any vegans/vegetarians out there?

jrm39

i'm looking into becoming either vegan or vegetarian -- more for my health than for weight loss -- and i'm wondering if any vegans or vegetarians had any tips, or comments, or anything i should know. thanks!

ajwall3

I'm not, but I tend to naturally lean that way in my food choices! I know for sure beans are a great source of fiber and protein... I LOVE garden veggie burgers but you have to watch sodium... Good luck! :happy:

Correction: I lean vegetarian.. I love dairy too much!

anovasjo

Hi :flowerforyou:
There's lots of information in the forums about this topic... just use the search function.
Feel free to add me if you like.

Ashley_Panda

I'm a pescatarian. The only meat I eat is seafood since it's full of good stuff for you and low calorie, etc. We tried being vegetarian but my protein levels were way low. Either way it was really easy for me to switch.

strandedeyes

i'm looking into becoming either vegan or vegetarian -- more for my health than for weight loss -- and i'm wondering if any vegans or vegetarians had any tips, or comments, or anything i should know. thanks!

If you aren't already a vegetarian, I would slowly go into becoming a vegan or a vegetarian. If you feel that you can move forward quickly into it, look into the book Appetite for Reduction by Isa Moschvitz (i butchered that last name). She has some awesome recipes and all vegan! Plus this cookbook is geared towards healthy eating (Isa does explain all of this in the book) and it honestly has some AWESOME recipes. I was a vegetarian for a long time and most of my cookbooks still are vegan / vegetarian oriented. Another great "diet" book that helps you ease into becoming a vegan is Alicia Silverstone's The Kind Diet. I would definitely take a quick peek / read at the book store through it to see if this helps. I know its Alicia Silverstone but its a great book in my opinion for those easing their way into this new "diet" or "lifestyle."

Ideally would love to going back to being a vegetarian and I am sure I could if I tried harder, but random circumstances love to occur. Maybe that will be my goal for march is to head back into vegetarianism.

Let me know if you need any other help.

kitkat1781

I eat only seafood and dairly products and have for about 15 years. My food log is public, so feel free to take a look at it for ideas. The one word of caution I would give you is that being "vegetarian" does not necessarily equal healthy eating / weight loss. I still managed to get myself 40 lbs overweight without meat! You still have to watch the junk food and portions, etc...

daisy89

I've been a vegetarian for years now. I found the transition to be fairly simple; I just decided one day to stop eating meat.

I think the hardest part was checking all of the ingredient labels to make sure there were no animal products in my food.

That being said, I love being a vegetarian! I feel so much healthier than when I did eat meat.

Also, there are certain types of food that contain lots of protein, anything from the Lightlife Company will definitely help ensure you are getting a great source of protein.

If you have any further questions, feel free to add me. =]

miucifer

I'm vegan and the hardest part about it is making sure there isn't whey or eggs in what I buy, especially (frozen) meat substitutes and bread. If you aren't already vegetarian, I might give that a go first, as the transition to veganism can be difficult for someone who is used to eating primarily meat and dairy, as most Americans do.
I have found that Isa Chandra Moskowitz has the most delicious recipes. There are a lot of blogs out there and cookbooks. Supermarket Vegan and Appetite for Reduction are the only ones I use regularly, and Moskowitz's blog, http://www.theppk.com .
If you do it right, you'll likely lose weight as a bonus and feel a lot healthier/energetic. You won't have all the weight of meat weighing your system down and another positive benefit is the likelihood of you becoming ill is less, and if you do, it won't endure as long (I've found in my own experience and in others).
Veganism is just as satisfying as an omnivorous diet. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise!
If you have specific questions, feel free to ask me, or add me as a friend. I don't have any yet.

TrailRunner

Hello, vegan here.
I've really been into Indian cooking lately. Soooo flavorful.
My current cookbook: "Complete Indian Cooking" by Mridula Baljekar, Rafi Fernandez, Shehzad Husain and Manisha Kanani.
The back half of the book is vegan/vegetarian. Good stuff!

rachel129

I have been a vegetarian since I was 18 (so 6 years now). I did have to take a break from it when I went to Ecuador for a semester, but for the most part, I really like it and I really find it not so hard.

My husband and I are now considering giving up dairy and eggs at home (he can't follow it all the time). I think the most important thing is continuing to choose to eat whole foods. Fritos are vegan, but that doesn't mean they are good for you. Fill yourself with real foods and you will feel satisfied.

Check out some food blogs for more ideas for cooking.

One of my favorites = ohsheglows.com

Also, for a good meal plan = drmcdougall.com

TrailRunner

Fritos are vegan, but that doesn't mean they are good for you.

I know right? lol

jrm39

wow, thanks so much everyone! now i definitely have a lot of resources to look into.

veganbird

Hi, I've been vegetarian for 25 years and vegan for 7. I like Indian, Thai, most any other Asian restaurants when I go out. It's easy to eat vegan and healthy, and great tasting. Especially if they have brown rice. I like whole grains and eat lots of fiber. It helps fill me up, keeps things "moving", and keeps my weight under control. I seldom cook, but my favorite cookbook is Vegan With a Vengeance by Isa Chandra Moskawitz. (So far, she's everybody's favorite, isn't she?). Good luck to you!

mandavann

I will second the ohsheglows.com website!! She has a wonderful healthy way of thinking/eating!

VeganJamiOnAMission

I have been vegetarian for..gosh..almost 15 years with a few lapses here and there. I don't miss meat all all. In high school I watched a video about slaughter houses that totally changed my outlook on meat. I gave it up right then and there. I ate meat during my first pregnancy at the advice of my doctor. I remained vegetarian throughout my second pregnancy with no problems at all. I love being vegetarian. I feel great and guilt free about what I eat. There are so many alternatives out there. Not just tofu, you can now find may delicious meat substitutes in your local grocery store. I shop at Fresh and Easy and they have some great chicken substitutes. Being vegetarian is not just about living on salads like most people seem to think. I make just about anything dish you can imagine with simple meatless substitutions.

All that being said, you may have to watch your carbs. Many vegetarian options are very carb heavy. I have had a hard time losing weight from both of my pregnancies and I think that the carbs may be to blame.

Good luck to you. If you need any advice feel free to ask. Being vegetarian has made me feel great physically and mentally.

If you are interested in watching some interesting things that will turn you off to meat forever just check out some of the videos that they have on the peta.com site. You don't have to become an activist or a fanatic, just see whats really going on in the meat industry and you will never think the same again. Burgers and chicken look super yucky to me now.

jrm39

one question i do have -- how do you keep the amount of protein you need? one thing i'm worried about is cutting out meat, and therefore cutting out a large portion of my daily intake of protein.

mizfit

Hello,

Another great site is fatfreevegan.com

ramonaquimby

Well, if you start off lacto-ovo vegetarian, your protein can come from yogurt! Even if you are vegan, protein is sooo easy to get. I am a pescetarian, but I don't eat that much seafood and manage to always fulfill my requirements.

Tofu is so good for you and packed with protein. I make a really delicious vietnamese dish called tomato tofu, which is that perfect tangy, sour, and spice that Vietnamese food seems to perfect. It's authentic, because I got it from my favorite restaurant, when I moved away. A trick to getting the tofu a little crispy, is to slice it fairly thin 1/4" to 1/2", toss in a little bit of oil and bake it on high heat, flipping it.

BBQ tempeh is really delicious! I slice it into strips, make a home-made bbq sauce using liquid smoke (LIQUID SMOKE is a product I highly recommend!) bake it in the oven with tin foil for about 30-40 minutes. I top with a home-made light slaw, pickles, on a whole wheat bun. So satisfying.

Nutritional Yeast is sooo good for you, packed with vitamin b and protein. I add it to just about all soups I make. It really "wows" a veggie broth, making it seem kind of like a good quality chicken broth. It's tasty stuff. Try it on popcorn. I put some on my sauteed green beans for lunch today.

Chickpeas, lentils, and black beans will be your friend. I would suggest attempting seitan wings or sliced thin for "cheeze steaks".

Oh, and look up the recipe for ananda fuara's neatloaf. Great left-overs, and you can substitute skim ricotta. It's so satisfying! If you need any other tips, I am always open to ideas.

VeganJamiOnAMission

one question i do have -- how do you keep the amount of protein you need? one thing i'm worried about is cutting out meat, and therefore cutting out a large portion of my daily intake of protein.

I eat tofu regularly because I LOVE it and I also eat meat substitutes made with soy. Tofu and soy products are packed with protein. I find that I am usually over on my protein amount for the day. If you have trouble reaching your protein goal, there are lots of shake options out there. The BEST one that I have had (and I have tried a lot of them) is Max Protein by SEI. https://www.seipharmaceuticals.com/ Its on the expensive side but it tastes delish. With some milk and ice in a blender it tasted just like a yummy Wendy's Frosty.

I also eat egg beaters egg substitute for breakfast some times. It is made from egg yokes (so its not vegan). It has a lot of protein and they are fat free/low cal.

miucifer

Found this link for you on google.
http://www.theveggietable.com/articles/protein.html

AllisonMarisa

I live with a Vegan and most of our meals are vegan (my only exception is sometimes when he's at work and I eat lunch on my own I'll have some Applegate Salami and a piece of cheese) The majority of my protein comes from beans and tofu. I keep a column on MFP to monitor it, but it's something I'm rarely low in.

Contrary to what most people think (I worried about it too!) most Americans get plenty of protein.

merB89

I try to be vegetarian at home. I never have meat in my refrigerator. The only time I find it hard is when I'm out with friends and they want to get, say, a pizza with meat on it or I'm eating at someone else's house and they've prepared a meat dish. I'm not about to turn down free food! haha. I enjoy being vegetarian a lot and never feel like I'm depriving myself.

My FAVORITE veggie resources are the Moosewood cookbook and The Enchanted Broccoli Forest both by Mollie Katzen. Soooo many fun and delicious veggie recipes with whole ingredients and low fat. And its all stuff that you would usually have with meat like lasagna and soups and casseroles. YUM!

la_wilson04

I have considered it; actually I didn’t make a 30 day commitment, just a one week. My first day on the site was yesterday and I love it. I would love any tips as well, but my reasons are a little of both health and some serious weight loss.

sunsetwest

I was vegetarian for 11 years and I have developed an overall well-balanced diet. Over the past year, I've become more of a pescatarian, as I do occasionally eat fish to bring variety into my diet. I'm veggie because I simply don't like meat - no ethics involved (except the thought of factory farming is quite off-putting!). It makes the occasional meat ingredient discovery less gut-wrenching if you just don't like it vs. being ethical about it!

It took a while to find what I like and what works for me. My favorite recipe site is vegetariantimes.com. I love Indian and Asian food. Edamame, or any beans and bean products (soy), are my main protein source. Black beans and rice, for example, is said to create protein that's similar to animal proteins. I also love snacking on mixed nuts and adding small portions of dairy to meals (sour cream, cheese, etc).

My hubby is not vegetarian, but he just prepares meat on the side and adds it in separately, so it usually works out well for homecooked meals.

I take calcium supplements, a multivitamin and joint health supplements now that I'm working out.

Good luck!