How to make life happy, healthy, and delicious

Disclaimer: this is not a guide on how to be vegan. It’s not a guide on how to become one either. I amno expert and do not live a vegan lifestyle myself. The aim here isto discuss the power offood, and how the right diet can make you feel healthy and happy. A viable way to explore this isby eating like a vegan. Stressing “like,”since veganism, as some are quick to forget, is actually a very committed lifestyle, governed by more than just a person’s eating habits. In Refinery29’s Living with Lucie, a quirky, original YouTube series, blogger Lucie Fink explores what this lifestyle isin the episode, 5 Days of Being a Vegan.

Fink rightly explains the three different types of vegans. Dietary vegans do not eat animals. They also avoid any animal by-products, such as eggs, dairy, and even honey. Ethical vegans are on the same diet, but they also avoid the exploitationof animals for fashion and entertainment purposes. Environmental vegans are firm believers that the animal farming industry is damaging to the environment. By highlighting the various forms of veganism, Fink’s episode gives us a lot tothink about.

As a university student, it’s certainly a challenge to find food that is both healthy and affordable on campus, let alone other parts of Toronto. Either we’re too busy to take time out ofour mornings to prepare a decent lunch, orwe’re just downright lazy. Consequently, students resort to easy meals or fast foods, like power bars, Second Cup sandwiches, and overpriced smoothies.

When talking to fellow students about healthy eating in the city, there are two recurring themes. First is the difficulty in committing to preparing meals on a daily basis. Second is the fact that eating out is way too expensive on a student budget. After researching vegan bloggers and their social media accounts, I realized there are small, yet significant steps that an interested person can take in the vegan direction. Fun fact, warming flax seeds into liquid form is actually anexcellent substitute for eggs when baking. From substituting milk with almond milk in cereal, tomaking a habit of eating more vegetables instead of munching on salty snacks, it’s definitely possible to adopt some of these healthy habits.

For instance, what ifwe choose one day out of the week to eat like a vegan? Say Monday, as a good way to start the week. Then the next week, why not go for Monday and Tuesday? Maybe you can eventually work your way up to the whole work week? If eating vegan just isn’t for you and you need some meat or dairy in your diet, you could try avoiding refined sugar and high-processed foods instead.

For those interested in actually trying this, the best mealto start is likely breakfast, since itis the most important meal of the day after all. What are some easy vegan breakfast foods? There are actually a ton of meals that are regularly eaten for breakfast that canbe made vegan, such as pancakes, waffles, and French toast. Just remember that these delicious breakfasts are high in refined sugar and the refined flour used actually turns to sugar in your body. In addition,
because they don’t have fibre or protein, they won’t keep you full for long, which explains why you’re always longing for that third pancake.

Since this guide aims to focus on healthy eating alternatives, here are some easy, healthy options:

1. Starting your day off with a green smoothie is a really great way to get your health back ontrack, since it boosts digestion and keeps you feeling energized. Full of fibre, protein, minerals, and vitamins, it nourishes you throughout the day and keeps you full.

2. When it’s cooler outside, you may want to opt for a warm meal instead of a smoothie. Meals like quinoa porridge or oatmeal are more enticing in the chilly winter months. If you’re feeling extra adventurous, maybe even try some chia seed pudding. When making these dishes, make sure not to add too much sugar or maple syrup. A good way to sweeten these meals is adding dried fruit, or fresh berries. This will stop you from feeling hungry after an hour.

3. Tofu scramble with a ton of vegetables is a great savory option. Similar to scrambled eggs, tofu is high in protein and goes well with practically anything.

There are plenty of ways other than eating vegan to lead a happy, healthy lifestyle. Veganism isjust an interesting avenue to explore because of its environmental and ethical considerations. This is, in summary, just food for thought.

Below you’ll find recipes on some of the meals mentioned in this article. For more recipes and vegan meal ideas, check out these social media accounts! Sweetpotatosoul (Instagram & YouTube); Thrivingonplants (Instagram & YouTube); Cheaplazyvegan (Instagram & YouTube)

Daily Green Juice (Serves: 2)

Prep time 5 mins – Cook time 5 mins – Total time 10 mins

Ingredients

• 1 large cucumber (peeled ifit isn’t organic)

• 1 medium bulb fennel

• 6-8 cups of kale or collard greens

• 1 cup cilantro or parsley

• large piece of ginger (about 2-inches long 1-inch thick)

• 1 piece of fresh turmeric (about ½-inch thick, 2 inches long)

• 1 lemon, peeled

Instructions

1.Put all of the ingredients through your juicer. Enjoy immediately, or (if you have a cold-press juicer) store some in the fridge for later.

Very Berry Chia Pudding (Serves: 3)

Prep time 5 mins – Cook time 2 mins – Total time 7 mins

Note: this recipe requires use of a blender and the pudding needs to thicken at least 6 hours orovernight.

Ingredients

• 1½cup non-dairy milk (or a blend of coconut and soy milk)

• 1 ripe banana

• 2 tbsp maple syrup

• ½ tsp cinnamon

• ¼ cup chia seeds

• 1 pint fresh berries (I did strawberries and raspberries––my favourites!)

Instructions

1.Blend the non-dairy milk, banana, syrup, and cinnamon until smooth.

2.Pour into a large jar or bowl, then stir in the chia seeds.

3.Cover and allow to thicken in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours.

4.Serve with fresh berries.

Featured images curtesy of Jenne Clairborne