Today is An Imperfect Vegan‘s first birthday! It’s so surreal that an entire year has passed since starting this project. It feels like yesterday that I was planning and researching how to make a blog. Since then, I’ve had more than 1,000 views per month from dozens of countries (that might seem like a small number, but for me, that is more than I could’ve ever imagined!).
A friend once told me that only a very small percentage of blogs make it past the first year. I’m really proud of myself for sticking with this project for 365 days, mostly posting every other day.
It has motivated me to:
- prioritize cooking good food as part of our every day lives
- try tons of new things
- find vegan alternatives for all our favorite non-vegan meals
- and learn a lot about food and cooking in general!
Day 1:
Breakfast | Fruit & Nut Granola Lunch | Chickpea & Avocado Salad Sandwich
Snack | Chocolate Peanut Butter Date Balls
Dinner | Taco Stuffed Peppers Dessert | Date & Nut Bread
Tip: Chocolate Peanut Butter Nut Balls will last you all week in the freezer, and the Granola and Date & Nut Bread are both yummy and healthy enough to be snacks and desserts! (see days 2 + 3!)
Day 2:
Breakfast | Breakfast Burrito Lunch | Quinoa & Edamame Salad
Snack | Fruit & Nut Granola
Dinner | Cauliflower & Potato Curry Dessert | Chocolate Peanut Butter Date Balls
Tip: Many ingredients overlap between breakfast and lunch, so you can easily prep them both together. And when you are prepping the cauliflower for dinner, roast the other head (chopped into florets) in the oven to easily make ahead lunch for day 3!
Day 3:
Breakfast | Baked Oatmeal Lunch | Roasted Cauliflower Salad
Snack | Date & Nut Bread
Dinner | Butternut Squash Farro with Dessert | Ooey Gooey Brownies
Maple Roasted Carrots
Tip: Baked Oatmeal can be made ahead and reheated, so this breakfast will last you several days!
Grocery List:
1 bag red-skinned potatoes
2 heads cauliflower
1 bag baby spinach
2 red bell peppers
2 green bell peppers
2 cloves garlic
2 avocados
8-10 small carrots
1 stalk celery
1 yellow onion
1 bag frozen diced butternut squash
1 lime
1 lemon
2 bananas
blueberries, fresh or frozen
pomegranate arils, optional
Fresh herbs:
cilantro
Canned and jarred goods:
1 can coconut milk
1 can black beans
1 jar salsa
Thai red curry paste
1 can whole kernel corn
2 cans chickpeas
1 jar capers
Other:
flax seed
1 bag chopped walnuts
1 package extra firm tofu
large tortillas
red quinoa (or any kind!)
2 cups raw almonds
2 cups dates
craisins
raisins
1 packet 90 second rice of your choice
Dairy-free shredded cheese (such as Daiya)
vegan chocolate chips
Things you probably already have:
Dried herbs + spices:
cinnamon
cumin
salt and pepper
cayenne
chili powder
turmeric
taco seasoning packet
Staples:
olive oil
vegetable broth
soy sauce
dijon mustard
old-fashioned oats
unsweetened almond milk
maple syrup
vanilla extract
cocoa powder
peanut butter
vegan butter
baking powder
baking soda
sugar
flour
white rice
Prep:
- Fruit & Nut Granola
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Date Balls
- Date & Nut Bread
An Imperfect Vegan 