healthy.every.day - nyc: vegan

Showing posts with label vegan. Show all posts

Sunday, November 11, 2012

banana "ice cream"

Saturday Afternoon

Food: banana "ice cream"

Body: a 90-minute walk around Manhattan

Mind: attempting some word game puzzles

I love me some ice cream just as much as the next girl. But sometimes, the sugar and dairy can take a toll. So imagine my delight upon finding this dairy-free banana "ice cream" recipe! It was so incredible easy - in addition to the vanilla, I added some cinnamon, and the flavor was perfect! Highly recommended dessert for those watching calories, fat, or added sugar!

Nutritional Highlights: 25% daily value vitamin C; 3 grams of fiber

Monday, November 5, 2012

new juice

Sunday Morning

Food: 12-oz juice with kale, spinach, apples, ginger, lemon, and parsley

Body: a 90-minute walk around Manhattan

Mind: donating towels and blankets to Hurricane Sandy Relief

As Sandy cleanup progresses around the city, it's been inspiring to see everyone coming together to help. After walking to a donation collection near my apartment, I stumbled upon a great health store and juice bar called Simply Natural. They have an extensive - and extremely well-priced - menu, including juices and smoothies. And while to the untrained eye, this beverage looks like slime, it's crisp, refreshing, and nutrient-dense. I will definitely be back!

Nutritional Highlights: 200% daily value vitamin A; 250% daily value vitamin C; 240% daily value vitamin K; 2 grams of fiber

Sunday, October 28, 2012

sweet tooth

Saturday Night

Food: green grapes

Body: hours of unpacking in my new apartment

Mind: realizing that I can see the corner of the Empire State building from my bedroom!

Yesterday was a whirlwind! In less than 24 hours, I had moved into my brand new apartment in Midtown and was completely unpacked. Exhausted yet excited, I settled into the sofa and decided I wanted something sweet. The bad news? I had yet to go food shopping. The good news? A farmer's market stand right outside was selling these delicious green guys, the perfect snack for sweetness + hydration. I'm not saying these are the equivalent of a slice of red velvet cake, but I feel significantly better after eating them than some sugary confection! :)

Nutritional Highlights: 40% daily value vitamin C, 40% daily value vitamin K

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

roasted carrots

Wednesday Night

Food: whole-wheat pasta with parmesan, with a side of honey-roasted carrots

Body: a quick walk around the neighborhood

Mind: reading up on vegan/vegetarian blogs

I was swamped with work this evening, so I opted for a quick dinner of penne pasta and parmesan cheese. But, still needing my veggies, I wanted something that I could quickly prepare while the water was boiling and the pasta was cooking. I went with an old favorite recipe: honey roasted carrots. Ready in 30 minutes, check it out below!

Nutritional Highlights: 10 grams of fiber; 10 grams of protein; 400% daily value vitamin A; 12% daily value potassium; 15% daily value vitamin C

Sunday, October 14, 2012

roasted potatoes and collard greens

Sunday Night

Food: Roasted potatoes and collard greens with Israeli couscous

Body: an hour-long walk around midtown on this surprisingly-warm fall October day

Mind: reading the last few chapters of a great book on a bench in Bryant park

Yesterday's weather was that crisp, biting reminder that winter is around the corner. But today, the temperature crept back up into the upper 60s. I was in the mood for some winter veggies and Israeli couscous when I stumbled upon Poor Girl Gourmet's amazing recipe. Alas, my local market did not have sweet potatoes available so I went for red-skin potatoes. I followed her collard greens/potato recipe pretty much to the letter, but opted for traditionally cooked Israeli (whole wheat) couscous instead. Nonetheless, this dish was fantastic and warm - not to mention loaded with vitamins. Luckily, I have plenty leftover for lunch tomorrow!

Nutritional Highlights: 150% vitamin A, 130% vitamin C, 9 grams of fiber, 14 grams of protein

Thursday, October 11, 2012

kale for breakfast

Thursday Morning

Food: kale-spinach-parsley-cucumber-apple-lemon-ginger juice

Body: 8 hours of sleep!

Mind: waking up early enough to have a slow, relaxed start to the morning

I have become quite hooked on Brooklyn Crepe and Juice Bar's Super Green juice. It tastes amazing, and having a 32-ounce cup of it for breakfast just feels like a great start to the day. (It also doesn't hurt that the people who work there are incredibly friendly!) My hope is to buy a juicer of my own soon and try some recipes, like one of these four green juice recipes from Well+Good NYC.

Nutritional Highlights: over 100% daily value of vitamins A and C; nearly 20% daily value of fiber

Monday, October 8, 2012

warm apples

Monday Mid-afternoon

Food: baked apples with cinnamon and Egyptian licorice tea

Body: 30 minutes of yoga

Mind: reading a book on the sofa wrapped in a blanket

Every fall, I look forward to one of my favorite desserts (or treats or snacks, depending on when I eat it): warm baked apples sprinkled with cinnamon. All the tastes of autumn and warmth without the saturated fat and sugar of pie. Ready in less than 10 minutes, it's the perfect cold-day food between meals. Easy recipe below.

Nutritional Highlights: 20% daily value of fiber and 20% daily value vitamin C

Sunday, October 7, 2012

cold night for hot soup

Sunday Night

Food: Greens and Grains Soup (recipe below)

Body: A 10-minute walk to the local market, despite the rain

Mind: Cooking to Frank Sinatra while talking to my grandmother on the phone

It's the first truly cold night here in New York City, with temperatures creeping into the upper 40s. What better excuse to make an incredibly nutrient-dense and satisfying soup! I cranked up old jazz music and Sinatra and began happily chopping away. I went for collard greens, one of the most highly-nutritious vegetables out there in terms of nutrition-per-calorie. In just 3.5 ounces of the stuff, it has over 20% of your daily value of calcium, as well as nearly 600% your daily value of vitamin K! The best news? It made enough soup to have leftovers for the next several days! Give it a try, it's incredible!

Nutritional Highlights for 2 cup serving: 516% daily value vitamin A, 130% daily value vitamin C, 11 grams fiber, 55% daily value calcium, 1100% daily value vitamin K

Saturday, October 6, 2012

new vegan restaurants and old friends

Saturday Night

Food: Mushroom Lentil Ravioli: house-made ravioli filled with chickpeas, lentils, smoked eggplant, in a shiitake-tahini cream sauce, topped with herbed greens.

Body: Four hour walk around upper Manhattan and Central Park, in the beautiful early-fall weather.

Mind: Vintage clothes shopping with my cousin

After four hours of wandering the beautiful Central Park, I met up with a friend of mine I hadn't seen in 3 years. Carolina and I had gone to college together, but had known each other since we were young teens. She's lived in the Upper East Side for a few months now, and suggested we meet up at a highly-recommended vegan restaurant, V-Note. After enjoying a glass of organic red wine, we ended up ordering the same meal: the delicious, mushroom-lentil ravioli. High in protein, and a solid source of iron thanks to the chickpeas (yay, iron for vegans!), it was delicious and satisfying. It was the type of dish that always leaves me wondering what ever made me think I needed meat to feel satiated after a meal...

Nutritional Highlights: approximately 20 grams of protein; 20% daily value vitamin C

green juice and green trees

source: yelp review

Saturday Morning

Food: Super Green Juice (Kale, Cerely, Parsley, Apple, Spinach, Cucumber + Lemon and Ginger)

Body: A 15-minute walk around Brooklyn, where most of the trees are still bright green.

Mind: Catching up on pleasure reading on the train

Saturday was a beautiful day to live in Manhattan. It was sunny in the high-60s/low-70s, and people were in an especially friendly mood. I was in Brooklyn to get a bit of work done, and decided to stop by the highly-rated Brooklyn Crepe and Juice Bar. The men working there were incredibly friendly and helpful as I order their famous Super Green Juice. It was the perfect breakfast: rejuvenating, nutrient-dense, and "one-hand-required" so I could use my other hand to read while on the train back to the city!

Nutritional Highlights: over 100% daily value of vitamins A and C; nearly 20% daily value of fiber