Vegan

starladeane

I would like to start eating more vegan/ vegetarian foods. I am very hungry all the time. How can I start this?

lynn_glenmont

Maybe if you clarified where you're finding the difficulty? Is it that you don't know what foods are vegetarian or vegan, don't where to find those foods, don't know to combine those foods into meals? Something else?

Also, if you gave us some idea of what you're eating now, it would also help, as we could suggest substitutes.

But here are some suggestions.

Yesterday, everything I ate would fit in a vegan diet.

For breakfast I had corn flakes with sliced bananas, raspberries, and soy milk (personally I prefer the plain, unsweetened kind).

lynn_glenmont

Continuing because stupid screen wouldn't let me get to end of my post to continue typing.

For lunch I had soft corn tortillas spread with vegan refried beans (meaning they aren't made with lard or other animal fat -- I used a canned brand called, I think, Siete, or maybe Siente), heated in the oven for a few minutes, and topped with a green chile salsa. You could put cheese or vegan cheese on top before putting in the oven, depending on whether you're vegetarian or vegan.

For an afternoon snack, I had some shelled soy beans (I believe they're called makumame when they're shelled). They sell them fresh in a plastic container in the produce section of grocery stores in my area). I topped them with a little soy sauce and red rice vinegar.

For dinner I had some basmati rice topped with some Impossible spicy sausage and a stir fry of cabbage, carrots, ginger root, and garlic, finished with a sauce made from miso, soy sauce, red rice vinegar, and maple balsamic vinegar.

Today I've had a couple of lacto-ovo veg meals.

For breakfast, an asiago bagel with a port wine cheddar spread.

For lunch, some lentil-spinach soup, some lebneh (a tangy, thickened Middle Eastern dairy product, a little like yogurt, but more delicious), and pita to dip in the lebneh

For an afternoon snack, some popcorn with a seasoning mix made from nutritional yeast and spices (recipe on the bag of Bob's Red Mill nutritional yeast).

AnnPT77

Is the problem more not knowing what to eat as a vegetarian or vegan, or is the problem more that you're hungry when you try to eat vegetarian/vegan?

Different people find different mixes of foods filling.

Many people will find so-called "whole foods" more filling than so-called "ultraprocessed" foods. I put those words in quotes because the terms aren't very well defined. "Whole foods" is loosely going to be things like veggies, fruits, whole grains, beans, etc. "Ultraprocessed" foods are packaged foods with long lists of ingredients you might not use in a home kitchen, refined flour, added sugar, high salt/sodium, and that sort of thing.

Quite a few people find protein filling, and new veg*an eaters may have challenges learning how to get adequate protein, especially on reduced calories. Some common main protein sources are traditional soy foods (edamame, tofu, tempeh, natto, etc.), seitan (which is gluten, in case you're sensitive or celiac), beans/legumes of other types. There are also more modern or processed sources like legume pasta, vegan protein supplements, etc.

To reach your protein goals, it may be helpful to think in terms of getting not just one big protein per meal, but also choosing sides that contain relatively more protein. (Some grains or breads or veggies have more protein than others, for example.) You may also use flavoring ingredients that add at least some protein, such as nutritional yeast, miso, or defatted peanut flour (peanut butter powder).

Some people find fats filling. If that's true for you, nuts, nut butters, seeds or avocadoes may be useful foods. Those are calorie dense, so portion control is important.

Some people find volume to be a necessary thing to feel full. There, large amounts of low-calorie veggies may be a helpful choice.

Finally, some people find specific foods especially filling, with common (not universal) examples being oatmeal, or whole baked or boiled potatoes.

That's all vegan. If lacto-vegetarian (i.e., eating dairy foods), consider Greek yogurt or cottage cheese (and other calorie-efficient cheeses) as protein sources. If ovo-vegetarian, add eggs. If you eat fish/seafood, that's not vegetarian or vegan, but pescatarian. (Some people use the terminology quite loosely.)

I'm ovo-lacto vegetarian, and have been for nearly 50 years. Here are some meal examples:

Breakfast today was oatmeal with plain nonfat Greek yogurt, berries, ground flax seed, hemp hearts, walnuts, peanut butter powder, cinnamon, and blackstrap molasses. (I eat a pretty big breakfast.)

Lunch was a sandwich on Ezekiel pita with baked tempeh, spinach, onion, mustard, and cheese, plus an apple on the side.

I haven't had dinner/supper yet today. Last night's was a small omelet with spinach, onions, tomatoes, cheese, artichoke, orange bell pepper, and balsamic vinegar, plus a side of cooked mixed veggies (cauliflower, carrots, broccoli).