Good morning!
I enjoyed a delicious bowl of vegan overnight oats this morning. I made this batch heavier on the chia seeds and lighter on the oats just for a fun change.
Mango Blueberry Vegan Overnight Oats
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup oats
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1/2-1 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup mango
- 1/4 cup blueberries
- Seeds/nuts for sprinkling (I used roasted sunflower seeds)
Directions: In a small bowl mix together the oats, chia seeds, almond milk, chopped mango, blueberries and maple syrup. Place in fridge overnight or for at least 1 hour to allow for the seeds and oats to soak up the milk. When you are ready to eat, top with any other desired toppings and serve.
Mango in the oats = awesome.
A Vegan In Paris
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Last week, I told you about my upcoming trip to Paris during the 3rd week of September with OSGMOM and my sister Kristi. I said I would talk about how I will eat while in Paris, especially considering that French cuisine is far from vegan.
I actually laughed as I typed this last sentence because French cuisine is pretty much the antithesis of vegan eating. It is quite funny to think about.
You know what though, I’m cool with that. Just because I eat a vegan diet doesn’t mean that I think everyone should eat like I do. I understand that all cuisines are different and have certain characteristics that define them, and it just so happens that French cuisine has a lot of cheese, cream, butter, pastries, and meat!
My plan is to have fun like I always do with food and to not worry about it. I want to soak up the culture while in Paris and if that means I have to occasionally soak up some melted chocolate on my croissant then so be it. ;)
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Technically speaking, I will have no ‘plan’ going to Paris. I think it’s more fun that way.
Long gone are the days when I used to worry, stress, or obsess about what I eat. Food is fun in my life and I plan on keeping it that way while in Paris. I will roll with the punches and have a good time with it.
Obviously there will be occasions when it is not possible to eat vegan, and I am not going to worry about it. I ate non-vegan for 25 years of my life after all. As far as eating meat-free goes, I don’t think that will be a problem. It’s pretty easy to find or ask for meat-free dishes at restaurants. I just need to learn how to say that in French. ;)
My plan is to have fun…AND bring you along for the journey!
Like I said, I could come home a coffee-drinking, croissant lovin, bon-bon eating non-vegan.
I can’t be sure.
Or I may not come home at all.
Do you have any special diet preferences or needs (vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free, wheat-free, nut-free, etc) and have you had to accommodate them while on vacation or away from home? Have you ever had to ‘go hungry’ because of an allergy like gluten or nuts, when there were no options available for you?
Luckily I do not have any food allergies (I have been tested for everything), just sensitivities. My doctor thinks I have IBS. Foods like dairy, nuts, and high-fat foods can be problematic for my stomach in large quantities, so I try to be mindful of this when eating.
I took a similar attitude when I was in Hungary for a month earlier this summer. They eat a LOT of meat, and I eat very little meat, but I embraced the cuisine and decided not to worry about it. Their meat is different over there (as in, NOT factory farmed) so I felt ok about eating it. And when I had a choice in what I was eating, I chose vegetarian dishes most of the time.
The Oats Look awesome!!!! I am vegetarian, its not too hard to eat out, but it sometimes is a little limiting, sometimes I just mix side dishes to make a balanced dinner
Good for you! Being open on vacation will make it so much more relaxing. Though I was a vegetarian for about 15 years and a vegan for part of that, and still eat about 90% veggie, when I travel I often try local specialties, even if they involve meat. I am a foodie and food opens me up to different cultures. I love it! And when I get home I get right back to my veggie based way of eating and love that too.
I think your plan for Paris is GREAT! It will be an awesome experience and I can’t wait to follow along.
I was meant to be living in France next year for my studies, and was FREAKING OUT about vegan options (i’ll have the cafe au lait, hold the lait, oh and make the cafe a herbal tea while you’re at it!) Plans changed, however I can’t wait to hear about your adventures (read: live through you!)
Bonne chance!
Good for you! I don’t subscribe to any sort of diet per se, I just try to eat as healthy as I possibly can. But that being said, I do try to limit my dairy and meat. In Paris that is definitely difficult (just was there in April!) but you have the right attitude. Have fun and don’t stress about it. As long as you wont suffer (ie for gluten free people, I empathize!) from what you’re eating, you’ll be fine.
Bonne chance! :-)
Melanie.
You must-must-MUST stop to eat lunch at Le Potager du Marais, 22 rue Rambuteau between rue Beaubourg and rue du Temple. Doesn’t look like much from the street (look for the yellow awning) but oh my, what food.
This is the kind of food you come to Paris for, and it’s all organic, vegetarian and vegan…including a vegan French onion soup that almost made me tear up my passport right on the spot. Organic beers and wines too. I’m going back in November and making a beeline right from CDG to this place :)
Thanks for the recommendation! My husband is taking me to apris next spring, and–as a vegan–have been wondering if it would be possible to find great vegan food. Now I know! And can’t wait to try it!
I’m a vegan by choice, and eating out can be quite a challenge here in meat lovin’ Germany. But I can usually find something–or at least something to hold me over until I get home.
It is harder for my sister in law who lives in Colorado and who is allergic to gluten AND dairy. Even if she asks for a gluten and dairy free salad, she will often be served a salad with cheese and croutons on it!! It is really difficult for her to eat out at all, though she does manage to squeeze by…it is not always a pleasant experience.
There really are plenty of things vegans can eat in Paris, no one should be scared :)
In addition to Le Potager, there is a chain of falafel quick-service restaurants called Maoz. We have them here in the States too in a few areas but there are a couple in Paris; the one I went to was on rue Xavier Privas, on the Left Bank, literally right across the Seine from Notre Dame. Everything’s vegetarian and most of it’s vegan. The best part is how fresh everything is, they make the falafel right in front of you, put it in a pita and let you add any toppings you want from a self-service bar…all sorts of wonderful fresh veg and sauces. They also have frites, but there’s a better frites place across the street; look for the window full of hot frites…eat your sandwich while walking around the city. It’s right down rue St-Jacques or rue St. Michel from the Cluny museum, so that’s a good pairing.
Unfortunately, the best vegan-only restaurant in Paris, La Victoire Suprême du Coeur, seems to have closed. QUEL DOMMAGE!
Maoz is THE BEST falafel I’ve ever had!! I’m am seriously not kidding. I lived 1/2 block from it when I lived in Paris and made (too) frequent stops there.
It may be easy to stay vegan with all those fresh veggies. But I can understand wanting to makenaome exceptions for croissant and cafe creme :)
Hi!
I hope you’ll enjoy your trip to Paris…I’m french but moved to canada when I was 9, and I admit that french cuisine isn’t the most vegetarian in the world!
But everything is really good and portions are smaller…us french eat smaller portions, but more items…we have an small appetizers, a main course, bread, cheese, salad and dessert…but its in small portions…so people aren’t really overweight…You really should try some macaron at “La durée” or enjoy a meal at “Chez Paul”….
Bon voyage !
Not sure if I mentioned this already but you must try Le Paradis du Fruits
http://www.leparadisdufruit.fr/
I’ve been vegan-ish in France a few times. It was hard, but slightly do-able. I would try to eat as vegan as possible, but if something happened I didn’t make a big deal about it.
I am not trying to justify eating non-vegan items, but EU is a lot stricter with food policy than the US is (not sure about Canada). So that made me feel a little better.
And there are fresh markets everywhere, so it was easy just to grab some fruit, veggies and bread!
You have such a great attitude. I had an open mentality when traveling to Italy. There were so many fresh fruits, vegetables, and bread that eating it was easier than some parts of the US. And I am not one to complain about much when I am where wine is cheaper than water.
I can’t wait to read along about your journey to Paris! Good attitude on the food. I would love to go to France just to eat!
that is such a great plan to have…a plan to have no plan! :) I can’t wait to see pix and hear about your exciting times! :)
I am gluten, dairy, yeast and sugar free and I want to go to Paris so bad. I am really not sure what I will do if I ever get the chance to go. None of my intolerances are life threatening but eating those things do cause me to have a lot of physical pain to the point that I can’t even walk. (Fibromyalgia) And i don’t think I would enjoy Paris if I were so sick that I couldn’t walk around. I guess I would have to do a ton of research or eat a lot of salad.
Christie — I’m in the same sort of boat. Diary, sugar and meat trigger flares in my Rheumatoid Arthritis. So I have to be very careful what I eat. I’d hate to go and be stuck sitting down or doing the “shuffle walk.” No fun for anyone.
The shuffle walk. I know all about that!
Guys, Paris is such a wonderful place, even if eating in restaurants is out of the question, you could still have a great time! Good food is great, but there’s many more things that make a trip memorable. My food intolerance are much milder than yours, but I’ve come to accept if I want to have a good holiday I do plenty of research before I go, I usually stay somewhere where I can do my own cooking and use the fresh local produce or I just buy very simple food and eat grazey type food like fruit, dried fruit and nuts/seeds.
I’m with you Eimear. Although we’re going to Paris next weekend(!) and I am nervous about eating there, especially as I’ve been glutened recently. Oh well, fingers crossed :)
Oh wow, didn’t know you were going, have a wonderful time!
I have trouble with dairy, though it won’t KILL me. So, I occasionally eat some in moderation. The only time I had trouble was my WEDDING. They changed what had previously been a vegan pasta with veggies to having a cream sauce without consulting us after the tasting! This meant that the bride, and the father of the bride (holder of the check book) were not going to be able to eat. Oh did my father let loose and give someone an earful. Everything else was perfect, and they made separate dishes for the two of us, but, obviously, it was delayed.
With a strong fear of high fat foods and being a vegetarian before heading to Greece, I was quite nervous. As I adapted I realized it was a once-in-a-lifetime thing and eating a bit of meat over there (it’s humanely raised and fed properly if that helps any…) wasn’t going to harm me. By the end of the trip I was able to eat the pastries and gelato and most of the food without worrying about gaining weight or anything like that. It sounds silly, but at least I got over a lot of my food fears (and enjoyed a lot of white bread dipped in great olive oil and gyros). :)
Everything is bon:) Just keep telling yourself that. The views, the people, not being in the US – that’s vegan certified.
I love your laisse faire attitude :) A little chocolate in a croissant would be delightful. The fun of exploring new cultures is exploring their food. Taste is such a great sense. And you can always ask your waiter or keep your dictionary handy. A good word to know is “sans”. Asking for food without something is easier than asking for it with. :-)
“no meat” was the first thing I learned how to say while preparing for my trip to Japan a couple months ago, hahaha
Turns out it’s kind of hard to eat vegetarian in Japan because they’re so big on fish. I was fine, I lived, just a little lack of protein for a week.
I have never been to Paris yet and I am now soooooooooo jealous :)