A few weeks ago we celebrated Winter Solstice. This is the darkest and longest night of the year. I celebrated this with great friends at Remedy 11 where we shared a vegetarian potluck, vegan cheese, and this Winter Sangria Mock-tail.

A few years ago I gave up drinking, and as much as it doesn’t bother me to be the only one drinking seltzer when I go out, sometimes I want something a little more fun! This mocktail is a little bit spicy and a little bit sweet. Make it at the beginning of the week and enjoy for around 3-4 days. The longer the juices sit the more flavor you’ll get!

Winter sangria mocktail

What you need

• A large pitcher

• Ginger Seltzer

• 3-4 Cinnamon Sticks

• 1/2 Pear

• 1/2 Apple

• 1 - 1 1/2 Cups Cranberries

directions

• Wash all of your produce

• Cut the pear and apple into 1/2” cubes

• Place all ingredients into the large pitcher and let sit in the fridge for 2-3 hours before serving

When I was 10 years old I decided that I wasn’t going to eat meat anymore. My parents had NO CLUE how to feed a 10 year old vegetarian in the 90’s. Plant based lifestyles were not nearly as common as they are now and I survived on lots of carbs.

In the last 20 years I have tried multiple times to move into a vegan diet and had lots of unsuccessful attempts.

The first time I tried it I reverted back to eating bagels and tofu cream cheese for breakfast, the second time I got through the mid afternoon slump by picking on snacks from the vending machine, and then there was that time where I had no energy and felt pretty crappy.

I wanted to share some of the things I picked up along my plant based journey with you so you can have the most successful veganuary.

Keep your protein sources clean.

it might be really tempting to cook up vegan hot dogs, and soy nuggets every night of the week, but it’s really important to keep your protein sources clean. There is a lot of controversial information about the effects of soy on the body, and my personal experience with processed soy was not great. I had major digestive issues, and acne. I haven’t deleted all soy from my diet though. I do indulge once a month on some high quality tempeh.

Some of my favorite protein sources are: lentils, beans, nuts and seeds, nutritional yeast, quinoa, and ORGANIC NON-GMO Tempeh.

meal prep or sign up for meal delivery.

If you’re new to the plant based lifestyle and are jumping into Veganuary it is going to be overwhelming. Trying to keep meals interesting, eating a variety of vegetables, and figuring out protein is a lot of work. Preparing each week by creating a “menu” and meal planning, or signing up for a meal delivery like The Hungry Hippie can take a lot of the pressure off.

If you’re in the NY/NJ area and want to sign up for The Hungry Hippie I am offering a special offer for veganuary. To find out more shoot us an email here!

If you’re not local and want to plan your own menu some of my favorite plant based blogs are Deliciously Ella, Oh She Glows, and My New Roots.

GRab a buddy and do it together.

When I went vegetarian at 10, my best friend did it with me. She’s still plant based and we have so much fun sharing meals, trying out vegan restaurants, and feel so much better when we are at parties together. If you can find a veganuary buddy in your existing circle that would be great, but don’t worry if none of your friends want to take the leap with you. Joining a FB community of local vegans is a great way to feel like you are part of a group! They share tons of tips on local restaurants, new product finds, and all kinds of support.

remember this is a process.

Like I shared earlier, going vegan is a challenge. You will probably eat something that had eggs in it at least once during the process. You might not have realized that something was sweetened with honey, or an additive was sourced from an animal. It’s OKAY. Things like this happen all of the time. Be gracious with yourself during this process and use each step of the way as a learning experience. Remember that the most important part of this experience is that you are feeling healthy, happy, and energized. As long as those are the results you are winning.

Get familiar with vegan brands.

The dozens of options at the grocery store is already overwhelming without having to sort through which ones are vegan or not. Getting familiar with brands and products before your head to the aisles will make shopping a breeze. You can even shop from the comfort of your own home with Thrive Market. Thrive has made it super easy to find vegan certified snacks and pantry staples with their filter features. It’s something I truly love and utilize weekly.

Some of my favorite brands that carry vegan products are: Simple Mills, Siete, Food for Live, Hilary’s

keep a stocked pantry.

Putting together a vegan meal doesn’t have to be fancy or complicated. I keep my freezer stocked with vegetables and soup, and my fridge with greens, fruits, and nut butters. I always keep a pantry stocked with lentils, quinoa, and beans that are ready to go in minutes. When you are stuck just try different combinations of veggies with a grain, a protein, and a sauce, or make a big salad. A full pantry will help make things easier on you!

be careful of the processed carbs.

Like I shared above when I first went vegan I was all about the carbs. Pasta and bagels every day were bad habits, and nutrient void foods. Relying heavily or solely on these foods can cause energy crashes, digestive issues, bloating, and even acne. When you’re building your plate fill it with almost all vegetables, a clean protein source, and a healthy fat.

An example of a well balanced meal: Roasted Vegetables with Quinoa and Avocado

Supplement as needed.

I am a believer of the food first mentality ,but there are some vitamins that are hard and/or impossible to get on a vegan diet. There are a few supplements that I take daily and they may be things you want to look into.

Vitamin B12 - this is a vitamin that is not available through whole plant based foods. Meaning it is the one vitamin that you cannot get through a vegan diet. Without B12 you can run the risk of anemia, and damage to your nervous system. You can get some of the daily requirement through B12 fortified foods, or you can supplement. The B12 I use is from Garden of Life which is a spray and the B12 is in the form of methylcobalmin the most bio available form of B12 there is.

Algae Omega - You need omega’s for heart, brain, and immunity. You can get a variety of Omega’s from hemp but I love the added insurance of a supplement, plus my skin glows when I’m taking my Algae Omega. My favorite brand is Nordic Naturals.

Vitamin D - One of the most beneficial ways of getting Vitamin D is through sunlight, so when the fall and winter roll around I start upping my Vitamin D. Vitamin D is important for energy, and is needed to absorb calcium.

One of the things that I do to ensure that I am getting a baseline for all of these vitamins is take Ritual daily. Ritual is a smart vitamin that looks at the most common vitamins women are deficient in, so unlike most multi’s they only have a few key ingredients. They also look at how our body absorbs these vitamins and group them together inside the capsules. They are subscription based and come out to just $1 a day!

If you have any questions about the Hungry Hippie services, veganuary, or anything mentioned in the above feel free to reach out!

I was sitting in a coffeeshop a few days ago when I overheard these two girls talking about how they had to go get coffee somewhere else because that place had weird coffee with mushrooms in it. I started laughing to myself and thought " they are seriously missing out!"

Then a few days later I had another conversation with someone who had heard that coffee was bad for you and wanted to know if that was true.

I wanted to share my thoughts since there is so many opinions about this bean.

First I want to say that if you react to negatively to coffee (jittery feeling, acid reflux, etc.) then you should listen to your body/doctor regardless of what I say below. Wellness is NOT a one size fits all model and it is important to do what feels right to you.

Coffee prepared correctly can be a source of antioxidants, help prevent the 2 diabetes, be a natural source for energy, and prevent liver disease.

For me there are a few non-negotiables when it comes to coffee

• It must be organic. Coffee is one of the highest sprayed crops- this means most conventional coffee is loaded with pesticides. Pesticides can have a number of ill effects on the body including overworked liver (hello acne!), leaky gut (bloat and upset belly anyone?), and inability to lose weight (pesticides are stored in our fat cells!).

• If I don’t know the source of the (nut)milk, I drink it black. Coffee often gets a bad rep for being loaded with sugar, but it’s all in the way we prepare it. Coffee creamers (and even plain nut milk) normally has a 10 ingredient list and sugar is almost always a part of it. Being mindful of the milk you’re choosing will help keep a coffee a healthy habit instead of turning it into a sugary treat.

Keeping Coffee a Healthy Habit: My Tips

• Buy organic coffee - My go to is Four Sigmatic. They pair organic, fair trade coffee with medicinal mushrooms. We are all really busy so when I find a product that does double health duty I am all about it! Four Sigmatic uses medicinal mushrooms like lions mane (brain health), cordyceps (natural energy source), chaga (immune booster + skin health savior) in conjunction with their coffee. They have instant packs (I love these when I’m traveling) and ground coffee. The mushrooms help to avoid caffeine crashes, withdrawal headaches, and all of the unpleasant side effects you might experience. I hate drinking coffee that isn’t laced with ‘shrooms. There’s a 10% savings code at the end of the article!

• Skip the store bought creamers. Like I said up top creamers are usually loaded with nasties that would make drinking coffee a disaster. Before I started making creamer for Hungry Hippie I was using Nutpods. They are not the worst option, but they do use fillers and gums. You can also purchase my homemade creamer here.

• I recently started paying attention to how the way I prepared my coffee made me feel and I started gravitating towards the French Press. I felt like it was less acidic, richer, and I didn’t have the added expense of organic unbleached paper filters ( the standard coffee filters are bleach!) I bought this one from Amazon and it came with a wooden spoon, a sponge, and extra filters!

• I limit my coffee intake to the mornings only since caffeine has a 6 hour half life (if you have a cup of Joe at 8AM you’ll still have 50% of that caffeine in you at 2PM, 25% at 8PM).

• I make sure to keep my water intake up since caffeine is a natural diuretic and may cause loss of fluids. I shoot for 2 full Swell bottles per day in addition to tea.

• I add BulletProof Brain Octane to my coffee. This is a higher power MCT ( Medium Chain Triglyceride) Oil that metabolizes into ketone (fat) energy. When you burn through fat energy you have longer periods of stamina without a crash. The opposite is true for sugar. This also helps reduce cravings, and increase your fat burn.

• I reach for natural sweeteners instead of packets or sugar or even Stevia. Cinnamon and Vanilla Extract are on the top of my list, but also reach for Cacao and Pumpkin Spice too!

So in my opinion I think in moderation, coffee does have a place for those who enjoy it, can tolerate it, and don’t have any adverse effects from it.

If you have any questions about coffee, vegan food, or wellness in general feel free to reach out!

P.S. That code to save on Four Sigmatic is kaleismykarma

Every week the Hungry Hippie team works hard at curated special menus that will give you the most well rounded plant based diet possible. You get mains, sides, soups, and snacks to make sure that there is variety in both flavor and nutrient profiles. That being said there are things that could enhance your meal plan and help you to make the most out of it each week, and founder LisaMarie Falcone wants to share some tips with you!

Below is a list of ingredients i always keep on hand to personalize our Hungry Hippie Meals and to make sure we’re hitting all the cravings all week long!

1. Lettuce. Every few weeks you’ll find a delicious salad on your meal plan, and we often make side salads for a lot of the entrees. But we want to be bringing you exciting and new meals each week and giving you salads all the time just doesn’t seem like the best way to provide for you! We always keep a tub of greens on hand (if your in Central Jersey check out Beyond Organic growers!) to pair with a soup, our Chickpea “Tuna”, or on those days when we are never satisfied no matter how much food we are eating! My favorites are Arugula and Baby Kale.

2. Siete Wraps. Vegan, Gluten Free, Soy Free, and freezer friendly you cannot go wrong with Siete. I love all of their products but the thing you’ll never see my freezer without are the wraps. On days when I’m feeling extra hungry or hit the gym a little harder than normal I gravitate towards an almond flour wrap and my cauli-eggz. I also use them to dip into my soup in place of bread or croutons, and smash an avocado on one for a quick snack in between meals.

3. Avocado. Speaking of avocados, I always keep a few on hand to add a dose of healthy fats to my meals. I’ve used them to top off chili, chickpea “Tuna”, onto Hungry Hippie salads and so much more.

4. Eggs. Not all of the Hungry Hippie meal prep clients are vegan, so if you’re okay with eating eggs this is a great way to get in extra protein. Add this to one of our rice or grain bowls, scramble one into your cauli-eggz, or on top of our lentil ball subs.

5. Sir Kensington Ketchup. We try to supply you with all the condiments you need, but sometimes you just need ketchup. Whether for a veggie burger or the cauli-eggz (can you tell I have some favorites!) a little ketchup on hand can help round out the meal.

6. Yogurt. I love Cocoyo from GTS but any non dairy yogurt would do. It’s great to have a jar on hand especially when granola is on the menu! I also like to break up some of the Hungry Hippie muffins and use them as yogurt toppers.

7. Fruit. This is another staple I use to round out the Hungry Hippie breakfasts. We often use fruit in meals (bananas, apples, and pears have been recent favorites) but it’s nice to have on hand to add to granola, muffins, and more!

8. Ezekiel Bread. Sometimes the carbo-holic in me starts rearing its head and that’s when I reach for some Ezekiel Bread. I find that I love my Chickpea “Tuna” and Greek Chickpeas with a slice of toast especially on those days I’m feeling extra hungry.

9. Tempeh. We are a no soy delivery service, but sometimes I really want a piece of tempeh. Fermented soy is a great way to occasionally add in protein as long as it comes from an organic source. I make mine tex mex style and add to our loaded sweet potatoes, or do dijon style cubes and throw them into a salad.

In addition to hitting up the grocery store make sure you are utilizing your freezer. All of the Hungry Hippie soups, and most of the meals can be easily and safely frozen. If you’re unsure of what can and cannot be stored in the freezer reach out!