New to Vegan Eating

Quick question - why did you go vegan? If it's simply to lose weight, it's not usually the best option. A healthy vegan diet involves either a lot of time to prep and count (it's tough to get the right nutrients in a vegan diet) or a heavier cash outlay for someone else to do it for you (pre-made meals). Many vegans and vegetarians (sadly) aren't as healthy as they could be because most of the "easy" choices are packed with sugar, salt, carbs, and starches... not actual vegetables.

If you decide to stick with it, I recommend soups that you can freeze into servings. You can make a lot at once and then portion it over a few months so you don't get sick of it. Also, try to expand what you are putting on other things. Oatmeal, salad, quinoa, etc can be really versatile bases and by trying new things on top, you can give them new life. Instead of raisins or nuts in your oatmeal, try sweet potato and cinnamon. When the weather gets nicer, definitely grill some fruit. It's awesome.

elizabethjmurphy wrote: »

Hi,
I started eating vegan in september and did great through october then it all fell apart and I went to a vegetarian diet because I when I traveled I struggles to find non diary option on the menu beside sides & salads. I have put on 15 pounds since starting this in sept so its hasn't been successful. I need help with food ideas and recipes. Sweets & baked goods are my biggest struggle so I try to stay clear of them. I am extremely busy so complex recipes are challenging. I have had success with healthy eating and weight lost having lost 55 pounds last year. Its been slowly creeping back do to a running injury last march that had me off exercise for 5 months.

Looking for ideas if anyone has any?

A crock pot makes cooking beans and lentils so easy.
http://www.girlmakesfood.com/slow-cooker-lentils-vegan/

1½ cups Green Lentils (rinsed)
4 cups Vegetable Broth
1 Onion (diced)
2 small Sweet Potatoes (cut into large chunks)
4 tablespoons Green Curry Paste (I used this one)
2 cups fresh Spinach (tightly packed, any leafy green is lovely like swiss chard, or kale)
Salt (to taste)
Optional toppings: Coconut milk and fresh lime juice
Rice, optional, to serve

I'm vegan, cooking in bulk is a superb way to thrive as a vegan.
I also eat seasonally as I have an allotment.

I would definitely advise cooking for yourself, you have far greater control over the content.

Soups, sauces and curries can be easily cooked in bulk and frozen or preserved for room temperature storage in recycled jars using a pressure cooker.

Are you still travelling about? I can imagine that makes things much harder!

colejkeene wrote: »

laceyjoe wrote: »

Quick question - why did you go vegan? If it's simply to lose weight, it's not usually the best option. A healthy vegan diet involves either a lot of time to prep and count (it's tough to get the right nutrients in a vegan diet) or a heavier cash outlay for someone else to do it for you (pre-made meals). Many vegans and vegetarians (sadly) aren't as healthy as they could be because most of the "easy" choices are packed with sugar, salt, carbs, and starches... not actual vegetables.

I don't mean to be confrontational, but I'm not sure I agree with this as a studying Dietetics student. Anecdotally, I'm going on my third year as a vegan and am healthier than I ever was- I'm also down 120 pounds. I sleep better, breathe better, my skin is clearer and my hair is way healthier. I don't eat much in the way of "convenience" vegan foods but stick mostly with fresh vegetables, fruits, grains, beans, etc.

Batch cooking, slow cookers, pressure cookers and practice help make it a more efficient lifestyle and it is infinitely cheaper than when I was buying dairy and meat products.

Just throwing that out there.

Just like any diet, it's unhealthy if you eat too much of it. The vegan diet (just like any other diet) is a pathway for you to achieve a caloric deficit. For weight loss, that's the be all end all. Whatever method you choose is fine but if it's not creating a deficit, then it won't work.

jasonmh630 wrote: »

colejkeene wrote: »

laceyjoe wrote: »

Quick question - why did you go vegan? If it's simply to lose weight, it's not usually the best option. A healthy vegan diet involves either a lot of time to prep and count (it's tough to get the right nutrients in a vegan diet) or a heavier cash outlay for someone else to do it for you (pre-made meals). Many vegans and vegetarians (sadly) aren't as healthy as they could be because most of the "easy" choices are packed with sugar, salt, carbs, and starches... not actual vegetables.

I don't mean to be confrontational, but I'm not sure I agree with this as a studying Dietetics student. Anecdotally, I'm going on my third year as a vegan and am healthier than I ever was- I'm also down 120 pounds. I sleep better, breathe better, my skin is clearer and my hair is way healthier. I don't eat much in the way of "convenience" vegan foods but stick mostly with fresh vegetables, fruits, grains, beans, etc.

Batch cooking, slow cookers, pressure cookers and practice help make it a more efficient lifestyle and it is infinitely cheaper than when I was buying dairy and meat products.

Just throwing that out there.

Just like any diet, it's unhealthy if you eat too much of it. The vegan diet (just like any other diet) is a pathway for you to achieve a caloric deficit. For weight loss, that's the be all end all. Whatever method you choose is fine but if it's not creating a deficit, then it won't work.

I agree, @jasonmh630‌, but those weren't the points of the original post I was addressing. Price, convenience and micronutrient density were the points @laceyjoe‌ made and I was just saying those don't need to be "issues" when starting a health forward vegan diet.

Here is a list of recipes that are vegan, easy, tasty, and cheap Not complex at all.

http://www.lanimuelrath.com/500-recipes-for-mcdougall-maximum-weight-loss-diet/

Eating out on a vegan diet can be VERY tricky, because chefs and cooks love to use chicken broth and butter. ON EVERYTHING. You have to plan ahead and be willing to eat bland food, bring stuff with you, and wait to eat if the restaurant your friends/family whatever chose is not possible for you.

adowe wrote: »

colejkeene wrote: »

laceyjoe wrote: »

Quick question - why did you go vegan? If it's simply to lose weight, it's not usually the best option. A healthy vegan diet involves either a lot of time to prep and count (it's tough to get the right nutrients in a vegan diet) or a heavier cash outlay for someone else to do it for you (pre-made meals). Many vegans and vegetarians (sadly) aren't as healthy as they could be because most of the "easy" choices are packed with sugar, salt, carbs, and starches... not actual vegetables.

I don't mean to be confrontational, but I'm not sure I agree with this as a studying Dietetics student. Anecdotally, I'm going on my third year as a vegan and am healthier than I ever was- I'm also down 120 pounds. I sleep better, breathe better, my skin is clearer and my hair is way healthier. I don't eat much in the way of "convenience" vegan foods but stick mostly with fresh vegetables, fruits, grains, beans, etc.

Batch cooking, slow cookers, pressure cookers and practice help make it a more efficient lifestyle and it is infinitely cheaper than when I was buying dairy and meat products.

Just throwing that out there.

The bold part came from a caloric deficit and losing the 120 pounds will make anyone healthier, sleep better, breathe better, and clear up the skin - Congrats on the loss
It had nothing to do with being on a vegan diet. (other than the fact it's a diet you were able to stick with)
Any diet would most likely offer the same results.

A vegan diet is not an easy diet to jump into without doing some research and prep.
It's also hard to get enough protein and some micros (Multivitamins help)

The bold part came from a statement that is not founded on any facts referenced, nor any that I know of.

My skin clarity and hair composition absolutely is from my vegan diet. I lost a good portion of my weight eating animal products (albeit mostly a lacto-ovo vegetarian), but the significant change for me was when I switched to veganism. Increased energy, a full belly, clearer skin, easier breathing, better sleep, etc. Strictly speaking, my weight loss came from calorie deficit, but overall health comes from being vegan. This is a personal journey that I have followed through the last seven years. I lost my weight mostly as an omnivore turned lacto-ovo vegetarian seven-ish years ago, I keep it off as a vegan as of the last three years and I enjoy a overall healthier life without animal products.

Any new diet, i.e. vegan, paleo, low carb, etc. is "not an easy to jump into without doing some research and prep". That statement is not exclusive to the vegan transition. It's also not difficult to hit proteins requirements (and I do so easily on a daily basis) and I've found, both in my schooling as a Dietetics student and through conversations with doctors, that the micronutrients that omnivores are worried vegans as missing out on (mostly Vit D and B12) are also deficient.

When moving to a new diet and lifestyle it is always essential to do your research and commit the path in an informed way, but veganism is not as hard as people make it out to be and carries with it risks just like any other diet.

Edit to say: This thread is in the Recipes section. I respectfully ask that if anyone wants to continue this conversation with me please take it to PM. I don't want to take away from the OP's request for recipes. Thanks!

colejkeene wrote: »

adowe wrote: »

colejkeene wrote: »

laceyjoe wrote: »

Quick question - why did you go vegan? If it's simply to lose weight, it's not usually the best option. A healthy vegan diet involves either a lot of time to prep and count (it's tough to get the right nutrients in a vegan diet) or a heavier cash outlay for someone else to do it for you (pre-made meals). Many vegans and vegetarians (sadly) aren't as healthy as they could be because most of the "easy" choices are packed with sugar, salt, carbs, and starches... not actual vegetables.

I don't mean to be confrontational, but I'm not sure I agree with this as a studying Dietetics student. Anecdotally, I'm going on my third year as a vegan and am healthier than I ever was- I'm also down 120 pounds. I sleep better, breathe better, my skin is clearer and my hair is way healthier. I don't eat much in the way of "convenience" vegan foods but stick mostly with fresh vegetables, fruits, grains, beans, etc.

Batch cooking, slow cookers, pressure cookers and practice help make it a more efficient lifestyle and it is infinitely cheaper than when I was buying dairy and meat products.

Just throwing that out there.

The bold part came from a caloric deficit and losing the 120 pounds will make anyone healthier, sleep better, breathe better, and clear up the skin - Congrats on the loss
It had nothing to do with being on a vegan diet. (other than the fact it's a diet you were able to stick with)
Any diet would most likely offer the same results.

A vegan diet is not an easy diet to jump into without doing some research and prep.
It's also hard to get enough protein and some micros (Multivitamins help)

The bold part came from a statement that is not founded on any facts referenced, nor any that I know of.

My skin clarity and hair composition absolutely is from my vegan diet. I lost a good portion of my weight eating animal products (albeit mostly a lacto-ovo vegetarian), but the significant change for me was when I switched to veganism. Increased energy, a full belly, clearer skin, easier breathing, better sleep, etc. Strictly speaking, my weight loss came from calorie deficit, but overall health comes from being vegan. This is a personal journey that I have followed through the last seven years. I lost my weight mostly as an omnivore turned lacto-ovo vegetarian seven-ish years ago, I keep it off as a vegan as of the last three years and I enjoy a overall healthier life without animal products.

Any new diet, i.e. vegan, paleo, low carb, etc. is "not an easy to jump into without doing some research and prep". That statement is not exclusive to the vegan transition. It's also not difficult to hit proteins requirements (and I do so easily on a daily basis) and I've found, both in my schooling as a Dietetics student and through conversations with doctors, that the micronutrients that omnivores are worried vegans as missing out on (mostly Vit D and B12) are also deficient.

When moving to a new diet and lifestyle it is always essential to do your research and commit the path in an informed way, but veganism is not as hard as people make it out to be and carries with it risks just like any other diet.

Edit to say: This thread is in the Recipes section. I respectfully ask that if anyone wants to continue this conversation with me please take it to PM. I don't want to take away from the OP's request for recipes. Thanks!

Your diary is closed!

How much protein are you eating per day?

daisyverma wrote: »

I am not vegan, but am vegetarian.
However, I do follow a vegan blog called oh she glows
the recipes there are good and wholesome

Great blog I love that one

elizabethjmurphy wrote: »

I'll check out your blog. Excellent. Thank you I also was checking out "oh she glows" blog but I'm not seeing a ton of entree options. Thanks.

Here is a direct link to the Oh She Glows entrees: Food: Entrees

She has a lot of amazing recipes. I have tried quite a few and absolutely love them!

@elizabethjmurphy‌ good luck on your new journey. There are many nay sayers but there are also medical studies that price on a well balanced and clean eating diet being a vegan can work. I have been eating as a flexitarian for over 2 years now and have decided it is time to remove anything animal from my diet. I have been given the ok by my doctor. My family and friends are in denial that I will succeed in making this change but I am confident that I will not be eating heavily processed convenience foods. I would suggest going to a library or book store to find clean eating/ vegetarian cook books.