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’ve traveled quite a lot as a vegan and never, ever found it ‘necessary’ or desirable to compromise my diet. I love being a vegan and have found wonderful, delicious vegan meals wherever I’ve gone… and met some really great people while I was at it. It’s much easier than you’d think, and much more satisfying! :)
I respect this approach, but everyone has different priorities when they travel. You do have to seek out vegan and vegetarian meals in many foreign countries. There’s a real pleasure in sitting down at a restaurant, and saying to waiter, “I want whatever is your house specialty” without asking to make modifications.
I find more pleasure in knowing that my food choices don’t involve eating animals or animal products. :-) I look forward to following Angela’s trip and vegan food in Paris.
Have a great trip Angela!
Also! There are some FINE VEGAN CUISINE RESTAURANTS in Paris. When I was there for a semester I looked at this website: http://veganparis.com/ and I highly recommend Saveurs Végéthalles: http://saveursvegethalles.fr/ DELICIOUS!
I thankfully don’t have any allergies, just sensitivities. Canned foods, yogurt, grapes and some cheese. White bread also makes my blood sugar go crazy. I try to ask for whole grain bread if it is possible.
I’ve always been the coffee-drinking bon bon eating type. The funniest thing in Paris was the cafes’ reluctance to serve me espresso. They couldn’t believe that the small blonde Canadian wanted the strong stuff – so concerned that I didn’t understand what I was ordering!
Luckily, I don’t have any food allergies either, but I get frustrated when there isn’t a lot of fresh produce available. I find that my body feels at its worst when I eat really sweet or refined-sugar foods, so I do my best to avoid those at all costs. I think it is important to try new things when you’re on holiday though, so I like your ‘no-plan plan’!
They have a whole website dedicated to be a vegetarian in paris! How exciting.
http://www.parisvegetarian.com/
Enjoy.
First of all, I am totally envious that you are heading to Paris in September! So wish I could do that right now! As far as having to accommodate my eating while travelling, I’m a flexitarian and so rarely eat meat but will eat it on occasion. I did notice, though, that on my recent honeymoon, the hubby and I ate a ton more meat than we usually do. But no big deal – we just enjoyed it!
I can’t wait to hear about your trip!
Oooh! Paris!! Lucky! I would love to go to the French countryside someday and go winetasting.
I travelled around Europe for 3 1/2 months with my college roommate. She was a vegetarian when we began the trip but found it too challenging to stick to her usual diet while in Europe. I think it is certainly possible but you have to be super prepared and we were really winging it with where we went and what we did which made it hard to do research. I like your approach Angela. I think you’ll have much more fun this way! :)
I went to Paris in January, and really, I gave up all my food boundaries, which were pretty stupid. I enjoyed crepes, croissants, macaroons, and all was worth it. I’m now on a reeeeeallly long vacation in Switzerland, and having the same approach. Life is too short to allow ourselves yummy foods.
Ahh traveling as a vegan/vegetarian can be TOUGH – especially somewhere like France where they just can’t quite understand why anyone wouldn’t want to eat cheese and cream and butter….. Some suggestions based on what I did when I was living there (as a vegetarian; the cheese element remained!):
– baguettes! buy fresh bread (nothing better!!) and eat with jam or nutella (regular nut butters are scarce over there), hummus, cheese + fresh veggies.
– sandwiches: there are often sandwich shops/stalls that sell simple & delicious veggie sandwiches
– falafel: there are countless Middle Eastern restaurants (doner/kebab spots) that sell super cheap, yet very good falafel pitas w/ hummus and veggies. L’As du Falafel in the Marais is famous and wonderful
– farmer’s markets: all over the city and overflowing with fresh, ripe fruits and vegetables – you can assemble your own meal with those goods + a baguette & cheese and a few pastries :)
I 100% embrace your approach on this. My husband and I are vegetarians, but when we travel, we are flexible. For me, culture is food, and food is culture, so it’s impossible for me to imagine traveling places and not eating the food. I’ll be in France next week, and plan to eat ALL of the regional delicacies, including duck! Also, someone said it above, but L’Au du Falafel in Paris is where it’s at. Honestly, so so delicious, and it is very vegan friendly. Not open on Fri nights/Sat because of the Sabbath, but GO GO GO. I’ve spent a lot of time in Paris and will be back again next week (as I said above) so if you want any suggestions or recommendations, let me know.
My stomach doesn’t approve of dairy in large doses. It also doesn’t like oils (like olive oil), but in very, very small doses it is fine.
I don’t eat meat and that was sometimes a problem. I have had to spend time picking meat out of dishes so that I could eat something. It usually tasted awful (I don’t eat meat because I find it disgusting), but hunger always won out.
I have life threatening allergies to shellfish; peanuts; treenuts, nut extracts & oils; coconut; lentils; latex……Since my allergies are caused by an autoimune disease, I can also be allergic to other items that mimic the ones above.
I have a medic alert bracelet & card and I also made up an index card with all my allergies on one side and my medications on the other. It also states that I carry an epi-pen auto injector.
The card is laminated so I give it to the server to bring to the chef.
I traveled to Europe this past Spring (Baltic Cruise; Russia, Estonia, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, England), and before I left I went on the computer and translated my allergies into each language. I did not experience any problems.
The one thing that amazes me in the USA (my home) is that French fries are fried in the same oil as shellfish/chicken/etc., or that items are fried in peanut oil. This makes it almost impossible to ever indulge in fried food.
At home I roast many vegs with EVOO, garlic, s & p and rosemary. Healthier and much better tasting than fried food any day.
I love your recipes, and do make smoothies but have yet to put in greens. Maybe some day.
It wasn’t a diet preference per-se, but when I went to Spain and Portugal in my Sophomore year of college, I was a very picky eater.
I didn’t do fish or sea-creatures of any kind, I wasn’t adventurous at all. Food wasn’t an important part of the experience for me, plus I was really cheap. The end result was that I ate ham and cheese sandwiches for breakfast, lunch and dinner for two weeks. No joke.
It didn’t bother me one bit at the time but I could really kick myself now.
I have the same stomach problems as you do, where dairy, meat, and gluten really mess up my system. This hasn’t caused a dent in my travel eating plans at all! You can always get salads anywhere!
For breakfasts I would also choose fresh fruits, nuts if available, coffee, and the odd (small) treat like a biscotti. If I’m really desparate, an egg to hold me over.
After that I basically nibble…antipasto platters are great (although they have cheese, but some aged, hard cheeses don’t have lactose!!!), grilled veggies, etc.
Basically, if you eat fresh and whole foods your system should stay happy! Plus more room for wine and cocktails if you don’t eat big heavy meals :-)
*oh and if you’re ever down in Central or South America…rice and beans and salsa and mangos!! I could live down there NO PROBLEM.
I was just diagnosed as gluten-intolerant, so I am just learning how to deal with my special diet needs! I never worried about my diet before, but obviously now I have to be much more careful. In my area there aren’t many restaurants that offer gluten-free options on their menu, but I always seem to find other options (like salads, some meat dishes, pizza, etc.). If I’m going out with other people, they are happy to try out other restaurants then we would normally visit to accommodate my diet! I never go hungry! :) haha
Haha funny actually cause yep I was vegan when I went to NYC and welp I didn’t really eat much else besides puffins, peanut butter and chinese take out veggies. I was hungry but too busy to care. I was also younger and not as wise at that time.
new york city? it’s so easy to be vegan in new york!
I haven’t read the comments yet so I’m not sure if someone else had mentioned it, but there is a site, VeganParis.com, and it’s got a list of a bunch of vegan friendly places/options/etc! A friend sent it to me a while back.
I hear Paris has great falafel!
I’m gluten intolerant and I have a sensitivity to soy, on top of being a vegan, which makes it really hard to eat out while traveling. I’m pretty laid back about it, especially the soy thing (I eat tofu like 2x a week still, haha), because it’s just too restricting. It seems like there are a lot more gluten-free options popping up at restaurants around here, even at local chain pizza places! If I’m traveling and I can’t find anything satisfying and gluten-free, I’ll probably eat it once and a while. I’m actually highly allergic to amaranth flour, so staying away from that is more important to me than staying 100% gluten and soy free. As far as being vegan, I always stick to it! Even if I didn’t want to, it’d be hard because I’m allergic to egg whites too.
Arrgh, allergies!