Advice for a new vegan?
Replies
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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:0 -
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.0 -
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*.0 -
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.0 -
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.0
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What are you talking about?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.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12743460
I have seen you spew out information? Where are you getting this information from?0 -
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?0 -
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.0 -
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:0 -
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.php0 -
Good for you! I'm a 7 year vegan, was lacto ovo vegetarian for 6 years prior to that. You won't regret it, trust me
Please don't listen to nutritionally low IQ people on this forum who say it's not a healthy way to live. There is such an overwhelming amount of research that has been done w/in even the last 5-10 years that truly makes plant-based nutrition the optimal human diet, not to mention for such a wide array of other reasons: Efficiency, Economics, Compassion, Planet. NOT being vegan is actually extremely strange once someone knows about all of these aspects.
If you have ANY questions whatsoever, let me know. I've made it my hobby to know what is up w/ this, since there are all sorts of meat enthusiasts out there that think they know what they're talking about w/out doing any true research of their own.
And don't feel alone, there are millions of plant-based people out there If you haven't joined a meetup in your area yet I'd recommend doing that.
Steph
And I'm from a medium sized Midwestern town, so I know how difficult it can be as far as dealing with stuff...
Quickie Advice for the Inevitable Meat Enthusiasts:
1) B12: Super easy: Nutritional yeast. I add it to all sorts of stuff.
2) Vitamin
mushrooms, especially ones grown in ultraviolet light (they create Vitamin D from sunlight just like we do)
3) Protein: Plants themselves have 4-7%, where do the cows get their protein? From plants, duh. Don't have time to explain the "complete" protein myth circulating out there, but rest assured, vegans don't need to worry
4) Omegas: Fish don't produce their own, DHA, EPA, etc is produced by the algae that the fish eat. I personally take an algae based supplement, but that's the only supplement I take.
5) K2 (mk-7) You'll hear some people say you can only get this from animals.. Wrong again. Natto, a fermented soy product is one of the highest sources. For lunch everyday I drink a Raw Meal chocolate shake which has it in there. Super stuff.
6) Calcium: Not really sure why I'm even adding this because it seems so obvious by now, but green leafy vegetables contain better absorbing, higher quality calcium, plus plants have tons of phytonutrients and fiber.
7) Iron: You'll also hear this a lot. That plant iron is "low quality". Wrong. In terms of absorption, animal-based (heme) iron does absorb faster/better, however when has that always meant better? Kind of like saying simple carbs are better than complex carbs... well don't they get pushed faster into your body? Iron and other heavy metals accumulate in the body and are more and more research is pointing to heavy metals being a root cause of everything from Alzheimer's to Parkinsons, so no, the more iron absorbed NOT better. Plant based (non-heme) iron is better suited for your body because your body has better regulating mechanisms for it. No harmful accumulation there. If you're at all worried about absorption, throw some citrus or strawberries in some green leafies to boost it.
8) Gosh, what else might you hear? Who in the world knows, if you have a question, just let me know though And no, not going to put a bibliography here to wrap everything up (for those of you that want me to cite each and every source for these "radical" claims. anyone can find these facts easily enough if they're interested)0 -
hemp hearts for Omegas and protein0
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Hi there! Good for you! I'm a 7 year vegan, was lacto ovo vegetarian for 6 years prior to that. You won't regret it, trust me Please don't listen to nutritionally low IQ people on this forum who say it's not a healthy way to live. There is such an overwhelming amount of research that has been done w/in even the last 5-10 years that truly makes plant-based nutrition the optimal human diet, not to mention for such a wide array of other reasons: Efficiency, Economics, Compassion, Planet. NOT being vegan is actually extremely strange once someone knows about all of these aspects.
If you have ANY questions whatsoever, let me know. I've made it my hobby to know what is up w/ this, since there are all sorts of meat trolls out there that think they know what they're talking about w/out doing any true research of their own.
And don't feel alone, there are millions of plant-based people out there If you haven't joined a meetup in your area yet I'd recommend doing that.
Steph
And I'm from a medium sized Midwestern town, so I know how difficult it can be as far as dealing w/ the uneducated/ignorant.
Since I eat meat, in your eyes, I automatically don't know what I'm talking about and am a troll. Got it.
The ONLY way your food choices do not negatively impact the earth or the lives of animals is if you grow and harvest all the food you eat yourself. Veganism is just as destructive to this planet as omnivorous eating choices, and to say your diet is superior shows us that you are the one that does not know what they're talking about.
That being said, eat what you want. I encourage the OP to eat how they see fit. But neither approach is superior to my own or anyone else's.0 -
Hemp protein has crap PDCAA value.hemp hearts for Omegas and protein0 -
Hi there! Good for you! I'm a 7 year vegan, was lacto ovo vegetarian for 6 years prior to that. You won't regret it, trust me Please don't listen to nutritionally low IQ people on this forum who say it's not a healthy way to live. There is such an overwhelming amount of research that has been done w/in even the last 5-10 years that truly makes plant-based nutrition the optimal human diet, not to mention for such a wide array of other reasons: Efficiency, Economics, Compassion, Planet. NOT being vegan is actually extremely strange once someone knows about all of these aspects.
If you have ANY questions whatsoever, let me know. I've made it my hobby to know what is up w/ this, since there are all sorts of meat trolls out there that think they know what they're talking about w/out doing any true research of their own.
And don't feel alone, there are millions of plant-based people out there If you haven't joined a meetup in your area yet I'd recommend doing that.
Steph
And I'm from a medium sized Midwestern town, so I know how difficult it can be as far as dealing w/ the uneducated/ignorant.
Right back at you. There's that vegan smugness we all know and don't love.
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So what research has been done to say veganism is much healthier than an omnivoric lifestyle? What research have you been doing?Hi there! Good for you! I'm a 7 year vegan, was lacto ovo vegetarian for 6 years prior to that. You won't regret it, trust me Please don't listen to nutritionally low IQ people on this forum who say it's not a healthy way to live. There is such an overwhelming amount of research that has been done w/in even the last 5-10 years that truly makes plant-based nutrition the optimal human diet, not to mention for such a wide array of other reasons: Efficiency, Economics, Compassion, Planet. NOT being vegan is actually extremely strange once someone knows about all of these aspects.
If you have ANY questions whatsoever, let me know. I've made it my hobby to know what is up w/ this, since there are all sorts of meat trolls out there that think they know what they're talking about w/out doing any true research of their own.
And don't feel alone, there are millions of plant-based people out there If you haven't joined a meetup in your area yet I'd recommend doing that.
Steph
And I'm from a medium sized Midwestern town, so I know how difficult it can be as far as dealing w/ the uneducated/ignorant.0 -
To be clear, the trolls I'm talking about come to the defense of meat in any situation even though they have no research to back it up as far as it being healthier than a plant based diet. If that's you, then yes, you're a meat troll...0
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To be clear, the trolls I'm talking about come to the defense of meat in any situation even though they have no research to back it up as far as it being healthier than a plant based diet. If that's you, then yes, you're a meat troll...
"Troll" isn't the same as "having an opinion". The definition of a troll isn't that they believe the opposite of what butro78 believes.0 -
I've been at it for 7 years, there's no way to list every resource, nor do I feel I need to give a bibliography, it's out there for anyone to look it up. I edited my response to her for any particular question you may have, from b12 to protein.0
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To be clear, the trolls I'm talking about come to the defense of meat in any situation even though they have no research to back it up as far as it being healthier than a plant based diet. If that's you, then yes, you're a meat troll...
Oh, you were clear, don't you worry about that. "Meathead". Classic vegan elitism. And you guys wonder why no one can stand you? You're like a religion. :huh:0 -
I've been at it for 7 years, there's no way to list every resource, nor do I feel I need to give a bibliography, it's out there for anyone to look it up. I edited my response to her for any particular question you may have, from b12 to protein.
If you make a claim, you really ought to supply resources, it's common courtesy.0 -
We get so much crap from people who know little to nothing about nutrition, who are so quick to judge vegans that it's hard not to have your guard up. Thanks for fitting into that category as well.0
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...Don't eat meat.0
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Another person who thinks I need to cite a bibliography and all of my resources. if you don't believe what I say (I edited my response to her above), then look it all up yourself and disprove it...0
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We get so much crap from people who know little to nothing about nutrition, who are so quick to judge vegans that it's hard not to have your guard up. Thanks for fitting into that category as well.
I'm honestly not trying to harass or judge your diet. You said something and I disagreed.0 -
Another person who thinks I need to cite a bibliography and all of my resources. if you don't believe what I say (I edited my response to her above), then look it all up yourself and disprove it...
That's a little intellectually lazy, don't you think? Why would I want to do that? You made the claim, so you're the one that has to back it up for me to believe it.
I just saw your edits, and that's not what I meant. Do you have any research links or studies from valid scientific journals?0 -
Most vegan food is high in sodium and fat. But what do I know?0
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ive been veggie for years. i dont have a problem when im out with friends and they have a burger. I just do my own thing.
I leave them alone but yet i still get people bothering me about what i eat. Its interesting. Its not hard to follow a veggie diet and i really enjoy eating that way. the worst part about it is the other people.0 -
Hi there - I've been a vegan for three years and vegetarian for about a decade.
1) What's the best way to tell other people if they do ask why I'm suddenly not eating meat or dairy?
Simply speak your truth - you don't need to defend yourself. I became vegan for ethical reasons, so I usually just told people "I did a lot of research on the meat, dairy and egg industries and decided it's just not something I can support". It's not something you need to be harsh about, but a simple sentence or two will be fine.
2) What are the staples in your diet that you cannot live without?
I'm not sure what country you're in, but seitan is my absolute favorite vegan protein, as well as veggie stir-fries and curries with tofu or tempeh. Do yourself a favor and do some Youtube research on how to prepare tofu - so many people eat it out of the package and then complain that they don't like it. Just like any ingredient, it needs a little love.
As far as produce, I love fresh kale stir-fried with a tiny bit of vinegar, garlic and soy sauce. I've also been into zucchini julienned into spaghetti noodles and covered in creamy tofu-based sauce!
3) What do you eat when you go out?
I always try to find out where I'm going beforehand and call ahead - you'll find that it's easiest for the restaurant - and you - if you call during non-peak hours to discuss vegan options on the menu, or what the restaurant can do for you. Worst case scenario, almost any restaurant can do pasta with marinara sauce. I almost always carry a Clif bar in my purse for those times when I absolutely can't have any control over where we're going (but I almost always suggest places where there's some sort of delicious vegan option!)
4) What has been your experience with veganism and weight loss?
Don't confuse vegan with thin - it's easy to be a fat vegan if you don't monitor your calorie intake and outbook. Make the majority of your diet fresh fruits and veggies and plant-based proteins and don't fall into the trap of "this is vegan, so it's healthy/low calorie/nutritious", etc.
However, I have found that I am able to eat a larger volume of food as a vegan than I would have as an omnivore, or even a vegetarian!
Do be sure to educate yourself on the nutrients you need - it's not hard to get things like iron, calcium, protein, etc through a vegan diet, you just want to be sure that you are hitting good numbers on everything! Feel free to contact me with any questions you might have as you begin your transition into veganism!0 -
Well be prepared for people to ride your butt about not eating meat. They'll tell you you "need" meat for protein and iron, and this is definitely not the case. It's not even "harder" to get the proper nutrients on a vegan diet. You kind of just have to eat a little of everything, and be knowledeable about what veg and fruits contain what.
A lot of people who go vegan talk about eating a "rainbow" of foods, and this is true and not just for vegans! You want to try to eat foods of a variety of colors and textures. Nuts and leafy greens are excellent substitutes for the nutrients found in meat, and it's a common mistake that you can't find "as much" iron and protein in veg and nuts. You can! Don't worry. Just make sure you eat enough!
It should be noted that when going (clean) vegan, you'll probably be eating more food that you were before. Veg and fruit have less calories than meat and other processed snack foods, and regardless of your diet, you're still going to need the calories for energy!
But as several other people have mentioned- going vegan does NOT mean you're automatically healthy. My cousin decided she had a moral problem with eating animal product (understandable, if you look into it) and so she decided to be vegan. Her "vegan" consisted of like...french fries. And she ended up passing out at school from malnutrition. So please remember to eat a variety of foods, and you'll probably want to stay away from most processed stuff.0
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