What Do VEGANs Eat? (Recipes)

Food is a big part of my life and always has been. In my mind I’ve always been a gourmet-chef who owns a gourmet healthy-food concept cafe called “Chirkolateur” (A mix of three words: my surname, chocolatier and entrepreneur … ahaha). My friends and family know me as a passionate foodie, who doesn’t trust anybody in the kitchen but myself.

“Cooking is simply a 1-on-1 process, just like a passionate love-relationship. No third person wanted in the kitchen.”

– Me.

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I try to avoid to put my food-habits into a box, but because of my passion for nutrition, healthy lifestyle, cooking and constant life-imporvement, I’d like to share my point of view about the benefits of a plantbased diet, which I follow for some years now. But especially how HUGE your choice of food is.

I’m not an absolute vegan, because I sometimes eat an egg or cheese. I don’t eat meat for years and don’t eat fish or any other sea-products. I’m avoiding dairy products and processed food/sugars of any kinds as much as I can. I’m also avoiding gluten as I feel so much better without it. My body also doesn’t digest well most kinds of legumes and unfortunately soya. So I’m more limited in the choices of food, that is why I had to become creative. I don’t have any hard food-intolerances, I just figured out what feels good for me and what doesn’t.

Some people try to challenge me and they assume, that I limit myself. But the main point is, that they have some erroneous beliefs about the plant based (vegan) diet. Here’s a little sum-up:

• vegeterians or vegans only chew green leaves
• vegeterians give up all the enjoyable food
• vegeterians forbid themselves to live a happy life
• vegeterians are sick (lack of protein, calcium, etc.)
• vegeterians are weak
• vegeterians don’t enjoy food
• my favourite: vegeterians follow a mainstream – trend

Well, I’m sure, that every vegeterian / vegan in this world will confirm my words: a plantbased diet makes you healthier, happier, looking better, feeling better, physically fitter, mentally clearer and makes your consciousness regarding yourself and the perceived world expand. I’ve never expected such results and after three years of experimenting with my body and mind, I’m absolutely convinced, that “giving up” animal / processed products was the right choice. I could talk about the benefits for hours, but I’ll stay in the area of food.

A plantbased veg(eteri)an diet offers so many delicious dishes and with a bit of patience and creativity, you can have a completely new food-experience. Everything will taste different, but when you eat real food, I promise, that you won’t crave unhealthy, processed sugars..well, at least as often as usually.

I loved all the adaptation process of new food and the discovery of new, incredible flavours. But without a question, it’s a lifestyle change, a change of habits and a new experience. It’s difficult to learn everything over night and to figure out your own veg(eteri)an diet, which works for you. It’s subjective, so I will share with you what I normally eat (click on the pictures to learn more and see the recipes).

All of my recipes are vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free.

Breakfast

I’m addicted to avocado, I eat avocado every single day for at least three years now. So I eat 1/2 Avocado with himalayan salt and glutenfree corn-cracker, hemp yoghurt with walnuts, dry fruits, goji berries, chia seeds and agave syrup (or honey sometimes). The best alternatives are soya products, but my body doesn’t tolerate a lot of soya, so I consume it rarely.

I also love to have a “salad-breakfast” with some green leaves, avocado and walnuts. Another great alternative is a green smoothie or a sweet smoothie with coconut milk, frozen berries and a banana. I enjoy a handful of cashew nuts and a few delicious dates with a cup of espresso in the morning. If you just cut some amazing fruits of your choice and place them accurately and nicely on your plate, you’ll see what effect it will have on you. So for breakfast it can be fruits, dairy-alternative yoghurts, cucumber, vegan cracker / bread cashew cream, baba-ganoush, zucchini hummus veggies of all kinds. Just to name a few.

I’m a big believer in the power of the food-optic, so yes, it takes one minute more to make the dish look creative and esthetically beautiful, but the long-term effect is incredible: 1) you enhance your creativity and 2) you enjoy the food much more if it’s presented nicely.

Lunch

It’s no big secret, that a nutritious salad for lunch is always a good idea. It’s made withing minutes, because the ingredients are mostly raw. Example: a mixed salad leaves, with pine-nuts, red onions, sesame or chia seeds, dry cranberries or apricots, cucumber, avocado, raw zucchini and good olive oil. Alternative: a baked potato with some amazing dip like raw zucchini hummus or guacamole-dip. You can also make an amazing quinoa-bowl (for gluten-friendly guts: rice amd noodles) with all the vegetables you like.

I love sweets and caramel, so recently I started to experiment with vegan desserts and a vegan mousse au chocolat made of avocado, dark 99% chocolate and agave syrup will change your mind about vegan sweets. Then there are vegan carrot-cupcakes, vegan caramel bars, cheese-cakes or any other possible kind of desserts. The variety is unlimited and they’re made easily and are also healthy, without processed sugars or any “alien” ingredients.

But what blew me away: vegan brownies made out of pecanuts, 100% cocoa powder and dates (I topped them with the mousse au chocolat). All of the desserts are made fast and out of raw ingredients. Only superfoods and no processed chemicals. It’s such a privellege to know what you eat, isn’t it? And to enjoy dessert so much, knowing that it’s healthy … a dream come true. As every new habit, it takes a little practice to develop an intuition to plant-based dishes, but after a few times you will love what you eat and your body will reward you with energy, positivity and increased sensitivity towards yourself.

Dinner

I trust you totally, but a smoothie, a soup, steamed vegetables and in front of all not over-eating are always a great idea.

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Since I started to eat consciously and be curious about what I eat, my life transformed. Nowadays I also know for sure in what situations I’m craving sugars or unhealthy crappy food. It’s often a “go-with-a-flow” – eating situation, when you’re around people who aren’t food-conscious (unfortunately most of the people today, but it’s changing incredibly fast and many of my friends and people I know, changed their food habits or are on the way to a healthier diet). We can’t de-socialize ourselves and stay in fields of avocados, so somehow we have to learn how to make healthy choices in a world of processed, fast-food overflow. It’s done easily: commit to 4 weeks of a plant-based diet without wheat flour and processed sugar and then go have a lunch at McDonalds or buy a crappy chemicals-instant soup – and you will see the difference in your wellbeing JUST-IN-TIME! I promise you.

Then there’s a “insecurity-anxiety-boredom” – eating situation. I crave sugars or some unhealthy foods, when I feel rather bad than good and having some concerns. So I consciously choose not to fuel my body with some what’s bad for it and instead make myself a smoothie or make a nice dessert to soothe my beloved self.

Our body never needs a packet of crisps, but our mind tries to confuse us..so another amazing benefit of a plant-based diet is that you really know if you are actually hungry, if you lack some vitamins/proteins/carbs or if you’re just sad and frustrated and mentally feel low and therefor want to compensate all of the feelings you experience with some “gap-filling”-foods.

I also constantly listen to one of my favorite people in the world Dr.Mark Hyman and tried to eat more healthy fats. You can read a very short summary here.

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Changing the diet from a unhealthy to a plant-based, healthy, conscious, colorful, nutritious one has only benefits. I only can encourage everybody to try it for a few days at least and also to experiment with new “real foods” and experiment to add more greens into the plate (parsley, mint, basil, cilantro, marjoram, lemon balm leaves, etc – they will change your “normal” dish into a special one).

The benefits are summarized:

• a desire and determination to healthier choices over-all (food, friendships, relationships, life)
• lost of weight
• ENERGY, ENERGY, ENERGY
• more self-confidence
• a better feeling of my own body
• raised consciousness
• calmer mind
• courage to be more of my-self

If you read this and want to have somebody who will encourage you, please connect with me, follow me on Instagram (@Chirkolateur_Food) or subscribe to my newsletter. Please also check out my FREE GIFTS Page, where you can download my recipes for free. I’m updating them weekly. I’d be more than happy to guide you through some recipes, advise you regarding experimental food-creativity and just so you know, that I’m there for you, when you need me! >3

Stay healthy and make healthy choices.

Love,

Olga

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