I don't love "What I eat in a day" blogs, YouTube videos, or Instagram stories but (watch me contradict myself), a million people have asked me what I eat in a day and I'm tired of explaining my very boring diet to people who shouldn't really care. This blog will distill a few common misconceptions about vegan lifestyles, primarily, "But where do you get your protein?" Ready for some number crunching?

Breakfast

2 slices of sourdough toast: 220 calories and 8 grams of protein

2 (RIPE) bananas: 220 calories and 2 grams of protein

2 Tablespoons of almond butter: 210 calories and 7 grams of protein

Coffee with soy creamer: 30 calories and no protein

Total: 680 calories and 17 grams of protein

Lunch

Chopped Salad with Spinach: 180 calories and 4 grams of protein

Tofu: 140 calories and 10 grams of protein

1 cup Wild Rice: 160 calories and 7 grams of protein

Raisins: 70 calories and 1 gram of protein

Cashews: 80 calories and 3 grams of protein

Kombucha: 80 calories and no protein

Total: 710 calories and 25 grams of protein

Dinner

Tofu: 140 calories and 10 grams of protein

Pita: 160 calories and 5 grams of protein

2 Tablespoons of garlic hummus: 70 calories and 2 grams of protein

Roasted Asparagus: 60 calories and 6 grams of protein

Coconut LaCroix: nothing, because it's water

Total: 430 calories and 23 grams of protein

Snack

1.5 cups of cheerios: 150 calories and 5 grams of protein

2 Tablespoons PB2: 50 calories and 5 grams of protein

Raisins: 130 calories and 2 grams of protein

1 cup almond milk: 30 calories and 1 gram of protein

Total: 360 calories and 13 grams of protein

Total for the Day: 2,180 calories and 78 grams of protein.

This particular day, I ran 6 miles in the morning on the trails behind my apartment. I don't usually track my meals or calories like this, and I don't track how many calories I burn when I exercise. I also don't usually eat tofu twice in one day (or even every day for that matter), but my food stores were running low. As I previously mentioned, my day-to-day diet is pretty unspectacular.

My protein intake, however, is well within the "normal" range. The current daily protein intake guideline for adults is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. I currently weigh 140 pounds, or about 64 kilograms, so my recommended daily protein intake is just over 50 grams. Furthermore, actual protein deficiency is extremely uncommon.

If you're thinking of going vegan, check out the following amazing resources:

Elephantastic Vegan: Easy recipes and fun blogs about veganism

The Vegan Society: Easy lifestyle tips and beginner guide to veganism

Chocolate Covered Katie: Vegan deserts!

The Rich Roll Podcast: Interviews with vegan athletes, spiritual leaders, and other interesting/marginally famous people

Badass Vegan: John Lewis (the badass vegan) is a vegan athlete and works with the nutritional shake company VeganSmart

(There are about 150 million more, just ask Google)

If you're trying to lose weight, stop looking at what other people eat and talk to a registered dietitian. You might be perfectly healthy, and may not actually "need" to lose weight. I wouldn't suggest modeling your diet after mine, as it's extremely boring.

P.S. If you're curious about why I went vegan, I wrote about it HERE.

xoxo

Sarah Rose