Austin Food Diary (Vegan)

Since becoming vegan and also having a gluten intolerance, it’s so hard for me to eat out. This trip was based around food, because 3 out of the 4 restaurants I ate at, I could eat whatever I wanted to and didn’t have to make up my own food. It was so refreshing to get amaaaazing vegan food! Here’s where I ate plant-based & gluten free while traveling:

1 The Oasis restaurant

Located: 6550 Comanche Trail

The restaurant is about 30 minutes outside of downtown Austin. The trip to the restaurant alone was amazing. Once you get passed the city you start seeing a lot trees and mountains, which I had no idea were even in Texas…is it just me that didn’t know this?

My family and I ate here for my birthday dinner. It was SOOO hot outside, but I chose this place pretty much for the view.

What I got: This isn’t a vegan restaurant but I did see that they had fajitas with corn tortillas, so I was just going to make my own vegetable one, because all they had on the menu was chicken, beef, and shrimp fajitas. I asked the waiter for a vegetable version, and he said they actually have a full veggie fajita, it’s just not on the menu. The vegetables weren’t cooked a lot, which I actually liked. The broccoli still had a lot crunch. I don’t think it was cooked with any oil, so that’s a plus. But I liked the dish wasn’t fully cooked down vegetables with a ton of oil because I didn’t feel heavy after. I used all of the pico de gallo and guacamole and they added a ton of flavor.

2. Conscious Cravings food truck

Located: 1311 S 1st St inside the South Austin Trailer Park and Eatery

I had eaten here before on a previous trip to Austin, and I had to go back. It’s located in a “trailer park” alongside a couple of other food trucks. Everything is so fresh you get a lot of food for a good price.

What I got: I got the vegan Eggless Tofu Salad with the rosemary baked fries (with vegan spicy mayo) and a blueberry lemonade. The fries are the best fries I’ve had, and they’re baked which I prefer because they’re healthier! The eggless tofu salad was a lot of food, and definitely filled me up. It had great flavor and had a very similar texture to egg salad.

3. Counter Culture

Located: 2337 E Cesar Chavez St

I was the most stoked about this place. This place is completely vegan and about 80% gluten free. There are a ton of gluten free options, but they do have a lot of seitan dishes, which aren’t gluten free, but I’ve heard all those dishes are amazing like the philly sandwich.

What I got: I got the jackfruit BBQ Sandwich *requested gluten free bread + Roasted sweet potatoes & beets. I had always heard of bbq’d jackfruit and was very interested in trying it. This was so good! The texture is hard to explain, it’s not exactly like meat, but it kind of is, but you kinda can’t tell what it is. But overall SO GOOD and flavorful. I was really tempted to order everything on the menu because it all sounded so good.

They also had an amazing dessert selection! I was so excited to find of that they had gluten free, and of course vegan, cookies and cream ice cream WITH a gluten free cone. I was in heaven. Cookies and cream ice cream was a childhood favorite of mine, and I’m so glad I was able to have a delicious alternative! My family and boyfriend also got desserts, and they’re far from vegan, but loved their desserts! My dad got the vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce and said he couldn’t tell a difference. My mom got the brownie bite, and loved it, and my boyfriend got the coconut cream pie, which was FANTASTIC (I snuck a few bites).

4. The Snack Bar

Located: 1224 S Congress Ave

We went here for brunch. This was an accidental vegan and gluten free find. They’re not labeled as vegan or gluten free when Googling, but you  can make more than half of the dishes both.

The atmosphere is awesome. It’s very vintage and 50s diner inspired but modern and so chill.

What I got: This was my favorite dish of the trip. I ordered the Migas with tofu instead of eggs and without cheese and it comes with corn tortillas. I also got the non-dairy and gluten free yogurt parfait. This Migas was so flavorful! I’m not exactly sure what the sauce was, but that was the icing on the cake…or rather the sauce on the taco. The parfait was perfectly sweet and creamy and the granola was perfect with dried fruit inside.

The Simple Life

Photos by Mason Ware

Top- Forever 21 | Jeans- Level99 | Shoes- Dolce Vita

As I said in a previous post (this one here), I’ve been loving simplicity. Whether it be from my wardrobe, relationship, diet, or lifestyle. I feel like the word “simple” isn’t always used in the best way, sometimes it gets the reputation of being boring. I like doing things simple, because it’s no fuss. It also means to me to not put too much thought into things, and just kind of live in the moment.

1. Wardrobe

With my wardrobe, I’ve been learning to love the things I own, and not obsess over the newest things coming out. Utilizing and cherishing the things around me. That doesn’t mean I’m not shopping and buying new things. I just put more thought into my purchases, such as, “do I really need this white v-neck when I already own 5?”, or “do I only want this because it’s on trend?”. That kind of thought process.
I’ve also started this into my skincare and makeup routine, by simplifying them and using less than 10 products.

2. Relationship

With my boyfriend, there’s nothing I love more than just sitting and talking. It doesn’t have to be anything special, just the two of us, just simple. Or when we’re just sitting and he looks at me and says he loves me, for no reason at all, or when he brings me one of my favorite treats, just because. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s something simple that means so much.

3. Diet

As far as my diet, for about a month I’ve been eating vegan (alongside being gluten free for 3 years now) and cleaning up my diet overall. Of course I allow to have my cheat days, but I’ve noticed a huge difference when I eat balanced and foods with simple ingredients. And lately I’ve been really into juices, I’ve been obsessed with one’s from a local indoor cycling place in my town. I’ve been loving them because it’s a great way to get in all of the good stuff that I need to give me energy. Since changing my diet, it’s crazy how good I feel and how much energy I have.

4. Lifestyle

For my every day life, I’ve been learning to love being by myself, and taking time for myself. I’ve always kind of been a homebody, but that time I do have alone, I take that time just for me. Lately I’ve been turning my phone on airplane mode for an hour a day, and doing sort of pamper routines, reading, or listening to music without working or being on social media. I’ll be honest, it’s kind of hard to do. But sometimes we as humans get our heads wrapped up into everything going on around us in other people’s lives, and forget about the things right in front of us, and forget to reflect on our own lives. It’s good to unplug for even just 1 hour and clear your head.

I hope you guys liked this kind of different post on the thoughts I’ve been having lately!

Thanks for reading!
-Laura