I want to add a Vegan day to my current diet.

wellbert
wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
in Food and Nutrition
No dairy, no eggs. Real vegan.

Here are the parameters:

Maximum Caloric Value = 2200 Calories.
Minimum Protein: 200g
Carbs and Fat can be any remainder. I do prefer fat over carbs, generally.

Food restrictions:
No carrageenan due to dietary sensitivty. (Vegetarian bulking agent made from seaweed.)
Absolutely no soy
Not interested in chugging gallons of hemp protein.

Food preferences:
Whole, natural foods. No 'fake meat mix' for example.
Would like to avoid any kind of supplements like protein powder mixes.



Vegans, please make suggestions as to how I can meet these goals.
If it's delicious enough, I'll probably move to 2-3 days of vegan eating.
Just to be nicer to the environment, my stomach, and animals. :flowerforyou:
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Replies

  • LittleMissDover
    LittleMissDover Posts: 820 Member
    Ok?
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
    Bumpizzle for curiousity.
  • NuclearMosquito
    NuclearMosquito Posts: 39 Member
    I'm sure this is a sincere question, and you're not at all looking for an argument.
  • schondell
    schondell Posts: 556 Member
    Just replace your regular meals with vegan alternatives. Try almond milk in place of milk in dishes, there's vegan cheese etc. Replace meat with beans, etc etc
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    I do vegetarian about 3-4 days a week, but I'm not sure I could get to the vegan state. I'm a cheese addict...I'm curious to hear some ideas myself. Not sure how you get to 200g of protein with all of those restrictions. :drinker:
  • Thesoundofwolf
    Thesoundofwolf Posts: 378 Member
    1. Learn your protiens, because those days will be the hardest to 'feel full' if you're still going to eat meats on other days.
    (IE: Beans, tofu, and Seitan)

    2. Double check the lables on everything, because some things you wouldn't think are vegetarian, aren't nessiarily vegan (Like pasta noodles, ect).

    3. Good luck xD I tried a whole month, and broke down. I had to use eggs and yogurt by the end of it to keep my protien levels.
  • Christabelle79
    Christabelle79 Posts: 80 Member
    Good luck with your journey. We do meatless Mondays in our house. I still have my egg in the morning and a little honey in my green tea. Being a vegan is hard. I guess you'll be having a lot of magical fruit and quinoa with lentils.
  • Mochila09
    Mochila09 Posts: 51 Member
    I love the Post Punk Kitchen and VegNews websites. Lots of great vegan recipes there. You can also google vegan recipes, you'll get a lot of ideas. Good luck!
  • theplatypus
    theplatypus Posts: 27
    I believe that there's vegan protein powders out there to help with getting a lot of protein since you don't want to eat any faux meat or soy. I think one might be called SunWarrior? I'm vegetarian transitioning into veganism and I usually eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and nut butters. Love me some nut butter :)

    Edit: nvrmind about the protein powder part, didn't see that in the OP
  • corrinadavis
    corrinadavis Posts: 34 Member
    I suggest you try this site. It sets up for you three weeks of vegan meal plans, by Oprah.

    http://www.oprah.com/food/Three-Week-Vegan-Menu-Plan

    I have never been a full blown vegan, but I was a vegetarian from the age of 16 to 30 and somewhere along the way I fell off the band wagon. I had never felt so good and healthy in all my life as I did those 14 years. I don't really know all of your objectives for becoming a vegan but it sounds like you are starting with a desire to be healthy and for the environment. When I began it was all for the environment as I have always had the nature for tree hugging. :) I brought up the reasons, because I can remember when I began and it was hard, costly and many people said to me how stupid they thought I was. With this in mind, if this is really what you want, don't let anything get in your way, it can be done. I am now a pescetarian, I really don't see myself going back to a full vegetarian lifestyle. Good luck to you, you can do it.
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    Thanks for the links. I do LOVE quinoa, but it would take 4800 calories worth of quinoa to hit 180grams of protein. :(

    I kind of ran into the same issue trying to find a high protein nut. Lots are just loaded with fat. I love fat, but.

    I think I see why so many are lacto-ovo or fish eaters.
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    Here's a sample diary I made.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/wellbert?date=2013-01-19

    It has a vegan quinoa salad for lunch.

    For dinner, It has a vegan bean burrito.

    There are a LOT of nuts being eaten.

    As you can see, my protein intake is really on the low side.

    Tweaks?
  • ajourney2beme
    ajourney2beme Posts: 181 Member
    http://www.meatlessmonday.com

    They have a lot of meatless recipes, some may not be completely vegan so watch out. We've done a few recipes and they came out nice!
  • MissJanet55
    MissJanet55 Posts: 457 Member
    There is a great cookbook called How It All Vegan, you can check it out here.

    http://www.blog.govegan.net/

    My favourite vegan dish is a vegetarian baked beans that is yummy and filling.

    This is a great idea, I would be interested in a one day a week vegan challenge. I can't give up meat because of some vitamin and mineral deficiencies (my naturopath told me to eat more meat), but I love the idea of a vegan day.
  • erikaaaaaaaa
    erikaaaaaaaa Posts: 155 Member
    I've recently been cooking from one of the Happy Herbivore cookbooks (vegan recipes), and while I tend to agree with some others who say that her recipes can sometimes be bland or rather obvious, they're a good starting point. You can always tweak them to your liking :)
  • Graelwyn75
    Graelwyn75 Posts: 4,404 Member
    I suggest you try this site. It sets up for you three weeks of vegan meal plans, by Oprah.

    http://www.oprah.com/food/Three-Week-Vegan-Menu-Plan

    I have never been a full blown vegan, but I was a vegetarian from the age of 16 to 30 and somewhere along the way I fell off the band wagon. I had never felt so good and healthy in all my life as I did those 14 years. I don't really know all of your objectives for becoming a vegan but it sounds like you are starting with a desire to be healthy and for the environment. When I began it was all for the environment as I have always had the nature for tree hugging. :) I brought up the reasons, because I can remember when I began and it was hard, costly and many people said to me how stupid they thought I was. With this in mind, if this is really what you want, don't let anything get in your way, it can be done. I am now a pescetarian, I really don't see myself going back to a full vegetarian lifestyle. Good luck to you, you can do it.

    May I ask, if you'd never felt so good and healthy in your life, why did you not return to it/stay with it ?
  • VictoriaWorksOut
    VictoriaWorksOut Posts: 195 Member

    Minimum Protein: 200g

    Your body can not absorb 200g of protein per day, studies show that it absorbs 20-30 g per meal and depending on your body length , lifestyle it absorbs at different pace in addition to that. Here is great article on protein absorption http://www.marksdailyapple.com/dear-mark-how-much-protein-can-you-absorb-and-use-from-one-meal/#axzz2I0QTaW3S

    Recommended amount of protein for or endurance athletes such as distance runners range from 1.2 to 1.4 grams per kilogram of body weight, according to a joint position statement from the American College of Sports Medicine, the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada. Because strength athletes such as weightlifters need protein to rebuild muscle tissue, their recommended intake is higher, ranging from 1.2 to 1.7 grams per kilogram per day. Most athletes meet or exceed those recommendations easily following their normal diet.

    From http://www.livestrong.com/article/536096-how-much-protein-can-your-body-absorb-after-a-workout/#ixzz2I0PKN8W6

    OP, you at 250 lb if weight training, need 192 g of protein per day . and at your target weight 210lb you will need 161 gr of protein per day if you are weight training or 114 gr if just performance training.
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    Thanks. My protein goals are based on the following: 1g per .lb of lean body mass. Which is somewhere between 190-200 realistically.

    Once I get to ~10% body fat, I intend to gain weight again.

    Cheers!
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    I'll go as low 180 and make up for it on meat days. can I get there?
  • freckles_cmj
    freckles_cmj Posts: 205 Member
    http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/?page=food you may find some info useful to you here.

    I am vegan and whole foods but average 25-30g protein which for my goals is just fine :)

    and being vegan is not hard, the only hard part is dealing with people who want to debate and argue your choices :flowerforyou:
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
    Bump. These links are all well and good but don't come close to providing the answer wellbert, and to a lesser extent, I am looking for.
  • CoachReddy
    CoachReddy Posts: 3,949 Member
    No dairy, no eggs. Real vegan.

    Here are the parameters:

    Maximum Caloric Value = 2200 Calories.
    Minimum Protein: 200g
    Carbs and Fat can be any remainder. I do prefer fat over carbs, generally.

    Food restrictions:
    No carrageenan due to dietary sensitivty. (Vegetarian bulking agent made from seaweed.)
    Absolutely no soy
    Not interested in chugging gallons of hemp protein.

    Food preferences:
    Whole, natural foods. No 'fake meat mix' for example.
    Would like to avoid any kind of supplements like protein powder mixes.



    Vegans, please make suggestions as to how I can meet these goals.
    If it's delicious enough, I'll probably move to 2-3 days of vegan eating.
    Just to be nicer to the environment, my stomach, and animals. :flowerforyou:

    Best thing I can suggest - buy yourself a copy of the book "Thrive: A Vegan Nutrion Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life"

    Literally obsessed with it. He's done tons of research and has come up with a vegan diet that not only tastes great (tons of recipes) but helps him perform at an incredibly high level (professional triathlete).
  • FredDoyle
    FredDoyle Posts: 2,273 Member
    To play devil's advocate, 0.8 grams/kg body weight is healthy adequate protein intake:

    http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/nutrition/reference/table/ref_macronutr_tbl-eng.php

    Why do you need so much? :devil:
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    I do vegetarian about 3-4 days a week, but I'm not sure I could get to the vegan state. I'm a cheese addict...I'm curious to hear some ideas myself. Not sure how you get to 200g of protein with all of those restrictions. :drinker:
    Clearly, you've never tried almond cheese. My roommate couldn't tell the difference.
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
    Why do you need so much? :devil:

    You need a lot more to build substantial amounts of muscle, and higher protein intake has shown to have a muscle-sparing effect in weightloss.
  • FredDoyle
    FredDoyle Posts: 2,273 Member
    Why do you need so much? :devil:

    You need a lot more to build substantial amounts of muscle, and higher protein intake has shown to have a muscle-sparing effect in weightloss.
    Ok. Quantify "more" and "higher".
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
    Why do you need so much? :devil:

    You need a lot more to build substantial amounts of muscle, and higher protein intake has shown to have a muscle-sparing effect in weightloss.
    Ok. Quantify "more" and "higher".
    Generally speaking 1g/lb of LBM (fat free mass) for muscle building. Depends on individual protein synthesis though, which is immeasurable, so more or less is suitable for some individuals.

    Not really interested in the "why do you need so much protein?" debate. It just starts arguments. Just looking for suggestions of how to achieve my desired protein intake from a vegan diet :)
  • FredDoyle
    FredDoyle Posts: 2,273 Member
    Why do you need so much? :devil:

    You need a lot more to build substantial amounts of muscle, and higher protein intake has shown to have a muscle-sparing effect in weightloss.
    Ok. Quantify "more" and "higher".
    Generally speaking 1g/lb of LBM (fat free mass) for muscle building. Depends on individual protein synthesis though, which is immeasurable, so more or less is suitable for some individuals.

    Not really interested in the "why do you need so much protein?" debate. It just starts arguments. Just looking for suggestions of how to achieve my desired protein intake from a vegan diet :)
    Oh, I've seen the 1g/lb of LBM quoted lots of times on here but any studies cited seemed to indicate less was actually required...
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
    Oh, I've seen the 1g/lb of LBM quoted lots of times on here but any studies cited seemed to indicate less was actually required...
    Quoted from the Eat, Train, Progress group;
    The purpose of this is not to try to pinpoint what an "optimal" protein intake is, I'm not sure we'll ever have a concrete answer to that question anyway. Absent any evidence that high protein intake is harmful, there's really no good reason to take a mimilist approach to protein intake.

    The current RDA for protein intake is .8g/kg of bodyweight. The real kicker here is that they claim that there is no benefit to eating more than that. I simply want to arm people with research that disputes this.

    So, here we go:

    1.4-2g of protein per kg of bodyweight is beneficial for individuals engaged in intense exercise:
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20048505
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19278045
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17908291
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18500966

    2-3g/kg is beneficial for athletes:
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14971434

    Older subjects lost lean mass getting the RDA protein recommendations (.8g/kg):
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11382798

    Double the RDA outperformed the RDA for individuals in a calorie deficit:
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/495538
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16046715

    Triple the RDA outperformed the RDA for individuals in a calorie deficit: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19927027

    Subjects with a 1.5g/kg protein intake lost fat and gained lean mass:
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10838463

    Of people that don't exercise, high protien intake causes less lean-mass loss:
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17299116
    I haven't read through them all, but I'm satisfied with my results with my protein intake being in that ballpark, thusly, any change in diet would need to meet that intake.

    Can we get back to the original question now? :D
  • CoachReddy
    CoachReddy Posts: 3,949 Member
    honestly... no one needs as much protein for muscle growth as they think they do.

    vegan bodybuilders exist. you really don't need more evidence than that.

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