Day 3 - Learning the hard way

Today I was famished - almost the entire day. The coffee I drank this morning didn't settle well and my stomach was a bit affected. I kicked off the day with a hearty bowl of oatmeal, cashews, sliced strawberries and almond milk, but by 9 am I was hungry again. There's also a strong possibly that I'm a bit dehydrated because of yesterday's ski outing.

To stave off my hunger, I took a mid-afternoon walk to Nature's Providers, a small health/vitamin/natural food store located in Avon. After staring into the beverage cooler for a few minutes, I grab a kombucha tea. I'm a fave of G.T.'s Trilogy. The effervescence mixed with the refreshing flavor make for a great afternoon pick-me-up. I know the drink doesn't sport many calories, so I start to second guess my choice as I select a bag of dates from the nut and dried fruit cooler. I walk around the store a bit, wondering if chocolate soy milk would be a decent alternative to the kombucha, but I can't find any. I look at the jars of fruit juice, but they're pricey. So, I walk back to the beverage cooler and begin eyeing a canned beverage called "Spiru-Tein" which boasts dairy-free qualities. I look at the calories - 320 to the meager 60 of the kombucha. At $2.85 a can, Spiru-Tein has a lot going for it - 100% daily value of all vitamins, enzymes, energy nutrients and fiber. What's more, the can promises that:

"Spiru-tein is the ultimate on-the-go energy shake sensation! Creamy decadent Spiru-Tein shake delivers old-fashioned ice cream parlor taste and powerful cutting-edge nutrition. A convenient, sinfully delicious way to supercharge energy levels! Satisfy your cravings for sweet, tempting vanilla flavor with rich, indulgent Spiru-Tein shake!"

Here's all you need to know: Never purchase or consume a refrigerated can of Spiru-Tein. It has the consistency of custard and the texture of chalk and the flavor of moldy cardboard. I drank 2/3 of the can before saying, ENOUGH!! But, I had to try it. I just had to. Next time, kombucha.

Tonight's dinner:
Spinach Mushroom Phyllo Pie
Salad of mixed greens with strawberries, mango, red pepper and sliced almonds topped with a lemon and olive oil dressing

This took an eternity to make, and I don't think I prepared the phyllo correctly, but the flavors were great. It was my first time using phyllo and silken tofu.

Lastly, thanks to Emily for sending me a variety of great recipes and tipping me off to several links that discuss protein consumption and the vegan diet. I'll let you know what I learn!