New vegan need advice and ideas!!

realpersonal
realpersonal Posts: 16 Member
edited November 16 in Food and Nutrition
I'm a new vegan (straight from being a meat eater!) And I need some advice on healthy filling recipes for vegans and where's the best place to get vegan foods? I love the coconut milk and treat myself to dark chocolate sometimes!

If anyone's got any before and after pictures of losing weight from turning vegan, or had any weight loss successes from being a vegan I would appreciate it!

Thanks
«1

Replies

  • bshrom11
    bshrom11 Posts: 25 Member
    I was vegan for a little over a year and lost 40 pounds. The main thing is you need to be preparing your own homemade foods not buying processed packaged vegan foods. You can gain weight on this lifestyle eating to much "vegan junk food". I would suggest a rice cooker and pressure cooker for beans, rice, soups, stews. Also do your research as it is very easy to become deficient in certain vitamins, minerals, nutrients if you are not preparing nutritionaly balanced meals on this lifestyle. Also a big mistake a lot of new vegans make is watching vegan youtube channels and trying to eat the way they eat. Just because someone else is eating a pound of pasta or a whole loaf of bread or 50 banana's a day doesn't mean that's good for someone else. Best of luck to you!
  • realpersonal
    realpersonal Posts: 16 Member
    In response to some people that are saying I'm going vegan for a weight loss plan, all I asked for was recipes and if anyone had success with their weight from going vegan. Never said I was going vegan to lose weight...

    To those who have gave me ideas thank you I appreciate it! X x
  • realpersonal
    realpersonal Posts: 16 Member
    vegan4lyfe2012 wrote: »
    Here are some of my favorite recipes:

    VEGETARIAN CHILI

    1 ½ cups cooked kidney beans
    1 ½ cups cooked pinto beans
    1 can Dakota Pride Mild Chili Beans (my secret weapon-only thing I buy at Aldi’s)
    1 onion, diced
    2 green bell peppers, diced
    1 can diced tomatoes (do not drain)
    2 ½ cups water
    1 tblsp chix bullion powder (vegan)
    1 tblsp chili powder
    1 tblsp garlic salt
    1 tblsp cumin

    Bring everything to a boil and cook until onions and peppers are soft – about 15 minutes.


    RATATOUILLE HOAGIE

    Dice & saute up in a little olive oil:

    1 eggplant
    1 zucchini
    1 green pepper
    1 onion
    1 clove garlic, minced

    Once everything is getting fairly cooked, add in a can of diced tomatoes with juice and a couple tablespoons of tomato paste. Season with salt & pepper, basil and parsley. I like to toast hoagie buns, load them with this, add (vegan) mozzarella and put under the broiler for just a minute - until the cheese is melted.



    AVOCADO TOFU SANDWICH

    Baked Tofu: Press & drain 1 block firm tofu. Cut into 4 "patties". Brush on mixture of soy sauce and liquid smoke, then sprinkle on garlic powder, salt & pepper. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Flip and bake additional 15 minutes.

    Avocado "mayo": Mash 1 avocado and combine with 1 T red wine vinegar, salt, pepper and parsley. Use this in place of mayo.

    Serve in a pita with a slice of tomato and lettuce.



    VERY VEGGIE “SPAGHETTI”

    2 Tbsp Tuscan Herb Extra Virgin Olive Oil (or regular EVOO)
    1 Onion, diced
    10 oz jar sliced Mushrooms
    2 large Zucchini, shredded in food processor
    2 large Carrots, shredded in food processor
    2 cloves Garlic, minced
    1 can (15 oz) Tomato Sauce, no salt added
    1 can (15 oz) Diced Tomatoes, no salt added - DO NOT DRAIN
    2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
    2 Tbsp Flaxmeal
    1 Tbsp dried Basil
    1 Tbsp dried Parsley
    Salt & Pepper to taste
    Nutritional Yeast (optional)

    Using a julienne peeler, make a huge mound of raw carrot or zucchini "pasta"...then top it with very veggie sauce.


    DEVILISH CHICK SPREAD

    3 cups chickpeas, cooked
    1 cup vegan mayonnaise
    2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
    1 tablespoon lemon juice
    1 tablespoon yellow mustard
    1 teaspoon curry powder
    Season Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
    2 tablespoons finely chopped chives

    Combine everything except chives in a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse on and off until the mixture is nicely melded, but don’t puree—leave a little texture. Add the chives through the feed tube and pulse on and off a few times to whirl in


    THREE BEAN SALAD

    1.5 cups cooked kidney beans
    1.5 cups cooked chickpeas
    2 cups cooked green beans
    1/2 white onion, finely diced
    1/2 green bell pepper, finely diced

    Dressing:

    2 T olive oil
    2 T apple cider vinegar
    parsley, salt & pepper to taste

    Mix dressing, stir in beans, onion and bell pepper and let marinate for at least 2 hours.


    QUINOA VEGGIE PLATE

    Ingredients
    1/2 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
    1 cup water
    1 tsp vegan chix bouillion (optional)
    1 cup frozen green beans
    1 cup frozen cut carrots
    1 cup frozen peppers and onions

    *Sauce:
    1/3 cup tomato sauce
    1/3 cup diced tomato with juice
    1 tsp Italian Seasoning
    1 tsp dried minced onion
    Dash of garlic powder
    Salt and Pepper to taste

    1 tsp Nutritional Yeast
    Sprinkling of Adobo Seasoning

    Directions
    Bring 1 cup water to a boil. Add vegan chix flavored bullion, if desired. After boiling, stir in rinsed quinoa, lower heat to medium low, cover and cook 15 to 20 minutes, until quinoa is semi-translucent.

    While quinoa is cooking, steam green beans, carrots, peppers and onions for 8 minutes.

    For sauce, combine tomato sauce, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, dried minced onion, garlic powder, salt and pepper and heat on stove for 5 to 10 minutes.*

    To plate, divide quinoa onto two plates, top each with half of the veggies and sprinkle on Adobo seasoning. Divide the tomato sauce and pour over each plate and top each one with 1/2 tsp of nutritional yeast.

    *To speed this up, you can substitute your favorite pasta sauce for the sauce recipe.



    LOADED BAKED SWEET POTATO

    (ingredients listed tops 2 sweet potatoes):

    Combine 1/4 cup beans (red, black, white, pinto...your choice), 1 diced tomato, 1/2 diced onion, 1 tablespoon ground flax, 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast, 1 tablespoon lime juice, cilantro, salt and pepper. Mix it all up and top the sweet potatoes.

    I usually just stab the potatoes with a fork several times and microwave them for 10 minutes and they turn out perfect!


    STIR-FRY SAUCE

    I heat up a bag of frozen stir-fry veggies, 1 can of chinese veggies (drained), 1 can of water chestnuts (drained), then pour the following sauce. I know stir-fry is supposed to be quick-cooking, but after I pour my sauce on, I like to keep it on the heat for about 5 minutes, stirring the sauce around and letting it soak in to the veggies.

    Whisk together:

    1 tsp ginger
    1 clove garlic, minced
    1 tbsp light agave
    4 tbsp soy sauce
    2 tbsp ponzu sauce
    1 tbsp rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
    1 tsp corn starch



    TOFUNA

    Baked Tofu
    Press a block of Lite Firm Tofu to remove as much water as possible. Cut into 4 "patties". Spray a baking sheet with EVOO. Mix together 2 Tablespoons of soy sauce and 1/2 tsp liquid smoke. Brush onto both sides of the patties, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Flip over and bake additional 15 minutes. When they are cooled, I roughly break them up and pulse them in my food processor. Put into a mixing bowl and add:

    1 celery stalk, finely diced
    1/2 cup vegan mayo
    3 tablespoons dill pickle relish
    2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
    salt & pepper to taste

    Mix thoroughly and thoroughly enjoy!


    My favorite “comfort food” recipe…I love to add LOTS of pepper flakes on mine!

    PEANUT NOODLES

    1/2 cup water
    1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
    1 teaspoon ground ginger
    1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
    1/2 cup all natural peanut butter
    2 tablespoons sesame oil
    Red pepper flakes (optional)

    In a saucepan, heat water, soy sauce, ginger and vinegar on medium-low heat. When warm, add peanut butter. Allow it to melt a couple minutes, then use a whisk to smooth it out. Just before pouring over cooked pasta, turn off heat and whisk in the sesame oil. Pour over 16 oz cooked whole wheat pasta. Sprinkle on red pepper flakes.

    Thank you soooo much for this!!^^
  • realpersonal
    realpersonal Posts: 16 Member
    <3
  • realpersonal
    realpersonal Posts: 16 Member
    bshrom11 wrote: »
    I was vegan for a little over a year and lost 40 pounds. The main thing is you need to be preparing your own homemade foods not buying processed packaged vegan foods. You can gain weight on this lifestyle eating to much "vegan junk food". I would suggest a rice cooker and pressure cooker for beans, rice, soups, stews. Also do your research as it is very easy to become deficient in certain vitamins, minerals, nutrients if you are not preparing nutritionaly balanced meals on this lifestyle. Also a big mistake a lot of new vegans make is watching vegan youtube channels and trying to eat the way they eat. Just because someone else is eating a pound of pasta or a whole loaf of bread or 50 banana's a day doesn't mean that's good for someone else. Best of luck to you!

  • realpersonal
    realpersonal Posts: 16 Member
    Thank you for the advice!!! I will make sure to count my calories!!! <3
  • realpersonal
    realpersonal Posts: 16 Member
    estherdragonbat wrote: »
    Sadly, french fries, baked goods, potato chips, dark chocolate, nuts, sunflower seeds, vegan cheeses... all high-calorie. All vegan (or have vegan versions, in the case of baked goods). I'm vegetarian, not vegan, but I put on all this weight by not regulating my portion sizes, by mindless snacking, by emotional eating, and by feeling guilty after the fact and using more food to numb the guilt. Or kidding myself that because I'd just taken a two-hour walk, I was 'entitled' to a potato knish or package of salted roasted cashews.

    You lose weight by being in a calorie deficit, which you can totally do on a vegan diet. But going vegan doesn't magically make the pounds drop off. Keeping your calories in below your calories out does that.

  • realpersonal
    realpersonal Posts: 16 Member
    Thank you I will take note of this!!! :smiley:
  • realpersonal
    realpersonal Posts: 16 Member
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    To lose weight as a vegan, you'll still need a calorie deficit. If going vegan results in you somehow eating fewer calories, you'll lose weight. But many people maintain their weight and some even gain -- it's all about the calories. The weight I lost counting calories -- I gained that as a vegan (not due to becoming vegan, just through eating too much and not being very active).

    I have found Pinterest to be a great source for vegan recipes. Just type whatever you like to eat and then add the word "vegan" and you'll usually find recipes. As far as them being filling, what did you find filling as a non-vegan? For some people the trick is getting enough protein. For others, it's fiber. For me, it's usually fat. As long as you know what type of things keep you full, you can plan your meals around meeting those needs.

    I get the majority of my food at a regular grocery store. Beans, vegetables, grains, fruits, nuts, pasta -- most of these things are inherently vegan (you'll just want to check for added ingredients on some things). And in my grocery store, I can get plant milk, some faux meats, even ice cream and mayo. For anything that I can't find at my local grocery store, I usually go to Whole Foods.

    I've taken note of this, thank you for the advice!
    I will make sure to count my calories :smiley:
  • Zinka61
    Zinka61 Posts: 563 Member
    Great recipes online these days. The Ohsheglows blog and Forks Over Knives are just two with amazing recipes. I am a vegan-leaning vegetarian and throw together a lot of quick meals, too, like a plain, baked sweet potato or whole grain bread + 1 T. fresh ground almond butter, quick veggie soups in store bought veggie broth, veggie-bean salads, spinach-banana-mango-cashew milk smoothies, roasted Brussels sprouts, broccoli, delicata squash, cauliflower, etc. You don't have to be a gourmet chef to eat well. Nutritional yeast makes an amazing seasoning while adding nutrition to soups and other foods. But I, too, have been thin as well as overweight on a vegan diet.
  • CBD92
    CBD92 Posts: 72 Member
    The best advice I can give is to make small changes over time if you want it to last. When I was 14 I decided to become a vegetarian, because (looking back) it was "the cool thing to do". As you can guess, it didn't last long and I ended up just buying a Whopper from Burger King one day just cause we were passing by and that was the end of that! Fast forward 5 years and I decided I actually wanted to be a vegan or a vegetarian for completely different reasons. So because I was committed to making it a life long change, I took it super slow because I realized that when I stopped eating meat 5 years previous, I had no idea what I was doing. I just simply took meat out of my diet. I didn't replace all the protein, amino acids, omegas etc with anything else, I just simply took out the meat. So I thought I should take it slow. First thing I did was took out ground beef and replaced it with TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein) which kind of looks like/has the same texture as ground beef. That way I could still eat the meals I was used to making (such as lasagna and spaghetti) without using meat. That way it wasn't too overwhelming!

    After I was totally used to not having ground beef anymore, I moved onto the next thing. I would always use the vegan "meats", just to get me used to the transition. Once I stopped eating meat completely, I also stopped relying on the soy vegan "meats" and started to really shift into relying a lot on lentils and other legumes and all that kind of stuff. My diet is TOTALLY different now. Honestly, TVP and vegan "meats" aren't the healthiest thing for you, but they will definitely get you through the transitioning phase with ease as you get used to not having meat in your diet.

    P.S. I'm not in any way suggesting that you are becoming vegan because it's the cool thing to do, I was just speaking on my personal experience, and just wanting you to understand that it is a difficult change that requires some dedication and persistence, and it really is easier to make slow changes over time! It's not so overwhelming that way, as you slowly learn a new vegan recipe here and there. Being a vegan or vegetarian is great for so many different reasons, but you need to think about yourself first and make sure you nourish your body properly. I suggest doing a lot of research on nutrients you usually get from meat and really understanding all about it so you can go look for plant based nutrients. I have been vegetarian now 4 years and I still do research to make sure I am always nourishing myself properly! Good luck :)

    Cheers!
  • spimento29
    spimento29 Posts: 5 Member
    I just purchased a few good recipe books that have some great dishes you can try. A good place to get vegan products would be whole foods if you have one close to you. I recently gave up dairy due and have found that kite hill almond cheese is good and can be included in most recipes. I am not vegan but do cook vegan dishes for me and my husband.
  • rawroy
    rawroy Posts: 106 Member
    Congratulations on going Vegan! My advice to be your healthiest and lose weight as a side effect is to eat more low fat plant based whole foods. It's still vegan but with the healthiest benefits :wink: I have before after pics. Just look at my profile pic.
  • realpersonal
    realpersonal Posts: 16 Member
    CBD92 wrote: »
    The best advice I can give is to make small changes over time if you want it to last. When I was 14 I decided to become a vegetarian, because (looking back) it was "the cool thing to do". As you can guess, it didn't last long and I ended up just buying a Whopper from Burger King one day just cause we were passing by and that was the end of that! Fast forward 5 years and I decided I actually wanted to be a vegan or a vegetarian for completely different reasons. So because I was committed to making it a life long change, I took it super slow because I realized that when I stopped eating meat 5 years previous, I had no idea what I was doing. I just simply took meat out of my diet. I didn't replace all the protein, amino acids, omegas etc with anything else, I just simply took out the meat. So I thought I should take it slow. First thing I did was took out ground beef and replaced it with TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein) which kind of looks like/has the same texture as ground beef. That way I could still eat the meals I was used to making (such as lasagna and spaghetti) without using meat. That way it wasn't too overwhelming!

    After I was totally used to not having ground beef anymore, I moved onto the next thing. I would always use the vegan "meats", just to get me used to the transition. Once I stopped eating meat completely, I also stopped relying on the soy vegan "meats" and started to really shift into relying a lot on lentils and other legumes and all that kind of stuff. My diet is TOTALLY different now. Honestly, TVP and vegan "meats" aren't the healthiest thing for you, but they will definitely get you through the transitioning phase with ease as you get used to not having meat in your diet.

    P.S. I'm not in any way suggesting that you are becoming vegan because it's the cool thing to do, I was just speaking on my personal experience, and just wanting you to understand that it is a difficult change that requires some dedication and persistence, and it really is easier to make slow changes over time! It's not so overwhelming that way, as you slowly learn a new vegan recipe here and there. Being a vegan or vegetarian is great for so many different reasons, but you need to think about yourself first and make sure you nourish your body properly. I suggest doing a lot of research on nutrients you usually get from meat and really understanding all about it so you can go look for plant based nutrients. I have been vegetarian now 4 years and I still do research to make sure I am always nourishing myself properly! Good luck :)

    Cheers!

    Thank you for telling me this, this has been helpful! :smiley: I am currently having meals with chick peas and salads and having the quorn vegan products :smiley:
  • realpersonal
    realpersonal Posts: 16 Member
    spimento29 wrote: »
    I just purchased a few good recipe books that have some great dishes you can try. A good place to get vegan products would be whole foods if you have one close to you. I recently gave up dairy due and have found that kite hill almond cheese is good and can be included in most recipes. I am not vegan but do cook vegan dishes for me and my husband.

    Thank you :smile:
  • realpersonal
    realpersonal Posts: 16 Member
    Zinka61 wrote: »
    Great recipes online these days. The Ohsheglows blog and Forks Over Knives are just two with amazing recipes. I am a vegan-leaning vegetarian and throw together a lot of quick meals, too, like a plain, baked sweet potato or whole grain bread + 1 T. fresh ground almond butter, quick veggie soups in store bought veggie broth, veggie-bean salads, spinach-banana-mango-cashew milk smoothies, roasted Brussels sprouts, broccoli, delicata squash, cauliflower, etc. You don't have to be a gourmet chef to eat well. Nutritional yeast makes an amazing seasoning while adding nutrition to soups and other foods. But I, too, have been thin as well as overweight on a vegan diet.

    Thank you for the advice :smiley:
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    realpersonal wrote: »
    CBD92 wrote: »
    The best advice I can give is to make small changes over time if you want it to last. When I was 14 I decided to become a vegetarian, because (looking back) it was "the cool thing to do". As you can guess, it didn't last long and I ended up just buying a Whopper from Burger King one day just cause we were passing by and that was the end of that! Fast forward 5 years and I decided I actually wanted to be a vegan or a vegetarian for completely different reasons. So because I was committed to making it a life long change, I took it super slow because I realized that when I stopped eating meat 5 years previous, I had no idea what I was doing. I just simply took meat out of my diet. I didn't replace all the protein, amino acids, omegas etc with anything else, I just simply took out the meat. So I thought I should take it slow. First thing I did was took out ground beef and replaced it with TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein) which kind of looks like/has the same texture as ground beef. That way I could still eat the meals I was used to making (such as lasagna and spaghetti) without using meat. That way it wasn't too overwhelming!

    After I was totally used to not having ground beef anymore, I moved onto the next thing. I would always use the vegan "meats", just to get me used to the transition. Once I stopped eating meat completely, I also stopped relying on the soy vegan "meats" and started to really shift into relying a lot on lentils and other legumes and all that kind of stuff. My diet is TOTALLY different now. Honestly, TVP and vegan "meats" aren't the healthiest thing for you, but they will definitely get you through the transitioning phase with ease as you get used to not having meat in your diet.

    P.S. I'm not in any way suggesting that you are becoming vegan because it's the cool thing to do, I was just speaking on my personal experience, and just wanting you to understand that it is a difficult change that requires some dedication and persistence, and it really is easier to make slow changes over time! It's not so overwhelming that way, as you slowly learn a new vegan recipe here and there. Being a vegan or vegetarian is great for so many different reasons, but you need to think about yourself first and make sure you nourish your body properly. I suggest doing a lot of research on nutrients you usually get from meat and really understanding all about it so you can go look for plant based nutrients. I have been vegetarian now 4 years and I still do research to make sure I am always nourishing myself properly! Good luck :)

    Cheers!

    Thank you for telling me this, this has been helpful! :smiley: I am currently having meals with chick peas and salads and having the quorn vegan products :smiley:

    protip: most of quorn's products aren't vegan and include egg.
  • HeliumIsNoble
    HeliumIsNoble Posts: 1,213 Member
    How
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    realpersonal wrote: »
    CBD92 wrote: »
    The best advice I can give is to make small changes over time if you want it to last. When I was 14 I decided to become a vegetarian, because (looking back) it was "the cool thing to do". As you can guess, it didn't last long and I ended up just buying a Whopper from Burger King one day just cause we were passing by and that was the end of that! Fast forward 5 years and I decided I actually wanted to be a vegan or a vegetarian for completely different reasons. So because I was committed to making it a life long change, I took it super slow because I realized that when I stopped eating meat 5 years previous, I had no idea what I was doing. I just simply took meat out of my diet. I didn't replace all the protein, amino acids, omegas etc with anything else, I just simply took out the meat. So I thought I should take it slow. First thing I did was took out ground beef and replaced it with TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein) which kind of looks like/has the same texture as ground beef. That way I could still eat the meals I was used to making (such as lasagna and spaghetti) without using meat. That way it wasn't too overwhelming!

    After I was totally used to not having ground beef anymore, I moved onto the next thing. I would always use the vegan "meats", just to get me used to the transition. Once I stopped eating meat completely, I also stopped relying on the soy vegan "meats" and started to really shift into relying a lot on lentils and other legumes and all that kind of stuff. My diet is TOTALLY different now. Honestly, TVP and vegan "meats" aren't the healthiest thing for you, but they will definitely get you through the transitioning phase with ease as you get used to not having meat in your diet.

    P.S. I'm not in any way suggesting that you are becoming vegan because it's the cool thing to do, I was just speaking on my personal experience, and just wanting you to understand that it is a difficult change that requires some dedication and persistence, and it really is easier to make slow changes over time! It's not so overwhelming that way, as you slowly learn a new vegan recipe here and there. Being a vegan or vegetarian is great for so many different reasons, but you need to think about yourself first and make sure you nourish your body properly. I suggest doing a lot of research on nutrients you usually get from meat and really understanding all about it so you can go look for plant based nutrients. I have been vegetarian now 4 years and I still do research to make sure I am always nourishing myself properly! Good luck :)

    Cheers!

    Thank you for telling me this, this has been helpful! :smiley: I am currently having meals with chick peas and salads and having the quorn vegan products :smiley:

    protip: most of quorn's products aren't vegan and include egg.
    However, the vegan ones have vegan emblazoned across the front of the packet in letters so big you might see them from the top of Mount Sinai, so it's easy to avoid the products with egg.

  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    HeliumIsNoble wrote: »
    How
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    realpersonal wrote: »
    CBD92 wrote: »
    The best advice I can give is to make small changes over time if you want it to last. When I was 14 I decided to become a vegetarian, because (looking back) it was "the cool thing to do". As you can guess, it didn't last long and I ended up just buying a Whopper from Burger King one day just cause we were passing by and that was the end of that! Fast forward 5 years and I decided I actually wanted to be a vegan or a vegetarian for completely different reasons. So because I was committed to making it a life long change, I took it super slow because I realized that when I stopped eating meat 5 years previous, I had no idea what I was doing. I just simply took meat out of my diet. I didn't replace all the protein, amino acids, omegas etc with anything else, I just simply took out the meat. So I thought I should take it slow. First thing I did was took out ground beef and replaced it with TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein) which kind of looks like/has the same texture as ground beef. That way I could still eat the meals I was used to making (such as lasagna and spaghetti) without using meat. That way it wasn't too overwhelming!

    After I was totally used to not having ground beef anymore, I moved onto the next thing. I would always use the vegan "meats", just to get me used to the transition. Once I stopped eating meat completely, I also stopped relying on the soy vegan "meats" and started to really shift into relying a lot on lentils and other legumes and all that kind of stuff. My diet is TOTALLY different now. Honestly, TVP and vegan "meats" aren't the healthiest thing for you, but they will definitely get you through the transitioning phase with ease as you get used to not having meat in your diet.

    P.S. I'm not in any way suggesting that you are becoming vegan because it's the cool thing to do, I was just speaking on my personal experience, and just wanting you to understand that it is a difficult change that requires some dedication and persistence, and it really is easier to make slow changes over time! It's not so overwhelming that way, as you slowly learn a new vegan recipe here and there. Being a vegan or vegetarian is great for so many different reasons, but you need to think about yourself first and make sure you nourish your body properly. I suggest doing a lot of research on nutrients you usually get from meat and really understanding all about it so you can go look for plant based nutrients. I have been vegetarian now 4 years and I still do research to make sure I am always nourishing myself properly! Good luck :)

    Cheers!

    Thank you for telling me this, this has been helpful! :smiley: I am currently having meals with chick peas and salads and having the quorn vegan products :smiley:

    protip: most of quorn's products aren't vegan and include egg.
    However, the vegan ones have vegan emblazoned across the front of the packet in letters so big you might see them from the top of Mount Sinai, so it's easy to avoid the products with egg.

    i'm just saying, it is clearly "fake meat" and i don't think most people realize that only 4 products out of quorn's entire range don't have egg whites in them.
  • HeliumIsNoble
    HeliumIsNoble Posts: 1,213 Member
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    HeliumIsNoble wrote: »
    How
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    realpersonal wrote: »
    CBD92 wrote: »
    The best advice I can give is to make small changes over time if you want it to last. When I was 14 I decided to become a vegetarian, because (looking back) it was "the cool thing to do". As you can guess, it didn't last long and I ended up just buying a Whopper from Burger King one day just cause we were passing by and that was the end of that! Fast forward 5 years and I decided I actually wanted to be a vegan or a vegetarian for completely different reasons. So because I was committed to making it a life long change, I took it super slow because I realized that when I stopped eating meat 5 years previous, I had no idea what I was doing. I just simply took meat out of my diet. I didn't replace all the protein, amino acids, omegas etc with anything else, I just simply took out the meat. So I thought I should take it slow. First thing I did was took out ground beef and replaced it with TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein) which kind of looks like/has the same texture as ground beef. That way I could still eat the meals I was used to making (such as lasagna and spaghetti) without using meat. That way it wasn't too overwhelming!

    After I was totally used to not having ground beef anymore, I moved onto the next thing. I would always use the vegan "meats", just to get me used to the transition. Once I stopped eating meat completely, I also stopped relying on the soy vegan "meats" and started to really shift into relying a lot on lentils and other legumes and all that kind of stuff. My diet is TOTALLY different now. Honestly, TVP and vegan "meats" aren't the healthiest thing for you, but they will definitely get you through the transitioning phase with ease as you get used to not having meat in your diet.

    P.S. I'm not in any way suggesting that you are becoming vegan because it's the cool thing to do, I was just speaking on my personal experience, and just wanting you to understand that it is a difficult change that requires some dedication and persistence, and it really is easier to make slow changes over time! It's not so overwhelming that way, as you slowly learn a new vegan recipe here and there. Being a vegan or vegetarian is great for so many different reasons, but you need to think about yourself first and make sure you nourish your body properly. I suggest doing a lot of research on nutrients you usually get from meat and really understanding all about it so you can go look for plant based nutrients. I have been vegetarian now 4 years and I still do research to make sure I am always nourishing myself properly! Good luck :)

    Cheers!

    Thank you for telling me this, this has been helpful! :smiley: I am currently having meals with chick peas and salads and having the quorn vegan products :smiley:

    protip: most of quorn's products aren't vegan and include egg.
    However, the vegan ones have vegan emblazoned across the front of the packet in letters so big you might see them from the top of Mount Sinai, so it's easy to avoid the products with egg.

    i'm just saying, it is clearly "fake meat" and i don't think most people realize that only 4 products out of quorn's entire range don't have egg whites in them.
    Now, now. It's a whole seven these days. it's just that the standard supermarkets only stock four. ;)

  • cloggsy71
    cloggsy71 Posts: 2,208 Member
    I swapped from Omnivor to Vegan in Oct 2014 & haven't looked back.

    I'm actually repulsed by the thought of eating meat etc. now...

    The good thing about the Vegan lifestyle is plants, fruit, veg etc. are less calirifically dense than meat etc. Avoid high-fat products and you will be full far before you've consumed the calories.

    Going Vegan is a learning curve, so don't beat yourself up if you make a 'mistake'. Also, don't throw out all your leather goods etc. What's done is done.

    There are some good YouTube Channels to subscribe to e.g.

    https://youtu.be/h3c_D0s391Q

    Enjoy! ;)
  • realpersonal
    realpersonal Posts: 16 Member
    I have the quorn products that say 'vegan' on them. I don't go for any other products that aren't vegan!
  • realpersonal
    realpersonal Posts: 16 Member
    cloggsy71 wrote: »
    I swapped from Omnivor to Vegan in Oct 2014 & haven't looked back.

    I'm actually repulsed by the thought of eating meat etc. now...

    The good thing about the Vegan lifestyle is plants, fruit, veg etc. are less calirifically dense than meat etc. Avoid high-fat products and you will be full far before you've consumed the calories.

    Going Vegan is a learning curve, so don't beat yourself up if you make a 'mistake'. Also, don't throw out all your leather goods etc. What's done is done.

    There are some good YouTube Channels to subscribe to e.g.

    https://youtu.be/h3c_D0s391Q

    Enjoy! ;)

    Thank you for that! I find that I'm not missing meat but omg I'm missing dairy!!! It will take some getting used to :smiley:
  • Aclaire88
    Aclaire88 Posts: 80 Member
    @realpersonal
    I can send you suggestions for awesome Instagram accounts for you to follow?

    For recipes Pinterest is an endless amazing cook book!

    To be a healthy Vegan, being a passionate cook helps!
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