Any Vegans out there?

Myweightlossdiary

Just as a preface, I am not vegan but am genuinely curious. I am not made of money however so any food suggestions has to take the "I'm not a millionaire yet" into account. I have, however; done quite a bit to change my lifestyle in terms of eating but am still working on doing even more. Here are some general questions I have:

1. What main course (lunch/dinner) protein packed options are there for vegans?
2. I have a friend who swears by Kale smoothies, what's your take on this? Also, where in the world can I buy Kale? I've looked everywhere and have only seen it in the pill form.
3. I recently discovered an interesting article that I'm curious if anyone has followed through with what it says and how that has affected your weight loss journey. I'm not sure if I can give up some of these foods but I definitely would try! Link to article: http://www.vegancoach.com/vegan-weight-loss-1.html

One last thing, I realize that losing weight requires lifestyle changes and not just quick band-aid fixes. The most important thing is for me to not eat foods that are in direct opposition of my weight loss goals. As much as I love the taste of certain foods, I must realize that we do not Live to EAT but rather Eat to LIVE.

I look forward to hearing your responses.

I just realized I may have put this in the wrong thread. I apologize for that!

-Jessie

macjewels

Hi there,

I am not a vegan but for the most part, try to choose meatless meals, as I found that my body responds much better with this lifestyle. I found that I "feel" lighter and not bloated in general. However I have also limited my regular intake of grains (as I noticed that whenever I do take in some bread that I automatically get bloated and gassy).

I am not sure where you live, but in Canada here, kale is easily found in the fresh produce section of Loblaws Superstore or Metro...it is a very dark, heavy textured leafy lettuce, per se...for lack of a better description. I personally like kale stir-fried with other veges as I find when it is cooked. it looses some of its coarseness and bitterness. I am not a huge fan of smoothies, but I will have them for breakfast if I am in the mood.

The research says that there is plenty of protein in the dark leafy veges such as kale, but spinach is also a close second...and any other dark coloured vegetable. Beans is another great source of protein for me. I make home-made hummus (very easy to do) and eat that with cut up veges..and on occasion I have used it as a sandwich filler. I also have found some great recipes to roast chick peas, as a snack...haven't tried them yet but pretty well you can roast the drained, canned chick peas in the oven and then coat them with either sweet or savoury flavours, depending on your palate.

Hope this helps!

Yakelmeyer

There are a ton of resources out there for vegan options. I recommend checking out these two sites to start:

http://www.onegreenplanet.org/

http://www.vegankit.com/

UncreativeMe123

Hello!

I used to be vegan, and was never really into the fake meat aspect of it. I made sure I had a lot of greens, beans, and some nuts. That seemed to be sufficient (in that I felt fine). Occasionally I would also have tofu (great in in stir fry!). If you are ok with soy, it is worth experimenting with different soy milk brands since they tend to be higher in protein than most other nut based milks I have found.

As for the kale, I buy the whole foods brand frozen kale, and include it in my smoothies in the morning. Seems fairly cost effective for the ease of it. If I am cooking it, I just pick up the raw kale at the grocery store. It is near the lettuce, and seems fairly easy to find around here.

Also, did you know that there is a nutritarian plant based diet by Dr. Furhman, called Eat to Live? The end of your post reminded me of that

micheleb15

I know you mentioned that you aren't a vegan, but I want to make sure that you understand that becoming a vegan doesn't equal weight loss. If anything, I find it harder to lean out because most of my protein comes from carbs so my macros are always off. I also don't like meat replacements - I didn't stop eating meat to find something that looks like meat. It seriously grosses me out.

For meals I do kale smoothies in the morning with a vegan protein. Lunches I will do brown rice, black beans, salsa and avocado or a greek salad with garbanzo beans, veggie wraps with hummus, etc.

Myweightlossdiary

Wow, thanks for all your comments! Also I didn't know about Dr. Furham so I'll have to check that out! I guess where I've been shopping I haven't noticed Kale unless I just have skipped right over it thinking it was something else. I do have a Whole Foods nearby so I'll check the frozen section there. I thought about having a Kale smoothie once a day but not sure if I should do it before or after I exercise. Thanks for the two websites posted, I'll check those out as well! You all have given me a lot to thank about

Myweightlossdiary

I know you mentioned that you aren't a vegan, but I want to make sure that you understand that becoming a vegan doesn't equal weight loss. If anything, I find it harder to lean out because most of my protein comes from carbs so my macros are always off. I also don't like meat replacements - I didn't stop eating meat to find something that looks like meat. It seriously grosses me out.

For meals I do kale smoothies in the morning with a vegan protein. Lunches I will do brown rice, black beans, salsa and avocado or a greek salad with garbanzo beans, veggie wraps with hummus, etc.

You are correct, I didn't mean it to sound like I was thinking becoming vegan would mean weight loss. I grew up vegetarian (not vegan) and prefer non-meat in general. I do eat meat on rare occasions and always feel bad afterwards but that's an entirely different story. You mentioned you make kale smoothies - do you have a recipe you like? I have a pretty decent blender so I'm hoping it will do the trick. Thanks for your insight!

VitaminAmy

I've been on a plant based diet for a while.. I feel better, have tons more energy, and find it a lot easier to lose weight.
That's just my personal experience, not saying it's how everyone else should eat.

popzork

I am a vegan - I was vegetarian for a year and made the switch about a month ago.

Beans are a great source of protein as well as nuts, grains and some veggies.

We don't need nearly as much protein as we have been led to believe though. Even the macros in MFP are very misleading.

I find eating vegan to be a lot less expensive that meat. It just takes planning. A big pot of chili will feed you for days.

A couple of other names to research are T. Colin Campbell, Neal Barnard, and my favorite - Dr. Michael Greger.

Forks over Knives has a great cookbook.

Also, google 21 day kickstart. It is a great resource to "test drive" being vegan, with recipes and meal ideas.

Good luck!

micheleb15

I know you mentioned that you aren't a vegan, but I want to make sure that you understand that becoming a vegan doesn't equal weight loss. If anything, I find it harder to lean out because most of my protein comes from carbs so my macros are always off. I also don't like meat replacements - I didn't stop eating meat to find something that looks like meat. It seriously grosses me out.

For meals I do kale smoothies in the morning with a vegan protein. Lunches I will do brown rice, black beans, salsa and avocado or a greek salad with garbanzo beans, veggie wraps with hummus, etc.

You are correct, I didn't mean it to sound like I was thinking becoming vegan would mean weight loss. I grew up vegetarian (not vegan) and prefer non-meat in general. I do eat meat on rare occasions and always feel bad afterwards but that's an entirely different story. You mentioned you make kale smoothies - do you have a recipe you like? I have a pretty decent blender so I'm hoping it will do the trick. Thanks for your insight!

For smoothies, it really depends on what I have. Some days I will do a typical green juice smoothie with Kale, celery, cucumbers, apple, lemon and ginger. Other days, I'll make a tropical one with kale, coconut water, pineapple and shredded coconut. And then I'll make one with peanut butter, bananas, almond milk and kale.

I always add my protein powder, that's the main reason I have the smoothies.

awakegirl7

I have been a vegetarian for over 20yrs and mostly vegan for years, though now am strict vegan. I do it for ethical reasons, but the health benefits are great. I ate over 100g of protein today w/shakes and seitan (texturized wheat gluten, been around thousands of years; developed by Buddhist monks who eschew animal products). It has a great meaty texture, low carb, low sodium, no fat and takes on the seasoning of anything added. I have to go to Whole Foods to buy. I have steamed veggies every night. I gave up processed foods, alcohol, cigarettes recently. I have never had so much energy, slept so well, or felt so good. I have lost almost 20lbs by cutting out all sugar/flour and doing portion control w/the 21 day fix containers. That's where a lot of people go wrong in my opinion. You can definitely overeat healthy foods!

I like the simplicity of the vegan lifestyle. Some people may think it sounds difficult, but it's never been easier than these days!

Cheap vegan protein powder at truenutrition.com is great. Complete amino acid profiles. Also, check out veganbodybuiliding.com for vegans that are in amazing shape!

dbmata

I got my dog from a shelter.

lynn_glenmont

Wow, thanks for all your comments! Also I didn't know about Dr. Furham so I'll have to check that out! I guess where I've been shopping I haven't noticed Kale unless I just have skipped right over it thinking it was something else. I do have a Whole Foods nearby so I'll check the frozen section there. I thought about having a Kale smoothie once a day but not sure if I should do it before or after I exercise. Thanks for the two websites posted, I'll check those out as well! You all have given me a lot to thank about

I'm not knocking frozen, but I think fresh kale is more versatile (you can try it shredded raw in a salad, roast it, etc.). If you want to try it, just ask someone working in the fresh produce section at Whole Foods if they have kale and where it is. Obviously, fresh produce is subject to availability, but I would think they would have it most of the time.

I'm not vegan, but the majority of my meals are meat-free, and about a third of my lunch and dinner entrees at home are vegan. Sometimes the only thing stopping them being vegan is that I top something like a veggie curry, soup, stew, chili or bean burrito with yogurt, kefir, or sour cream. You could try soy yogurt, but I haven't tried it, so I can't say whether it's good or not.

Mostly I build meals around some kind of bean or lentils (including tofu and hummus), adding veggies and maybe a whole grain. But sometimes I build the meal around some really great hearty vegetable, like a beautiful eggplant -- vegan if I put it in a Chinese- or Thai-influenced dish or make baba ghanoush, and lacto-vegetarian if I make faux eggplant parm -- broiled instead of fried, no breading, topped with good tomato sauce and a little cheese and baked until the cheese melts and the sauce heats up. Again, there are vegan cheeses you could try as a substitute, but I haven't tried them, so I can't vouch for them.

Nutritional or brewer's yeast has a kind of cheesy flavor, and I like it sprinkled on a warm pita with a little olive oil, but it doesn't do that melty thing that cheese does--and I can't imagine how much butter people must use to get it to stick to popcorn--it just falls to the bottom of the bowl when I put it on popcorn. It's good in scrambled eggs, so maybe you could try it in a tofu scramble. And I like it on grits. I keep meaning to try tossing it with a little olive oil and pasta, but I haven't gotten around to it yet.

I eat a lot of nuts, but they are so calorie-dense that it's difficult to build a meal around them as a main ingredient (unless your goal is to gain weight). They're good for adding to salads and oatmeal, or for snacks, and I frequently put them into bread when I bake. Nut butter on bread or toast is great when you don't have time or don't feel cooking--and you can experiment with different nuts and herbs and seasonings in your food processor to make fantastic spreads for veggie or falafel sandwiches--toss some avocado, tomato, cukes, shredded carrot and a great savory nut butter on a pita or between two slices of bread or toast, and I'm a happy camper. Or make a spicy peanut sauce (with peanut butter, soy sauce, red rice wine or other vinegar--not balsamic, and something hot like chili-infused sesame oil you should find in the grocery store near the soy sauce, but sriracha or a Tabasco-style hot sauce will work) and toss it with whole grain pasta, stir-fried veggies (I like bell peppers and some kind of onion in this dish), and some tofu.

Adding seeds (flax, sesame, chia, etc.) to dishes will also pump up your protein--again, they are calorie dense. You can do all kinds of variations on hummus by subbing other beans for the chickpeas and other seeds for the sesame tahini, and mixing up the seasonings.