Aubrey Peeples is what you might call an 'accidental vegan.' The actress, who plays country singer Layla Grant on ABC's Nashville, had been surrounded by cheesy, deep-fried foods, and challenged herself to eat two meat- and dairy-free meals a day for one week.
"I ate like sh*t last summer," Peeples laughs. "Plants are simpler molecules than meat, which make them easier for your body to digest, so I thought I'd try this. By day three, I was eating full vegan, and I had so much energy—I wanted to work out—so I stuck with it."
Going vegan helped her commit to eating more fruits and vegetables, and as she started inspecting the labels on everything she passed in the grocery store, she was surprised to learn about a few products that could also be deemed "accidentally vegan": They don't contain meat or dairy, though they're not marketed or designed to be vegan foods.
Peeples met us at Associated Market, a grocery store in New York's Lower East Side, to prove to us just how many items—including ones known for their buttery flavor, like Crescent Rolls (!), and even products marked "bacon-flavored"—are considered vegan-friendly.
Check out the video above to see exactly what we found in stores, most of which can be found on PETA's vegan-approved list, and read on to uncover some of Peeples's vegan cooking hacks—and why you've never had a coffee quite like the "Crayla" before.
She Has A Killer Vegan Taco Recipe.
Peeples stumbled upon one of her favorite easy dinners at HotforFoodBlog.com: Fried Butternut Squash and Avocado Tacos.
They're easier to make than you'd think, she swears—"You just need a really good knife and a really strong arm," so you can chop the butternut squash into cubes. From there, simply dip the squash in nondairy milk, roll it in breadcrumbs, and fry it in vegetable oil until crispy.
She wraps them in tortillas with avocado and a jalapeño aioli drizzle for a restaurant-quality lunch at home.
"You could also put in fresh salsa or sprouts," Peeples says.
She Swears Vegan Tuna Sandwiches Are Better Than You Think.
The key? Trading out that Chicken of the Sea for chickpeas. Peeples blends them with vegan mayonnaise, pulsing just enough to chop them up, so they're closer to the texture of tuna.
"I like to mix in really finely chopped pickles, celery, red onion, paprika, salt and pepper," she says. "It's so good."
She Packs Her Pesto with Protein.
Pasta has always been a go-to dinner for Peeples—she's big on using red-lentil pasta instead of traditional, flour-based varieties—which she'll top with marinara, alfredo or homemade pesto sauce.
"I grind walnuts in my pesto, just to give it more protein," she says.
She Has a Coffee Named After Her.
Nashville's craft services team makes custom smoothies and coffees for everyone on set, and has started a roster of signature drinks for each of the show's stars.
"Mine is called the 'Crayla,' for 'Crazy Layla,'" Peeples says. "It's coffee, with espresso in it—like a Red Eye—with coconut milk and honey."
The name's fitting, given her character's often-manipulative and off-the-wall antics, though the drink itself isn't nearly as cray as co-star Jonathan Jackson's drink, the J.J.
"It has four shots of espresso, banana, chocolate—it's basically like an espresso-smoothie," she says. "I had two the other day at work. Coffee is like, half of my diet."
Another co-star's signature drink has become one of Peeples' go-to breakfasts (when she's not making a smoothie or vegan sandwich, that is): The Colt Wheeler.
"I think it's almond butter, berries, nondairy milk—it's a really good smoothie," she explains.
'Nashville' Is Big on Second Dinner.
In addition to custom drinks, the Nashville set is well-stocked with salads, chicken and fish, but if the team is shooting late into the night, they'll often call in a second meal from a restaurant nearby.
"We'll have ramen, which is my favorite, or Thai or Chinese," Peeples says.
She Always Eats This When She Has a Cold.
Since Peeples regularly sings on the show, she has to take care of her voice, which means that as soon as she feels a cold coming on, she reaches for some fresh pineapple.
"The citric acid is one of the best things you can do for your vocal chords," says the star, who also regularly drinks tea with honey and will down ginger-lemon drinks to soothe her throat.
She Gets Your Love of Oreos.
For the most part, Peeples tries to eat healthy, eating a lot of fruit, vegetables and nuts, but that doesn't mean she won't indulge in the occasional Oreo (yup, that creme filling is dairy-free), or vegan pigs in a blanket.
"Life's too short," she says.
We fully support that statement.
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