Vegan 21-Day Sugar Detox: Day 16

I woke up feeling light, refreshed and healthy on Day 16 of the sugar detox. My clothes just keep fitting looser, which is a great affirmation that I’m on the right track. It feels good knowing that everything I’ve been feeding my body has been nothing but beneficial and nutritious for it. I'm sure my body's thanking me given my junk food binge streak just before the detox.

Breakfast: Diane Sanfilippo’s Grain-Free Banola

I was excited to eat the leftover banola. It tasted just as good the next day as it did out of the oven. Next time, I plan on making it like pudding (basically the recipe's same steps except I won't bake  them).

Lunch: Diane Sanfilippo’s Roasted Cauliflower Soup

I ate this with quinoa for a hearty meal since soups don’t normally fill me up. Now that I’ve made this, I’m inspired to make other homemade soups, like recreating Trader Joe’s roasted red pepper and tomato soup or butternut squash.

Appetizer: Fried Japanese Sweet Potato

Fried Japanese sweet potatoes

I found that these were easier to fry since you only had to flip them once. Just like the fries though, these were baked first for about 45-55 minutes, cooled, and then fried. (But it's a lot easier if you bake a few potatoes the night before and store them in the fridge if you know you're going to fry them up the next day.)

Dinner: Tofu Asparagus Marinara with Quinoa

Tofu asparagus marinara with quinoa

Vegan 21-Day Sugar Detox: Day 15

Well, the final week of the vegan sugar detox is finally here. I'm feeling great, my clothes are fitting loosely and comfortably (I no longer feel like I'm being vacuum-sealed into my clothes), and I'm actually kind of sad that this sugar detox is winding down. While I will go back to occasionally eating foods with sugar, I am feeling confident that I can stick with my vegan lifestyle.

More importantly though, my diet is now completely aligned with my beliefs ... and it feels freakin' good. (There's something to be said about the constant inner turmoil of living a contradiction and how it adds to the stress.)

Brunch: Diane Sanfilippo's Grain-Free Banola (Vegan Version)

Grain-Free Banola - 1

Grain-Free Banola - 2

Grain-Free Banola - 3

Grain-Free Banola - 4

Grain-Free Banola - 5

Grain-Free Banola - 6

Grain-Free Banola - 7

I've been meaning to try this recipe from Diane Sanfilippo's 21-Day Sugar Detox book. Since it's Sunday and I have more time on my hands, I figured I should try something new. Plus, I'm sure you're all probably tired of seeing the same pics of food on this detox.

Ingredients I used for this particular recipe (adapted from Diane Sanfilippo's recipe):

Prep Time: 10 minutes     Cook Time: 30 minutes     Servings: 7-8

• 2 cups of raw pecan pieces and raw almonds slices (this will be partially ground)
• 1 cup of raw almond slices 
• 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds, unsalted
• 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 2 tbsp raw hemp seeds
• 1/2 cup almond meal
• 2 green-tipped bananas 
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp raw cacao powder (I used Sunfood Super Foods Raw Cacao Powder)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Use a food processor (I used a Ninja) to partially ground the 2 cups of pecan pieces and almond slices into small chunks. Pour the ground nuts into a large mixing bowl and add the other cup of raw almond slices, seeds, raw cacao powder and almond meal. *Note: If you don't have almond meal, simply use the food processor to pulverize the almonds into almond meal consistency. 

Put the bananas, vanilla and cinnamon into the food processor and blend until all the ingredients are pureed into a smooth, creamy consistency. Pour the puree into the bowl of nuts, and stir until the nut mix is completely coated.

Scoop the nut mixture onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. You can either drop dollops of the mixture and flatten each one out like a cookie, or you can smooth it all out into one thin, flat layer (as pictured). 

Bake for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Check on them every 7-10 minutes, especially in the beginning since oven temperatures vary. Turn them over once or twice to ensure they're dry on all sides. Remove from the oven and let it cool. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week. 

Diane's recipe says you can eat it plain as a snack, or with your favorite milk alternative as cereal. I actually enjoyed the taste and texture before I baked it. It was like a cinnamon banana pudding with granola. Yum!!  

Lunch: Diane Sanfilippo's Roasted Cauliflower Soup (Vegan Version)

Roasted Cauliflower

Roasted Cauliflower in Blender

Roasted Cauliflower Soup - 1

Roasted Cauliflower Soup - 2

This soup looks nothing like the one featured in Diane's book even though it's adapted from her recipe. She uses bone broth, but I used vegetable broth that included ingredients like carrots and tomatoes, hence the reddish color. I also added asparagus because I needed to use it before it went bad. 

Here are the ingredients I used:

• 1 bag of cauliflower florets
• 3 tbsp coconut oil, divided
• Himalayan salt and pepper to taste
• Garlic powder to taste
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 2/3 cup diced carrot
• 3 1/4 cup vegetable 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spread a thin layer of the cauliflower over a baking sheet (I lined mine with aluminum foil). Melt 2 tablespoons of coconut oil and drizzle over the cauliflower. Liberally season with Himalayan salt, pepper and garlic powder. Roast the cauliflower for about 30 minutes until lightly brown around the edges.

While the cauliflower is in the oven, prep the rest of the ingredients. Heat 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in a pot over medium heat, and add the onions and carrots. Sauté until the onions are translucent and the carrots are soft. Add the asparagus and sauté for about 2 minutes. Pour in the vegetable broth and reduce heat to low. Let simmer for about 10 minutes.

Set aside about 1/2 cup of roasted cauliflower for garnish. Put the rest of the roasted cauliflower in a blender along with 2 cups of the vegetable broth. Make sure not to fill the blender too much because hot liquids expand. Cover the blender firmly with the lid, but remove the center "valve" and use a thick kitchen towel to cover the hole. Blend on low, and just before it's done, blend on high to create a creamy texture. You can either add this blend to the soup that's simmering, or you can blend the rest of the broth in small batches. I ended up blending the rest of the soup. 

Serve the soup with the reserved roasted cauliflower as garnish. You can also drizzle some extra-virgin olive oil or truffle oil.

Snack: Japanese Sweet Potato Fries

Japanese sweet potato fries

Dinner: Tofu Asparagus Marinara with Quinoa

Tofu asparagus marinara with quinoa

• 1 bottle of Trader Joe's Organic Tomato Basil Marinara Sauce
• 1 can of organic fire roasted tomatoes
• 1 bell pepper
• 1/2 bundle of asparagus, chopped
• 1/4 container of Trader Joe's organic sprouted tofu
• Himalayan salt to taste
• Garlic powder to taste
• Onion powder to taste
• cooked quinoa, seasoned

Put the marinara and fire roasted tomatoes in a pot. Slowly bring it to a light boil. Add the asparagus and bell pepper, stir, and increase the heat to low-medium. Let it simmer for about 5-8 minutes. Add the tofu and let it simmer until desired thickness. Serve over a bed of quinoa or spiralized zucchini.

Vegan 21-Day Sugar Detox: Day 14

By now you’re probably thinking, “How can she eat the same food over and over again?” Well, the answer is … convenience. On my first sugar detox, I was really ambitious about cooking new recipes almost every day. My boyfriend and I would joke about how our entire detox was spent in the kitchen. When we weren’t at work or asleep, we were cooking. The important thing is that you do what you need to do to successfully complete the detox. You’re bound to run into days/nights when you just don’t feel like cooking. And since you can’t just order takeout or buy a pre-packaged meal, you resort to some form of convenience. For me, that’s quinoa and whatever food I have in the fridge or pantry.

Breakfast: Green Apple and Almond Butter with Cinnamon

Green apple and almond butter with cinnamon 

Lunch and Dinner: Black Bean Quinoa Zucchini Twist

Black bean quinoa zucchini twist

Side Dish for Dinner: Spiralized Cucumber Lemon Salad

Spaghetti-like cucumber with lemon and tomatoes

I used the same spaghetti-like spiralizer blade that I used to make the shoestring sweet potato fries. I think I actually prefer this cut over the flat noodle-like blade for this particular salad. It gave it more of a crunch. I also added an organic thai seasoning from Whole Foods, garlic powder and onion powder to give it a flavor kick. 

Vegan 21-Day Sugar Detox: Day 13

Whenever I’m home all day, my eating schedule gets thrown off because I’m not very good about sticking to my usual workday routine. Such was the case for Day 13 on the sugar detox, which is why my first two meals weren’t very substantial. 

Brunch: Spiralized Cucumber Lemon Salad

This dish has seriously renewed my love for cucumbers. It is so crisp and refreshing, and makes for a perfect snack or meal. There are so many ways to modify the recipe so you don’t get tired of it. Aside from tomatoes, you can add bell peppers for extra crunch, fresh herbs (parsley, cilantro or basil), garlic, onions, etc. 

Spiralized cucumber salad with lemon and tomatoes

Snack: Green Apple and Almond Butter with Cinnamon

Guilt-free dessert for brunch: green apple with almond butter and cinnamon

Appetizer: Shoestring Sweet Potato Fries

I’ve been on a fries craze lately. Can you tell? It’s my most sinful snack on this detox. I have to have something, right? I decided to spiralize the sweet potatoes and fry them up in a pan. The only bad thing about them was that there wasn’t enough! They shrink once they’re fried; so what seems like a mound of fries turns out to be a small bowl-full. I guess it makes me feel less guilty about eating them. 

First, spiralize raw sweet potatoes (after washing them). I used the thinner of the two spaghetti-like blades. Put a spoonful of coconut oil in a pan, and bring to a smoking point. Then put a small batch of spiralized sweet potatoes and continuously toss them in the pan until they get crispy. You’ll know once they’re almost done because they’ll shrivel up. Repeat this process in small batches. Season immediately with Himalayan salt and whatever other seasonings you want. 

Dinner: Black Bean Quinoa Zucchini Twist

I know I’ve made this dish quite a few times now on this detox, but it’s so easy to make and oh so good! This time I threw in some leftover spiralized zucchini from the zucchini pasta dish. The texture and color enhanced the dish, even if it didn’t really change the taste. 

Black Bean Quinoa Zucchini Twist - 1

Black Bean Quinoa Zucchini Twist - 2

Black Bean Quinoa Zucchini Twist - 3

Black Bean Quinoa Zucchini Twist - 4

Ingredients:

• Bowl of spiralized zucchini
• 2 cans of organic black beans
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
• 4-5 cloves of garlic, crushed
• Cooked quinoa, seasoned
• Himalayan salt
• Pepper
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder
• Cayenne pepper

Heat a spoonful of coconut oil in a pan on light-medium heat. Add crushed garlic and diced bell peppers and sauté until brown. Add spiralized zucchini and keep tossing it in the pan until it starts to soften up. Then add black beans and keep mixing it around. Once the beans are hot, add the tomatoes at the end to long enough to warm them up. Serve over quinoa, top off with guacamole and salsa, dig in and enjoy!

Vegan 21-Day Sugar Detox: Day 8

Well, it's the start of the second week on the detox. It has surprisingly gone by pretty fast so far. I don't know if it's because of the food I ate last night, but I woke up with a raging headache. Thankfully it went away about an hour after taking Excedrin.

Breakfast: Vegetable Coconut Milk Curry with Quinoa

Once again, I was too hungry to remember to take a picture of my meal before chowing down. I'm sure this dish will be a regular on this detox so I will take a picture of it next time. 

Lunch: Black Beans in Veggie Quinoa Soup

This wasn't so much a soup as it was a vegetable quinoa dish. Since I still had a tupperware of cooked black beans, I added it to the quinoa. I topped it off with salsa and guacamole since the two take anything to the next level of yum. 

Snack: Sweet Potato Fries

This was prepared similarly to the Japanese sweet potato fries. The only difference is that these can get too mushy to cut with a mandolin slicer so you have to be careful not to over-boil it. Start out with 10 minutes but check frequently to see if it's soft enough to use on the mandolin. Fry small batches in a wok for even frying and less mess. Put the fries onto a plate lined with paper towel. Season with Himalayan salt and anything else you want for a punch of flavor. 

Raw Sweet Potato Fries

Sweet Potatoes Fries in a Pan

Sweet Potato Fries

Dinner: "Not Your Momma's Black Eyed Peas Soup"

For once, the two hearty meals I had today along with the sweet potato fries kept me pretty full well into the night. Even though I wasn't really hungry, I ate a small serving of the leftover "Not Your Momma's Black Eyed Peas Soup". I added my go-to condiments on this sugar detox: salsa and guacamole! So far I've shown no signs of getting sick of them. I could practically eat them by themselves. 

Vegan 21-Day Sugar Detox: Day 7

Day 7 was a little sweeter, not just because it was Saturday, but because Week 1 on the Vegan 21-Day Sugar Detox was almost over! 

Breakfast: Vegetable Coconut Milk Curry with Quinoa

This is something my boyfriend cooked the other night. It is deeeelicious! In my rush to eat it though, I completely forgot to snap a pic.

Ingredients: 

• 2 cans of organic unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 baked Japanese sweet potato
• 4-5 cloves of garlic
• 1 bell pepper
• 1/2 bushel of organic asparagus
• 1/2 bag of Trader Joe's Power to the Greens (organic baby kale, chard and spinach)
• 1/2 container of Trader Joe's organic sprouted tofu
• 1/2 cup of diced onions
• 1 tbsp of curry powder (season to taste)
• 1/2 tbsp of turmeric powder (season to taste)
• Himalayan salt & pepper to taste

Chop up the bell pepper, onions, sweet potato and asparagus. Pour the 2 cans of coconut milk into a pot over light heat and simmer. Add seasonings along with garlic, onions, asparagus, bell pepper and mixed greens. Add the tofu and already-baked sweet potato at the very end--just enough to heat them up. 

Lunch: "Not Your Momma's Black Eyed Peas Soup"

This dish is once again courtesy of my boyfriend, who's also doing the detox with me. He also named the dish.

Black Eyed Peas Soup

Black Eyed Peas Soup with Salsa - 1

Black Eyed Peas Soup with Salsa - 2

Ingredients:

• 1 bag of black eyed peas
• 1/2 bushel of asparagus
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1/2 bag of Trader Joe's Power to the Greens (organic baby kale, chard and spinach)
• 1/2 cup of diced onions
• Himalayan salt & pepper
• Garlic powder

Boil the black eyed peas for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and let it sit for 60-90 minutes. Drain the water. Add 3 cups of water per 1 cup of beans. Bring to a boil. Then let simmer for 1 hour. Add the vegetables long enough to heat them up. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste.

Dinner: Shaved Fennel & "Freekehlicious Salad"

Normally my social life is nonexistent on sugar detoxes since I'm limited on what I can eat and drink. So I usually end up staying home. This time, I made an exception for my friend's birthday dinner with our other college friends. It's hard to get our schedules lined up since two of them have young kids. We celebrated at Love & Salt in Manhattan Beach, California. 

As a first-time vegan dining in a meat-centric restaurant, I was pretty horrified by their adventurous menu--an animal lover's nightmare. It featured things like duck egg wood-oven pizza, corned lamb tongue panini and rabbit porcheta. I thanked my friends for not getting the roasted glazed pig's head ... a meal breaker. I half-jokingly said that if they had ordered it, I probably would've eaten my food outside. 

I went with two side dishes--the only ones closest to the YES foods on the detox (I didn't want to be that person who just orders water with lemon). I got the shaved fennel, minus the parmesan, which resulted in an overpowering taste of lemon and a hint of black pepper. It looked pretty bland and boring without the texture of the parmesan. The "Freekehlicious Salad" was surprisingly really good. It featured 5 grains, 5 herbs, shaved radish, black currants and toasted hazelnuts. I thought the black currants and toasted hazelnuts really made the dish. I know black currants aren't allowed on the detox but I figured I've been really good so far, and it wouldn't hurt to 'live a little' and enjoy one dish as it was meant to be eaten. I'm glad I chose to do so because even though I couldn't partake in the chocolate- and lemon-cream-filled sugar donuts, the Freekehlicious Salad left me fully satisfied.

Love & Salt's Freekehlicious Salad

Vegan 21-Day Sugar Detox: Day 6

Excuse the delay in posting. I fell asleep really early last night (Friday) because I haven't had much sleep all week and I've been feeling drained since the detox started. I've lost about 2 lbs so far, but I'm really not concerned about my weight; I care more about how my clothes fit ... and yesterday it was a lot easier to slip into my skinny jeans--not as constricting as they have been.

Breakfast: Black Bean & Veggie Fiesta with Quinoa

I finished the remaining leftovers with salsa and guacamole. I've realized that a black bean and quinoa combo is the easiest way to have a hearty meal. Not too surprising since they're loaded with protein and fiber that keep you full longer:

• 1 cup of black beans (cooked, unsalted)  has 15 grams of protein and 15 grams of fiber
• 1 cup of quinoa (cooked) has 8 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber

Snack: Sunflower-Flax Seeds and Almond Mix

I still can't get over how good this seed and nut mix is! This will definitely become my snack and dessert staple. It's truly cookie butter meets graham cracker crust meets granola. Ah-mazing! 

*Important Note: To achieve the near-exact taste of cookie butter, it's crucial that you use the ingredients below instead of any variations of them. My boyfriend made another batch and used a different brand of sunflower seeds that were salted as well as some hemp seeds and it totally changed the taste. 

• Trader Joe's Roasted Sunflower Seeds (Unsalted)
• Trader Joe's Golden Roasted Flax Seed Whole Seeds (Unsalted)
• Trader Joe's Sliced Raw Almonds

Lunch: Cauliflower Apple Pecan Salad

Snack: Sunflower, Pumpkin and Hemp Seed Mix

Seasoned with Himalayan salt, garlic powder, onion powder and thyme

Dinner: Japanese Sweet Potato Fries

Fried Japanese sweet potatoes in a wok

This is only listed as my dinner since I accidentally fell asleep before eating my actual dinner. This was more of an appetizer--one that kicked off the weekend right ... because who doesn't like fried food on a Friday?! It puts the "fried" in "Friday"!

Ingredients:

• 3 Japanese sweet potatoes (of course, the more fries, the merrier)
• Himalayan salt
• Garlic powder
• Onion powder

Boil the sweet potatoes for 7 minutes to soften them. Then use a mandolin to slice them into fries. (I have the blue Kitchenaid Mandolin Slicer Set.) This recipe used the wider of the two julienne cutters, but if you like shoestring fries, use the thinner of the two but be careful when frying because they burn extra easily. The best way to fry them is in a wok in small batches; it's easier to clean up and there's less chance of burning them. Fry them until golden brown and transfer them onto a plate lined with a couple paper towels. Season immediately to let the flavors really set in. Feel free to season them with herbs and spices. I'll probably play around with different seasonings next time. 

Vegan 21-Day Sugar Detox: Day 4

Every day is a countdown on this sugar detox. Only 17 days to go until I can go back to eating normal foods! And by normal I mean tempeh, vegan sausage, a variety of fruits … and, of course, some sweets.

Breakfast: Black Bean & Fajita Veggies

I ate my leftovers without quinoa this time since I forgot to cook some last night. I ate it with the usual salsa and guacamole. By the way, there are very few sauces, dips and salsas that are allowed on the detox. Trader Joe’s Double Roasted Salsa is one of them … and it’s delicious. As someone with a low tolerance for spicy foods, it has just enough of a kick to get my taste buds dancing—not burning. It takes any dish on the detox to the next level. I also love that my favorite guacamole also happens to be allowed on the detox: Trader Joe’s Avocado’s Number Guacamole has no sugar! Yay!

I thought today’s breakfast was actually more filling. Maybe it’s because I ate more beans instead of quinoa.

Snack: Green Apple

Thank goodness for green apples! They’re great as a snack (and dessert when dipped in almond butter). Today I ate it on its own, thinly sliced so it was more like chips.

Lunch: Queen of Quinoa’s Detox Salad

I drizzled some extra rice vinegar to give it a punch of extra flavor since I’ve been eating it for a few days now. It was still delish but I’m getting preeeetty tired of it. I have one more serving left!

Snack: Almond Butter with Cinnamon

I don’t know what I’d do without almond butter on this detox. Combined with cinnamon, which tricks your taste buds into thinking you’re eating something sweet, it makes for one tasty snack! It’s almost like a melted peanut butter cup—without the chocolate.

Dinner: Black Bean Veggie Fiesta with Quinoa

This dish is pretty similar to the last Black Bean and Fajita Veggie dish except I added spinach, tomatoes and tofu. I know tofu isn't allowed on the detox, but I needed something a little more substantial. 

Black bean veggie fiesta with quinoa

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of spinach
• 1 serving of tofu
• 2 roma tomatoes
• 1 orange bell pepper
• 2-3 cups of black beans
• 1 tbsp of garlic powder
• 1/2 cup of garlic and onions
• Himalayan salt to taste

Black bean veggie fiesta with quinoa, guacamole and salsa

Vegan 21-Day Sugar Detox: Day 3

Today was definitely better than Day 2 of the detox. The only issue I had today was my insatiable hunger. Even though I was pretty much grazing all day, the hunger pangs never really disappeared, they just decreased in intensity. I was still having sudden cravings for something sweet, but not as intense as yesterday.

Breakfast: Black Beans, Fajita Veggies & Quinoa 

I decided to switch things up and start off with a hearty breakfast instead of a smoothie. I ate the leftovers from my dinner last night for breakfast today. 

Snack: Raw Hemp, Sunflower and Pumpkin Seed Mix

It wasn't long after I got to work that I already needed a snack. Surprisingly, this seed mix is remarkably more filling than it seems. It at least kept the hunger pangs down until I had lunch, which was a lot earlier than I usually eat. 

Lunch: Queen of Quinoa's Detox Salad

I'm still not tired of this salad even though I had it for the third time. I also thought it was a little tastier, probably because the ingredients marinated in lemon juice and rice vinegar longer. 

Snack: Green Apple & Almond Butter

Almond butter is a great source of protein at 7 grams per 2 tbsp. I helped myself to about 3 tbsp, just enough to enjoy with every bite of apple.

Dinner: Black Beans, Fajita Veggies & Quinoa

If there's one thing I learned from the past sugar detoxes, it's to cook enough food to last several days--even if it means having to eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Luckily I wasn't tired of this dish even though it was my third time eating it.

Vegan 21-Day Sugar Detox: Day 2

Day 2 of the detox was pretty rough. I was dealing with headaches that left my head cold and tingly, nausea, and sudden cravings for anything with sugar. Visions of Nutella crepes, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and honey danced in my head. Maybe it's because I feel extra restricted, not being able to eat eggs, dairy and sugar on this detox.

The headaches may have also stemmed from not drinking coffee today, my usual morning staple. It can be irritating on an empty stomach, and my stomach has been feeling empty since I started detoxing.

Here's the breakdown of my day's meals:

Breakfast #1: Chocolate Banana Coconut Smoothie 

The smoothie's consistency today wasn't as thick, but I still ended up having to 'drink' it with a spoon. 

Breakfast #2: Raw Hemp, Pumpkin and Sunflower Seeds Mix

I seasoned about 1 cup of the seed mix with Himalayan salt, pepper, garlic powder, thyme and onion powder. That first bite of the mix blew me away. It almost tasted like a well-seasoned potato chip (or maybe I was just trying to imagine that it was). 

Lunch: Queen of Quinoa's Detox Salad

I ate the leftover salad from last night. Still delish!

Dinner: Fajita Veggie Stir Fry + Quinoa

I used precut fajita veggies, black beans, crimini mushrooms, baby spinach and garlic. I fried the garlic and onions first, then the mushrooms, fajita veggie mix and baby spinach next. I layered it on a bed of quinoa and topped it with double-roasted salsa and guacamole. 

Day 2 Summary

Overall, Day 2 on the detox proved to be more challenging than Day 2 of my previous sugar detoxes. There were a lot of things that may have been a factor: from binging (pre-detox) on sugary foods thanks to Halloween, to skipping coffee, to not eating enough on Day 1 and my body adjusting to portion control. I figured once my body gets back into the groove of eating healthy, things will get easier.