VEGANS WHAT DO YOU EAT?

xSkinnyFitx

I've updated my vegan lifestyle... Some things I've changed are that I now allow Sundried tomatoes. Sundried tomatoes are made with sea salt they have unsalted Sundried tomatoes but I don't like them. So by adding Sundried tomatoes to some of my recipes (not all) is a way for me to indirectly eat sea salt however, I never sprinkle sea salt over my food. Also I allow some store bought frozen fruit. Originally I said no store bought fruit was allowed because they usually add unnatural preservatives etc. but I actually found frozen mango chunks and frozen bing cherries have no preservatives so I sometimes eat those. I still recommend buying your own fresh fruit, chopping it up and freezing it yourself however during these winter months not all fruit is available so frozen preservative free fruit is ok as long as the fruit is the only ingredient. I also allow unsalted tortilla chips. Donkey brand has unsalted tortilla chips made with just stoneground corn and corn oil nothing else. Although I don't eat oil I will allow it in the form of tortilla chips. I also allow unsalted roasted Sunflower seed kernels made with Sunflower oil. I could buy raw sunflower seeds but I like them roasted. However I never drizzle oil over my food. This may seem strict but it's not. This lifestyle is about allowing not restricting. That's why I had to make some changes because I want to feel free not restricted.

HeliumIsNoble

Well, when I was a strict vegan, I ate food free of dairy, meat, fish, eggs, honey and shellac. That was about it.

Now I'm a miserable failure at life beegan and I eat food free of dairy, meat, fish, eggs, and shellac. That's about it.

4wren4

Whoah, I like it--- allowing versus restricting.

mir1104

That sounds more like food police than a diet to be honest.

xSkinnyFitx wrote: »

I want to feel free not restricted.

Besides what you want, what DO you feel, for real?
Just changing the word, allow vs. restrict, it won't make it any different...you can call chicken a horse but it is still going to be a horse.

janejellyroll

None of the restrictions you mention have much to do with veganism. Vegans, like non-vegans, can choose to restrict oil, salt, or preservatives. But it's completely separate from what veganism is.

esdoody

I don't eat meat, period. I try to avoid processed foods. My breakfast alternates between three meals. Meal 1( my fave), 2 whole grain toast with natural peanut butter and a banana. Meal 2- 2 scrambled eggs with a lot of frozen mixed veggies and 1 whole grain toast. Meal 3- steel cut oats with frozen mixed berries and a tbsp. of agave syrup.
For lunch- I'm simple, mornings I don't have toast I will have toast with the natural peanut butter and banana, or cream cheese, or veggies with hummus..
Dinners I like- Spaghetti squash with homemade tofu spaghetti sauce, chili with beans, vege burgers, salads with cottage cheese.
Other ways I replace my protein- boiled eggs, cottage cheese, greek yogurt..

cr_hearn

As an almost-vegan I avoid meat, eggs, and dairy. I do eat some honey so I'm not technically vegan. The salt and oil are a separate issue from veganism; I use some but I go easy on them because oil is all fat (and I'm trying to lose weight) and too much salt isn't good for my kidney disease. I usually saute in water instead of oil. I eat a lot of whole grains, beans, pasta, veggies, nuts, and fruit, and I use some soy products such as tofu.

estherdragonbat

Thursday's when I do my cooking for the week. I'm vegetarian, not vegan, but most of my recipes come out of a vegan cookbook. (In a nutshell, I'm kosher and married to a meat-eater. There are dietary restrictions on mixing milk and meat that make it difficult to serve both at the the table at the same time. Most vegetarian cookbooks are more than 50% dairy, which makes me feel like I'm wasting my money since I rarely cook dairy. Vegan cookbooks give me my money's worth.)

So, today I made:

Hummus
Turkish mandarin salad (Spanish onion, mandarin oranges sections, olives, and spices)
Mock liver
Jamaican jerk-spiced chili with homemade seitan
Cornbread
Mock kishke (think cracker-crumb stuffing baked in the oven in loaves)
California grape cake (the only item in the menu to contain eggs)

Will soak some dried beans later tonight for cholent (slow-cooker stew) and slice up some cucumbers to salt overnight for cucumber salad. But this is pretty typical for me.

Hoshiko

I have to be honest, that does seem rather strict to me, but to each their own!

I've been vegan for a very, very long time (15+ years) and I travel a lot for work so for me if I drove myself crazy with every added preservative I would probably give up out of frustration. I eat anything that doesn't contain animal products, and I do my best. I try not to stress the truly small stuff and instead focus on my reasons for doing this, which are moral and not necessarily health reasons (although I do think a vegan diet is pretty darn healthy overall).

Because of that my diet is pretty varied, and although I try to eat whole foods as a rule I do make exceptions for some processed foods (cashew milk ice cream for example, yum!). On a daily it's usually some mix of seitan, beans, fresh veggies and fruits, whole grains and coffee. Emphasis on the coffee.

msr8898

I'm nearly vegan, does that count?

I started a vegetarian lifestyle just over 2 years ago, and as time goes on I seem to progress more and more towards a minimally processed, vegan diet. This year, I would really like to make the leap over to true veganism.

Currently, I eat lots of lentils and quinoa daily, along with beans fresh fruits, veg, and whole grains (love my oatmeal!). Olive oil and balsamic vinegar are a strong daily staple, along with a variety of nuts and seeds in moderation.

I rely heavily on homemade whole wheat breads, bagels, tortillas and pasta. Homemade granola is a must. Soy milk and protein powder are about the closest I get to processed foods at the moment; if it comes vacuum packed or in a can I find myself pretty disinterested.

* The only times I use animal products currently is in my bread/bagels (milk & honey) and in my pasta (eggs). If anybody has some tried and true homemade vegan alternatives, let me know!

HeliumIsNoble

msr8898 wrote: »

* The only times I use animal products currently is in my bread/bagels (milk & honey) and in my pasta (eggs). If anybody has some tried and true homemade vegan alternatives, let me know!

Buy dried pasta?

janejellyroll

msr8898 wrote: »

I'm nearly vegan, does that count?

I started a vegetarian lifestyle just over 2 years ago, and as time goes on I seem to progress more and more towards a minimally processed, vegan diet. This year, I would really like to make the leap over to true veganism.

Currently, I eat lots of lentils and quinoa daily, along with beans fresh fruits, veg, and whole grains (love my oatmeal!). Olive oil and balsamic vinegar are a strong daily staple, along with a variety of nuts and seeds in moderation.

I rely heavily on homemade whole wheat breads, bagels, tortillas and pasta. Homemade granola is a must. Soy milk and protein powder are about the closest I get to processed foods at the moment; if it comes vacuum packed or in a can I find myself pretty disinterested.

* The only times I use animal products currently is in my bread/bagels (milk & honey) and in my pasta (eggs). If anybody has some tried and true homemade vegan alternatives, let me know!

Nonna's Italian Kitchen by Bryanna Clark Grogan has several vegan pasta recipes that turned out well when I made them.

Vegan Brunch by Isa Chandra Moskowitz has vegan bagel recipes (I haven't tried them yet, but her recipes are generally awesome).

Many bread recipes that call for milk turn out fine with plant milk (and you can make your own if you don't want to buy it -- I've made milk from cashews, oats, and almonds and used it in recipes). Agave is a popular substitute for honey in baking. I've also used maple syrup.

msr8898

janejellyroll wrote: »

Many bread recipes that call for milk turn out fine with plant milk (and you can make your own if you don't want to buy it -- I've made milk from cashews, oats, and almonds and used it in recipes).

^How did I not know this!? Thank you.

SABoj

I too use nut or soy milk in a variety of recipes as a sub for dairy - and often unsweetened applesauce for oil. I've been vegetarian for 30+ years and vegan for 10+. My family isn't vegetarian, but one of my two kids is going in this direction on his own.

I agree, Isa's Veganomicon cookbook is a must - LOTS of delicious, vegan recipes that aren't extremely difficult to make. She has some other goodies posted at ppk too. I also make a lot of Nava Atlas' recipes - from vegkitchen. (Making her easy vegan bean burritos tonight - wrapped in collards.) My meals consist of a variety of greens, veggies, whole grains, beans, nuts/seeds, fruits and some soy/tofu/tempeh. I also drink a vegan meal supplement/shake daily. It's not about deprivation, it's about making conscience food choices - for your health, the animals and the planet. Cheers to you!

cr_hearn

I've actually never used milk in making bread. My recipe calls for water, and it's good-tasting bread.