I was going to try to do a WIAW post, but I just couldn’t get it together in time. Or photograph everything. Here’s some of my “what I ate wednesday week” in bullet points.
Monday
Coffee. Duh.
My GF loaf is going fast and I still never even showed it’s birth.
Sunbeam and Bob’s Red Mill make bread making pretty effortless.
Unfortunately due to the garbanzo bean flour, my GI system was not very pleased with the final product.
Tasty? Yes. Bloating? Very.
It took a bit of trial and error with other foods for me to definitively conclude that this was the food that was giving my digestion a run for it’s money, but I’m very certain it was the galactans in the bread. It seems that wheat is easier to tolerate than bean based flours, but non-wheat non-bean flours are the best option.
Oat flour > wheat flour > garbanzo/fava flour
So sad.
Anyway, more from Monday…
Food prep (rehydrating seaweed and baking butternut squash).
Oddly enough, I didn’t feel like using either in my dinner that night, so I made a spinach salad with quinoa and seitan instead.
This is just such a “me” dish. I’m pretty sure I could eat salads with quinoa and seitan every day for the rest of my life and never grow tired of it.
I had a tub of frozen grapes for dessert. A bizarre choice since I was freezing already. It went from summer to winter in Santa Monica this week.
Tuesday
Gluten free (but non-garbanzo bean flour) pancakes covered in bananas and melty peanut butter.
Having time to make a real breakfast in the morning just feels so luxurious.
I kinda went corn nut crazy after breakfast and didn’t really have a huge appetite for much of a lunch.
I made a smoothie with strawberries and silken tofu.
I went through a big xanthan gum phase back in the day – and while that’s a great way to get super thick smoothies – I’ve recently found silken tofu makes super creamy frozen treats too.
But I’m also a bit of an odd ball because I think the flavor of plain cold tofu is really good.
Anyway, there were more snacks too, but I don’t have them on film, so I don’t remember what they were.
Dinner was a random salad with spinach, seaweed, carrots, bell peppers, sweet potatoes, and (the last of my latest batch) seitan. *See the bottom of the post for the recipe.
It tasted a little bit like sushi – which it basically was (sans rice).
About half way through I decided to add the butternut squash I had baked the previous night.
The only reason I didn’t add the squash initially was because I had already filled the bowl too far past it’s capacity.
Better late than never though. At least I got my squash fill eventually. 🙂
Wednesday
Cereal plus granola. No milk.
I mashed the banana up in it though. You don’t wanna see the after photos. They look like baby spit up.
FYI, these are GF honey rice puffins with sweet almond & quinoa granola. I didn’t like the puffins though. They have a weird after taste and there was just something off about the flavor. If I’m going to do gluten free, I think I will stick to oat cereals (as opposed to rice ones).
Full disclosure, I had three bowls, not one.
This was not my dinner, but I have it on my camera anyway. Kyle was gifted these tofu noodle leftovers from Ethel…and he basically refused to share them. It’s not like this is my birthday week or anything…
I had a boring dinner, mostly made up of warm tortillas dipped in hummus. However, I did supplement the garbanzo fun with this.
Kale, seaweed, and avocado with EVOO and Bragg’s liquid aminos.
With all the seaweed I’m consuming this week, you can be sure my B12 levels are more than adequate.
This photo is actually fairly stupid because I have this dessert every single night. I think the Whole Foods checkers know me as the girl who buys carob chips and ginger in bulk – which is especially funny since I rotate which WF I go to (mostly since I deplete the warehouses wherever I go). Anyway, the fact that I happened to document the tea/carob/ginger combo this once is just pretty random.
Thursday
I got a gift certificate to my hospital cafeteria for my birthday. It’s for either a free cookie or piece of fruit. I doubt the cookies are vegan, so I guess I’ll go with a piece of fruit. I haven’t been to the cafeteria to use it yet, but I did get excited when I saw this sign up at it’s entrance.
If you’re the “Best in the West” you gotta walk the walk. Right? Right.
Kyle’s lunch: PB&J sammie, cheese & crackers, trail mix.
*Yes, this seitan is now gone, but I know I promised you the (new) recipe and I don’t want to go back on my word.
Succulent seitan sausage
Dry ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
Wet ingredients:
- 1 3/4 cup vegetable broth
- 2 tbsp tamari (or soy sauce, Bragg’s liquid aminos)
Directions:
Separately combine wet and dry ingredients.
Mix them both together.
Split into two halves and roll up (like a tootsie roll) in foil. Bake for 90 minutes at 325.
These were way more squishy and juicy than previous log seitan batches I’ve made.
Since I made two, I froze the extra one. When I finished the first sausage I thawed the second in the fridge for a day. It was still soft and completely delicious.
If I haven’t already convinced you how simple seitan is to make, I am going to consider it a lost cause at this point because it TRULY couldn’t be more simple.
*DON’T FORGET: NuNaturals stevia giveaway going on here*
I need to make my own seitan already! Will try to gather the ingredients for it this weekend. And I also love plain cold tofu, as weird as that looks!
what a geeky lunch pail!
you carrying friendship bracelets in there?!
I love cold plain tofu too, especially in smoothies. That’s a pretty blah birthday pressie – a piece of fruit from the cafeteria!?! Boo! Suppose it’s the thought that counts, I’m never one to knock back free fruit anyhow. Hope Kyle gets you something a tad more exciting. Bummer about the chickpea flour, at least there are plenty of yummy alternatives for you. Have you tried with just chickpeas? Do they affect you?
I am breaking out of lurkdom to thank you for mentioning that you enjoy the taste of plain cold tofu. I knew that I couldn’t be the only one, yet I have never met/read anyone else who does!
Girl, I super love your blog and say this with tons of respect for your nutrition knowledge. Just wanted to pass this along – http://www.veganhealth.org/b12/plant
dear scientific word lady,
what is a galactan?
thanks,
just a fifth grade teacher.
I made seitan tonight for the first time (super exciting Friday night), it turned out too hard on the bottom, so I ended up just cutting that part off – next time I’ll try turning the oven temp down or decreasing the time (any suggestions?)
I have a few more questions –
1. How do you store it in the fridge / freezer (do you cut it first or store as a log)?
2. Do you just reheat it in the microwave for your salads or do you eat it cold?
3. Do you spray the foil first?
4. Approximately how long will it last in the fridge?
5. Any other suggestions for a seitan virgin??
Thanks!!
As far as the seitan goes, it really is silly simple! I love your recipe!
hehe. so im doing this low fodmaps thing as a trial for managing my IBS. if youre wondering WTF fodmaps are you can see this post: http://www.hungryhungryhippie.com/lets-talk-fodmaps/
(i go through the specifics of the different fermentable carbohydrates that wreak havoc in the gut and explains the journey im on)
galactans are one of the groups…here’s the first galactans post:
http://www.hungryhungryhippie.com/hummus-return/
im definitely learning as i go but its not always fun. in any event, my GI system is not normal and im just trying to get to the bottom of it. last weeks allergy test was like 2 steps forward, 4 steps back, and the follow up bloodwork wasnt great, sooooo…[long sigh]…more to come…
hi haley! i hope the edible part tasted good at least!
maybe try rolling it once halfway through its cooking time so it doesnt get so disproportionately cooked. i bet that will do the trick. if not maybe cut back the time by 10 mins?
as for the Qs:
1. i store it in the fridge uncut as a log (still in the tin foil) but also inside a large tupperware. same for freezer.
2. i like it both cold and/or hot. no wrong way to enjoy it.
3. i dont spray the foil first.
4. it should last a week in the fridge (maybe longer but mine never makes it that long). it should last infinitely in the freezer although mine usually gets transferred to the fridge to thaw within a couple of weeks. once it has thawed, id give it a week.
5. aside from the log rotating, i cant think of anything else.
hope that helps!!
thanks kimberly!
thanks for passing this along. the article seems a bit confusing. is the conclusion only for seaweed in japan? it says theres not much research or evidence for US dried/raw nori. hmmm. from what i know, B12 grows on bacteria, and the most common vegan sources (aside from seaweed) are nutritional yeast and tempeh. back in the olden days we got B12 from the soil on (not very well washed) plants/veggies/fruit, but nowadays we obviously have well cleaned produce. i dont mean to sound dumb here, but what do you take as the conclusion from this? also, have you heard similar facts from other sources? im always so wary of who sponsored what study, ya know? anyway, thanks again for the link. if you have more info id love to read it.
haha – yay!!! thanks for delurking to share in the plain tofu love.
i know, the fruit seems kinda lame but its more than i got at my old job, so i guess i cant complain. something is better than nothing!
the galactans challenge phase of fodmaps was kinda a bummer because my GI tract seemed all over the map. im still trying to sort it out, but its kinda painful so it is taking a while because i have to take breaks in between to restore my GI tract to a rested state. also, i dont wanna be sick on my bday so i went back to a very low fodmaps/elimination diet for the past two days. ill go into more details in a full post later, but to answer your question, i can tolerate hummus in larger amounts and as long as i dont have it with other fodmaps (ie wheat). beans alone, however, are pretty gas producing, so they must be eaten in moderation (and also isolated – ie not with any other fodmaps). tofu remains totally fine and edamame in moderation is also ok. basically it seems like the more processed bean flours are the main culprits. i really feel crummy when i eat them, even if its without any other fodmaps.
🙂
How frustrating for you – I really hope you determine some concrete answers to your troubles soon. No way can you be feeling average on your bday – that would just be criminal. Good thing tofu is fine for you – I could just eat it forever 🙂
Yay! Excited to try a new log seitan recipe of yours. Your one with peppers is one of my favourites.
Do you know if seaweed is FODMAP-free? I have tons of it in my pantry, and I love it, but I wasn’t sure if it was free of FODMAPs so I haven’t been eating it lately.
And another yay! There’s someone else who likes cold plain tofu! Everyone thinks I’m mad when I say that, so I was beginning to think I was the only one.
I just had to leave a quick comment to say how much I love your log seitan recipe, seriously, it has made my life so much easier to be able to have that available when I need some protein in pretty much any meal. It freezes really well too. I’ve been adding dried thyme and sage and it tastes amazing, thank you!
Just speaking from personal experience with my IBS and messed up gut, I know that I can’t even have a sip of coffee or smell soy/tofu/etc. without horrible, painful stomach results, which is why I’m always surprised when I see your meals. They looks delicious and I’m always jealous–not even kidding–but I’m always a bit surprised that you drink as much coffee and eat as much soy as you do.
Please know that I’m a moron and respect your experience and education, and I know to each their own, but I was just curious if you’ve tried cutting out the caffeine and soy instead of other veggies and grains. Also with that said, I’m still looking into my own issues, so your posts have been food for thought–pun intended 😉
I’m glad to see that someone else likes plain tofu. I thought I was the only weird one!
Your seitan log looks great. I tend to stick with the same recipes when it comes to seitan, but just a few days ago, I tried a new one and it was a total fail. Yours looks perfect, so I now know what I’m doing with the rest of the gluten. Have a good weekend!
Thanks for the reply – the seitan did taste really good – it was actually my first time eating it!! Next time I will cut the time down a little & try rotating it – I opened the other log & it wasn’t as hard on the bottom, I made that one a little “shorter & fatter”, so I’ll go for that shape also.
Thanks again!!
My understanding is that there are no naturally occurring reliable sources of vegan B12. I researched pretty thoroughly for my book, which is on vegan pregnancy, so I’ll admit I take the most cautious perspective. I’m pretty conservative when it comes to nutrition anyways, but especially so when I’m advising pregnant/lactating women! So maybe I’m just being overly-cautious. I have just come across so much myth/misunderstanding about B12 in the Internetz, and it worries me because B12 deficiency is really, really awful and not something to mess around with.
It seems to me that there’s just a lot of conflicting slash inconclusive evidence. Someone (a scientist) over here says spirulina has B12, but someone else (another scientist) insists that it’s actually an analogue that blocks the B12 receptor sites in our bodies. Some people say there’s B12 in tempeh, but studies seem to indicate it’s non-reliable and varies greatly (which makes sense, since it would depend on the bacteria present). Some people say it’s in seaweeds, but seaweed is an alga and B12 grows in bacteria, so again that seems unreliable to me. The link I posted above basically says the same thing – there *might* be B12 in some of these things, but so far we don’t have studies that definitively confirm as much. Until somebody corrects a deficiency using kombucha/spirulina/tempeh/whateva, I personally (just speaking for myself!) don’t feel comfortable promoting them as vegan B12 sources.
Anyways, I really hope this doesn’t come of as rude or lecture-y or anything. Like I said I love your blog and respect your nutritional education as a nurse – I have a bio degree and us scientists are few and far between in the food bloggie world, so it’s awesome to chat with someone about this stuff and feel like I can geek out a bit.
Thanks so much for the seitan recipe! I finally bought all the supplies so now I just need to make it. Also, those pancakes look delectable. That peanut butter drizzle!
hey sayward, i love your comments! its great to have a reader out there who is just as committed to getting answers and doing research rather than just taking anyones word as the truth. i very much value your input and you dont come across as lecture-y at all so keep sharing as much info as you know. i, too, get really excited discussing these things with another bio nerd. plus, the more inquiries, the more likely there is to be increased research in the area.
i couldnt find any info saying it had fodmaps. i looked pretty extensively too, so im considering it ok for the elimination diet.
[also, i had no GI trouble with it]
awww..thanks laura, im glad you like it!!
hey abby!
a) i dont think youre a moron, haha, and i value your input so dont feel like you shouldnt share your personal experiences. 🙂
b) i have found the inconsistency in how my body tolerates food the most frustrating part of maintaining a plant based diet, which is why the fodmaps thing intrigued me so much. essentially, the different kinds of fermentable carbohydrates react differently in the gut of a person with ibs, so while ive found some are ok, there are some that result in horrible symptoms (pain, gas, bloating, constipation, etc). what im now learning is WHY there are times when things are ok one day and awful another. it seems to be that the difference in how my digestive system reacts each day has to do with the amounts of fodmaps and the number of different categories (ie fructans AND galactans AND fructose). when i cut dairy out my diet, it helped a lot, so thats why i figured lactose was the issue. and since its one of the fodmap categories, it makes sense that it did offer some relief. but it seems that combining things like wheat (which has fructans) and hummus give my GI tract much more stress than eating something like carrots (which has no fodmaps) with hummus.
c) its funny you specifically mentioned soy and tofu and coffee because those are the foods that i have suspected are the worst on my GI tract, but after several elimination attempts, ive found no change in symptoms.
d) coffee is something ive tried to cut out before and have gone great lengths of time without and never noticed a difference either way. i have colonic inertia, so it helps at times.
e) processed soy is the exception to what i mentioned above. anything with fake soy based preservatives or additives wreaks havoc on my gut. plain tofu and tempeh and edamame seem ok though.
ps im still experimenting with fodmaps, so i promise to share my conclusion once i know more.
🙂
I love plain tofu, too!
I adore frozen grapes!
Okay, confession….I still haven’t tried seitan. What is the best way for a newbie to eat it? At a restaurant? Homemade? Help!
Yes, more research is *definitely* what’s needed. Unfortunately it’s not a pressing issue as fars as funding goes, it would seem . . .
But yay for bio nerding! =D
what are the nutrition stats on your setain?
someone posted the stats in a previous seitan recipe post i did but i dont know which one…feel free to browse away (or try the search bar in the upper right corner)
Hi Elise! Just wanted to let you know that I tried this seitan recipe last night, and it 100 percent exceeded expectations. I’ve never made seitan before, and this was SO GOOD! My husband and both went nuts. I used a teaspoon of Penzey’s cajun seasoning and half a teaspoon of fennel seed, and it was totally unbelievable. This frugal vegetarian’s life is officially improved. 🙂 Thank you!
thanks amy! im so glad you both liked it – its crazy simple right?
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I know this is an old post and you might not check comments on older posts, but I was curious: what brand of carob chips do you buy (my guess is you get yours from the WF wholesale bins??) and what are the ingredients?? I have been wanting to try carob chips but I can only seem to find carob chips that contain palm oil, which I avoid for health and environmental reasons. So that really got me curious… are you finding palm oil free carob chips? Do you eat palm oil? What’s the deal??? I know you are cool with coconut oil but from what I have read palm oil, despite containing plant-based (obviously) saturated fat, is not heart healthy.
i know theres a lot of issue over palm oil and palm kernel oil. its all about moderation in my opinion. my carob chips are the vegan ones by sunspire. they have palm kernel oil.