Advice for a new vegan?

emilynw10

So wait, you're going vegan because you think it's healthy? :huh:

Artificially restricting your diet to exclude an entire subgroup of nutrient sources your body evolved to utilize and having to bend over backwards to compensate for the lack of that nutrient source doesn't sound particularly "healthful" to me.

that's a hilarious post from someone who obviously has no clue about veganism. It really isn't as hard as people imply. The protein argument isn't an argument as you have to try very hard not to get enough protein. A vegan diet can be healthy or unhealthy like any other one' what you do find though is that vegans have made a concious choice, so know far more about their diet than most people. Vegan diets are generally lower calorie than animal based diets but you still have to be careful. I was and and still am fat vegan so being a vegan is no panacia for weight loss.

My main advice is don't preach to people. If they ask about your diet talk explain. In reality most puerile are more exciting than you think* as long as you're not a preachy vegan. They are in fact more likely to ask you if they know you're not going to shove your choice down their throat. I'm a Vegan for ethical reasons** and have been for way before mfp people ask about that of me because they know I respect their choices even if I disagree.

* ???

** Well, aren't we superior to all the unethical people who eat the precious little animals! Animals eat each other too, you know that, right? Yeah, if you're going with the "not preachy" motif, then you might not want to label everyone who isn't a vegan "unethical". :huh:

People aren't allowed to have differing opinions about what they feel is and is not ethical?

Xiaolongbao

I'm vegetarian not vegan but if anyone questions my choices I simply assure them that I enjoy killing animals with my bare hands, ripping them limb from limb - I just prefer not to eat their rotting flesh*.

That tends to end most conversations, especially if there's a household pet you can stare threateningly at as you say it.

In terms of health I agree with what many others have said. Don't expect that simply labeling yourself vegan will suddenly make you healthy. Plenty of horribly unhealthy food is vegan (french fries, oreos, potato chips...). If you want to go vegan I highly suggest some serious research first. Personally I do quite a bit of vegan cooking and I love the challenge (vegan quiche is my most recent discovery) but it does tend to take me more time and thought than even vegetarian cooking does.


*actually this is not true - I love eating dead animal but I refrain due to ethical concerns.

Siansonea

I am a vegan. You should only go vegan for ethical choices. As a "diet" you're just as likely to get fat as a non-vegan diet. Trust me - I'm an expert on being a fat, junk food loving vegan.

People aren't allowed to have differing opinions about what they feel is and is not ethical?

*actually this is not true - I love eating dead animal but I refrain due to ethical concerns.

Still not seeing why eating animals is unethical. Lots of animals eat other animals. It's kind of the whole setup of nature—one thing snacks on another thing. And why is eating animals "unethical", but eating plants is ethical? Why the arbitrary moratorium on Animalia? And what about bacteria, fungi, etc.?

Honestly, I'm so sick of the cloyingly sentimental "it has a face!" argument. :huh: You want to feel superior? Knock yourselves out, but labeling the rest of us "unethical" because we eat other animals? I got a problem with that.

cheetaprint23435676

Just tell them it's a personal choice. People always seem to want to discuss it over lunch or something, but that is the worst time. I field off the questions until we're all done eating...and of course, by then no one cares.

Peanut butter is something I absolutely could not live without! When I went vegan I hardly even liked it, but now I crave it straight out of the jar.

Everyone is so right about the b12 thing--you shouldn't play around with that because it is critical in every diet. Luckily, there are lots of vegan supplements!

Also, if you eat lots of different whole foods, you don't have to worry about getting enough protein. Good luck!:)

illuvatree

Wow, I hardly ever see posts about the vegan lifestyle on here! I'm a recently turned vegan. I wasn't even a vegetarian before this month, so it was a bit of a switch. And here's some of my "wisdom" ~

People who give you a hard time about it aren't worth talking to about it. There are going to be insensitive people about every dietary change. I think that as long as you're getting the right nutrients, no one has the right to judge you. And it's ridiculous that people automatically think that vegans just eat rabbit food. I work at a health food store, and guess what? They bake cupcakes, brownies, cookies, pies, etc. there. You can buy grains. You can eat Fakin' Bacon (or something similar. Though some meat substitutes are just vegetarian and not vegan -- look out for that!). Like you said, tofu. You can flavor tofu so differently between each batch that each flavor makes it seem like different food.

Sweet potatoes for sure! And pearl cous cous. I tend to make my own soup, and put veggies, sweet potatoes, pearl cous cous or pasta, etc. in it. If you want it creamy, coconut milk is great to add! I keep vegetable broth and crushed tomatoes (or puree) on hand for soup as well.

You have to look hard at the menu when you to go restaurants. Some restaurants (or diners) only have french fries as the vegan option. You CAN order salads, just ask not to have meat or cheese. Salad bars too. The other night at a diner, I got sautéed vegetables over lo mein. And last night I went out and got a veggie burger. You just have to really look, because a lot of restaurants don't have a "vegetarian" side of the menu, and even then, vegetarian doesn't mean vegan. And some menus don't put every single ingredient. A few weeks ago at a diner I ordered vegetables and pasta with wine sauce, and they put butter in the sauce, which was not on the menu. You can't really be the most particular person ever when you eat at restaurants, just be as careful as you can.

As far as weight loss, I hope it's helping me. I haven't weighed myself since the beginning of this month. But I do feel better about myself and what I eat, and honestly, I *personally* feel less gross inside now that I'm not eating meat and dairy (not saying this is everyone's experience, it's just mine).

Good luck to you! And feel free to add me/message if you want to talk about it!

illuvatree

I am a vegan. You should only go vegan for ethical choices. As a "diet" you're just as likely to get fat as a non-vegan diet. Trust me - I'm an expert on being a fat, junk food loving vegan.

People aren't allowed to have differing opinions about what they feel is and is not ethical?

*actually this is not true - I love eating dead animal but I refrain due to ethical concerns.

Still not seeing why eating animals is unethical. Lots of animals eat other animals. It's kind of the whole setup of nature—one thing snacks on another thing. And why is eating animals "unethical", but eating plants is ethical? Why the arbitrary moratorium on Animalia? And what about bacteria, fungi, etc.?

Honestly, I'm so sick of the cloyingly sentimental "it has a face!" argument. :huh: You want to feel superior? Knock yourselves out, but labeling the rest of us "unethical" because we eat other animals? I got a problem with that.

The thing is, a lot of it is about how animals are treated before they're killed. Animals who kill other animals in nature.... they stalk it, and then go in for the kill, usually putting the animal out of its misery pretty fast.

But the meat industry tends to torture animals or put them in harmful environments, or feed them pesticides *before* they're killed. It's not always about the fact that they're animals. It's about drawn out torture.

And let's not bring up plants. They can't feel pain, so it's a pointless argument.

(Sidenote: I'm vegan, but not for the ethics. I care about the animals, sure, but that's not the tipping point for me.)

illuvatree

So wait, you're going vegan because you think it's healthy? :huh:

Artificially restricting your diet to exclude an entire subgroup of nutrient sources your body evolved to utilize and having to bend over backwards to compensate for the lack of that nutrient source doesn't sound particularly "healthful" to me.

Do you mean protein? Because there are a lot of vegan sources for protein. A LOT of them.

illuvatree

I am a vegan. You should only go vegan for ethical choices. As a "diet" you're just as likely to get fat as a non-vegan diet. Trust me - I'm an expert on being a fat, junk food loving vegan.

Examples of vegan treachery: Oreos, soda, a lot of booze, Chick-o-sticks (drooool), Entenmann's snack pies, chips, unfrosted pop tarts... I can go on and on.

SO - don't go vegan just because you think you'll lose weight. When you're pressed for time and you have to just grab something, you're MORE LIKELY to grab garbage. Unless you have ethical reasons for vegan you're better off eating a varied diet of moderation.

:flowerforyou:

I think that's decent advice, but not necessarily true. It doesn't have to be about ethics. If you stock up on grains, veggies, fruits, tofu, other sources of protein, etc., you can be a vegan for diet and not just for ethics. I, for one, am trying to get past the hurdle of terrible cholesterol. But I'm definitely not going to go out and just eat french fries and cookies. I think that being a member of this site helps with that though (and who you surround yourself with -- I surround myself with healthy eaters and supportive people, or at least I try).

dellaquilaa

You should probably do a lot of research on how to get proper nutrition without meat/poultry/fish/dairy/eggs/ect...you don't sound as if you actually know very much...being vegan doesn't mean you're auto "healthy"...in fact, it's far harder to actually get your proper nutrients if you don't know what you're doing. I'd suggest some major googling....maybe some books and other research. What you're giving up in RE to meat/poultry/fish/dairy/eggs, etc isn't "unhealthy' in and of itself...maybe you need to think about why you're actually doing what you're doing.

It can be a very healthy lifestyle, but you have to pay far more attention to what you're doing to actually get proper nutrients.

^ This, too. Really, really do your homework. Vitamin B12 & Vitamin D are found in animals primarily, so I have to take supplements. It's vital to a vegan's overall health to ensure you're getting adequate vitamins you're missing from animals. Definitely invest in those vitamins, do some research on how much you should be taking. Also, nutritional yeast is a vegans best friend, it's this yellow, powdered supplement found in health food stores. It's absolutely amazing in every way, I buy iy by the pound and put it in and on everything for an extra B12 and Manganese boost. Chia seeds, hemp seeds, and maca powder are also good vitamin booster.

You do know that vitamin D isn't naturally found in animal products, right? They fortify them with it.

Siansonea

I am a vegan. You should only go vegan for ethical choices. As a "diet" you're just as likely to get fat as a non-vegan diet. Trust me - I'm an expert on being a fat, junk food loving vegan.

People aren't allowed to have differing opinions about what they feel is and is not ethical?

*actually this is not true - I love eating dead animal but I refrain due to ethical concerns.

Still not seeing why eating animals is unethical. Lots of animals eat other animals. It's kind of the whole setup of nature—one thing snacks on another thing. And why is eating animals "unethical", but eating plants is ethical? Why the arbitrary moratorium on Animalia? And what about bacteria, fungi, etc.?

Honestly, I'm so sick of the cloyingly sentimental "it has a face!" argument. :huh: You want to feel superior? Knock yourselves out, but labeling the rest of us "unethical" because we eat other animals? I got a problem with that.

The thing is, a lot of it is about how animals are treated before they're killed. Animals who kill other animals in nature.... they stalk it, and then go in for the kill, usually putting the animal out of its misery pretty fast.

But the meat industry tends to torture animals or put them in harmful environments, or feed them pesticides *before* they're killed. It's not always about the fact that they're animals. It's about drawn out torture.

That sounds like a good rationalization to eat 'free range' meat and eggs, but it doesn't really support veganism per se. And it really doesn't say anything about seafood. And nature is much more brutal than you think. Some predators lay their eggs inside live prey, which is then consumed alive by the hatchlings. It's a cruel, cruel world we live in. Don't take it up with me, I certainly wouldn't have set things up this way. If it was up to me, we'd all just photosynthesize everything and sing campfire songs all the livelong day. But I wasn't consulted when natural selection did that thing it does.

And let's not bring up plants. They can't feel pain, so it's a pointless argument.

Aw, poor little animals feel pain as they're killed and eaten. Cue violins. That's nature, honey. And who says plants don't feel pain? Just because you can't empathize with faceless plants doesn't mean they don't feel "pain" after a fashion. And do you kill bugs that come in your house? Do you spray insecticides in your garden, or introduce ladybugs or other predators to control the bug population? Or does your empathy only extend to Chordata, Vertebrata, or Mammalia?

(Sidenote: I'm vegan, but not for the ethics. I care about the animals, sure, but that's not the tipping point for me.)

What other "reasons" are there? Unless you're allergic to meat, I can't see why anyone would do this on purpose. :huh: It's not "healthier" by any means, and it's not a better diet for weight loss. So if you leave out maudlin sentimentality as well, it doesn't really leave much in the way of rationale. But I'm curious, so do tell.

Siansonea

So wait, you're going vegan because you think it's healthy? :huh:

Artificially restricting your diet to exclude an entire subgroup of nutrient sources your body evolved to utilize and having to bend over backwards to compensate for the lack of that nutrient source doesn't sound particularly "healthful" to me.

Do you mean protein? Because there are a lot of vegan sources for protein. A LOT of them.

Did I say "protein"? :huh:

dressagester

I am a vegan. You should only go vegan for ethical choices. As a "diet" you're just as likely to get fat as a non-vegan diet. Trust me - I'm an expert on being a fat, junk food loving vegan.

People aren't allowed to have differing opinions about what they feel is and is not ethical?

*actually this is not true - I love eating dead animal but I refrain due to ethical concerns.

Still not seeing why eating animals is unethical. Lots of animals eat other animals. It's kind of the whole setup of nature—one thing snacks on another thing. And why is eating animals "unethical", but eating plants is ethical? Why the arbitrary moratorium on Animalia? And what about bacteria, fungi, etc.?

Honestly, I'm so sick of the cloyingly sentimental "it has a face!" argument. :huh: You want to feel superior? Knock yourselves out, but labeling the rest of us "unethical" because we eat other animals? I got a problem with that.

Ethics are individual. I choose my own, and I do not choose for others.

Methinks you protest a lot over people's choices that just leave MOAR BACONS for you.

vvvalentines

Buy a bag of VWG (vital wheat gluten) unless you can't have gluten, Bob's Red Mill is a pretty common brand. Make your own seitan. There are a lot of recipes out there, none of them are very difficult. Seitan was my personal favorite meat substitute when I ate an all-vegan, mostly-raw diet. It has a nice texture and if you make it yourself it's very cheap.

Tempeh is another good protein option, it's a soy product that has more texture and "bite" than tofu. It can be expensive, though it's possible to make your own (which I've never tried.)

Avocados are your friend. It can be hard to get enough good fats on a vegan diet, and avocados are full of them. Same goes for nuts--I love almonds and walnuts, especially drizzled with a little dark maple syrup. You can also use almonds, cashews, walnuts, whatever you want to make your own nut milks, which are tastier and healthier than almost any store-bought vegan "milks" you can buy. The secret to making them really rich and tasty is to add the tiniest pinch of sea salt and your favorite sweetener.

Eat lots of good olive oil, starchy vegetables, and fruits. Don't rely entirely on pasta or breads, but include lots of whole grains and seeds in your diet.

If anyone asks why you're doing it, just say "I wanted to try it out and see if it works for me." There's not much people can say to that without making themselves look like an *kitten*.

Siansonea

I am a vegan. You should only go vegan for ethical choices. As a "diet" you're just as likely to get fat as a non-vegan diet. Trust me - I'm an expert on being a fat, junk food loving vegan.

People aren't allowed to have differing opinions about what they feel is and is not ethical?

*actually this is not true - I love eating dead animal but I refrain due to ethical concerns.

Still not seeing why eating animals is unethical. Lots of animals eat other animals. It's kind of the whole setup of nature—one thing snacks on another thing. And why is eating animals "unethical", but eating plants is ethical? Why the arbitrary moratorium on Animalia? And what about bacteria, fungi, etc.?

Honestly, I'm so sick of the cloyingly sentimental "it has a face!" argument. :huh: You want to feel superior? Knock yourselves out, but labeling the rest of us "unethical" because we eat other animals? I got a problem with that.

Ethics are individual. I choose my own, and I do not choose for others.

Methinks you protest a lot over people's choices that just leave MOAR BACONS for you.

You choose your own without really thinking about them, it seems. Or maybe they're intentionally arbitrary. Thanks for the bacon though, omnom.

vvvalentines

Oh... and buy nutritional yeast for B vitamins, or marmite/vegemite if you like those. Read up on food pairings--some foods block your absorption of certain nutrients, so you have to be especially careful as a vegan to get everything you need. It's probably easiest to take a B12 supplement daily or weekly to make sure you get enough to function well.

DatMurse

You should probably do a lot of research on how to get proper nutrition without meat/poultry/fish/dairy/eggs/ect...you don't sound as if you actually know very much...being vegan doesn't mean you're auto "healthy"...in fact, it's far harder to actually get your proper nutrients if you don't know what you're doing. I'd suggest some major googling....maybe some books and other research. What you're giving up in RE to meat/poultry/fish/dairy/eggs, etc isn't "unhealthy' in and of itself...maybe you need to think about why you're actually doing what you're doing.

It can be a very healthy lifestyle, but you have to pay far more attention to what you're doing to actually get proper nutrients.

^ This, too. Really, really do your homework. Vitamin B12 & Vitamin D are found in animals primarily, so I have to take supplements. It's vital to a vegan's overall health to ensure you're getting adequate vitamins you're missing from animals. Definitely invest in those vitamins, do some research on how much you should be taking. Also, nutritional yeast is a vegans best friend, it's this yellow, powdered supplement found in health food stores. It's absolutely amazing in every way, I buy iy by the pound and put it in and on everything for an extra B12 and Manganese boost. Chia seeds, hemp seeds, and maca powder are also good vitamin booster.

You do know that vitamin D isn't naturally found in animal products, right? They fortify them with it.

What are you talking about?
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12743460

I have seen you spew out information? Where are you getting this information from?

illuvatree

So wait, you're going vegan because you think it's healthy? :huh:

Artificially restricting your diet to exclude an entire subgroup of nutrient sources your body evolved to utilize and having to bend over backwards to compensate for the lack of that nutrient source doesn't sound particularly "healthful" to me.

Do you mean protein? Because there are a lot of vegan sources for protein. A LOT of them.

Did I say "protein"? :huh:

Which nutrients do you mean, then?

illuvatree

What other "reasons" are there? Unless you're allergic to meat, I can't see why anyone would do this on purpose. :huh: It's not "healthier" by any means, and it's not a better diet for weight loss. So if you leave out maudlin sentimentality as well, it doesn't really leave much in the way of rationale. But I'm curious, so do tell.

I'm not doing it for weight loss. It's really just a personal choice. It's healthier if you want to lower your cholesterol, though you can still definitely be unhealthy and vegan. It depends on what you eat in general. I think a lot of vegans are misinformed, but a lot of nonvegans are as well.

I'm not here to preach to you. Honestly, I don't care what you eat now or in the future. No need to be so aggressive about it. We all make different choices.

Siansonea

So wait, you're going vegan because you think it's healthy? :huh:

Artificially restricting your diet to exclude an entire subgroup of nutrient sources your body evolved to utilize and having to bend over backwards to compensate for the lack of that nutrient source doesn't sound particularly "healthful" to me.

Do you mean protein? Because there are a lot of vegan sources for protein. A LOT of them.

Did I say "protein"? :huh:

Which nutrients do you mean, then?

I mean nutrient sources. You can tell that's what I meant because that's what I said originally (see bolded text above).

There's more to meat than protein. It has nutritional value besides protein. I would have thought you'd be aware of that, considering all of the nutrient juggling one has to do to compensate for the lack of animal nutrient sources in one's diet. :huh:

Sarauk2sf

You should probably do a lot of research on how to get proper nutrition without meat/poultry/fish/dairy/eggs/ect...you don't sound as if you actually know very much...being vegan doesn't mean you're auto "healthy"...in fact, it's far harder to actually get your proper nutrients if you don't know what you're doing. I'd suggest some major googling....maybe some books and other research. What you're giving up in RE to meat/poultry/fish/dairy/eggs, etc isn't "unhealthy' in and of itself...maybe you need to think about why you're actually doing what you're doing.

It can be a very healthy lifestyle, but you have to pay far more attention to what you're doing to actually get proper nutrients.

^ This, too. Really, really do your homework. Vitamin B12 & Vitamin D are found in animals primarily, so I have to take supplements. It's vital to a vegan's overall health to ensure you're getting adequate vitamins you're missing from animals. Definitely invest in those vitamins, do some research on how much you should be taking. Also, nutritional yeast is a vegans best friend, it's this yellow, powdered supplement found in health food stores. It's absolutely amazing in every way, I buy iy by the pound and put it in and on everything for an extra B12 and Manganese boost. Chia seeds, hemp seeds, and maca powder are also good vitamin booster.

You do know that vitamin D isn't naturally found in animal products, right? They fortify them with it.

Not correct, at all.

http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/high-vitamin-D-foods.php