just keep swimming.

[naturallytom]

hi can we normalize the idea of choosing not to drink

[in-her-wildest-dreams]

reblog this if you’re going to pasadena so @taylorswift can see!!!!!!!

[still-an-innocentt]

MEEEEEE

[peaceloveandteddybears]

I’ll be there!

[retropicool]

[vegan-yums]

Anon suggested a master-post of vegan products/brands for beginners, so here it is. *marks my faves.

Milk

*Almond Breeze (Almond milk. With some blend options (cashew & coconut) My personal favorite brand, Vanilla & Chocolate are amazing.) Also makes ice coffee and creamers.

Silk. (Soy, Almond, Cashew, Coconut milk options) Also makes ice coffee and creamers.

Califiafarms (Almond milk, coffee and creamers.)

Dream (Makes Hemp, soy, coconut, sprouted rice, cashew and almond milk)

Pacific (Makes a large variety of plant milks, included oat, hemp and more.)

So delicious (Almond, soy, coconut and blend options)

Cheese

*‘Chao’ by field roast- One of my favorites, the original blend is good enough to eat of the package, which lets be real, is rare with vegan cheeses. Have a variety of flavors.

*Follow your heart - My other go-to, the mozzarella is a fave.

Daiya- A lot of peoples favorites, a lot of different options and even make *cheesecake, mac and cheese and other stuff.

Go veggie- Not all the options are vegan, check for casein. Or just this skip this brand all together, it’s not even good. Makes good grated cheese though.

Kite hill-  been on my to-try list for a while. Gourmet cheese and other pre-made products.

Tofutti- Cheese and other dairy products, good *sour cream, avoid the ricotta like the fucking plague. 

*Teese- Makes good nacho sauce.

Vegusto- UK brand, was rated one of the best cheeses, never had - so nothing to add.

Violife- UK brand.

Cream Cheese

Daiya, GoVeggie, Tofutti, Fyh, Trader joes, Kite hill. 

Sour cream

*Tofutti, Fyh, 

Salad Dressing

Fyh, Daiya, Annies

Butter

*Earth Balance

Mayo

Vegenaise by fyh, *Hellmanns, *Just Mayo, Earth balance

Yogurt

*Silk,  So delicious, Daiya, Almond dream, Kite Hill, Wholesoy&co.

Ice cream

*So delicious (sooo many options, including sandwiches etc), Coconut bliss, *Ben & Jerrys nondairy line, *Purely decadent, Amy’s, Tofutti, Some flavors by Talenti, *Fomu & more.

Veggie “eggs”

follow your heart, The vegg.

Faux meats 

*Beyond meat, *Gardein (if you want to trick a omnivore use those two brands haha, especially bm), Tofurky, Lightlife, Boca, Field roast, *Seitan.

*Earth balance makes good bagged snacks like vegan cheese puffs, popcorn and cheese-its.

I know I missed a lot, and probably a lot of brands from other countries, can add to the list if you want!!! I also know you can make any of these things at home, healthier and cheaper, but hey they help a lot of people transition and a lot taste rly good so -shrugs-

[securelyinsecure]

“I’m inspired by the love people have for their children. And I’m inspired by my own children, how full they make my heart. They make me want to work to make the world a little bit better. And they make me want to be a better man.” - President Barack Obama

[championsaremade]

Guys. I have NO words.

Thanks to @fit-and-healthy-kate and her post about these new babies– I went literally AN HOUR after I saw they were available and picked them up at the Vitamin Shoppe.

Holy. Moly.

I rarely ever miss any foods from before I went vegan but every once and a while I wish there were a protein bar identical to Quest bars except vegan. I found it– THIS chocolate fudge brownie bar. Tastes exactly like the brownie flavor from Quest.

I am in love.

GO GET THEM NOW

[beepboop-its-a-robot]

STORY TIME:

I work in a decent sized, local, indie bookstore. It’s a great job 99% of the time and a lot of our customers are pretty neat people. Any who, middle of the day this little old lady comes up. She’s lovably kooky. She effuses how much she loves the store and how she wishes she could spend more time in it but her husband is waiting in the car (OH! I BETTER BUY HIM SOME CHOCOLATE!), she piles a bunch of art supplies on the counter and then stops and tells me how my bangs are beautiful and remind her of the ocean (“Wooooosh” she says, making a wave gesture with her hand)

Ok. I think to myself. Awesomely happy, weird little old ladies are my favorite kind of customer. They’re thrilled about everything and they’re comfortably bananas. I can have a good time with this one. So we chat and it’s nice.

Then this kid, who’s been up my counter a few times to gather his school textbooks, comes up in line behind her (we’re connected to a major university in the city so we have a lot of harried students pass through). She turns around to him and, out of nowhere, demands that he put his textbooks on the counter. He’s confused but she explains that she’s going to buy his textbooks.

He goes sheetrock white. He refuses and adamantly insists that she can’t do that. It’s like, $400 worth of textbooks. She, this tiny old woman, bodily takes them out of her hands, throws them on the counter and turns to me with a intense stare and tells me to put them on her bill. The kid at this point is practically in tears. He’s confused and shocked and grateful. Then she turns to him and says “you need chocolate.” She starts grabbing handfuls of chocolates and putting them in her pile.

He keeps asking her “why are you doing this?” She responds “Do you like Harry Potter?“ and throws a copy of the new Cursed Child on the pile too.

Finally she’s done and I ring her up for a crazy amount of money. She pays and asks me to please give the kid a few bags for his stuff. While I’m bagging up her merchandise the kid hugs her. We’re both telling her how amazing she is and what an awesome thing she’s done. She turns to both of us and says probably one of the most profound, unscripted things I’ve ever had someone say:

“It’s important to be kind. You can’t know all the times that you’ve hurt people in tiny, significant ways. It’s easy to be cruel without meaning to be. There’s nothing you can do about that. But you can choose to be kind. Be kind.”

The kid thanks her again and leaves. I tell her again how awesome she is. She’s staring out the door after him and says to me: “My son is a homeless meth addict. I don’t know what I did. I see that boy and I see the man my son could have been if someone had chosen to be kind to him at just the right time.”

I’ve bagged up all her stuff and at this point am super awkward and feel like I should say something but I don’t know what. Then she turns to me and says: I wish I could have bangs like that but my darn hair is just too curly.“ And leaves.

And that is the story of the best customer I’ve ever had. Be kind to somebody today.

[fit-and-healthy-kate]

I wanted to make some sort of protein packed healthy treat to snack on during my drive to Denver, and came up with these tasty lil guys! I’m not really sure what to call them because there are a few different flavors goin’ on, and my creativity is seriously lacking at the moment so if anyone has a good name let me know! _________________________ Ingredients: 🔸1 can chickpeas (drained & rinsed) 🔸2 ripe medium bananas 🔸1/4 cup peanut butter 🔸1.5 scoops @pescience snickerdoodle protein (sub with a plant based protein powder to make em vegan) 🔸1/3 cup oat flour 🔸2tsp vanilla 🔸1tsp baking powder 🔸1/4tsp baking soda 🔸sprinkle of pink himalayan sea salt 🔸As many Enjoy Life chocolate chips as your heart desires! ________________________ 1. Blend chickpeas, bananas, peanut butter, & vanilla in a high-power blender 2. Stir in dry ingredients 3. Fold in chocolate chips 4. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes 5. Let cool & enjoy! I ate one, and then wrapped the rest & put them in the freezer so they’ll stay fresh for a few days before I hit the road!🚗

[toethefinishline]

Where will I get my protein? And all of the other nutrients for that matter?!

A major concern when people go vegan is their health. People often worry they will become deficient in many nutrients and will ultimately become sick & weak. However, this is not the case! Going vegan has been shown to do wonders for your health! Not only will you be able to maintain a balanced nutrient intake, but you will also be able to reduce your risk of many chronic diseases at the same time.

We all grew up learning that meat = protein and dairy = calcium, so it makes sense that we think we won’t be able to consume adequate amounts of these nutrients when we go vegan.

While vegan and vegetarian diets are best for optimal health, they can also be made unhealthy (a lot of junk food–oreos, ice cream–is vegan). It is important to emphasize eating a whole food, plant-based diet that is balanced. This will ensure that proper nutrition is obtained, so that a healthy lifestyle can be maintained! Here are some sources of the main nutrients to look out for while transitioning.

Protein: As long as you are eating enough and eating balanced meals then protein should not be a concern. Complete proteins can also be made by combining whole grains with legumes.

Legumes (beans, lentils, peas)

Nuts and seeds

Quinoa

Couscous

Spinach

Broccoli

Tofu

Tempeh

Iron: There are two types of iron – heme and non-heme. Heme iron is found in animal products, while non-heme is found in plant-based foods. Non-heme iron does not absorb as well, but can be combined with vitamin C to enhance absorption. Good sources of iron include:

dark leafy greens

Nuts and seeds

Legumes

Dried fruit

Blackstrap molasses

**It is important to consume foods high in iron and foods high in vit C during the same meal.

B12: This vitamin does needs to be supplemented. It is found in very few fortified foods (nutritional yeast, some cereals, and some milks) so it is important to ensure people supplement this since deficiencies can be dangerous.

It is so important to do your research when you decide to go vegan. Make sure you are consuming the right foods so that you have no problems during your transition! I listed a few nutrient sources, but there are many others to look into! Vegan for Life is an amazing book that really helped me to understand the essential information regarding vegan nutrition. You can also find some information online here!

Resources:

Documentaries:

Forks Over Knives (Netflix)

Plant Pure Nation (Netflix)

Engine 2 (Netflix)

Uprooting the Leading Causes of Death

Books:

Vegan for Life - this is an AMAZING book that covers all of the information you need to know about different nutrients while going vegan.

Becoming Vegan

Vegan for Her

How Not to Die - this is another amazing book! It discusses the leading causes of death, and it addresses how each of these causes can be prevented by adopting a plant-based diet.

Online Sites:

Nutritionfacts.org

VRG’s MyPlate

Vegan Society

Vegetarian Nutrition by VRG

Tips:

If your parents are worried about your health then you could offer to meet with a plant-based dietitian. This way you can get a better idea of what foods you need to be eating, and your parents will feel more at ease after hearing the information from a professional.

Get your blood tested 1-2 times per year. You can make sure you are receiving adequate amounts of the essential nutrients and make adjustments as needed!

Supplement B12!

Recipes

Recipes from Forks Over Knives

Popcorn with nutritional yeast!

Raise the Roof Sweet Potato Lasagna

Vegan Smoothie Ideas

Plant Based Pinterest Board (almost all should be vegan!)

Store Alternatives

Engine 2

Nutritional Yeast

Statistic

According to a Forks Over Knives interview, Vegetarians and vegans actually average 70% more protein than they need every day (over 70 grams).

– – – – – –

Casey & Flannery

Follow the challenge here

[2000ish]

[paradisiacalpapi]

I’ve been waiting on this post for years

[belleswift17]

[lonqlive]

[swiftslonglive]

*smashes the reblog button*

[swiftiesgonnashakeitoff]

always reblog

[jtmaster13]

This is what heaven sounds like

[aibaaina]

taylor trying to explain to ellen what the show is going to be like with facial tissue and nail polish

[bookish-nymph]

VEGAN MEAL IDEAS: LUNCH DINNERS & SNACKS

In the morning, I make myself a tofu scramble or peanut tofu.

Then, here are some (vegan) meal ideas for lunch, dinner & snacks

LUNCHES I always add one of the following proteins (all are vegan) to my buddha bowls: - Tofu - Seitan - Beans - Lentils - Falafel  - Tempeh - TVP

Buddah bowl 1:

Rice, TVP, squash, roasted potatoes, zucchini, roasted red peppers,  white onion (sauce: tahini + soy sauce + hot sauce +  agave)

Buddah bowl 2:

Quinoa, lentils, sweet potato, red peppers, asparagus, garlic  (sauce: peanut butter, vinegar, agave, soy sauce, water)

Buddah bowl 3:

Barley, olives, red onion, corn, eggplant (sauce: hot sauce, almond  milk, tahini)

Buddah bowl 4: 

Rice noodles, mushrooms, zucchini, eggplant, spinach, onion  (sauce: soy, hot sauce, water, tahini)

Pasta salad:

Corn pasta (cool), avocado cubes, red onion, shredded lettuce,  sundried tomatoes, red pepper (sauce: lemon juice, olive oil,  vinegar, agave, chili paste)

Mexican Quinoa:

Quinoa, olive oil, garlic, jalapeño, veggie broth, black beans, tomatoes, corn, chili flakes, cumin, lime, avocado

Falafel dippers:

Chickpeas, onion, garlic, cumin, parsley, basil, chickpea flour, olive oil (sauce: tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, agave, garlic, salt) 

DINNERS

Coconut potato curry:

potatoes, cashews, cherry tomatoes, tomato paste, cayenne pepper, cumin, garam masala, coconut milk, olive oil, basil

Vegan Roasted Red Pepper Pasta:

corn spaghetti, almond milk, shallots, red pepper, garlic,  olive oil, nutritional year, corn starch, pepper flakes

Potato “fries”:

Yellow potatoes, chill flakes, batter, lettuce (dipping sauce: chili  paste, mashed tomato, water)

Mushroom Polenta:

garlic, polenta, vegan butter, vegetable stock, rosemary,  mushrooms)

Vegan Pizza:

dough: gluten free blend, salt, baking powder, sugar  (coconut), yeast, olive oil  toppings: olives, pelati tomato  sauce, basil, red onion, mushrooms, spinach, zucchini 

Rapini Pasta:

Corn pasta, rapini, broccolini, olive oil, lemon juice, chill flakes

Thai curry noodles

Rice noodles, onion, cherry tomatoes, coconut oil, spinach (sauce:  coconut milk, tomatoes, peanut butter, tofu, soy sauce, ginger, curry  powder, sriracha, garlic, salt, lime juice) 

Spicy peanut butter tofu:

Firm tofu, peanut butter, sriracha, garlic, vegetable stock, green onions, rice vinegar, agave, soy sauce

Veggie burger: Veggie patty, whole wheat bread, lettuce, tomato, mushrooms, avocado, olives (sauce: mustard or ketchup or vegan mayo or hot sauce)

SNACKS/ SIDES

Pistachio-stuffed dates:

pistacchios, salt, dates, shredded coconut 

Greek salad:

black olives, cucumber, tomato, chickpeas, red onion, bell pepper  (sauce: red wine vinegar, olive oil, oregano)

Rice rolls:

Rice paper, lettuce, onion, mushrooms, peppers (dipping sauce:  tahini, hot sauce, water, chili paste, soy sauce)  

Date balls:

Dates, shredded coconut, raw oats

Apple slices with sauce:

Green apple slices, cinnamon (sauce: soaked dates)

Sweet potato chips

Sweet potatoes, salt, vinegar 

Baba Ghanoush

lentils (beluga), eggplants, pomegranate, parsley, tahini, lemon  juice, salt)

Most recipes can be found on my pinterest /deelsian, or I’ve made them myself! 

I will be updating this list frequently, adding things (probably will add a dessert category).

Things I buy that are pre-made for when I’m lazy! (it happens!) - Vegan pizza - Burritos  - Veggie sushi - Quinoa salads - Veggie burgers - Veggie nuggets - Vegan hot dogs - Oreos - Sorbet frozen yogurt - Pre-seasoned tofu (terriyaki) 

[gotinstarblog-deactivated201512]

[thefederalistfreestyle]

took a cash collection just to send him to the main man [x x x x]

[fit-since-today]

Small things to improve your life

change your bedding each month wake up early (at least before 8am) spend time with friends fairy lights everywhere wash your face daily moisturize regularly bake some treats don’t wear any make up clean your room at least every two weeks run outside get a new towel regularly invest time in cooking awesome meals discover new music spend less time online take your vitamins eat lots of fruit light some scented candles only go to bed to sleep (chill on the sofa) open your room’s windows have hot showers