Going Vegan: Week #2
Hey everybody!
So I just completed Week #2 of going vegan and it has been a success. With the support of all my friends and family I have been able to get by without too much trouble; surprisingly I haven’t had any meat cravings. Additionally, I haven’t had a hard time eating out. It seems like there are plenty of vegan options at the places I went to this past week, I never really paid attention to the vegan options on the menu until I started this adventure. The sudden hunger pangs are not so sudden anymore and I think this is mainly due to the addition of quinoa and nuts to my lunchtime meals. Yes there have been times where I had to miss out on events, like a going away dinner to a steak house, sorry Fahad, but all in all I don’t really feel restricted. This maybe because I’m used to fasting during the month of Ramadan and this kind of feels like that except for I get to eat.
For snacking purposes, my sister picked me up a box of Brad’s Raw Chips. We got the “Nasty Hot” raw kale leaves which are seasoned with jalapenos and vegan cheese. They little guys tasted like a cross between an Indian Pakora and a Cheez-It. They are highly addictive, so I recommend eating them with self-control.
Brad’s Raw Nasty Hot Chips.
The other day I made a trip out to a DC staple, Busboys & Poets. Busboys is a great cozy restaurant that has a bookstore/coffee shop feel to it. They have tons of vegan options and also carry halal chicken and kosher beef. I got the Vegan Pepperoni Calzone – vegan mozzarella, veggies, vegan pepperoni in a whole-wheat crust- and it was great. It did not have the sparkling luster of normal calzones, because it isn’t brushed with butter, and looked like hippie food. It actually tasted really good and the vegan cheese in it did not have the slimy texture of other vegan cheeses I have tried. Unfortunately, I forgot to snap a picture of it, but I recommend you try it if you get a chance. I have also had their Vegan Nachos and they are very good.
My sister and I decided to hit up Burger 7 in Arlington recently. If you know me, then you know how I feel about Burger 7. I feel like it is the best burger out there, better than Bobby Burger Palace, Shake Shack, and any fast-food joint out there. Plus, they have a Halal Burger option! I figured by going there I would just have an order of fries, but to my surprise I saw they have a Vegan Burger. It had a very basic veggie pattie and was nothing really to write home about, but I think if they used Trader Joe’s Vegetable Masala Burgers. The Trader Joe’s Vegetable Masala Burgers are awesome and taste like the glorious filing my mom makes for her Aloo Paratay. They’re like a memory of home in a little microwaveable disk.
Burger 7’s Vegan Burger
I just wanted to thank everybody for their ongoing support. I’m excited for the next 2 weeks of this adventure.
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