Abstinence - 69th Day

Breakfast 1 cup oatmeal 1 large orange 1 cup plain soymilk 1 cup coffee 16 oz. water Lunch Spinach salad with walnuts, chickpeas, kidney beans, sliced mushrooms, baby carrots, grape tomatoes, and vegan caesar salad dressing 1 corned beef substitute and vegan cheese sandwich on multi-grain bread with mustard 9 prunes 6 oz. soy yogurt with chocolate 16 oz. water Dinner Rotisserie chicken leg & wing with skin 1 cup mashed potatoes with soy milk and vegan margarine 1/2 cup light fruit ****tail 1 can lentil vegetable soup 1-1/2 cups plain soy milk Evening Snack 1 Slim A Bear sugar-free, low fat ice cream bar I went shopping at a large health food store and Giant Eagle and spent $300.00.  No more vegan diet, I can't afford it?  Most of the money was spent at the health food store.  I'm going back to my family doctor's diet - the diabetic diet, on which I lost 28 pounds last year, before I had that crappy Russell as my client.  He ruined my abstinence, that's for sure!  Now I've got it back, and I want to make the most of it.  But I don't want to go broke doing it, so I'll go back to shopping at Save A Lot and Giant Eagle. Denise Phares/kitties4

Denise, I understand the cost. Health food stores can be costly adventures. I don't see any reason why you couldn't do a mostly vegan diet, tho, shopping at the regular grocery store. I think there is a balance there and it is just a matter of standing back and examining the situation objectively. You will definitely figure it out. Beth

I will keep some vegan items.  For instance, the soy milk.  I have an allergy to regular (skim) milk, since I cough up alot of phlegm after I drink it.  I don't have this problem with the soy milk.  On my doctor's diabetic diet, for the 1400-calorie one, you are only allowed 4 ounces of protein a day.  That's to be divided between two or three meals.  So even when I do eat animal protein, it won't be very much of it.  And I don't have to have animal lunch meat every day - I can have a peanut butter and jam sandwich, or the vegan variety of lunch meat or cheese, etc.  As far as margarine goes, any one will do.  I can buy all these things at Giant Eagle, which is definitely cheaper than buying it at the health food stores.  Once in a while, I can shop for one or two items at Nature's Bin, like soy yogurt or tempeh.  But that's about it.  I can buy multi-grain bread at the supermarket, as well as good hot and cold cereals, etc. Denise Phares/kitties4

Abstinence Day 4 Breakfast lite strawberry banana yogurt large iced coffee with cream & splenda Lunch banana grilled chicken salad- baby spinach, chick peas, corn, hearts of palm, 1egg(white only), 1/4 avocado, kidney beans, cheddar cheese, cherry tomatos Dinner Grape vitamin water 1 cup of brown rice with early peas 1 slice of Turkey Abstinece Day 5 Breakfast 1 lite multigrain toasted english muffin 1 slice FF kraft american cheese 1 lite strawberry yogurt Lunch grilled chicken baby spinach salad - chick peas, corn, kidney beans, hearts of palm, 1 egg white, cheddar, cherry tomatoes 1 sf  carmel jello pudding Dinner 1/2 baked sweet potato baked chicken breast spinach & broccoli 1 frozen fruit coconut bar Crystal lite & water throughout the day