Transitioning from vegetarian to vegan - Advice pls :)

ReneeRobinson081422

Hi,

I've been a vegetarian for two years and want to make the transition to vegan. I'm looking for advice, meal ideas, common mistakes, success stories, and support.
I am typically the one making meals at home and would also like tips on some "kitchen essentials" that will make dinners easy for when my hubby or sister are in charge of cooking. I love variety and would be disappointed with salads every day!

Thanks

Destinie589

I would like to know some transition tips too!! My 2012 goal is to become 100% Vegan. I am currently a vegetarian as well.

deadstarsunburn

Add me if you'd like! =] I was vegetarian all my life and switched to vegan about 9 months ago! It really hasn't been hard lol. At first I ate lots of veggie stir fries like zuchinni, squash, mushrooms, olives, onion. Hummus is good on everything lol. It's really fun to be honest because you have to be creative with your meals. I would recommend doing lots of recipe research. I've posted tons of recipes since I've been on here so if you add me you can look through my past posts. =]

Good luck it's lots of fun! lol

deadstarsunburn

Had a bit more to add lol....I rarely eat salads so there are tons of options! Tofu is a must have in my opinion, I've cooked it with barbecue, ketchup, or earth balance (butter). Also coconut milk is really good for you and tastes awesome on cereal.

Destinie589

Does anyone have any tips for keeping a low cal vegan diet? I know how to make/eat plenty of vegan food but it isnt always the lowest in calories.

Moms3Kwa

I would like you all of you as friends. I have been a vegetarian for 7 years. And there are always challenges!!! It would be great to have a group of friends with great tips!!!

tracymarie11

Hi everyone! I have been vegan (although I do eat honey, for my allergies) for a little over a year now, and was vegetarian for about a year and a half before that. I couldn't imagine ever going back to eating animal products now! I absolutely love it. I never, ever thought I would be vegan but now I can't stand the thought of eating dairy or eggs. I did some reading on the cruelty of the dairy industry, and learned in the process a lot about how unhealthy dairy is.

One of the best things in the world is 'Happy Herbivore Cookbook'. You should definitely look it up The author has two cookbooks - that one, and 'Everyday Happy Herbivore'. And, she has a ton of recipes on her website, as well as 1200 calorie meal plans. The recipes are ALL low-fat, plant-based, with low sugar (usually only in some desserts). She doesn't use any oil, and nuts in maybe 2 or 3 recipes total. Lifesaver!

That being said, I am always looking for like-minded (and like-eating? ) people to connect with and share recipes with, so feel free to contact me! I am back to MyFitnessPal after taking a brief break but I fell off the wagon and am looking to reach my goal.

Take care!

deadstarsunburn

http://ohsheglows.com/ has great recipes. As for being low calorie I've found as long as the recipe doesn't have a ton of flour and oats vegan food is just naturally lower calorie.

emily8442

Went vegan last year around this time from vegetarian...

I would recommend when you go vegan don't eat the substitute dairy products right away. You will still have a good memory of the actual dairy and when you compare them, well they're not nearly as good. Wait a few weeks, then try them and they will be delicious!

Appetite for Reduction by Isa Chandra Moskowitz has good low-cal vegan recipes. It's my only vegan cookbook that has the nutrition facts.

gingerb85

I'm vegan (for two years). I jumped from omnivore to vegan without transitioning to vegetarianism. I agree with avoiding non-dairy "dairy" products for a while. I also didn't try any meat substitutes either for a long time. I ate whole foods as much as possible and avoided processed foods. I will now occasionally eat a Field Roast product (maybe once every few months at the very most), tofu no more than once a week, and while I will add a little Vegan Gourmet sour cream to my veggie burritos/fajitas, I haven't added non-dairy cheeses as they are just a little too over processed for my liking. I have recently tried my hand at making a cashew "goat cheese" and it turned out pretty well.

Raclex

This is great :-) I am pescetarian looking to transition in the near future. Thank you for all these great suggestions...

Bentley2718

http://ohsheglows.com/ has great recipes. As for being low calorie I've found as long as the recipe doesn't have a ton of flour and oats vegan food is just naturally lower calorie.

I love Oh She Glows too. Some of her recipes include grains or beans, which means they can be relatively high in calories, but if you eat them with a lot of vegetables on the side, you should stay within a reasonable number of calories.

Also, please keep in mind that your body does need some fat. Don't be afraid of things like olive oil, nuts, avocados, and chia seeds.

I'm also in the process of transitioning from vegetarian (9 years) to vegan. For me, I phased out foods one at a time, either finding substitutes I liked (e.g. almond milk on my cereal), or just not eating certain items. While I wouldn't recommend relying on them as a major part of your diet, I do think occasional use of such products is okay. I eat Daiya a couple of times a month, it's nice to sometimes have something cheese-like.

I also love Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, although not all of the recipes are vegan, a lot of them are. I also love the blog http://peasandthankyou.com/ and the recent cookbook of the same name.

oceanrose78

I went Pescetarian in March of this year, and almost 3 months ago transitioned over to 90% Vegan.

It's been a lot easier than I thought, and cutting out cheese, and butter has definitely helped with my WL. I was really struggling over the summer but since now I don't eat cheese, creamy dressings, and dairy the weight has consistently been dropping even though I upped my calories.

I would stay away from Vegan subs too with the exception of Earth Balance margarine, soy or almond milk, and I also purchased Veganaise mayo right away. I use all of them sparingly.

I also use Happy Herbivore's cookbook, and I also love Peas and Thankyou recipes (watch the cookies though, they're sinfully good, and not low in fat lol).

I focus on adding at least 50% veggies to my food.So every starch has the same amount of veggies. It keeps you healthier and the food lighter. For example, if I'm making spaghetti I add broccoli, peas, spinach, and bell peppers to the noodles. Same with anything else I make.

Good luck, it's a lot easier than you'd think, mostly it's a mental game. Focusing your mind on what you CAN eat instead of what you CAN'T is key to success.

ReneeRobinson081422

Thank you everyone. I'm excited to make the transition and will be checkng out Peas ans Thank Yous and Oh She Glows.
Thanks for the advice to! I think it will be fun looking for alternatives
I don't consume much dairy right now, but use it in baking and think that might be my challenge. A lot of my old recipes will need to be overhauled

gingerb85

Hi,

I've been a vegetarian for two years and want to make the transition to vegan. I'm looking for advice, meal ideas, common mistakes, success stories, and support.
I am typically the one making meals at home and would also like tips on some "kitchen essentials" that will make dinners easy for when my hubby or sister are in charge of cooking. I love variety and would be disappointed with salads every day!

Thanks

Regarding kitchen essentials, I keep cooked beans in my freezer in 2 cup portions and use those rather than canned beans. I usually have black, red, cranberry, white, pinto, and garbanzo beans in there at any given time. They are cooked with no salt or other seasoning, so they can be seasoned for the dish. I freeze them flat in freezer bags and they thaw very quickly.

I keep lots of grains on hand - bulgur, quinoa, brown rice, whole wheat couscous, etc. Loads of veggies in my freezer. Lots of fresh produce, too, but I have to be careful to not go crazy and over-purchase what I can use before it spoils. I'll make a vegan chili and (if I can keep my kids from devouring it) freeze that for quick lunches.

I also keep raw nuts and seeds on hand as well as nut butters.

And I rarely EVER eat a salad!

suzruns2

Have you thought about joining the PCRM's 21 day Vegan Kickstart? http://www.21daykickstart.org/
I did it last January and enjoyed the free recipes and support.

ReneeRobinson081422

Hi everyone A quick update - celebrated my 5 year veg-aniversary January this year. I would never go back to eating animal products.

zingeber

Wow. Awesome, congratulations!

richardpkennedy1

Don't bother.

stella7x7

I make cashew gravy, my kids love it, I love taking nutritional yeast and extra virgin olive oil with a little salt, basil and garlic powder mixing it together, and putting it on toast.
I like putting tahinni on my spegetti, I used to make a cashew mayo. There's alot of things you can make with tofu.
If you cook walnuts in your tomato sauce it gives it a meaty flavor, just a few suggestions

amandamariegomes

First off Congratulations .. this is an amazing decision. My #1 vegan lifesaver is : I love to make big pots of chilis with beans for protein and tons of veggies, they are in expensive, healthy , easy to make, and taste delicious. Good luck!

brichards_

Destinie589 wrote: »

Does anyone have any tips for keeping a low cal vegan diet? I know how to make/eat plenty of vegan food but it isnt always the lowest in calories.

lots of veggies. Veggies are low calorie and you can eat a generous amount while still not consuming many calories. And they are healthy