Any other Vegan/Vegetarians out there?

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KenzienST2
KenzienST2 Posts: 12 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hello MFP community! I'm new to this website...discovered it last night but am loving what I have found so far. I'm hoping to stick to this by tracking my food, exercise, and weight regularly, and using the community support to help!

I am a vegetarian (approximately 10 years now) and have been trying to transition to a vegan diet recently. Although traveling can make eating vegan difficult and I'm working on cutting dairy completely out. I was curious if there were any other vegetarian/vegans out there that had some good ideas/tips.

I need a new breakfast routine because I think I'm consuming way too many calories to start off the day. I usually have a cup of soy yogurt w/ a whole wheat bagel (with either apple butter or soy cream cheese) or a bowl of cereal w/ soy milk. I know I need to cut out the soy cream cheese haha! With winter coming, I might try oatmeal for breakfast. I usually need to do something somewhat easy/quick and don't have a lot of time to "cook" in the mornings before work! Any good breakfast ideas out there?? Any easy lunch suggestions would be appreciated too! Thanks everyone!
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Replies

  • DancingDreamer
    DancingDreamer Posts: 520
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    there are tons of us out here! welcome to MFP. i am personally a vegetarian since the day i was born (well i guess technically before that too since my mom is a vegetarian).

    have you tried Silk Light soy milk? it has WAY less calories than the regular stuff and tastes just as good!
  • amelia_atlantic
    amelia_atlantic Posts: 926 Member
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    Hello! Welcome!

    I'm a vegetarian but try as I might, the vegan lifestyle just won't work for me! My breakfasts usually consist of tons of oatmeal, greek yogurt, eggs, toast and COFFEE!

    IMO, getting a lot of calories for breakfast isn't a bad thing, it sets you up for your day with energy and keeps you full until lunch. I would try to stay within the 300-450 mark for breakfast.

    Here's a great article from apartmentherapy.com about 10 vegan breakfast ideas. It doesn't list calorie content but it's a good start!
    http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/veganism/10-vegan-breakfast-ideas-113446
  • beethedreamer
    beethedreamer Posts: 465 Member
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    I've just started my vegetarian lifestyle (2 weeks) and I find that breakfast is usually the hardest meal to get ideas for, especially ones that are low calorie. oatmeal is great because it has protein and fiber so it makes you feel full longer, just watch the add-in, calories add up fast :P if you like tofu, tofu scrambles are a good idea and you can put veggies in it to bulk it up without adding too many calories. when I'm in a hurry in the morning, I usually have a piece of wheat toast with a little almond butter on it. both the bread and the nut butter have protein which is super important when finding something that keeps you full.

    I'm still learning about the vegetarian lifestyle and I'd love to add you as a friend :)
  • modernfemme
    modernfemme Posts: 454 Member
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    vegetarian here too!! Please feel welcome to friend me.
  • mizfit
    mizfit Posts: 118
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    Hello and welcome to MFP!!

    I've been a vegetarian for a few months now and enjoying it.
    Usually I have cooked cereal in the morning such as slow cooked oatmeal, kamut flakes, brown rice cereal or steel cut oats which I cook in water and almond or brown rice milk(I don't like soy). I like to add cloves, cinnamon or nutmeg for flavour as well as molasses because it has high iron content and a scoop of plain protein powder.
    If I'm in a hurry I will have a smoothie which consist of Vega Protein Powder, almond or brown rice milk, 1/2 frozen banana(which helps to thicken the smoothie) and frozen berries.
    There's a great site called fatfreevegan.com which has a lot of recipes including ones for breakfast meals.
    Good luck.
  • muhshelrambow
    muhshelrambow Posts: 3
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    i am a vegan, too! i usually eat whole grain oatmeal and add wheat germ to it for a breakfast total of about 150 calories.. or i will have fiber one cereal with half a cup of light organic soy milk for a total of about 100 calories for breakfast. you could also get some whole wheat flour and make pancakes and get some of the morning star sausage or bacon :)
  • catrinpersephone
    catrinpersephone Posts: 30
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    Oh I'm a vegetarian (new!) and I like Quaker Oats Porridge, Golden Syrup flavoured with soy milk :D
  • Heather60
    Heather60 Posts: 1
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    Oooh, thanks for the link Amelia_Atlantic! The Warm and Nutty Cinnamon Quinoa Recipe looks great. I've been meaning to add quinoa to a breakfast routine, this is just the ticket!
  • Depplover28
    Depplover28 Posts: 87
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    I've been a vegetarian for over three years now. Kudos to you for going vegan! I've always thought vegans have so much willpower. I would have such a hard time giving up dairy products like cheese and ice cream...For breakfast I usually just have a granola bar. I guess it's not a great breakfast, but it's the only thing I can eat in my dorm while I'm getting ready for class. For lunch you could try a whole grain wrap with a ton of veggies! Those are my favorite :]
  • KenzienST2
    KenzienST2 Posts: 12 Member
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    Thanks everyone for all of the GREAT ideas and suggestions!! I really appreciate the feedback and hearing from other veggies!! I'm jotting down those breakfast ideas and the website now! Again, THANK YOU! If anyone would like, feel free to "friend" me and we can swap recipes/ideas when we have the time!

    I usually get into a routine and eat the same ol thing for breakfast every day (something quick and somewhat filling) but it gets boring! But good point about calorie count in the morning holding you over til lunch and getting you started for the day. I

    'm trying really hard to eat a completely vegan diet, but sometimes I don't have the willpower to resist the cheese (although I regret it later b/c it doesn't like me haha)! The other major obstacle is traveling/eating with friends/family...the poor folks are always excited to have a veggie pizza to offer me because "look it's vegetarian, NO meat!" Bless their hearts, they've been so great always making sure I have something vegetarian to eat, it's hard to have the heart to tell them, sorry I don't eat pizza now either haha! I've done a lot of reading recently though about today's food production and just health/food in general, and some of that information definitely is motivating to go vegan!

    Thanks SO much again everyone, we should keep a vegetarian/vegan post going on MFP! I'm definitely loving the MFP community so far!!
  • Sparklewolfie
    Sparklewolfie Posts: 271
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    Ah I feel like I'm cheating because I am a pescatarian, but my grandma doesn't care for seafood so really I've been eating mostly vegetarian :tongue: And I prefer soy milk over regular milk :smile:

    I have the same problem with huge breakfast calories D: Oatmeal seems to pack quite a punch! I do second the suggestion for tofu scramble. You can make it for pretty much any meal depending on what you scramble it with!
  • Niveous
    Niveous Posts: 294 Member
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    I've been a vegetarian since my young teens (26 now), but only a newly transitioned vegan (within the last year). It was a difficult transition for me, to be honest, but it's getting easier as I diversify my recipes. :)

    Unfortunately most of my breakfast ideas aren't very quick and usually require a decent amount of cooking time - so I'm not sure how helpful my suggestions will be! :P I love to cook, so I'll usually get up early enough to have a hot breakfast.

    I love tofu scrambles with lots of veggies, french toast (with soy milk & apple butter), whole wheat pancakes with fruit, breakfast burritos (tofu, veggies, hot sauce), crepes with nondairy cream cheese. If I want to make something quick, I'll usually have oatmeal, granola, cereal, or a protein shake.
  • ctlynn
    ctlynn Posts: 3
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    "so Delicious" Coconut milk is only 50 calories a cup. It's the kind in the shelf-stable pack, not the tin.
  • ctlynn
    ctlynn Posts: 3
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    There is a new vegan cookbook out that should really inspire you. "Appetite for Reduction" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz.
    If you don't want to buy it right off, please check your local library to see if they have it or ask them to order it for you.

    http://www.theppk.com/books/appetite-for-reduction/
  • melcee
    melcee Posts: 4
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    quick vitamin shakes :) throw in a banana, blend and you're good to go :) I can name a one if you'd like
  • wendimlee
    wendimlee Posts: 34 Member
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    I've been a vegan for almost nine months now. I have oatmeal a lot for breakfast, but I also make tofu scrambles on the weekends (there's a good recipe for this in Isa Chandra Moskowitz's "Vegan Brunch"). I try to bring leftovers for lunch but in a pinch I eat Asmar's Veg Tuna Salad or their Chicken Salad. It's only 105 calories per serving, which is nice. :wink: Glad to see that there are vegans on this website!
  • TheMaidOfAstolat
    TheMaidOfAstolat Posts: 3,222 Member
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    Tons of us! Welcome! Vegetarian my entire life...vegan for five years...progressing back into it. Yay!
  • miucifer
    miucifer Posts: 10 Member
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    I make smoothies in the morning, when I have time, using a little bit of orange juice, frozen fruit and a little bit of coconut milk (so delicious brand). By a little, I mean, 1/3 cup. I use 2/3 cup of fruit. Its under 100 calories and satisfies my sweet tooth without being awful for me. Fresh fruit works too, but frozen lasts much longer, and its always on hand.
    Vegan Yum Yum is a good blog, although it hasn't been updated in about a year. She put out a cookbook too. Otherwise, I use Supermarket Vegan. The recipes are really easy and really delicious.
  • laurynbennardo
    laurynbennardo Posts: 16
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    Dude I am totally in the same boat here. I have been a vegetarian for 5 or 6 years and now I am starting to transition to veganism. I dont know terribly much about being one, I guess you could call me a baby vegan lol. I could deff use the support and advice from fellow vegans!
  • MsSaturday
    MsSaturday Posts: 89 Member
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    I have been a vegetarian for 15 years and I am new to this site.
    In response to your breakfast q. I like a whole wheat english muffin with a poached egg. I know its not vegan but thats what I eat when i have it. lol. When Iived in a bigger city I was able to find a vegan product called ener-g egg I believe and it was a great egg substitute, you can also do a tofu scramble for the eggs :)
    feel free to add me as a friend : )

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