Vegans?

ericagroh
ericagroh Posts: 2
edited September 26 in Food and Nutrition
I've recently become a vegan, (about a month now) and I'm starting to get bored with some of my meals, anyone have suggestions or recipes? especially for breakfast! thanks :)
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Replies

  • Krazybob613
    Krazybob613 Posts: 10
    NO! Not only NO but H_L_ NO! It is not possible to maintain a normal healthy mass strength energy balance without including Meat in your regular intake!
    ( Just my personal opinion )
    bob
  • raeanns
    raeanns Posts: 20 Member
    I am recently a vegan also, but vegetarian for the last three years. I make a breakfast Smoothie using soy milk, a banana, frozen strawberries and blueberries, ground flax seed and wheat germ, and a new product I just found- Amazing greens in chocolate. It's fast and yummy and very filling. Sometimes I throw in a handful of spinach or romaine.
  • MrsCon40
    MrsCon40 Posts: 2,351 Member
    NO! Not only NO but H_L_ NO! It is not possible to maintain a normal healthy mass strength energy balance without including Meat in your regular intake!
    ( Just my personal opinion )
    bob

    Your opinion, totally unsupported by facts.
  • nhhartmann
    nhhartmann Posts: 30 Member
    I am attempting vegetarian (not necessarily vegan) for the month of May and had a wonderful vegan dinner tonight:

    brown rice
    black beans
    sprinkle with jamaican jerk seasoning and top with mango salsa:
    Mango
    Cilantro
    Jalepeno seeded and chopped
    chopped red onion
    lime juice


    For breakfast you can try a cereal with Almond milk which is one of my new favorites as well. Toast with peanut butter and jelly is also delish for breakfast!

    Try a potato hash with the veggie sausage (if you can find a vegan variety) and onions and green peppers for an omelet type breakfast without the eggs.

    ETO - I didn't realize there were eggs and milk in the veggie sausage! Oops...
  • lulu1962
    lulu1962 Posts: 210
    NO! Not only NO but H_L_ NO! It is not possible to maintain a normal healthy mass strength energy balance without including Meat in your regular intake!
    ( Just my personal opinion )
    bob


    Ha ha Bob! I love your answer!:smokin:
  • MrsCon40
    MrsCon40 Posts: 2,351 Member
    Many top MMA fighters are vegans and I think they would have plenty to say about maintaining healthy mass, strength and energy balance - without any animal products.
  • McKayMachina
    McKayMachina Posts: 2,670 Member
    NO! Not only NO but H_L_ NO! It is not possible to maintain a normal healthy mass strength energy balance without including Meat in your regular intake!
    ( Just my personal opinion )
    bob

    Your opinion, totally unsupported by facts.

    Who needs facts when we can just regurgitate baseless rumor?

    :laugh:
  • kimberpet3015
    kimberpet3015 Posts: 10 Member
    I just bought a cookbook by Kim Barnouin...(who co-authored the skinny ***** series), its called: Skinny *****: Ultimate Everyday Cookbook. It has some new ideas to try....Its all Vegan cooking.
  • mrphil86
    mrphil86 Posts: 2,382 Member
    The only real problem I see with vegans is that they tend to turn to junk food a lot. That's what it seems to me though. (But so do many other dieters.)

    Other than that, they have no problems really. I know a couple of vegans that have a good amount of muscle mass. They say it's harder but very possible.
  • Punktorian
    Punktorian Posts: 224 Member
    One of the keys to staying healthy on a vegan diet is variety. It is more than worth it to invest in a few cookbooks. I use Veganomicon a lot when I have time to cook.
  • ericagroh
    ericagroh Posts: 2
    That sounds great! I've been using silken tofu in fruit smoothies, but your recipe sounds much better! thank you!
  • darling_nickie
    darling_nickie Posts: 117 Member
    I admire your discipline! I'm not vegan but we eat vegetarian meals several times a week and I have tried to cut red meat out of our diet. Lets see...I know that Fred Myers has a great health food section with vegan/vegetarian options and soy meat substitutes.
    These aren't breakfast but there are SO GOOD! Two of my personal favorite vegetarian recipes...

    Chickpea Curry
    1 tbsp of olive oil
    1 large yellow onion diced small
    3 garlic cloves minced
    1 tbsp curry powder
    1 cinnamon stick
    ground cloves
    2 cans of no salt added chickpeas
    3 tbsp ketchup or tomato paste
    course salt and ground pepper
    chopped cilantro and lemon wedges for serving

    In a large straight sided skillet heat oil over medium high. Add onion and cook stirring occasionally until dark brown around the edges (5 or 6 minutes). Add garlic, curry, cinnamon, and a pinch of cloves and cook until spices are fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add chickpeas, tomato paste, 1 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp of pepper as well as two cups of water. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook 20 minutes. Uncover and increase heat to medium high for about 5 minutes until sauce is slightly reduced. You can serve it with the cilantro and lemon. (about 4 servings)

    I also love this over brown rice and/or steamed broccoli.

    Recipe #2...not vegan so you might have to sub one of the ingredients...

    Black Bean Burgers

    1 can of black beans (16 oz)
    1/2 green pepper
    1/2 onion
    3 garlic cloves
    1 egg (this is where you'd have to sub something more suitable to your diet)
    1 tbsp chili powder
    1 tbsp cumin
    1 tsp of thai chili sauce (I omit this! I am a pansy!)
    1/2 c of bread crumbs

    Preheat your oven to 375*
    Mash beans
    Process pepper, onion and garlic in a food processor. Stir into the mashed beans. Mix in egg (substitute) and spices and then mix in crumbs. Add more crumbs if needed to obtain a sticky texture.
    The recipe says to form four patties but I usually get 6 out of it...place patties on a parchment lined baking sheet and cook 10-12 minutes on each side.
    The flavor is wonderful! Not a firm veggieburger but a yummy one!

    I also make a shepherds pie subbing cooked quinoa for the ground meat...its great!
  • TriDana
    TriDana Posts: 2
    So, don't listen to Krazybob because- it's definitely an opinion, not a fact. I eat Vegan 95% of the time and I'm always over my protein grams per day. That said, look on goveg.com or any of those types of sites they are full of recipes, and the cookbook Veganomicon is amazing. My 2 favorite vegan meals are from Qdoba and Kashi. One is cumin simmered black beans, cilantro lime rice, pico de gallo, corn, guacamole, and salsa- throw that over romaine and it's amazing! The other is Mayan Harvest Bake it's a frozen meal but sometimes I'll make it myself as a family meal. The ingredient list on that is a little steep so I'll refrain from making my answer even longer! Peanut butter on a chocolate rice cake, yum. Chickpeas and veganaise as a mock tuna salad. Tofu stirfry with red peppers and sesame seeds. Then anything just omit the meat is great- veggie wraps but throw some bean paste in there, burgers- with the veggie patties, veggie lasagna (just veggies and sauce- skip the fake cheese it's just upsetting if you were a cheese lover) but shred the zucchini like cheese. Oh and lentil cakes, s o g o o d.
  • darling_nickie
    darling_nickie Posts: 117 Member
    I am not a meat free person...but I have done my fair share of reading and aside from the way meat is processed there is not a lot of value to it besides protein when it comes to your diet. And vegetable protein is much easier on your digestive system, taking 30 minutes or less to digest and not giving you that weighed down and sluggish feeling where as meat is full of fats you don't need, and animal protein can take 6 or more hours to pass through your system. And plants and grains provide a vast array of sources of protein...its silly to say you NEED meat. The facts are out there.
  • SJHiker
    SJHiker Posts: 32 Member
    @ KRAZYBOB
    You been given some misinformation. I've been on a vegan diet for almost a year and this was a concern of mine, too. I just had labs done that show I have plenty of protein in my diet. Also, with strength training I am buidling muscle- not losing it. The best part is my blood pressure has really gone down. My energy has gone up. It can work.:flowerforyou:
  • SJHiker
    SJHiker Posts: 32 Member
    @TriDana
    Your suggestions sound super delish!!!
  • SJHiker
    SJHiker Posts: 32 Member
    :smile: My favorite cookbook is Vegan Yum Yum! (And it IS Yummy) Evrything I've tried out of this book has been amazing! She has a website by the same name. Please check it out! Also, Vegan Lazy is a blog on MFP. The best vegan chile rellenos recipe! I also cook Indian food and am really getting into all the spices. Thai and Chinese are also good choices for a nice variety. Keep us posted!
  • nicothepotato
    nicothepotato Posts: 306 Member
    I'm a fan of the No Meat Athlete recipes. http://www.nomeatathlete.com/vegetarian-recipes-for-athletes/

    They have a lot that aren't soy based. I'm not a huge fan of eating so much soy. I get most of my protein from various legumes and rices. I'm a cook professionally so I'm a cook book junky, but never follow a recipe all the way. I use a lot of meat based recipes and find good substitutes like garbanzo puree mixed with miso is a pretty good tuna replacement. Add me as a friend and ask any questions you like.
  • I went vegan for a year and breakfast can get boring. What I did was just try to vary basics with various fruits/spices.

    -Various fruits (whatever is seasonal)
    -Pumpernickle toast with peanut butter
    -Oatmeal with some pumpkin puree stirred in, agave syrup, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Or dried blueberries with vanilla extract. Or bananas, walnuts, and maple syrup.
    -Various cereals
    -Quinoa is really good with cold with vanilla almond milk and cranberries in it.
  • sinclare
    sinclare Posts: 369 Member
    bump for later. recipes look great. yay for vegans!
  • Evachiquita
    Evachiquita Posts: 223 Member
    Try looking in to some raw food recipes, if you haven't already done so. There are plenty out there on the internet. One of my new favorite breakfasts is ~1/4C soaked almonds, ~1/4C soaked sunflower seed, and ~ 1/2C soaked and dried buckwheat. Make a batch and keep in on hand. In the morning serve it up with fresh fruit, raisins, cinnamon, etc. and (soy?) yogurt and/or some type of milk (I prefer rice milk).
  • tsomo
    tsomo Posts: 44
    bump! I also want to know more abt this :flowerforyou:
  • mrstyler
    mrstyler Posts: 43
    My husband and I are working on reducing our meat intake substantially and have really loved many Mark Bittaman's recipes. You can find a few on his website: http://markbittman.com

    Most are just vegetarian and not vegan, but he definitely has some tasty vegan options. And lots of great ideas. If you like the free recipes, he also has a couple books that you can get.
  • PonyTailedLoser
    PonyTailedLoser Posts: 315 Member
    NO! Not only NO but H_L_ NO! It is not possible to maintain a normal healthy mass strength energy balance without including Meat in your regular intake!
    ( Just my personal opinion )
    bob

    Your opinion, totally unsupported by facts.


    hahahahahahahaha Love this post!
  • pjgjnfl
    pjgjnfl Posts: 45 Member
    not correct at all. We don't need meat. I've been vegan for going on 3 years. Vegetarian before that. I have great stamina, energy, and seriously improved health - as a vegan.

    Read The China Study. Look at our intestines (long and slow versus a lion (carnivore) which are VERY short and fast... ). Read Skinny *****.

    As for variety - check out vegweb.com - they have AWESOME menu ideas - thousands of them.
  • pjgjnfl
    pjgjnfl Posts: 45 Member
    I am attempting vegetarian (not necessarily vegan) for the month of May and had a wonderful vegan dinner tonight:

    brown rice
    black beans
    sprinkle with jamaican jerk seasoning and top with mango salsa:
    Mango
    Cilantro
    Jalepeno seeded and chopped
    chopped red onion
    lime juice


    For breakfast you can try a cereal with Almond milk which is one of my new favorites as well. Toast with peanut butter and jelly is also delish for breakfast!

    Try a potato hash with the veggie sausage (if you can find a vegan variety) and onions and green peppers for an omelet type breakfast without the eggs.

    ETO - I didn't realize there were eggs and milk in the veggie sausage! Oops...

    Try GIMMELEAN sausage - totally vegan and DELISH. Publix (large southeast chain) has them... whole foods does, too... most health focused stores will have.
  • allybtucker
    allybtucker Posts: 91
    I do a breakfast based off Timothy Ferriss's 4 Hour Body's slow carb recommendation. It's really simple. It's a cup to half a cup of frozen spinach, half a cup of beans, (kidney, pinto, black, whatever), 1/5 a block of tofu, and a couple of tablespoons of salsa. Crumble the tofu into the rest and heat in the microwave, sometimes I add a little Mrs. Dash . When I was eating egg beaters instead of tofu, I kept them separate, except for mixing the salsa into the eggs, but the tofu is not as tasty as the eggs (imo), and needs to be mixed with the rest to be edible. 226 calories. I feel very virtuous (and full) after eating this for breks!
  • loriefolk
    loriefolk Posts: 352
    Happy vegan here! =)

    BUMP
  • Ryhenblue
    Ryhenblue Posts: 390 Member
    I too have recently gone Vegan and am loving all the new recipes and food to try. I read The Food Revolution and it does a great job in clearing up the myths about needing dairy or meat to have a healthy diet. Here are some sites that have great vegan recipes to help you get out of your food rut.

    http://vegweb.com/
    http://www.101cookbooks.com/index.html
    http://fatfreevegan.com/
    http://www.chooseveg.com/vegan-recipes.asp
    http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/
    http://happyherbivore.com/
  • pjgjnfl
    pjgjnfl Posts: 45 Member
    those are some GREAT sites... I love vegweb.
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