Going Vegan

lwagnitz
lwagnitz Posts: 1,321 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I'm currently a vegetarian and wanting to transition to a vegan lifestyle. I'm doing this for several reasons, and one of them being for health. I would like to try going vegan for a week and want to go shopping tonight for the week. Does anyone have an advice or recipes that will help the transition? Any and all advice is appreciated. Snotty and demeaning behavior isn't :)

Thanks in advance :)

Replies

  • Ophidion
    Ophidion Posts: 2,065 Member
    I suggest supplementing your diet with protein shakes and Vitamin B12.

    Plenty of vegan recipes online.

    http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/articles/plant-food-protein-chart.pdf

    Also plenty of vegan mock meats if you are not opposed to processed foods.

    This is a great group to join...

    Happy Herbivores-http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/45-happy-herbivores

    You could no doubt find advice and recipe ideas in there.

    Goodluck.
  • Stephanie198907
    Stephanie198907 Posts: 163 Member
    spaghetti squash
    roma tomatoes (or canned tomato sauce)
    boca meat crumbles
    bell peppers
    avocados
    cucumbers
    garlic cloves
    nut butter (I prefer peanut)
    apples
    canned black beans (no salt added)
    yellow onions
    kale greens
    kale chips
    orville Redenbacher's simply salted popcorn or whole foods brand vegan cheddar pre-popped popcorn
    hummus and pita chips
    bananas
    dates
    olive oil
    broccoli heads
    Quaker instant oats (original)
    berries
    personal watermelon
    sweet potatoes
    guacamole
    raw cocoa powder
    blue corn tortilla chips
    mushrooms
    cauliflower
    carrots




    breakfast:
    oatmeal, berries, dates, and sweet n low (optional)
    "iced coffee" - bananas, crushed ice, dates, raw cocoa powder, water, and 1/4 cup of brewed coffee (no sugar). Blend and enjoy
    fruit and veggie protein smoothie

    snack:
    apples and peanut butter
    hummus and pita chips/veggie sticks
    guacamole and tortilla chips
    popcorn
    kale chips

    lunch:
    black beans with garlic/onion and spices. topped with avocado chunks or Pico de Gallo
    salad
    spaghetti (using spaghetti squash for the noodles)
    stir fry: bell peppers, crushed garlic cloves, yellow onion, and seasoning over quinoa/rice/spaghetti squash

    snack:
    see above list

    dinner:
    grilled veggie skewers
    roasted broccoli, cauliflower, and/or carrots
    evening stir fry: sweet potatoes, black beans, yellow/red/green bell peppers, garlic cloves, and seasoning
    vegan pad Thai - http://chefchloe.com/entrees/pad-thai-noodles.html

    dessert:
    mashed frozen banana, dates, cocoa nibs - tastes like ice cream
    fruit
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  • cdahl383
    cdahl383 Posts: 726 Member
    A friend of mine went to vegetarian to vegan about a year ago and he really loves it, says he feels much better and got off of some medications as well. It seems to be beneficial for some people from what I've seen. Let us know how it works out for you, I'm interested to hear your feedback on how it goes.
  • enidite
    enidite Posts: 92 Member
    almond milk for shakes. Its s good snack or quick breakfast and you can add whatever fruits you have on hand
  • reedandmalloy
    reedandmalloy Posts: 43
    We were vegan for a year and loved it. My weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol all became normal. Then I stopped and...well, here I am. :)

    Just google "Vegan websites" and a lot of really good ones come up. We did a lot of tofu scramble, bean soups, vegan chili is really simple and sooo good, pasta with all sorts of home made sauces, and I also used to make a tofu chocolate pie that was VERY good. (But I seriously could have eaten the entire thing in one sitting!)

    Congrats on making the decision. My Dr. told me that it would be the healthiest thing I could ever do for my body...I wish I would have stayed on it.
  • Taem2
    Taem2 Posts: 47 Member
    I would watch your fat and sodium in your food. This applies esp. when you buy packaged foods. To borrow Jeff Novick's formula:

    no more than 20% of calories come from fat
    the ratio between sodium to calories should be 1 to 1 (it can be less but not more)

    I add this as I have seen posts suggest you eat packaged 'vegan' friendly foods and feel that you can sabotage your health if you don't watch yourself.
  • alanlmarshall
    alanlmarshall Posts: 587 Member
    Kal nutritional yeast for B12 and protein, use a lot of fresh produce, don't overdo the packaged foods.
  • lwagnitz
    lwagnitz Posts: 1,321 Member
    Wow...thanks for all the advice everyone! I don't think I have time to carefully work out a vegan plan for this week (I'm really good at procrastinating, and today looks like it's time to catch up on homework). I'll definitely take all this advice into consideration

    & FYI: I already don't drink milk. I use almond milk. Haven't in maybe since I was 10. Also, I stay away from the fake meats usually; I use them sparingly...Maybe once every other month.
  • LaurenLPitt
    LaurenLPitt Posts: 22 Member
    Lots of great recipes here: http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/
  • benol1
    benol1 Posts: 867 Member
    I'm currently a vegetarian and wanting to transition to a vegan lifestyle. I'm doing this for several reasons, and one of them being for health. I would like to try going vegan for a week and want to go shopping tonight for the week. Does anyone have an advice or recipes that will help the transition? Any and all advice is appreciated. Snotty and demeaning behavior isn't :)

    Thanks in advance :)

    Do it!
    I went wholefoods plant-based (vegan) about eight weeks ago and it has been one of the best decisions I have ever made.
    A couple of recommendations:-

    - www.nutritionfacts.org and watch two videos "uprooting the leading causes of death" and "more than an apple a day". Both are about an hour long but well worth it. The site is encyclopaedic in coverage, independent and well researched. It is my number one reference for nutrition.

    - Get yourself a Vit B12 supplement.

    - Search for "Team Vegan" on the groups tab.

    - Madhur Jaffrey's "World Vegetarian Cooking" is an excellent vegetarian cookbook that has very many vegan recipes.

    If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.
    kind regards,

    Ben
  • lafoto13
    lafoto13 Posts: 23 Member
    Yay congrats! I've been vegan for a year and love it! Btw, it's all about adjusting it to work or your lifestyle. Something that hd me back from being vegan fr years was thinking, " I don't want to be the fussy girl who can't go out to dinner at a normal restaurant or be invited to someone's house for dinner w/o the awkward conversation". I didn't want to offend anyone or be annoying. My way around that is the decision 6 months ago to eat fish but usually only if there is no other option. I tell new friends that I'm vegetarian if I'm going to their house. Then eventually say that I'm vegan.

    It's all about making it work for you. I don't eat meat (except fish, if I have to), eggs or any kind of dairy. There are so many great vegan cheeses! I love daiya-- it melts and the taste is great. I really love eggplant meatballs from the frozen foods section, gardein meatless meats ( especially chick'n scalloppini) and tofurky sundries tomato sausage.

    Of course yes--it's best to consume whole, unprocessed products but the items I mentioned above have really helped me make the transition work in the real world of a busy schedule, social life etc.

    Some of my fav easy meals are:

    Whole grain toast spread with avocado, topped with sea salt and tomato
    Spaghettini squash with tomatoes and basil
    Wheat wrap w/a boca burger, spinach, tomato, mustard
    Lentil barley salad
    Melted soy cheese toast
    Black bean burgers


    Good luck!! Hope you love your new lifestyle!
  • bokchoybaby
    bokchoybaby Posts: 62 Member
    For day-to-day things you're probably over-thinking this a little. Since you say you don't have time to develop a meal plan you'll probably do best to think about your favorites and see which of those can be easily modified. I would start with meals you love where the modifications are simple, like drop the cheese (or sub for avocado slices depending on the meal. . . yum). I wouldn't necessarily recommend store bought vegan cheeses or uncheese recipes at this point as a many people find that they have to let cheese go for a while before they develop an appreciation for some of these things. My husband is still technically vegetarian but mostly eats vegan food and loves Daiya but not everyone's a fan.

    Just an idea as to things my family eats regularly that you may already be eating: burritos, tacos, sandwiches (hummus and veggies, peanut butter and banana, tempeh reuben), bean and veggie soups/stews, pasta dishes, veggie burgers, scrambled tofu, polenta with veggies and maple tempeh, salads, stir fries, macro bowls (grain, veggie, legume and sauce), etc.
  • FindingMyself24
    FindingMyself24 Posts: 613 Member
    Awesome site here: http://ohsheglows.com/2012/10/19/homemade-vegan-kit-kat-bars/

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