Gretch Runs

Welcome back to another Tasty Tuesday post!  I've been working on this one for a while and I hope you all find it helpful.  For the past few months (really when I started training for the Gettysburg Marathon), I knew that I needed to add protein to my diet.  There were so many vegan protein powders out there that I didn't even know where to begin!  So, I bought all of the brands that I could find at Target or Amazon that weren't crazy expensive (and luckily, most are available in a sample size).  Today I'll be sharing my thoughts on them! Aloha Chocolate Overview -  Pea, Pumpkin Seed, and Hemp Seed Protein, 18g of protein per serving This powder immediately tasted like licorice, then had an aftertaste of sweeter chocolate.  The texture was a bit grainy, but blended really well with milk and smoothies. Rating - 3/5 (docked a point for the licorice taste and grainy texture) Price - $22.79 for 1lb 3.6 oz on Amazon Aloha Vanilla Bean Ov...

Hi everyone!  On today's Tasty Tuesday post, I'm going to be sharing a review of a few different kinds of veggie burgers.  While I don't eat these all the time, they're a fun and easy meal to eat on a vegan or vegetarian diet.  Or, if you're an omnivore and want to sneak in some extra veggies, these are a great and fun way to do that! There are so many brands out there at a variety of price points, so I wanted to break down a few that I've tried out.  I have a bunch more that I want to review, so I'm thinking there will be a part two on this topic!  I didn't want to overwhelm everyone with this post :)  I'm also thinking it would be fun to review some Pinterest veggie burger recipes as well as restaurant versions.  What do you think? Let's get started on the reviews! #1- Season's Choice Veggie Burger Quick facts: 5g protein, 3g sugar, 290 mg sodium Ingredients -  carrots, peas, whole oats, zucchini, edamame, corn, string beans,...

One of my favorite foods before going vegan was a smoked salmon bagel.  I got them as a special treat about once a month from Brueggers, or I splurged at the grocery store to get the ingredients and make them for myself at home.  The combination of cream cheese, smoked salmon, dill and capers was so delicious and filling that it made a perfect breakfast for me!  It was one of those foods that I've been missing a lot lately, so I was really excited and intrigued to read about homemade vegan versions.  I had to try it right away! I found two different versions- one using carrots and one using tomatoes.  They both have completely different methods, but similar marinades.  I tested them both out in two recipes- in a classic lox bagel, and in a sushi bowl (recipes below).  Keep reading to find out what I thought! Version 1- Tomato This is what I consider the quick and easy version.  To prepare the tomato, boil it for a few minutes in water unti...

Happy Tuesday everyone!  It's been a while since I shared a Tasty Tuesday post, but I have a good one planned for today.  Since this is my first marathon I'm training for while vegan, I get a lot of questions about what I eat for fuel.  I thought it would be helpful to share what's been working for me- before, during and after a run.  I'm always looking for new ideas to try out, so be sure to let me know what fuel you use! Before Running Roasted Sweet Potatoes - This is running fuel that I discovered works really well for me when I did my Whole 30 last year!  I like making a ton of roasted sweet potatoes and eating them throughout the week before a run.  They're great on their own, or I add some sauteed kale or spinach and vegan sausage.  For a sweeter option, I'll add almond butter and granola! Baked Oatmeal - Making a big pan of baked oatmeal is another time saving meal that I make.  On Sundays, I'll cook a batch of oatmeal (I use thi...

Happy Wednesday!  Today I'll be joining in the What I Ate Wednesday linkup with a look at a day in my life.  My days have pretty much looked the same for the past few weeks and I'm in a really good routine. I thought it would be interesting (or maybe even helpful) to show what my day of food looks like now that I'm starting to train for a marathon and keeping up a vegan lifestyle.  I feel like I'm eating constantly (or thinking about my next meal), so here's a look at what I ate yesterday: 5:30  - Wake up, take out Selma, get ready for work.  I already have my running clothes laying out along with my bag and lunch packed for work.  I drink some espresso and have a fruit pouch before leaving. 6:15  - Go out for my run.  I have an easy 3-6 miles on my training plan and I end up doing 4.25.  It was a bit cool out but it felt great! 7:15  - Get to work after showering and changing at the gym.  I'm starving on my (very ...

Happy Tasty Tuesday everyone!  Today I have a special post planned- a vegan Thanksgiving menu.  I've been getting questions lately about what I'm going to eat for Thanksgiving, and to be honest, the possibilities are endless! This weekend I went to a vegan feast that gave me a lot of inspiration for a savory, decadant dinner without any animal products.  Today, I'll be sharing my own menu of what I would make for a vegan Thanksgiving!  I have some appetizers, entree, drinks and dessert.  I hope I can give you some inspiration for your own dinner! Appetizers "Cheese" Plate Who says you can't make a cheese plate that's vegan?! It's time to get creative and make an interesting platter- with a mix of store-bought spreads, yummy crackers, pickles, olives, and crudites. Hummus Black Bean Salad Two of my favorite dips!  Pair with some carrots and tortillas Deviled "Eggs" Your guests will be shocked at how creative and tasty th...

Hi everyone!  I hope that you all had a great weekend.  I'm excited for this week because it's going to be short thanks to the holiday. I can make it through three days! Yesterday, Dan and I went to an event called Veg Feast with a few of our vegan friends.  This was a full feast of all vegan foods, made by some local restaurants.  There was also a band playing and some other entertainment, and ended up being a great night!  Here are some highlights: Rachel B Music was the band playing the entire night.  She was a great singer/pianist who did a mixture of covers and original songs.  She also played with a guitarist/drummer/background singer, and together they sounded great! There was so much amazing food!  My favorites were the Field Roast Phyllo Casserole from Onion Maiden and the Mac and "Cheese" from Chip and Kale .  There was also a big cookie table, because this was a Pittsburgh event ;) Everything was SO good though....

Welcome to another Tasty Tuesday!  Today I'm coming at you from my kitchen, where I'm testing out some recipes.  One of my favorite resources for all kinds of vegan information and inspiration comes from reddit, so today's recipes are all from the website! There was a thread that I found a while ago where people shared their craziest, most delicious vegan recipes and I wanted to try them out.  Some of them just sounded insane, but ended up being insanely amazing.  I'm here today to share the good (and not so good) results, along with a link to the recipe and some ratings.  Bon appetite! Crunch Wrap Supreme This has quickly become my go-to meal at home!  I have to admit that I used to love Crunch Wraps from Taco Bell, and got them all the time in college.  I had not idea they would be so easy to make (the trick is to get really large, soft tortillas that will fold easily without tearing).  From there, you can really customize it with wh...

Hi everyone!  Today I have a much-anticipated post to share...all about my journey to veganism.  It's been an amazing experience so far, and now that I'm over two months in I feel ready to talk more about it!  And let's face it- I've been talking about it so much lately that it's about time I dedicate a post to it and answer some questions! Before we start, I want to make sure that you all know that I'm not trying to force you all to make changes or diss anyone's diet.  I just want to share my personal experience with switching to eating a plant-based diet.  I waited so long to write this post because I know this is a touchy subject, and the last thing I want to do is insult someone.  So, I hope that you'll respect my decision to switch, and I'll respect your decision as well.  Deal? Without any further ado, here are some tips to switching to a plant-based/vegan diet, along with some reasons why I made the switch (along with some helpful infog...

Hi everyone!  I'm so excited to share today's post, because it's something that I've been working on for a while.  One question that I've gotten a lot since going vegan is "what do you eat?  doesn't it get boring?  what about lunch?"  Today's post is all about that - it's a full week of vegan lunches! I hope that in this post, I can show you that there is so much  variety and choice with eating vegan.  I'm feeling so inspired to come up with fun and exciting lunches.  I love all of the beautiful colors in each picture, and I can tell you each lunch was incredibly satisfying and delicious! For each day, I'll be sharing a main dish and three sides.  I'm using the Rubbermaid Lunch Blox container (I love how all the pieces snap together, and it comes with an ice pack that fits between the layers!). P.S. This is not a sponsored post, but that is an Amazon affiliate link!    I hope you enjoy this post, and get some new lunch ide...