Vegetarians or Vegans or even Wannabees Wanna Group?

Options
12346

Replies

  • Powered_by_plants
    Options
    I just joined about 15 minutes ago, and I was a bit worried about support for vegans here. I've been vegetarian for 12 years and vegan for the last 6 years. I would love to see a separate community where those of us who aren't on the "salmon, chicken breast, and egg white diet" can go for support=)
  • CraftyGirl4
    CraftyGirl4 Posts: 571 Member
    Options
    So, inquiring minds want to know... what are you vegetarians/vegans cooking this week? I do a lot of my cooking over the weekend. I make things like stuffed peppers, lentil chili, grain-based salads, lasagna and whatever else I can think of so it's ready for the week ahead and I don't have to fight with myself to cook when I come home from a long day at work. I'm always looking for some new ideas though!
  • Powered_by_plants
    Options
    @Niveous

    Try Blue Diamond almond milk, it's my all time favorite. They now have it in the refrigerated section and in the aseptic shelf cartons. I also love using hemp milk for just about anything.
  • SugarDiva
    SugarDiva Posts: 403 Member
    Options
    So, inquiring minds want to know... what are you vegetarians/vegans cooking this week? I do a lot of my cooking over the weekend. I make things like stuffed peppers, lentil chili, grain-based salads, lasagna and whatever else I can think of so it's ready for the week ahead and I don't have to fight with myself to cook when I come home from a long day at work. I'm always looking for some new ideas though!

    well tonight I had bbq tofu nuggets, salad and baked sweet potato. Not sure about about tomorrow. But I know that sometime this week I'm going to try the Spaghetti squash casserole that someone posted on the forum. Other than that.. I'm just winging it until Thursday when I have the day off and can really go nuts and prepare something awesome out of the new book I got. :laugh:
  • SugarDiva
    SugarDiva Posts: 403 Member
    Options
    Just looked at the recipe, and I am DEFINITELY trying that. :) How'd you like the Kind Diet overall, by the way? I was looking at it a while ago and thought about buying it, but ultimately purchased Vegan Planet instead. I would've bought both if I wasn't strapped for cash so much lately. :P

    I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Kind Diet. :laugh: I have made SO many things out of it. Even my boyfriend, who's not veggie, likes a lot of the stuff. The "My Favorite Cupcakes" are to die for. I actually made those for me and a real white cake for him, and he ate all my cupcakes first! :mad: For the most part its really user friendly too. It's easy to follow and a lot of the ingredients are easy to find. There are a few things that I just can't seem to find. Overall, I'm really impressed with it. What do you think about Vegan Planet? I've heard about it, but never looked at it.
  • milanks
    milanks Posts: 122
    Options
    @Niveous - Silk "PureAlmond" is what my family has settled on. We use it in our cereals, when baking, making lasagna...everything. And it seems to work/taste fine in all of those situations.

    Now eating: Dry roasted edamame! Crunchy little bits of protein heaven! :)
  • bettyboop573
    bettyboop573 Posts: 610 Member
    Options
    Hey, can you guys recommend a good brand of almond milk? I've always used soy and really like it, but wanted to try out some different things. I'm hoping to find one that's tasty when drunk on its own, but also suitable for baking. Toss me some suggestions if you have some please! :)

    @IceGodess - Whatever it may be, I hope it goes away soon!

    @desertcats - Great article, nice read! :)


    I really love almond breeze, and it is very low cal :) they even have unsweetened chocolate and vanilla which are amazing for smoothies and I bake with them all the time :) hope you find one you like!
  • bettyboop573
    bettyboop573 Posts: 610 Member
    Options
    Just looked at the recipe, and I am DEFINITELY trying that. :) How'd you like the Kind Diet overall, by the way? I was looking at it a while ago and thought about buying it, but ultimately purchased Vegan Planet instead. I would've bought both if I wasn't strapped for cash so much lately. :P

    I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Kind Diet. :laugh: I have made SO many things out of it. Even my boyfriend, who's not veggie, likes a lot of the stuff. The "My Favorite Cupcakes" are to die for. I actually made those for me and a real white cake for him, and he ate all my cupcakes first! :mad: For the most part its really user friendly too. It's easy to follow and a lot of the ingredients are easy to find. There are a few things that I just can't seem to find. Overall, I'm really impressed with it. What do you think about Vegan Planet? I've heard about it, but never looked at it.

    I've been wanting to read that book
  • bettyboop573
    bettyboop573 Posts: 610 Member
    Options
    Wow, lots going on over here! Welcome newbies! :flowerforyou: Great to see more people going to a vegan diet.

    @IceGodess, You should ask your doctor about the dizzyness and headaches. There are so many variables and we're not allowed to give out medical advice here. :wink: I get lighheaded sometimes, but it's from my low blood pressure. It seems to happen more frequently when I have a calorie deficit.

    Regarding protein and a vegan diet -- If you're eating enough high-nutrient veggies and beans, you should not be having problems due to a lack of protein. I have muscles and I do intense workouts too. Check out this great article about Dr Furhman's book, Eat To Live here: http://www.earthsave.org/news/03summer/eat2live.htm (I think you'll have to paste it in your browser). It says, "He makes the point that 100 CALORIES (not grams) of a green vegetable contain dramatically more protein than 100 CALORIES of meat. 100 calories of vegetable is about one pound, whereas 100 calories of meat is about one ounce." Also, "Animal protein raises cholesterol; plant protein lowers it."

    I'm living proof that if you reduce (or eliminate) your animal protein intake, you'll lower your cholesterol without medication! :smile:
    Stepping off my soapbox...

    Here is a great recipe for you all! I've modified this peanut sauce for over ten years. Modify away and make it yours!


    Coleslaw Peanut Sauce Salad

    Peanut Sauce

    ½ cup peanut butter
    2 tablespoons sugar or maple syrup
    ¼ cup shoyu or tamari (aged soy sauce)
    1 or 2 large clove garlic, pressed through garlic press
    2 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
    1 tablespoon (or less) chili garlic sauce (I use “Sambal”)
    Warm water

    Mix everything together with a fork. Add warm water to thin. Add more water if used as a dressing, keep it thick if you use it as a dipping sauce for spring rolls. If you thin it too much, put it in the microwave for a ½ a minute or so and stir. It will thicken when cooked. I also use this dressing over stir-fried veggies with rice noodles.

    The Salad
    1 16 oz. bag of store bought coleslaw mix or fresh grated cabbage and carrots (enough for 4 servings)
    3 or 4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
    2 green onions chopped
    2 cups or more chopped baby spinach
    ¼ c chopped peanuts (optional)
    Mung bean sprouts (optional)
    Adzuki beans or Vegan "chick'n" (optional)

    You can use more or less of any of the above ingredients based on your taste or what you have available. If you like onions you can even add fresh chopped purple onions. If you don’t have cabbage you can use sliced romaine lettuce or spinach.

    Mix everything together add the beans or chopped vegan chick'n and pour the Peanut Sauce over the top. Mix and garnish with fresh cilantro.

    this recipe sounds fantastic! thanks for posting :)
  • desertcats
    desertcats Posts: 7 Member
    Options
    @bettyboop, let me know if you try the peanut sauce. It's very versatile and tastes great!

    I'm planning for something sweet later today. :tongue: I put a couple of peeled bananas in the freezer so I can make ice cream (no dairy involved!). I've seen lots of variations of this on the Internet. I also saw Dr. Oz do it on his show.

    Soft Serve Banana 'Ice cream'

    2 -3 frozen bananas
    water (if needed)


    Mix in a high powered blender or food processor until light and fluffy. If you're feeling decadent (and can afford the extra calories), top with chopped nuts, or dark coco powder mixed with agave nectar.

    Very easy and yummy!

    Hope everyone is having a great weekend!
  • foxyforce
    foxyforce Posts: 3,078 Member
    Options
    FRIES HAVE MEAT IN THEM!

    This shocked me, but I can't find the ingredients for other places like Burger King, Wendy's, etc. I will miss fries!
    Mcdonalds fries contain natural beef flavour:
    Potatoes, vegetable oil (canola oil, hydrogenated soybean oil, <b>natural beef flavor </b>[wheat and milk derivatives]*, citric acid [preservative]), dextrose, sodium acid pyrophosphate (maintain color), salt. Prepared in vegetable oil (Canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, hydrogenated soybean oil with TBHQ and citric acid added to preserve freshness). Dimethylpolysiloxane added as an antifoaming agent. CONTAINS: WHEAT AND MILK *(Natural beef flavor contains hydrolyzed wheat and hydrolyzed milk as starting ingredients).

    http://nutrition.mcdonalds.com/nutritionexchange/ingredientslist.pdf
  • desertcats
    desertcats Posts: 7 Member
    Options
    I had to come back and share what we just had for lunch. We have this meal several times a week.

    One thing I'm having a hard time with is that myfitnesspal adds my workout calories to my "remaining" calories. I don't want those calories to be considered. LOL I have to be more careful with my meals and watch every item. So, the following is a great recipe for filling you up and giving you a good high-nutrient vegan meal.

    On a dinner plate, add the following ingredients in order:
    1/2 to 1 cup non-fat refried pinto or black beans. You can also use whole beans. If you're short on calories, just use 1/2 cup of beans (it will save you 80-100 calories).
    1 cup or more left-over steamed veggies (carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, etc)
    1 cup or more shredded cabbage
    salsa
    1 cup or more baby spinach

    Heat for about 2 minutes in the microwave.
    Add:
    Chopped tomato

    This is similar to the open-faced burrito I like to make. But, since I'm watching the calories so much lately, I don't always use the 100-calorie whole wheat tortilla.
  • desertcats
    desertcats Posts: 7 Member
    Options
    FRIES HAVE MEAT IN THEM!

    This shocked me, but I can't find the ingredients for other places like Burger King, Wendy's, etc. I will miss fries!
    Mcdonalds fries contain natural beef flavour:
    Potatoes, vegetable oil (canola oil, hydrogenated soybean oil, <b>natural beef flavor </b>[wheat and milk derivatives]*, citric acid [preservative]), dextrose, sodium acid pyrophosphate (maintain color), salt. Prepared in vegetable oil (Canola oil, corn oil, soybean oil, hydrogenated soybean oil with TBHQ and citric acid added to preserve freshness). Dimethylpolysiloxane added as an antifoaming agent. CONTAINS: WHEAT AND MILK *(Natural beef flavor contains hydrolyzed wheat and hydrolyzed milk as starting ingredients).

    http://nutrition.mcdonalds.com/nutritionexchange/ingredientslist.pdf

    They are not good for you anyway. LOL We've gotten used to just not eating out. It's hard if we are traveling, but when we're home, we eat all of our meals at home.

    You just reminded me of something. One Thanksgiving we were looking for a mushroom gravy mix for our Tofurky loaf. We ended up buying a steak flavored one because it was the only one that DIDN'T have beef or chicken. They put beef, chicken, milk and egg in everything!

    Most of the frozen veggie patties have eggs in them. You really have to pay attention and read the ingredients.

    Some Amy's, some Boca, and some (maybe all?) Gardein products are Vegan.
  • Niveous
    Niveous Posts: 294 Member
    Options
    Thanks for the almond milk suggestions tex_vegan, milanks, and bettyboop!

    I also found this and thought it was interesting: http://planetgreen.discovery.com/food-health/organic-almond-milk.html

    It seems easy enough and I have all the ingredients on-hand; it only keeps for five days though. I'd still prefer to have some store brand stuff in my fridge for the sake of convenience, but when I'm baking, I might try to make my own almond milk since it's easy and cheap to make (not to mention organic and unprocessed). Have any of you ever made almond milk or something else like it before?

    @SugarDiva - I tried that "tuna" salad recipe in a pita for lunch today, so delicious! Thank you. :D I might have to try those cupcakes too! As for Vegan Planet, I really like it - I chose it because it incorporated really simple every day ingredients. Some of the vegan cookbooks that I was looking through at the bookstore had things that I had never even heard of, had no clue where to buy (except maybe at a health store), and while that's not necessarily a bad thing... I didn't wanna go broke cooking, and just wanted to start simple. :P The Kind Diet was in my top few choices, I just didn't end up grabbing it, but I'm starting to think that I probably will soon here once I get a few extra bucks.

    @CraftyGirl4 - My cooking can be a little plain and boring sometimes. Rice with sautéed, steamed, or grilled veggies, or sometimes quinoa in place of the rice. I've kind of been on a veggie kabob kick lately. Veggies and seitan "chicken" strips with hummus in a pita or tortilla is kind of my go-to lunch that I make a lot. I eat lots of fresh, raw vegetables and fruit all day long. Some new recipes that I tried out from my cookbook this week were Sweet-and-Sour Chili-Stuffed Bell Peppers, Pumpkin Pie Pancakes, and Fettuccine with Red Lentil Sauce.
  • sherib10
    sherib10 Posts: 2
    Options
    I'm loving the ideas!! I've been on a cooking slump lately :(
  • just_dance
    just_dance Posts: 15
    Options
    ummmmmm hello peanut sauce!!! I am soooooo making that later!!!!
  • milaxx
    milaxx Posts: 1,122 Member
    Options
    Wow, lots going on over here! Welcome newbies! :flowerforyou: Great to see more people going to a vegan diet.

    @IceGodess, You should ask your doctor about the dizzyness and headaches. There are so many variables and we're not allowed to give out medical advice here. :wink: I get lighheaded sometimes, but it's from my low blood pressure. It seems to happen more frequently when I have a calorie deficit.

    Regarding protein and a vegan diet -- If you're eating enough high-nutrient veggies and beans, you should not be having problems due to a lack of protein. I have muscles and I do intense workouts too. Check out this great article about Dr Furhman's book, Eat To Live here: http://www.earthsave.org/news/03summer/eat2live.htm (I think you'll have to paste it in your browser). It says, "He makes the point that 100 CALORIES (not grams) of a green vegetable contain dramatically more protein than 100 CALORIES of meat. 100 calories of vegetable is about one pound, whereas 100 calories of meat is about one ounce." Also, "Animal protein raises cholesterol; plant protein lowers it."

    I'm living proof that if you reduce (or eliminate) your animal protein intake, you'll lower your cholesterol without medication! :smile:
    Stepping off my soapbox...

    Here is a great recipe for you all! I've modified this peanut sauce for over ten years. Modify away and make it yours!


    Coleslaw Peanut Sauce Salad

    Peanut Sauce

    ½ cup peanut butter
    2 tablespoons sugar or maple syrup
    ¼ cup shoyu or tamari (aged soy sauce)
    1 or 2 large clove garlic, pressed through garlic press
    2 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
    1 tablespoon (or less) chili garlic sauce (I use “Sambal”)
    Warm water

    Mix everything together with a fork. Add warm water to thin. Add more water if used as a dressing, keep it thick if you use it as a dipping sauce for spring rolls. If you thin it too much, put it in the microwave for a ½ a minute or so and stir. It will thicken when cooked. I also use this dressing over stir-fried veggies with rice noodles.

    The Salad
    1 16 oz. bag of store bought coleslaw mix or fresh grated cabbage and carrots (enough for 4 servings)
    3 or 4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
    2 green onions chopped
    2 cups or more chopped baby spinach
    ¼ c chopped peanuts (optional)
    Mung bean sprouts (optional)
    Adzuki beans or Vegan "chick'n" (optional)

    You can use more or less of any of the above ingredients based on your taste or what you have available. If you like onions you can even add fresh chopped purple onions. If you don’t have cabbage you can use sliced romaine lettuce or spinach.

    Mix everything together add the beans or chopped vegan chick'n and pour the Peanut Sauce over the top. Mix and garnish with fresh cilantro.

    this recipe sounds fantastic! thanks for posting :)
    I'd probably leave out the peanuts and use almond butter instead, then wilt the cabbage and serve this over brown rice noodles.
  • Niveous
    Niveous Posts: 294 Member
    Options
    What's up, veggies! How you had a beautiful Tuesday. :) About to enjoy some whole wheat pasta with seitan strips and veggies - yum!
  • bettyboop573
    bettyboop573 Posts: 610 Member
    Options
    What's up, veggies! How you had a beautiful Tuesday. :) About to enjoy some whole wheat pasta with seitan strips and veggies - yum!


    Just starting my Wed :) dinner sounds yum! Finally bought a pack of seitan to try, since I have never tried it before
  • irishblonde2011
    irishblonde2011 Posts: 618 Member
    Options
    Hi

    Another vegetarian here..9 years and counting. Wanting to become vegan very soon. Today might even be the day.
    Just thought id pop in and say hi :smile: