato, and other times I like a little melted vegan cheese.
If I'm in a rush though, I'll turn to cereal for a quick fix in the morning. Surprisingly, most of my favorite cereals are both vegan and gluten-free, like Reese's Puffs, Cocoa Puffs, and Cap'n Crunch. The natural sweetness of soy, oat, or almond milk makes a normally mundane bowl of cereal taste like a dessert.
Lunch
I am one to believe that lunch is the most important meal of the day. This meal has got to be full of protein and nutrients to keep you full and happy until dinner. There are tons of different meals I can eat for lunch, but here are a few of my favorites:
Gluten-free veggie wraps. These are perfect for taking on the go and I can put together leftover veggie scraps from the week and create a delicious and healthy meal. I also like to chop up some tofu for the inside to add some protein, and if I have it on hand I love to drizzle some vegan salad dressing inside as well.
Quinoa salad. If I've got a long day and need a protein boost, this is the perfect salad. Chopped peppers, olives, tomatoes - you can really throw anything together with the cooked quinoa and it will end up tasting perfect. With a touch of olive oil and lemon, this salad is sure to keep me full and satisfied until dinner.
Sandwiches. If I'm in a hurry, peanut butter and jelly is the perfect quick bite. The only change I have to make from traditional pb&j is that I need a little gluten-free bread. I also love a good grilled cheese - my favorite vegan cheese to use is Follow Your Heart's pepper jack. You may also need some vegan butter to keep the bread from sticking to the pan.
With all of these meals, the best thing to round them out is a little fruit. My favorites are watermelon, cantaloupe, and pineapple, but it's also important to try new foods and give your body diverse nutrients every day.
Snacks
Throughout the day, even if I've had a great breakfast and lunch, I'm bound to get hungry or at least bored enough to reach for some food. There are a lot of vegan/gluten-free snacks to enjoy - some healthy, some unhealthy - all delicious. Here are my two faves:
Chips. Not the healthiest things in the world, but everyone's got their guilty pleasures, right? Pretty much every mainstream chip is gluten-free, and only a few have dairy in them like sour cream and onion flavors, Cheetos, and Doritos. My favorites are salt and vinegar and barbeque flavors, Fritos, and Takis. If I'm craving chips and I need a healthier option, corn chips with salsa and guacamole is a great alternative with more nutrients than just a little bag of potato chips.
Chopped fruit. If I'm craving something sweet, fruit is the perfect versatile go-to. I love cutting up apples and dipping them in melted peanut butter. You can also try baking some fruits like pears, plums, and apricots with some cinnamon sugar and maple syrup for a warm, unique flavor. You also can't go wrong with eating them on their own because fruits are just sweet and scrumptious like that.
Dinner
Dinner food for me has got to be warm, hearty, and satisfying. Lots of people don't realize that there are vegan and gluten-free foods that can accomplish this. Whether I'm at a restaurant or at home, these are some of my favorite dinner foods that remind me that my diet is not just for rabbits:
Macaroni and cheese. That's right, it's possible AND delicious. I use this recipe, and even my meat-eating, cheese-loving friends beg me to make it for them. Even if you aren't in the market to go vegan, I urge you to try this recipe at least once, as it will amaze you with its creamy, tangy "cheese" atop your favorite gluten-free noodles. (p.s. when I worked at a vegan restaurant they secretly used this recipe instead of their own and customers loved it!)
Burgers. Nowadays there is a huge range of veggie burgers you can purchase, from brands like Beyond and Impossible to your standard black bean or quinoa burgers. Each one brings a unique flavor to the table, unlike beef patties which are, in essence, all made from the same thing. I love to dress mine up in ketchup, mustard, lettuce, pickle, tomato - the works - but they're just as flavorful on their own. To make it gluten-free, I use these buns which are soft and pillowy.
Pasta. There are so many gluten-free pasta brands on the market, each with a different texture and flavor. When I'm in a hurry I love to make a quick batch of pasta marinara, but if I have time nothing beats making a veggie-noodle stir-fry with chopped onions, peppers, and anything else I can find. The best thing about pasta is its versatility, and it allows me to play with flavors to create a unique dinner every time.
When going out to eat I can often find versions of these above foods - sometimes having to remove an ingredient or two to fit my needs - but I somehow always manage to find something. Restaurants nowadays are much more familiar with dietary restrictions and can always help find a menu item that works for me.
Dessert
I personally have a massive sweet tooth, and when it comes to desserts that are both vegan AND gluten-free, it may seem that options are limited. Surprisingly though there are tons of options, I could never keep up my diet if it wasn't for the vast array of vegan/gluten-free sweets to cure my cravings.
The first thing I always reach for is my favorite dairy-free ice cream. There are endless flavors nowadays and you can find them in any regular grocery store. Ben & Jerry's alone has twelve different dairy-free options, but careful because some aren't gluten-free. I'm an eat-it-straight-from-the-pint girl, but you could easily dress up a bowl with Hershey's syrup (yes it's vegan), dairy-free whipped cream, and a sweet maraschino cherry.
For a healthier option, a fruity parfait with vegan yogurt and gluten-free granola can satiate the craving just as well. It's fun trying out different fruit combinations, as well as trying different sweeteners like agave or maple syrup.
If I'm ready for a night of baking, I can look up recipes for gluten-free/vegan cakes, pies, brownies, cookies - anything I want - and have the same desserts a gluten-eating omnivore eats but with a few modifications. You'd be surprised at how moist and rich some of these desserts are - some are completely undetectable as vegan or gluten-free, say my gluten-loving omnivore friends.
No matter your diet, it's important to make sure you're drinking plenty of water and getting all the vitamins and minerals you need. As a vegan, it can be a bit trickier to get all the vitamins that are added to beef like B12. To ensure I'm getting all the nutrients I need, I take this amazing all-veggie supplement, and it's great for meat-eaters, too.
When I tell people I'm vegan and gluten-free, the first thing they ask is, "what can you even eat?". The answer is lots of things omnivores already eat! By making small tweaks to your diet, you could live this way too, satisfied and happy like me. Being celiac narrows down my options of vegan food, but it's an amazing feeling to find new foods to make and try that I would've never even considered if I didn't eat this way.
