Veggie Favs

I haven't wanted to alarm you. But in order to understand these favorite products, I should probably give you the full story. You may need to sit for this. Okay, here goes.

For the past six months, I have been avoiding meat, dairy and refined sugar. I've been a vegetarian* for years so that's nothing new. I'm lactose intolerant so I really shouldn't eat dairy...but it's just so darn tasty! And sugar? C'mon we all know that sugar is the devil...but it's just so darn tasty!! All of these things make me feel lousy so for the most part, I avoid them...and their tasty goodness. And voila, the pounds practically jumped off my body like rats leaving a meat-free, dairy-free, sugar-free ship.

You may think this would be a tough diet to stick with but it's really been pretty easy thanks to a few of my favorite products.

SAVORY:

• Morning Star Farms Chik'n Nuggets - Meat-free and fast (contains dairy). As a proud carnivore, Jeff claims to dislike any of my "fake meat". But somehow half of these disappear straight off the cookie sheet while I'm out of the room. Strange.
• Lightlife Smart Bacon - Mmmmmmm, bacon (vegan). So many uses, so little time. Toss in some veggie fried rice. BLT. Crumble with melted soy mozzarella and diced tomatoes on a whole wheat tortilla.
• Follow Your Heart Vegan Gourmet Cheese Alternative - (vegan, gluten-free) Cheddar, mozzarella, monterey jack and nacho flavored. They actually melt which makes for endless possibilities. I used them in a mac & cheese recipe and it was aaaaamazing.

SWEET:

• Pamela's Products Chocolate Brownie Mix - wheat-free, gluten-free, non-dairy (does contain honey so it's not vegan). I make it using applesauce instead of the oil and Ener-G egg replacer. And since I can't make anything from a mix without sprucing it up a bit, I also add extra...
• Tropical Source dairy-free, gluten-free chocolate chips - Use in place of chocolate chips in any recipe. I have served the brownies with these chocolate chips to many unsuspecting people lately and received rave reviews. Then I confessed. But by then they couldn't take it back.
• Zen Soy Chocolate Pudding - Organic, vegan, TASTY! This is my go-to 7:30pm snack. Toss in a handful of sliced strawberries or fresh raspberries and enjoy. And then just try to tell me you feel deprived, I dare you.

I have many more favs but I'll leave you with these for now. I wouldn't want to overwhelm you with such healthy goodness. Your sugar filled little hearts might skip a beat. My one warning is that although these are healthier alternatives, they are still chock-full of calories. In other words, you can't eat the entire pan of brownies in one sitting unless you want to use a rubber band to keep your pants closed. Not that I've had to do that.

*For the record, a vegetarian eats nothing with a face. Yes, fish have faces. So does a chicken. Good for you if you've given up red meat but you're not actually a vegetarian. Okay, I feel better now.