Eating Vegan on Moving Day

We hope everyone has had a lovely start to the new season! For us, the official first day of fall looked a little different this year—we spent it moving from Sag Harbor to Sagaponack.

While it’s a short move distance-wise, anyone who has moved knows that the number of boxes, bags, decisions, and things to organize has very little to do with how far you’re actually going. There’s packing, unpacking, cleaning, organizing, figuring out where everything goes, and somehow trying to keep everyone fed in the middle of it all.

For us, that made eating a balanced vegan diet a little tricky. When your kitchen is half-packed, your refrigerator is nearly empty, and you’re running from one house to another, it’s very easy to reach for whatever is quick and convenient—or simply forget to eat altogether.

Instead, we tried to be a little intentional about our meals and snacks throughout the three days of moving. Nothing was complicated, and certainly nothing required spending hours in the kitchen. We focused on having a few easy sources of protein, fiber, carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables on hand so that we could keep our energy up without turning moving day into a food project.

Here’s how we navigated eating a balanced vegan diet during three very busy days of moving—from the meals we planned ahead to the easy snacks and takeout that helped fill in the gaps.

Day One: Fueling the Biggest Moving Day

Day one was by far the heaviest day of the move, so we knew we wanted to start with something substantial. We also had a few things left in the refrigerator that we wanted to use up before moving everything over, which made breakfast a perfect opportunity to put them to good use.

We made a simple Just Egg scramble with Treeline cashew cheese, Beyond Meat breakfast sausages, and avocado. It was quick to throw together but had the combination of protein and healthy fats we were looking for to keep us fueled through a very busy morning.

The creamy cashew cheese and avocado made the scramble feel a little more indulgent, while the plant-based breakfast sausages and Just Egg gave us plenty of staying power. It was exactly the kind of breakfast we needed on a day when there was no telling when we'd get our next proper meal.

One of the things we tried to keep in mind throughout the move was that balanced doesn't have to mean complicated. When you're surrounded by boxes and trying to get a house packed up, a meal doesn't need to be elaborate to give you what you need. Using what we already had in the refrigerator also meant one less thing to pack—and one less thing to potentially go to waste.

Lunch: Keeping It Simple

Lunch on moving day was a bit of a mixed bag. The boys grabbed sandwiches from Provisions, while Lynette stuck with an iced coffee and kept going. Not exactly the most balanced lunch, but with boxes everywhere and a house in complete transition, sometimes you just have to keep things moving.

By dinner, though, we were definitely hungry—and tired. After a full day of packing, carrying, organizing, and making countless trips between the old house and the new one, the last thing we wanted to do was figure out dinner.

So we decided to outsource.

We ordered takeaway from K Pasa, and it turned out to be a decision we were very happy with. We went with mushroom tacos, guacamole, and chips—easy, satisfying, and exactly what we wanted at the end of a long day.

The mushroom tacos gave us something substantial, while the guacamole added some healthy fats, and honestly, the chips were just necessary after a day like that. It was a good reminder that eating well during a move doesn't mean every meal has to be perfectly planned. Sometimes a balanced approach means making a good breakfast, accepting that lunch might be an iced coffee, and ordering the dinner that sounds best when you're exhausted.

Day Two: Taking a Break

By day two, we were still very much in moving mode, so breakfast was about as simple as it gets: peanut butter and jam sandwiches on multigrain bread and coffee, eaten standing over the kitchen counter while continuing to pack. Of course, we spoiled our Senior with a delicious breakfast from Sagaponack General Store before school drop off.

There wasn't much time for sitting down, but the multigrain bread and peanut butter gave us a little more staying power than grabbing something sugary on the go. It was quick, familiar, and required almost no cleanup—which, during a move, counts for a lot.

By lunchtime, however, we decided we deserved an actual break.

We took our lunch outside by the pool and followed it with an afternoon swim, which felt like a much-needed reset after two days of boxes and organizing. We kept lunch incredibly simple, using what we had on hand: organic tomatoes, arugula, and basil from the garden, dressed with fresh lemon and topped with leftover guacamole, little bits of cashew herb cheese, and a drizzle of chili oil.

It wasn't really a recipe so much as a collection of fresh things that happened to come together beautifully. The tomatoes and herbs made it feel like summer was hanging on for just a little longer, while the guacamole, cashew cheese, and chili oil added richness and flavor.

And because we were finally sitting down and actually savoring the moment, we popped open a bottle of champagne.

After two days of moving, it felt less like a drink and more like a little celebration: we were here, the pool was ready, lunch was made, and for a few hours, there were no boxes to unpack. Sometimes eating well during a move is simply about recognizing when you need to stop, enjoy what you've accomplished, and give yourself a proper break.

Dinner: Finding the Rice Cooker

By dinner on day two, we were ready for something a little more substantial again. The kitchen was still surrounded by boxes, but somewhere in the chaos we managed to find the rice cooker—and promptly plugged it in wherever there happened to be an available outlet.

Sometimes moving day cooking is less about having the perfect kitchen setup and more about figuring out what you can make with whatever you've managed to unpack.

We decided on simple protein and rice bowls, using what we had on hand: rice, Swiss chard from the garden, garlic, tofu, Abbot's Live Vegan Chorizo, and dill pickles.

We cooked the rice while sautéing the garlic and Swiss chard, then added the tofu and vegan chorizo for plenty of plant-based protein. The dill pickles might sound like an unexpected addition, but their tangy crunch was exactly what the bowls needed.

It was hearty, flavorful, and surprisingly satisfying considering we were essentially cooking in the middle of a moving zone. And there was something particularly nice about using Swiss chard we had just picked from the garden—it made dinner feel connected to the new home, even while we were still surrounded by boxes.

No perfectly organized kitchen required. Just a rice cooker, a few ingredients, and a little creativity.

Day Three: Almost Settled

By day three, we were officially moved out of the old house and into the new one—but that certainly didn't mean we were finished. There was still plenty of organizing, unpacking, and figuring out where everything belonged.

We started the morning with a more leisurely breakfast: a vegan Greek yogurt bowl with a little coconut milk chia pudding mixed in, topped with fresh raspberry compote, hemp hearts, banana slices, toasted pine nuts, and sliced almonds.

After two days of fairly improvised moving-day meals, it was nice to have something that felt fresh, colorful, and intentional. The combination of vegan yogurt and chia pudding made a creamy base, while the fruit, nuts, and seeds added plenty of texture. It was also a great way to use up a few ingredients we already had around rather than packing them away and moving them again.

After breakfast, Lynette had to head west to the dentist while the housekeeping crew and Seis continued working together on the final stretch of the move. At this point, we were all in that slightly surreal stage where the major work was done, but there seemed to be an endless number of little things still waiting to be organized.

For lunch, Lynette kept things easy and grabbed iced coffees and vegan breakfast sandwiches with hot sauce from Hamptons Coffee. It wasn't fancy, but after spending the morning on the road and knowing there was still plenty to do back at the house, it was exactly what was needed.

By this point, we had learned that the key to eating vegan during a move wasn't trying to make every meal perfect. It was having a few reliable options, using up what we had, taking breaks when we could, and knowing when to let someone else make the food.

Early Dinner: Finally Slowing Down

By late afternoon, or what felt like early evening after starting the day at 5 a.m., we were ready for some serious fuel. We had made it through the final stretch of the move, and rather than wait until we were completely exhausted and starving, we decided to have an early dinner by the pool.

We picked up takeaway protein bowls from Harbor Market, with rice, sweet potatoes, tofu, and pickles, topped with a generous drizzle of Chacho hot sauce.

It was exactly the kind of meal we needed: filling, simple, and packed with the combination of carbohydrates and plant-based protein that sounded particularly good after three very physical days. The sweet potatoes added a little sweetness, the pickles brought some crunch and acidity, and the hot sauce gave everything a kick.

And, of course, we took our dinner outside and followed it with a swim.

After starting the morning before sunrise and spending the better part of three days packing, carrying, unpacking, organizing, and generally trying to make two houses into one, sitting by the pool with dinner felt like the perfect way to end the move.

The boxes weren't all unpacked. The house wasn't completely organized. But we were finally in, fed, and able to enjoy it—and sometimes that's enough.

A New Home, A New Chapter

And with that, our three-day move was officially behind us.

Were every meal perfectly balanced? Definitely not. Did we rely on iced coffee, takeaway, and whatever we could find in the kitchen more than we normally would? Absolutely. But we also managed to eat plenty of fresh, nourishing food, use up ingredients we already had, enjoy meals from local spots, and make time to actually pause and enjoy the new house along the way.

Most importantly, we're happy to be here. We're excited about our new place, settling in, and all of the new memories we'll make here—from everyday meals to dinner parties, garden produce, poolside lunches, and plenty of vegan cooking in the months ahead.

Moving is always a little chaotic, but it's also the beginning of something new. For us, that means a new home, a new season, and plenty more opportunities to figure out how to eat well—and enjoy ourselves—through all of life's busy moments.

Here's to the new place, new memories, and whatever we're cooking next!