Vegan Diet Questions

I'm not vegan now, but i was for 11 years. And i'm raising a vegan child. Now I'm vegetarian and I lift heavy and I have put in significant effort to hit my macros.

I aim for 30% protein; 30% fat; 40% carbs. I have only been able to hit this stuff through eating tempeh, tofu, and using vegan protein shakes (yes, I also eat eggs, but really when I was hitting these macros like a sharpshooter, it was all due to vegan sources).

I think that vegans/vegetarians can achieve the same goals as meat eaters in terms of muscle mass, etc, but I do think it takes longer and a significant amount of extra effort. But I think it can be done. And also, I believe vegans who don't worry about protein aren't going to die from some sort of crazy protein shortage, but they aren't going to be hitting the higher levels of protein one needs to build muscle like a weight lifter.

I'm glad I got into MFP and lifting heavy because knowing what I know now, I've re-evaluated my ideas about how much protein my child needs. He is vegan, as I said, and has no illness as a result of not eating enough protein, but the kid does push ups and chin ups and is working on building his strength (because he is going to be a pro baseball player someday, you see, and he has to start his training early, apparently BTW did I mention I LOVE MY SON????)....I addressed that for him through vegan protein bars like luna bars and cliff builder bars.

But he doesn't need to watch his calories. You and I on the other hand, would need to. BTW, when I was vegan, I was super chunky. I think vegans need to be mindful of how they eat because, I assure you, vegan bagels and vegan brownies and vegan potato chips are really no solution to an imbalanced diet.

From the men I've spoken to, you'll love the Engine 2 Diet!

I supplement my protein with pea protein powders, but that is more due to food allergies that prevent me from getting enough protein from other non-meat sources. I eat a lot of healthy fats and focus on getting enough protein. I also count calories. Carbs will fall where they will.

Blender Girl is a pretty cool website that offers recipes for green smoothies, (and other foods), some with recommended protein powders: http://healthyblenderrecipes.com/recipes/type/green_smoothies. I have tried a few and have to say, they're pretty darn good! Good luck!

I purchased an excellent cookbook--quick Fix Vegan--a couple months ago. It is very good. All the recipes are accurate and the flavor profile is excellent. The author included lots of lists and tips.

I've been following a vegan diet for a little over 5 years but I never tracked macros and calories untill this year.

Right now I eat 1450cal (40%c / 30%f / 30%p), my daily protein intake its usually around 105-115grs, most of it comes from protein powder, soy in different presentations (textured, burgers, sausages) and legumes (mostly beans, lentils and chickpeas), and on a smaller meaurse from nuts, tofu and leafy greens.

If you say you've been vegetarian then I guess you were depending on dairy and eggs for protein, you must by now know that soy milk and cheese alternatives have much less protein than the animal source ones and they're really processed so don't get discouraged if you have trouble at first, you'll learn how to balance everything and maybe even discover new foods! It's all about experimenting, besides, it isn't easy either for omnivores to get their macros right at first

My fave is Nutiva organic hemp powder (40 iron too.) I mix it with 2.5 tablespoons of raw organic cacao + banana + unsweetened almond or soy + chia or almonds. Eden brand unsweetened soy has 12 grams of protein (and the only one who consistently shows no GMO contamination in their testing and also no hexane in the extraction process.) I am also vegan but not a weight lifter so I don't get too paranoid about protein. I average around 70-80 grams per day (130 pounds.) I still use some organic coconut oil (no free radicals at high heat) as well as avocado and nuts. Does E2 limit avocado and nuts? (I don't have high BP or cholesterol) If you follow E2 and Forks Over Knives on Facebook, they post recipes sometimes.

If you're doing smoothies, remember: cocoa powder qualifies as a high-protein food. (Sometimes, life is good!) I'll blend it up with protein powder or cashews, pear, lime and parsley -- maybe some raspberries.

I'm a fan of anybody doing something difficult, and I can only imagine the difficulty in following a vegan lifestyle in Fort Worth. Hats of to you for even trying there partner (social issues aside).

Arbonne's health and wellness line is all certified vegan and their protein shakes taste great. (They also have ready to go shakes, nutrition bars, and 'energy' drinks) They're also gluten and soy free if anyone has an allergy to them. Feel free to message me if you'd like more info on them. As far as hitting your macro's, it is much harder as a vegan/strict vegetarian but very doable. It is a lot of experimentation. It doesn't hurt to supplement but it is best to get your nutrition from whole, fresh foods as it is with any balanced diet. I wouldn't learn to rely on supplementing. My husband and I are going to eventually be eating 90% from our garden, and yes still be able to get all our required protein and nutrients! It just takes more planning as a Vegan/strict vegetarian.