Hi there! How did your week go? I went to Toastmasters yesterday and did a speech about creating my smartphone app, Vegan Delish. It gave me yet another opportunity to practice my activism as I incorporated my vegan lifestyle into the speech. Because the meetings are at lunchtime, I usually get asked about what I am eating, too. Yesterday I made his and her green salads with chickpeas and avocado that I also served with corn tortillas and mango:
I was busy yesterday afternoon getting ready for a weekend trip I’m taking to Disneyland! My sister who lives in Seattle is visiting Southern California and is taking my nephew to the park for the first time, so Alan and I are going to join them. I guess I’ve been spoiled with travel because this is one of the first trips that I can recall where there aren’t a ton of readily-available healthy, vegan options. I tried looking online and calling the dining services department at Disneyland to see where I might be able to get a vegan meal at the park, but I didn’t get very helpful input. And, to be honest, I don’t expect that an amusement park would have a meal that would fit my fairly restrictive needs. So, I’ve taken matters into my own hands and decided to bring along as much food as I can. We’ll see how it goes.
I prepared a giant wild rice and garbanzo bean salad that will likely become dinner tonight and lunch tomorrow:
If you want a recipe for a similar salad that I’ve made in the past, check out my Lemony Lentil & Brown Rice Salad here.
Our hotel has a refrigerator so that’s where I’ll be stashing all of the food I’m bringing. I also have provisions for breakfast and snacks including fruit, nuts, oats, soy milk and Lara bars:
I might try making another hotel green smoothie with my travel blender, I’m bringing along some frozen fruit, greens and hemp seeds to make that happen. If I do it, I’ll see if I can take some video of the process so you can laugh along with me as I make a huge mess healthy drink.
I made several almond butter and fruit-sweetened jam sandwiches on rice bread to go along with the salad for lunch or dinner:
I also made some carrot pulp cookies:
Here’s the recipe:
Carrot Pulp Cookies
Makes 2 dozen
Ingredients:
2 cups carrot pulp
1 cup unsweetened, dried shredded coconut
2 tablespoons flax meal
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup currants
1 cup almonds
1/4 cup maple syrup
Directions:
Combine ingredients in a food processor and process until combined. Use your hands to form two dozen cookies, flattening them as much as possible without breaking apart. Dehyrate at 115 degrees for 12-15 hours, flipping once during the drying process.
I hesitated to post this recipe because I used maple syrup, but they just weren’t sweet enough otherwise and the syrup helped to bind them. I would like to try using date syrup in the future for a whole food sweetener, but I never think far enough ahead of time to make it.
I am taking more food than clothes on this trip, but I am unwilling to pay exorbitant prices for blah and unhealthy food.
Today is Healthy Vegan Friday! Here are the top three most popular recipes that you shared from last week:
1. Chocolate Avocado Mousse from Tammy & David @ Our Neck of the Woods:
2. Taco (less) Layered Salad from Devin @ Nom Yum Free:
3. “Peanut Butter” Blondies from Tessa @ Tessa the Domestic Diva:
Now it’s time to add your whole food, plant-based recipe to the link-up party! To do so, just follow the link at the end of this post. And, if you’re interested in being a co-host of Healthy Vegan Fridays, be sure to fill out this application before Monday, January 21st. Gabby and I have a spot open and we can’t wait to find our next partner in crime, ha ha.
Until Monday, have a wonderful, healthy weekend!























{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
I seriously cannot get enough of your blog!
Sorry if that sounds bad – but you just have so many awesome things here!
I LOVE the top picks from last week! Awesome! Your Traveling/Planning is really great as I am going on a mini trip next week and walked away with some of your tips! Thanks! LOVING your salads! Congrats on the activism once again and the progress of your ap! Thanks terrific! Those Pulp Cookies look awesome, too!
Thanks, Jennifer! I’m so happy you like my blog, your comment made me smile.
I always pack so much food when I travel. Living in Portland has me so spoiled. It’s funny because I think my style of eating is “normal” because I’ve been doing it for so long and I find it to be effortless most of the time. I forget how SAD the food can be when I leave my little healthy vegan bubble. Lucky for us that bubble is always expanding, huh?!
Have fun at the park. Your salad looks delicious, as well as the cookies. And I always love me a good old nut butter & jelly sandwich.
My entry this week is the spirulina blueberry smoothie. I had to put it in the adorable cat mug because even though it’s tasty it looks swampy
Thanks, Nikki! Yeah, my vegan bubble was totally burst this weekend at Disneyland. While I was happy to see fresh fruit available at many of the snack vendors, the amount of animal products being pushed and consumed was very, very depressing. This experience has only motivated me more to try and promote change, though. Thanks for posting your recipe for Healthy Vegan Fridays, it sounds delicious!!!
Great food to get you through the weekend! I think you’re going to be the most healthy person of Disneyland. Unless the Disney characters eat their veggies;) Have a great time!
There are actually a ton of vegan option at Disneyland, most on the California Adventure Side. My two favorites are at Flo’s Cafe in Cars Land, they have a tater veggie bake, just ask for it with no cheese. My other favorite is the Paradise Garden Grill over by Goofy’s Flight School, I get the veggie and tofu skewers. There are options on both sides though, Disney actually has impressed me with their food selection.
Thanks for the tips, Jenn!!! I ended up not eating at the park, but it’s good to know that there are options available.
Have fun at Disneyland! It is my favorite amusement park in the whole world.
My daughter and I go a lot to Disneyland. Here’s our favorite’s: New Orlean’s Square for gumbo. Jolly Holiday Bakery for Grilled veg and whole grain salad. Carnation Cafe for Chef’s vegan burger. Of course the pretzels and popcorn are good! Have fun.
Thanks, Cindy, I really appreciate the tips!!!
I travel a good amount for work, and finding non-SAD food to eat on the road can be a challenge. Sometimes it’s easy – I have a trip coming up to NYC which is about as vegan/ETL-friendly a place as you can get. Sometimes it’s not so easy – I’ve found myself stranded in small airports with a very overdue flight and not one healthy item to eat.
So I always travel with food. I usually take baby carrots, sliced bell peppers, apples, bananas, raw cashews and dried fruit on planes. I’ve also packed pre-cooked chickpeas and rice in containers. If it’s a car trip that gives me a lot more flexibility and I pack more perishable items like greens, and liquids like soups and soy milk.
But wherever I’m going, I always, always make sure there’s a fridge in my hotel room!
I find healthy, vegan travel my biggest challenge, Debbie, but practice is making it much easier. Preparation is obviously the best way to handle it and the hotel fridge makes a huge difference. Have fun on your trip to NYC!!!
Hey Carrie! Safe travels and hope you have a great time at Disneyland with your family! Will be curious to hear if you found any vegan food at the park.
Thanks, NutriWife!!!
I always had hard time finding food at Disneyland, good call on bringing your own. Have fun!
Hey Carrie – I know if you are staying at Disneyworld and Disneyland and you have a reservation you can put in a dietary request and then the chef will come to your table and pretty much make you whatever you want it really is amazing we had that when we went in Feb 2011. Hope you are having a great time. xx
Oh you are so prepared – I love it =)
I have to do that too when I travel. But it’s nice to know exactly what you are eating. Sometimes places like that have some “hidden” things in them.
Enjoy your trip there!
Ugh, I had a similar experience last year when my family took a trip to Disney World. I had to prep all my meals ahead of time and carry them around on my back through the park. Ah, some of the joys of being a plant-based vegan
Yeah, it was such a pain. I left the food in a rented locker which worked pretty well, but it was a huge effort to make the food ahead of time. I suppose it was worth it to stay healthy, though.
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