Calling All Vegans

LrdTwitchyMcChin

How do you do it???

I used to be Pescatarian, but haven't been again for almost a year now. I chose to be Pescatarian because I wanted to cut out meat from my diet (due to heart disease in my family I especially wanted to cut out red meat, but since I'm not a huge poultry fan anyway I had cut that too), but I wanted to keep some sort of protein so I kept eggs, fish and seafood.

I recently have been thinking about going back to my old lifestyle, but this time I am thinking of cutting all animal products. I do a lot of reading and it horrifies me to think of some of the things I am ingesting by eating farmed animals. Not to mention the inhumane way these animals are slaughtered as well.

So for all of those Vegans out there....I need some suggestions on how to make this lifestyle work long term. What are some substitutions you use? What are some of your favorite brands? How do you stick to this lifestyle on a budget?

For those of you that don't agree with the Vegan lifestyle....good for you. Keep your judgements and preaching to yourself. There are other sources of protein and nutrients besides animals and their products (dairy and eggs).

Thank you.

veganbaum

Well, I'm one of those for whom it was easy so sometimes it can be hard to offer advice. One day a switch flipped and that was it. I thought giving up cheese would be hard - I loooved cheese - all cheese - stinky cheeses especially. But it was a mindset. That goes a long way towards success. If you are constantly thinking about how hard it is or how you "can't" eat things, it all becomes unnecessarily difficult.

I would start by reading Becoming Vegan or Vegan for Life (I think that's what it is, I've heard good things about it) for knowledge about nutrition. Then get yourself a good sublingual B12 supplement.

You might then want to look at happyherbivore.com and check out her cookbooks. A lot of her recipes are really simple and delicious. I think on the site you can even make a meal plan. It's good to start simple.

You can also start replacing favorites. Replace meat in your favorite dishes with beans - try different beans not just the typical ones. Make soups and stews, tacos and burritos, brown rice pasta with loads (I mean LOADS) of veggies and mix in some beans.

As for being on a budget - I'm in school, so definitely on a budget. Buy whole foods. Buy dried beans and grains in bulk and store them well. Some people can get cheaper produce at a Farmer's Market (for me the Farmer's Market is at least the same price as a grocery store so it doesn't save money but there are other reasons to do so).

Join the Happy Herbivore group here.

Good luck!

darkling_glory

Veganbaum speaks truth. Once you internalize your "whys" for becoming vegan, it becomes as easy as breathing. I'm not tempted at all and I find vegan living supremely easy.

I recommend the book "The 30-day Vegan Challenge" by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau to anyone interested in veganism. Plus, her podcasts called "Vegetarian Food for Thought."

Good luck.

_VoV

For solid nutritional advice, I like Ginny Messina's 'Vegan for Life.' The book is worth it just for page 88, which is a basic vegan food guide. If you follow her recommendations, your diet will be @1400 calories. Of course, with some tweaking you can go up or down from that calorie level.

For recipes, I like the following cookbooks: 'Appetite for Reduction' and 'Quick and Easy Low Calorie Vegan Comfort Food.' Neither are heavy on frozen vegan convenience foods that can be expensive.

Feel free to 'friend' me if you want ideas. My menus are in my note section on my food diary which is public.

MrsODriscoll

Loads of great advice here. Happy Herbivore is a great resource - I'm currently using her meal plans. The internet is your friend for sure there are so many sites and blogs, all for free. Lots of soups and stews using veggies and pulses can be really cheap and easy as well as tasty. Happy to be friends if I can help yuo with ideas :-)

peachyxoxoxo

Veganbaum speaks truth. Once you internalize your "whys" for becoming vegan, it becomes as easy as breathing. I'm not tempted at all and I find vegan living supremely easy.

Yep, this is exactly it. When I originally thought about going vegetarian, it was for health reasons, but as I researched I became more passionate about the ethical reasoning behind this lifestyle. Now that I've transitioned to veganism, it was very hard for me to give up things like yogurt, eggs, and cottage cheese. Those were some of the major vegetarian sources of protein I'd been relying on. So I did some more research and watched documentaries like "Forks Over Knives" and "Earthlings" to help confirm that veganism was truly something I wanted to commit to.

My personal favorite vegan cookbook is called Veganomicon. The author also has several other cookbook titles that might interest you. Good luck to you!

SpazzyMal

You have to want to do it, and be actively thinking of the positives and not the "negatives". If you want to be vegan, then don't focus on thinking things like "boy I'm going to miss *insert whatever here*" you've got to be going "wow, I'm interested in giving *insert whatever here* a shot!"

Try some new cookbooks (anything by Isa Moskowitz), read some new books (I loved "Eating Animals" a lot), and basically go into this as a learning experience, willing and EAGER to try new things.

Remember, if you think things are going to be hard... well, they will be. If you go into it actively knowing it will work, it probably will! I'm not saying there might not be some learning experiences, but you've got to go into it with the right attitude. You CAN do it, you just have to give it some time to all click. And once it does, everything will be second nature, and then first nature, and you wont even think about it at all.

TrinaCanDoThis

Bump

simplyeater

Veganbaum speaks truth. Once you internalize your "whys" for becoming vegan, it becomes as easy as breathing. I'm not tempted at all and I find vegan living supremely easy.

I recommend the book "The 30-day Vegan Challenge" by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau to anyone interested in veganism. Plus, her podcasts called "Vegetarian Food for Thought."

Good luck.

As usual, my friend here took the words out of my mouth. I was a "switch-flipped" vegan and have loved everyday since. I dove headfirst into cooking and make more varied and delicious meals now than I ever did before. I agree with others who say not to focus on what you can't eat but instead on all the wonderful things you haven't tried yet. There are so many vegan cooking resources available for free through blogs, apps etc. Have fun exploring!

veganbaum

I'm back, lol. Didn't have time to directly answer your question about brands and substitutions. My diet is primarily made up of whole foods, substitutions will kill your budget, and of course whole foods are healthier.

However, my diet isn't ALL whole foods. I do enjoy plant milk in coffee or tea. For that, you really just have to try different brands and types. There are so many - rice, almond, soy, hemp, hazelnut, oat, flax - you really just need to find out which ones you like best. You can make nut milks at home with water, a blender, and sweetener if you desire.

I tend to keep a tub of Earth Balance vegan butter on hand, but it takes me a while to go through it. I use the non-soy one. Vegenaise is a vegan mayo, and there are non-soy versions as well. It's perfectly good, I just never make it through a jar so I almost never buy it. Faux meats are kind of like plant milks - you have to try different ones to find out which you like best. I do love Field Roast products and they are soy-free and are minimally processed in comparison to a lot of faux foods, so I don't have any issues treating myself to those on occasion, and I have never heard of anyone who didn't like them - both veg*ns and omnis. I love the organic Sunshine burgers (but only the organic ones, the others are just okay) and they are made of only rice and veggies. I always have some in the freezer for emergency meals.

You may notice my suggestions are soy-free. I don't buy into the fear-mongering about soy in general, but I do try to avoid highly processed soy, just like I try to avoid eating *a lot* (whatever that is) of processed food in general. I eat (organic) tofu, tempeh, and miso regularly. If I'm out and about I will have soy milk or a soy burger. Soy is ubiquitous in processed foods in general (not just veg*n stuff) and I think I eat enough with the tofu, tempeh, and miso I eat so really my general avoidance is my desire to try and stay away from *too* much processed stuff and have a nicely varied diet. If I can find something without soy, I'll purchase it over something with soy, but I'm not going to not eat something just because it has soy.

Two more things - make big batches of stuff like soups, beans, grains, so it's easy to throw something together when you're hungry. And finally - when you refuse to eat something that someone offers you because it has animal products (for instance a slice of cake) - think to yourself "I CHOOSE not to eat this" and think about the reasons why you choose not to rather than "I can't eat this."

SpazzyMal

Substitutions/Brands I like:
Veganaise = mayo replacement (don't bother with things like Nasoya... it's pretty much universally described as yucky)
Earth Balance = butter replacement
Field Roast = sausage replacement
Gardein is the best all-around brand for good tasting mock meats of various types that I've found
The Boca vegan patty or Sunshine Burgers are good burgers, too, but I like the Gardein one best for taste
Daiya is my go to brand of vegan cheese

Any mock meat substitutions are bound to be a bit pricey. Splurge on them if you can afford it, but if you really want to live cheap, make do without it. You can make your own mock meats with wheat gluten for pretty cheap, look up recipes for seitan — it's very yummy.

daniel1hp

Just adding to the conversation about vegan protein sources...

I like going onto http://veganproteinpowders.net, picking out one I like, and taking about a scoop a day. It's a good way to keep healthy. I would recommend that all vegans like me get their protein in!

LrdTwitchyMcChin

Thank you everyone for being so helpful and supportive. I'm not used to having a post without criticism. Haha.

On the same general lines, I have read some books that promote vegetarianism or veganism and they have said that you don't need as much protein in your diet as many sources want you to believe. What is everyone's take on that? How much protein is needed each day (especially for a vegetarian)?

rose_mortem

I've never been vegan -- I love dairy and eggs too much -- but being vegetarian is super easy for me. Maybe you could start there before going vegan? :flowerforyou:

Edit: And as far as protein, it's not that difficult to get enough. For vegans, it might be harder, but I usually get plenty. I LOVE beans

BobbyDaniel

Not vegan, just started vegetarian but I am teetering the the previous...for me it was simply saying I'm going to cut out the meat and replace it with whole veggies & fruits. You will be surprised about how many macros you can find in a plant based diet, and the creativity you can use in preparation is well worth the effort.
I try not to use too many replacement foods, but I have found some faux meats that I enjoy. Right now a few dairy products and the occasional egg is really all that is really keeping me from crossing over.

darkling_glory

Thank you everyone for being so helpful and supportive. I'm not used to having a post without criticism. Haha.

On the same general lines, I have read some books that promote vegetarianism or veganism and they have said that you don't need as much protein in your diet as many sources want you to believe. What is everyone's take on that? How much protein is needed each day (especially for a vegetarian)?

Quick! Without looking, how many grams of protein do you get a day? No peeking! I bet you don't know. No one in an industrialized, first world country, will have problems getting enough protein.

Know why?

Because we get plenty. 10% is MORE then enough protein. Bump it up to 12% if you're super paranoid. Do some reading of the great vegan resources people have recommended you and you'll see.

On a daily basis I average 40grams of protein. I weigh 155 pounds and am 5 feet tall. Sometimes it is as much as 80 grams (WITHOUT trying). You won't suffer protein deficiency so long as you eat a varied diet.

LrdTwitchyMcChin

Thank you everyone for being so helpful and supportive. I'm not used to having a post without criticism. Haha.

On the same general lines, I have read some books that promote vegetarianism or veganism and they have said that you don't need as much protein in your diet as many sources want you to believe. What is everyone's take on that? How much protein is needed each day (especially for a vegetarian)?

Quick! Without looking, how many grams of protein do you get a day? No peeking! I bet you don't know. No one in an industrialized, first world country, will have problems getting enough protein.

Know why?

Because we get plenty. 10% is MORE then enough protein. Bump it up to 12% if you're super paranoid. Do some reading of the great vegan resources people have recommended you and you'll see.

On a daily basis I average 40grams of protein. I weigh 155 pounds and am 5 feet tall. Sometimes it is as much as 80 grams (WITHOUT trying). You won't suffer protein deficiency so long as you eat a varied diet.

Thank you so much!!! That is incredibly helpful. I know I don't get enough protein based on what MFP tells me to eat, but I don't feel like I'm losing out either. I will definitely look into all of the sources everyone has offered up. I'm having surgery next week and will need more reading material! I also need to bulk up on my protein for my recovery (per my surgeon). Any suggestions on some protein rich fruits and vegetables?

virtualbutterfly78

So without looking I take in 80gm protein a day and I am and have been a complete VEGAN for 2 years. I take in this much protein because I have spoken with my Doctor who recommended this to help me lose weight and it is suppose to keep you full longer. I just have to make sure I drink enough water (8 cups a day) to flush out my kidney's.
I have lost a good amount of weight and have no problem finding Vegan protein foods.

I found some great cook books at Barns & Noble. Scan through it, the best one's have recipies with-in a recipie.

Meat replacement = Bolgar Wheat
Cheese replacement = Polenta
Scrammbled Eggs= Scrammbled Tofu
Biscuits made with eggs = Biscuits no eggs
Gravy made from animal product = Gravy made with Cashews


If you would like any of mine please message me. I will gladly send mine out.

musicgirl99

Bumping for later. I'm looking to go vegan as well due to a medical condition.

curvyvegan

I have been vegetarian for a very long time (9 years I think?) and I've been mostly-vegan for the past 3-4 years. Like some others have stated, being firm in the "why's" really goes a long way. I've been listening to Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's podcasts a lot lately and it's really hard to ignore the suffering that animals go through for us to use their products when you allow yourself to open your eyes to it. That is what really did it for me. If anyone hasn't discovered her work, check out Vegetarian Food for Thought on iTunes. All her episodes are totally free. And there are specific ones covering each issue...from ethical questions to practical advice. Love her!!

LrdTwitchyMcChin

So I'm thinking I'm going to start back as a vegetarian and try to lean towards vegan. My boyfriend (a meat eater and chef) is concerned about his culinary abilities to cater to a vegan. He told me last night that he will support whatever I choose (as long as it's healthy of course), but as I said, he's worried about being able to cook for me on a daily basis if I were a die hard vegan. Vegetarian I know I can do (plus I would cut dairy....I won't drink milk unless it's rice or almond already anyway). Vegan on the other hand is going to take me some more research and experimenting with foods. This is going to be a long road! I'm struggling with whether I should start this right away or wait til after I recover from surgery. My surgeon says I need a VERY protein rich diet during recovery, and I'm still not great with figuring out what has high levels of protein, but is still lean and won't kill me on my calorie intake. If anyone could help on that, I would most definitely appreciate it!