Eating vegan

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Kathyseiberling
Kathyseiberling Posts: 7 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Been eating vegan for one month. Finding it hard to get enough protein and I don't feel satisfied--any suggestions?
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  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    Do you want to eat vegan?

    Beans and grains.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    Vegans get typically get their protein from beans, grains, tofu, seitan, tempeh, nuts/seeds, and vegetables (not great for a main source, but when you eat lots of vegetables the protein helps boost your overall numbers). Some of us also use protein powders -- vegan varieties include soy, hemp, rice, and pea protein. I can't see your diary so I don't know how many of these foods you're eating, but eating these regularly will help you meet your protein needs.

    When vegans don't feel satisfied, it's often because they're missing the mark on protein or fat needs or possibly not getting enough calories overall.
  • jordan_bowden
    jordan_bowden Posts: 90 Member
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    Kathyseiberling wrote: »
    Been eating vegan for one month. Finding it hard to get enough protein and I don't feel satisfied--any suggestions?

    Something that is vital for transitioning into veganism is research. Learn what foods contain what nutrients and how much is in say a cup full of whatever the food is. Protein rich foods are beans and legumes (black beans, kidney beans, white beans, navy beans, chickpeas), lentils, chia seeds, oats, rice, tofu, hemp seeds, walnuts, cashews, almonds, broccoli, peas, peanut butter, quinoa, tempeh, nutritional yeast, and so much more! Hope this helps
  • BeGrandLike
    BeGrandLike Posts: 184 Member
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    What the others said! I eat 99% vegan. I eat loads of beans, tofu, seeds, seitan, and things like that. I still find it tough to get my protein in, so I also use hemp protein powder (mainly chosen above other kinds 'cause I'm all about variety in proteins and it's not something I otherwise, er, consume!)- I'll make a shake with almond milk, a banana and a couple scoops of it in the morning.

    I find: I used to eat a lot of nuts but they're really high in calories for what you get, so I don't find them half as satisfying as filling up on beans or lentils or tofu or seitan. It can definitely take a while to get the hang of getting your proteins in when you eat vegan, but it's very doable! Best of luck!
  • Naija82
    Naija82 Posts: 345 Member
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    I'm vegetarian, being vegan would be too much of an effort for me and don't really desire to be one. Is it something you want to do or feel you have to do?
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
    edited October 2016
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    Kathyseiberling wrote: »
    Been eating vegan for one month. Finding it hard to get enough protein and I don't feel satisfied--any suggestions?

    What kinds of things are you eating now? Why aren't you feeling satisfied?
  • CorneliusPhoton
    CorneliusPhoton Posts: 965 Member
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    AoifeFitzy wrote: »
    I think that maybe it's not very helpful to ask the OP if they really want to be vegan? Veganism isn't some kind of extreme diet.. it's a perfectly ordinary way to be. The OP was asking for help with protein sources, not for people to question their veganism in the first place!

    Yea, but so many people like to add to the discussion by telling somebody that they are wrong.
  • Naija82
    Naija82 Posts: 345 Member
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    No one is saying it's an extreme diet but if she is struggling to eat enough protein for a lifestyle she wants to choose I wondering why she is doing it in the first place or whether she has thought it through. That is my question if she doesn't want to answer it that's fair enough. I have many friends who are vegan and they did a lot of research to make sure they did not miss out on important nutrients.
  • CorneliusPhoton
    CorneliusPhoton Posts: 965 Member
    edited October 2016
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    .
  • CorneliusPhoton
    CorneliusPhoton Posts: 965 Member
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    I just had 2 double posts at the same time. Sorry! Glitch in the matrix.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
    edited October 2016
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    CorneliusPhoton wrote: »
    AoifeFitzy wrote: »
    I think that maybe it's not very helpful to ask the OP if they really want to be vegan? Veganism isn't some kind of extreme diet.. it's a perfectly ordinary way to be. The OP was asking for help with protein sources, not for people to question their veganism in the first place!

    Yea, but so many people like to add to the discussion by telling somebody that they are wrong.

    I don't think the poster was suggesting that it was extreme or that the OP was wrong...I guess my own question for the OP would be how much thought and thus research went into this decision? Not that it's wrong, it's just that most people I know don't become vegans on a whim without a lot of research into the matter...most I know have tended to transition from omnivore to vegetarian to vegan, gaining a lot of knowledge along the way.
  • CoffeeNCardio
    CoffeeNCardio Posts: 1,847 Member
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    Maybe OP, the best thing to do would be a slow transition. If it's a moral issue, you might simply start by finishing off non-vegan foods in your fridge already, then replace them with nutritionally identical ones as you finish them off. You won't save an animal by throwing away the animal-product containing foods you've already purchased (again, if this is a moral or ethical decision, that does matter) and it's important to remember the most important animal to protect is YOU. Your health and safety matters, and it's so important to make sure you're getting adequate nutrition. So slowly switching may be a good choice.

    If you literally can't bear it, donate that food, and consider seeing a dietitian (NOT a nutritionist, a dietitian is a real certified expert, and while some nutritionists are super great and equally skilled, you also risk running into a woo peddler because they are not state certified and aren't required to know what they're talking about before they take you on as a "patient"). A dietitian will have the most up to date information on creating a healthy, nutritionally dense vegan diet for you, the individual. He/She can even tailor the diet specific to your individual concerns about your health or about your other morally based diet decisions (my mother's dietitian is especially well versed in fair trade and environmentally friendly brands for example, if you have the money care).
  • gonetothedogs19
    gonetothedogs19 Posts: 325 Member
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    Kathyseiberling wrote: »
    Been eating vegan for one month. Finding it hard to get enough protein and I don't feel satisfied--any suggestions?

    There is only one reason to be a vegan - you philosophically do not believe in using animals for food. That's the one and only reason.
  • gonetothedogs19
    gonetothedogs19 Posts: 325 Member
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    AoifeFitzy wrote: »
    I think that maybe it's not very helpful to ask the OP if they really want to be vegan? Veganism isn't some kind of extreme diet.. it's a perfectly ordinary way to be. The OP was asking for help with protein sources, not for people to question their veganism in the first place!

    I respectfully disagree. Giving up all (100%) meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, eggs, and honey (yes, honey) is not perfectly ordinary at all. It's fine if that's how you want to live your life. More power to you. But it is not perfectly ordinary.
  • staylo1313
    staylo1313 Posts: 47 Member
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    There is only one reason to be a vegan - you philosophically do not believe in using animals for food. That's the one and only reason.[/quote]

    I respectfully disagree. Giving up all (100%) meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, eggs, and honey (yes, honey) is not perfectly ordinary at all. It's fine if that's how you want to live your life. More power to you. But it is not perfectly ordinary.[/quote]

    Who are you to say that there is one and only one reason to become vegan or to say it is not "perfectly ordinary" (whatever that means)?? Just because you don't agree with it doesn't mean it's wrong. People on both sides of the vegan fence need to do their research before making comments because a lot of them are just opinions. You can find medical and scientific research that backs up both. There are both vegan and non-vegan people who are extremely healthy and those that are unhealthy. It depends on what you eat and your lifestyle on either way of eating.
  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 5,023 Member
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    gonetothedogs19 wrote: »
    AoifeFitzy wrote: »
    I think that maybe it's not very helpful to ask the OP if they really want to be vegan? Veganism isn't some kind of extreme diet.. it's a perfectly ordinary way to be. The OP was asking for help with protein sources, not for people to question their veganism in the first place!

    I respectfully disagree. Giving up all (100%) meat, poultry, seafood, dairy, eggs, and honey (yes, honey) is not perfectly ordinary at all. It's fine if that's how you want to live your life. More power to you. But it is not perfectly ordinary.

    I agree. A vegan diet would be an extreme diet for me. There here is nothing wrong with it but it isn't ordinary. I do agree that the OP was looking for protein sources that fit a vegan diet. But I don't think that asking why they want to be vegan is wrong or rude. Lots of people come on here thinking this they have to go vegan, or low carb, or drink gallons of water per day or any other number of things in order to lose weight. If the OP is not feeling satisfied on a vegan diet and only doing it because they think they need to to lose weight then perhaps they might want to look for a less extreme option. If they are doing it for moral reasons then they need to do a lot of research and asking for vegan protein sources is a good place to start. Lentils, tofu and black beans are all sources of protein.

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