VTA's 28-Day Vegan Challenge Journal by Rida Mendoza

This is Ma'am Rida's experience on her vegan challenge. 

Thank you so much for sharing and doing this challenge with us.

We are glad that you had a blast doing it!

Kudos! 

Although I am a few days late, better do this than never. I am up and determined to do this challenge. If others can do it I can do it, too.

 

TIPS:
It seems to be like overwhelming doing all these meals, but it should not be when you have the ingredients available in your pantry or refrigerator. I usually do not plan what dish should I cook for a certain day. I just go shopping and buy what I like to eat once a week. I make my dish in an instant, tried balancing the food that I will cook for the day. If I know I am eating and cooking too much or repeatedly food with too much carbohydrates or more sugar, etc. I change it for another ingredient. I do not follow anyone's recipe, whatever comes to my mind and that's it.

I used mostly fruits and vegetable that are in season or on sale. As noticed some ingredients were used over and over in different dishes such as Cilantro, Spinach, Strawberry, etc. If fruits or vegetables are freezable then I freeze them to save money and time for shopping. When I know I have to go out of the house for a while on a certain day, I cooked the meals in the morning before leaving. When all ingredients are organized, cooking or preparing meals will be in a breeze. Preparation cooking and plating will not take a long time. If not have enough time in the morning to cook all meals, then I prepare them and be ready for cooking when I come back home.

NOTES AFTER THIS 24/28 DAYS CHALLENGE:

The challenge is over although I am 4 days of the 28 days short..and I feel awesome... seems my body is so light.....and honestly, although I haven't weighed myself yet....my pants became too loose on the waist 2 sizes down, at least...I have to adjust the hook or button. I am willing to continue this diet as long as I can have more sources of protein beside from beans and tofu. I can't consume much of the soy beans and other type of beans. Other than that this diet gave me more energy, enjoyed the dishes that I made instantly....3-meals a day...no cheating, I ate less carbohydrates, less fat and less sodium and sugar and most of all no MSG. No need of using that, the food tastes good by itself. Being a cook myself, I or my whole family haven't gone or buy our food at restaurants anymore, if we do, very rare. We enjoy our own cooked meals because we know what is in there...especially MSG, which most restaurants, especially Asian restaurants use in every dish they cook, either Thai, Filipino, Chinese and other Asian food. Ask any Asian cook, their restaurant buy big buckets of MSG that they use in their restaurants.



Thanks Veggie Takeout Army for doing this challenge, that inspired me to eat better and healthy food.