LUNCH AND DINNER IDEAS (MOSTLY VEGAN) - EASY HEALTHY & CHEAP

It's been a while since my last post, I could say I am super busy again and have no time but really, I just don't feel like spending so much time at my laptop (especially when that's what I'm doing all day anyways, but for writing papers instead of posts). Anyways, I promised you to write a bit more about what I eat and cook so here we go, a little bit about what I usually have for lunch or dinner, that is when I'm not taking snacks to uni or having amazing potluck dinners with my friends. 

My daily diet is mostly plant based. There are several reasons why I do that, but I guess this is not really the place to discuss that. I spent so much time watching documentaries and youtube videos that I just have decided for myself that eating mostly vegan is what is best for me. When I say mostly I mean that I don't believe in extremes, I believe that you should give your body what it needs, and when this is some pancakes on a Sunday morning brunch with your friends after a night out then that's okay. And when you just feel like having some creamy milk foam on your coffee then that's cool. Or when your mom makes a delicious veggie lasagna with cheese then enjoy it as long as you can, before going back to your student meals. I just believe that the benefits of eating about 99% plant based are so clearly exceeding the reasons to eat animal products (health-, environmental-wise and ethically) that I just decided to give it a try for a while (apart from some exceptions, such as curd cheese/quark, which I seriously love so much).

I go grocery shopping once or twice a week, and I then get all the stuff I know I need for the week.  I would usually cram my basket with many many veggies (zucchinis are my favourite, they are sooooo easy to prepare!, eggplants, bell peppers, beetroot (!!!), avocado, mushrooms, tomatoes, frozen broccoli/cauliflower and spinach, some salad etc etc) many many fruits (Bananas, always, and then whatever is on season or on sale. Also, I always have frozen berries for my smoothies) and then I get lentils, chickpeas, butternut, sweet potatoes, hummus, bulgur, couscous... at the Turkish supermarket. Every now and then I also buy quinoa, quark/curd cheese, feta, fresh bread at the market... Whatever comes into my mind or what I need for recipes. Even though I know what I like, what is cheap and easy to prepare I try to be a bit flexible so it won't get boring.

When I'm short on time my lunch would be a huuuuge bowl or plate packed with veggies and some carbs (I usually prepare a massive amount of either quinoa or bulgur or couscous at the beginning of the week, which I just add to my meals). In case I'm planning to spend my lunchtime at the uni I'd prepare my meal the night before, my favourite is beet root-bulgur salad with chickpeas! I just can't be bothered to pay 5€ on a healthy lunch you get at the supermarket or cafeteria, including twice as much plastic than food and which would be twice the price of those nasty meat krokettes everyone here freaks out about. Thanks but not thanks.

LOW CARB LASAGNA

Easy "lasagna", which is not so vegan but very light and perfect if you have friends over for dinner but don't want to fall into a food coma afterwards: Preheat the oven, cut 2 zucchini (or eggplants) into 0.5 cm thin slices, roast them in a pan with some garlic and olive oil. Then take them out, roast some onions, add canned tomato, corn, mushrooms, whatever you fancy and stir everything. Put a layer of zucchini slices into a casserole dish, add a layer of tomato sauce and mix it with some curd cheese or cream. Then add more layers of zucchini and sauce and sprinkle it with grated cheese. Put it in the oven and wait until the cheese is melted. Doneee!

Okay, that all sounds like I'm eating super healthy and great and perfect but really, it's not always like that. For me, the most important thing is to have a balanced and healthy diet and at the same time really really enjoy the food. I love, LOVE peanut butter and basically everything that contains chocolate so whenever we have potluck dinners or cake sales there is nothing stopping me from trying to get as much of the food as possible. But, I can really enjoy this without feeling guilty because I know that I had a delicious, fresh veggie salad for lunch and some fruit as a snack. And even though I try to eat less carbs in the evening to avoid feeling super stuffed when going to bed, I make sure I get enough energy and carbs in the morning and for lunch by eating loooooads of fruit and oatmeal and other stuff. You see, it's really all about the balance. I love trying out healthy recipes, love to experiment with "super foods" such as chia seed, spirulina and coconut oil and love to watch videos about others peoples diets. But I also really love to treat myself every now and then. 

HEALTHY FRIED "RICE"

Okay okay another "low carb" dish, I just want to share this one with you because I think it's so great and perfect for everyone who misses fried Thai rice as much as me but tries not to have rice too often: wash a cauliflower, grate it in a kitchen machine, almost done. Seriously, it's that easy! You can then do with your "rice" whatever you want to but one of my favourite ways to prepare it is to fry it with onions in some olive oil, add veggies of your choice, soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, or spice it up with chili powder. Also, you can easily freeze portions of it to have a quick healthy meal in your freezer for when you just can't be bothered to get groceries.

Okay this is it, for now. Pleaseplease let me know what you think of posts like these. And also, I'll really try to post a bit more frequently. But at the moment, I am just really living my life. A super super busy life full of deadlines, group projects, morning walks in the park and coffee breaks with friends. With bike rides in the rain, long gym sessions and long research paper sessions, and movie nights.