Vegan questions?

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secretladyspider
secretladyspider Posts: 21
in Food and Nutrition
So, here's the scoop: I think I want to try to go vegan. I've already tried this once, and I ended up becoming anemic after a period of a few months, and I was always hungry. The thing is, I really need overall to start just making healthy choices: I'm hypoglycemic, too, and I'm not really supposed to be eating sugar anyway, but it's hard to avoid in a busy college schedule, because things that are sugary tend to be quick and on the go, and things with protein tend to be more fattening and then I usually don't have the time to work off that extra fat. I guess what I'm asking is how to be a happy vegan?

What really made up my mind was seeing trucks with animals packed into them. It just made me really, really sad.
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  • veganashley
    veganashley Posts: 70 Member
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    I have been vegan for most of my adult life, and I couldn't see myself eating any other way. Protein-rich does not necessarily mean high in fat! Nuts are high in fat, but there are so many other low fat sources of vegan protein, including tofu, beans, seitan, tempeh, quinoa, whole grains, soy yogurt, plant-based protein powders (if you're into that sort of thing), and on and on. Even broccoli is surprisingly high in protein!
  • brickell35
    brickell35 Posts: 4
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    Being a happy vegan is all about knowing what to eat. Fake meats like veggie burgers and tofurkey are okay every once in a while, but if you let foods like that make up the majority of your diet, you're going to be miserable. They're super processed and generally aren't as good as their meat counterparts. Same with dairy substitutes, like yogurt and cheese. Almond milk is good and there are a few good almond/soy milk ice creams, but it's the same story with the fake meat. Aim to eat clean, whole foods, mostly fruits and vegetables, then whole grains, and tofu, beans, and nuts for protein. The secret to being a happy vegan is to eat natural, unprocessed foods. I don't miss meat at all, giving up dairy was tough but once you learn what to eat, it becomes very easy!

    I'm anemic also, and in order to make sure I'm eating enough iron I use the tracker on MFP. I eat a lot of spinach, oatmeal and veggies, plus I take a multivitamin, and I'm always above my daily recommended iron intake.

    Here are a few good vegan cooking blogs to get you started:
    chocolatecoveredkatie.com is my favorite, tons of vegan desserts that are both healthy and tasty, plus her oatmeal cakes are amazing.
    ohsheglows.com
    kblog.lunchboxbunch.com

    Good luck, you can do it! :)
  • hbunting86
    hbunting86 Posts: 952 Member
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    You can make smoothies as on-the-go things like breakfast/snacks... rather than reaching for a sugary thing. I guess if it was me I'd be more worried about anemia and hypoglycemia than eating vegan per se. The sugary things aren't going to help those. As for anemia if you're adament about going vegan I'd certainly see a doctor first as you've experienced this before. You can also take additional B12 supplements. Maybe get some blood work done to see where you're at from the get-go?

    Healthy = happy in my eyes, so I'd work on that first.

    H :)
  • glitteredgrave
    glitteredgrave Posts: 194 Member
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    How to be a happy vegan: chocolatecoveredkatie.com .... seriously, it's amazing.
  • secretladyspider
    secretladyspider Posts: 21
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    I think all of you should know: my food options are seriously limited because I go to a college in which we have a dining commons and I can't afford to go out and get food on top of that, so that really limits selection.
  • veganashley
    veganashley Posts: 70 Member
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    What is the cafeteria setup at your school? What kinds of options do you have? Is there a salad bar, or fruit you can grab for snacks? Surely they have something healthy for you to eat (and no doubt a lot of crap, too!).
  • secretladyspider
    secretladyspider Posts: 21
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    Generally, there is some lettuce, and some salad options, but it's not really fresh food, and the only other "healthy" options are a baked potato, which is probably not good to eat at every meal, and some form of sugar free jell - o. It has different stations with different options but the only things that get stocked and replenished regularly are things like pizza and french fries.
  • spinnybecky
    spinnybecky Posts: 28
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    I guess I was spoiled at my college dorm - we had several options in our cafeteria, one of which was a wraps bar...choose your tortilla (white, whole wheat, spinach, or tomato), choose your rice, your beans, and any other toppings. I could always get a hearty and yummy vegan burrito any day of the week. Maybe try stocking a mini-fridge in your dorm room? And eat a breakfast cereal with a lot of iron, with some nondairy milk - cheap and easy. Most brands of cheerios, raisin bran, kix, or any of those are going to have 50-100% DV of iron in them. Add some orange juice or eat a tangerine for vitamin C, because if you eat vitamin C with your iron, you will absorb more of it. HTH!
  • brickell35
    brickell35 Posts: 4
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    Hmm I lived in a dorm with a very similar dining situation. It's really hard to have a restricted diet when your meals are planned and made by somebody else. I remember trying to cut out dairy when my only primary access to food was the dining hall and it was nearly impossible; almost everything that wasn't meat had cheese on it I was regulated to a measly salad bar, plain pasta, and oatmeal. After a few days I was miserable and it stressed me out a lot. My advice to you would be not to try and adopt a vegan diet until you're able to control all of your own meals. Of course, if you complain about the lack of vegan options to your university/dining catering company/however it's done at your school, I'm sure they will make some changes. It might take a while but it is worth a try. :) Best of luck!
  • jaz050465
    jaz050465 Posts: 3,508 Member
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    The jelly may not be vegan. Have you though about going vegetarian first to see how you go.
  • abrahamsitososa
    abrahamsitososa Posts: 716 Member
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    I am a Vegan. I can help you. I would recommend you start up by juicing in the mornings and adding either Spinach or Kale to your juice to avoid becoming anemic. Those two vegetables are LOADED with healthy Iron.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    The jelly may not be vegan. Have you though about going vegetarian first to see how you go.

    If your options to eat healthy are seriously limited already, I suspect going vegan is going to be next to impossible. At least as a vegetarian, you don't have to worry as much about hidden things in foods that are not vegan.
  • abrahamsitososa
    abrahamsitososa Posts: 716 Member
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    Vegan simply means no meat or animal products. There is unhealthy Vegan diets as well as healthy vegan diets. Candy for example might be vegan but it can be loaded with tons of refined sugars and GMO's. If you choose your foods wisely wether it be vegan or vegetarian you can succeed. Vegan to me works a lot faster ehen it comes to weight loss and energy.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    Vegan simply means no meat or animal products. There is unhealthy Vegan diets as well as healthy vegan diets. Candy for example might be vegan but it can be loaded with tons of refined sugars and GMO's. If you choose your foods wisely wether it be vegan or vegetarian you can succeed. Vegan to me works a lot faster ehen it comes to weight loss and energy.

    I am not sure if that was in response to my post or not. I am aware that there are unhealthy vegan diets and that candy can be vegan. Pretty sure oreos are vegan.
    My point about selection is that she has a hard time with food selection as it is, it would be much harder if she further restricted herself. At least as a vegetarian she could consume food that may have things like eggs, dairy, honey, etc whereas as a vegan she would not. There are a number of other things that end up in food that vegans avoid whereas a vegetarian may not.
  • abrahamsitososa
    abrahamsitososa Posts: 716 Member
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    Vegan simply means no meat or animal products. There is unhealthy Vegan diets as well as healthy vegan diets. Candy for example might be vegan but it can be loaded with tons of refined sugars and GMO's. If you choose your foods wisely wether it be vegan or vegetarian you can succeed. Vegan to me works a lot faster ehen it comes to weight loss and energy.

    I am not sure if that was in response to my post or not. I am aware that there are unhealthy vegan diets and that candy can be vegan. Pretty sure oreos are vegan.
    My point about selection is that she has a hard time with food selection as it is, it would be much harder if she further restricted herself. At least as a vegetarian she could consume food that may have things like eggs, dairy, honey, etc whereas as a vegan she would not. There are a number of other things that end up in food that vegans avoid whereas a vegetarian may not.

    If she's planning on eating a healthier diet why would you advice her to continue eating unhealthy? It's easy making the transition from vegetarian or anything to vegan.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    Where am I saying to eat unhealthy?
    Vegan is not necessarily "healthy". You said yourself it can be unhealthy .
    I am concerned about her getting enough nutrients. I'm suggesting she eat as healthy as possible and still try to eat within her philosophy.
    If right now all she has as an option is green salad and baked potatos, where is she getting protein? Where is she getting calcium? Where is she getting the rest of her macro and micro nutrients?
    If she has the option to eat things like eggs (healthy), dairy (can be healthy), etc, but chooses to cut them out because she wants to eat vegan without the ability to choose vegan foods that will provide her the nutrition she needs, she is not eating healthy.

    If she were not a student, bougth her own groceries and made her own meals, I would not suggest that. But the fact that she tells us she is extremely limited in her food options already while still eating meat and dairy, she will be much more so as a strict vegan.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,021 Member
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    Vegan simply means no meat or animal products. There is unhealthy Vegan diets as well as healthy vegan diets. Candy for example might be vegan but it can be loaded with tons of refined sugars and GMO's. If you choose your foods wisely wether it be vegan or vegetarian you can succeed. Vegan to me works a lot faster ehen it comes to weight loss and energy.

    I am not sure if that was in response to my post or not. I am aware that there are unhealthy vegan diets and that candy can be vegan. Pretty sure oreos are vegan.
    My point about selection is that she has a hard time with food selection as it is, it would be much harder if she further restricted herself. At least as a vegetarian she could consume food that may have things like eggs, dairy, honey, etc whereas as a vegan she would not. There are a number of other things that end up in food that vegans avoid whereas a vegetarian may not.

    If she's planning on eating a healthier diet why would you advice her to continue eating unhealthy? It's easy making the transition from vegetarian or anything to vegan.
    I guess your assuming that a vegan diet is naturally healthier than say a vegetarian, lacto ovo or perscatarian......I know stupid question right, asking a vegan, but I ask because I've not seen the science to back this up.
  • micneg01
    micneg01 Posts: 147 Member
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    So, here's the scoop: I think I want to try to go vegan. I've already tried this once, and I ended up becoming anemic after a period of a few months, and I was always hungry. The thing is, I really need overall to start just making healthy choices: I'm hypoglycemic, too, and I'm not really supposed to be eating sugar anyway, but it's hard to avoid in a busy college schedule, because things that are sugary tend to be quick and on the go, and things with protein tend to be more fattening and then I usually don't have the time to work off that extra fat. I guess what I'm asking is how to be a happy vegan?

    What really made up my mind was seeing trucks with animals packed into them. It just made me really, really sad.

    There's a 21 Day Vegan Kickstart Program - http://www.pcrm.org/kickstartHome/

    They may have some ideas for you.

    Good luck!
  • abrahamsitososa
    abrahamsitososa Posts: 716 Member
    Options
    Where am I saying to eat unhealthy?
    Vegan is not necessarily "healthy". You said yourself it can be unhealthy .
    I am concerned about her getting enough nutrients. I'm suggesting she eat as healthy as possible and still try to eat within her philosophy.
    If right now all she has as an option is green salad and baked potatos, where is she getting protein? Where is she getting calcium? Where is she getting the rest of her macro and micro nutrients?
    If she has the option to eat things like eggs (healthy), dairy (can be healthy), etc, but chooses to cut them out because she wants to eat vegan without the ability to choose vegan foods that will provide her the nutrition she needs, she is not eating healthy.

    If she were not a student, bougth her own groceries and made her own meals, I would not suggest that. But the fact that she tells us she is extremely limited in her food options already while still eating meat and dairy, she will be much more so as a strict vegan.

    Vegetables are loaded with proteins, enzymes, antioxidants, phytonutrients, vitamins etc.. There's even been research published in medical journals that show dead protein(what you would find in eggs or chicken for example) to cause cancer.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    Options
    Where am I saying to eat unhealthy?
    Vegan is not necessarily "healthy". You said yourself it can be unhealthy .
    I am concerned about her getting enough nutrients. I'm suggesting she eat as healthy as possible and still try to eat within her philosophy.
    If right now all she has as an option is green salad and baked potatos, where is she getting protein? Where is she getting calcium? Where is she getting the rest of her macro and micro nutrients?
    If she has the option to eat things like eggs (healthy), dairy (can be healthy), etc, but chooses to cut them out because she wants to eat vegan without the ability to choose vegan foods that will provide her the nutrition she needs, she is not eating healthy.

    If she were not a student, bougth her own groceries and made her own meals, I would not suggest that. But the fact that she tells us she is extremely limited in her food options already while still eating meat and dairy, she will be much more so as a strict vegan.

    Vegetables are loaded with proteins, enzymes, antioxidants, phytonutrients, vitamins etc.. There's even been research published in medical journals that show dead protein(what you would find in eggs or chicken for example) to cause cancer.

    She isn't getting complete protein from vegetables. And, again, from her post, she has access to salad and baked potatoes. She's going to have to eat a lot of it.
    I'm not going to debate the cancer/dead protein thing, whatever. I am most certainly not against a vegan diet, but I am against unhealthy diets.

    ETA - I didn't even suggest she eat meat. Eggs yes, meat no.

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