Anyone on a vegan diet?? Looking for ideas

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tiggerdug
tiggerdug Posts: 67 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi, I'm recently changing my diet to a vegan diet, I'm looking at ideas so I can keep training but get the right proteins. Could use some vegan friends for help and support!

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  • VeganFaceHole
    VeganFaceHole Posts: 39 Member
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    Im vegan!

    I usually just stick to the basics: rice, beans, lentils, tofu and lots of salad.
    Also bagels are vegan! I eat veggie sandwiches a lot.
  • Jellybeanz44
    Jellybeanz44 Posts: 31 Member
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    Hey, I'd recommend getting some vegan cook books. I'm not vegan but have looked through my partners books for general better eating ideas.
  • courtneyfabulous
    courtneyfabulous Posts: 1,863 Member
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    You'll probably need to invest in some plant based protein powder and make protein shakes & smoothies and maybe even learn how to add it to food recipes. I have a hard enough time consuming enough protein to support weight training & exercise as an omnivore, you're going to have to take special care to get in enough going vegan. At least you're aware of that though. Definitely include lots of protein rich foods too of course, and remember to take that B12 & a multivitamin & omega 3 supplements.
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
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    If you are going vegansoley for weightloss, just know you still have to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight. I know a few people who tried to go vegan to lose weight and ended up gaining because they didn't realize they were eating more calories.
  • JaydedMiss
    JaydedMiss Posts: 4,286 Member
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    Keep it simple. Overcomplicating it can lead to burnout. No need to have huge recipe books. I made potato discs a big part of my diet. Eat them near daily. And tofu/veggie burgers are great if you miss meat, cut up in salad even. yumyum. A big plate of green beans with a tofu burger is <500 calories its my favorite meal :p Have to be careful with the brands though.
  • zornig
    zornig Posts: 336 Member
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    I'm not vegan, but I try to eat 80% plant and 20% animal (mostly dairy with occasional fish and seafood). TVP and Seitan are your friends! They are both really cheap sources of vegan protein, that you can do amazing things with. I recommend googling The Post Punk Kitchen for lots of recipe ideas. This week alone I made a dish with "chickenish" TVP, shaved fennel and white wine sauce served over edamame pasta: 400 calories per serving (40 grams of carb, but 16g of fiber, and 30g of protein). Completely vegan. I also made Mexican style stuffed peppers with TVP taco bits, black beans, corn, and rice. I used some cheese, but you could easily leave it out or use vegan cheese (330 calories per serving, 40g of carb and 12g of fiber, with 20g of protein).
  • tiggerdug
    tiggerdug Posts: 67 Member
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    Great thanks so much for ideas!
  • PricillaKorea
    PricillaKorea Posts: 48 Member
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    I'm a vegetarian who leans vegan. I love making a big batch of soups or curries on the weekends which can last me all week! Staples in my diet are oats, PB, stir frys, beans and rice, FRUIT, and as many veggies as I can fit in in between! Don't over complicate things and challenge yourself to make all your old favorite meal vegan!
  • sarko15
    sarko15 Posts: 330 Member
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    If you go vegan solely for weight loss, you may be disappointed. Some people lose weight, I didn't. In fact I gained because vegan food is so good >:)

    2nd the suggestion of Post Punk Kitchen, though I think she changed it to just her name, Isa Chandra, now. She has a lot of cookbooks, including the Veganomicon, which is one of the best cookbooks I've ever owned.

    Try to incorporate beans, lentils, quinoa, sweet potato, nuts or dark leafy greens in every meal you eat. It's not hard if you're willing to be crafty--someone told me to try white beans in my pasta which I thought was super weird at first but I gave it a try and you can hardly taste it. There's a lot of great "creamy" sauces you can make with nuts and white beans too.

    Also, I don't eat much tofu because I try to avoid soy where I can, but it's worth learning how to make it properly. There's a lot of things you CAN make with tofu, including sauces and vegan cheesecake and other things. Tofu is a great base if you know how to make it properly.

    If you're like me and have a hard time with sweets, you can learn how to bake vegan treats (which does retain the sugar content but sort of helps with the fat) or keep a bar of dark chocolate around. Dark chocolate is vegan if you go very dark. I buy Ghirardelli 86% dark and it helps curve the cravings.
  • cowgrl08642
    cowgrl08642 Posts: 11 Member
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    Hey! I am a plant-based vegan and I know it is the best possible lifestyle for your health! If you're looking to be a plant-based vegan for weight loss (with typical veganism sugar and oil are still on the table - not good for weight loss) I recommend first watching Forks over Knives. Afterwards, read the Starch Solution by Dr. John Mcdougall, and Food over Medicine by Pamela Popper, PhD - they changed my life!
    For the best tasting food, you have to use the Isa Does It Cookbook - I omit the use of all oil and the food turns out perfect! TBH, protein is something people are overly obsessed with - you only need between 40-80 grams per day which is easily obtained with a plant-based vegan diet!
    FYI, I am down 52lbs in 11 months on a plant-based vegan diet.
    Good luck to you :-)
  • litoria
    litoria Posts: 239 Member
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    My tips, from lived experience of being vegan:
    1. Don't forget your B12 - take a supplement and use nutritional yeast
    2. Learn to love the lentil (or bean, chickpea etc)
    3. Be prepared to take your food with you - I'm now in the habit of self catering if I'm not 100% sure of the options where I'm going
    4. Don't get too offended when people refer to your food as "compost" :-)
  • RAxB
    RAxB Posts: 120 Member
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    I am incredibly intolerant to any form of dairy and both egg yolks and whites and eat vegan about 80% of the time as I don't eat red meat and hate preparing and sometimes eating chicken. I second the above poster with post punk kitchen because everything she makes is amazing, however not always waist friendly - but good recipes to make for non-vegan friends who come over for dinner hoping to not eat "rabbit food" :)

    I try to limit my amounts of soy since it's in so much vegan food, so I eat a bit more seitan especially in a stir fry or sloppy joe. Also try the Beyond Meat frozen brand of "fake" protein. It is soy free and has so many options that taste great and still provide with a large amount of protein that you can work into salads, stews, tacos, etc.

    I do have a soft spot for tofu chilaquiles using firm tofu as an egg substitute as well. So filling and tasty with some nutritional yeast and green chillies.

    I also have experimented with various form of vegan protein powder. Most taste terrible unless you really mix it with almond/coconut milk and fruit or veggies. Either way chocolate will still help to mask some bad flavor, but sometimes can't help any grittiness with certain rice/pea protein blends. My favorite is still Arbonne vanilla, but it's pretty expensive so I try to get it every other tub purchase.
  • sarko15
    sarko15 Posts: 330 Member
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    RAxB wrote: »
    I also have experimented with various form of vegan protein powder. Most taste terrible unless you really mix it with almond/coconut milk and fruit or veggies. Either way chocolate will still help to mask some bad flavor, but sometimes can't help any grittiness with certain rice/pea protein blends. My favorite is still Arbonne vanilla, but it's pretty expensive so I try to get it every other tub purchase.

    Any other vegan protein powders beyond Arbonne you recommend? I have a big tub of Orgain but it's so thick and gross in everything I put it in it's taking me forever to get through it and I'd really like to find something better.
  • RAxB
    RAxB Posts: 120 Member
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    That is what I have also have right now. It is not great, but I'm maybe 3 more servings away from being done. I'm still looking though! I feel the biggest issue is that they all come in bulk which slows time between orders. I try and get sample pouches or single use pouches occasionally to try new ones, but still come back to Arbonne which I order off Amazon. I also don't use protein powder too often, maybe once or twice a week which is why it takes so long between orders as well.

    If I am at Fresh Thyme Market or Whole Foods I look for small pouches, but none have stood out either due to price or taste/texture. I also have tried a few from TJ Maxx and Home Goods since those are usually cheaper to at least try them. Until something else knocks my socks off, I'll keep trucking and scooping!
  • jrowden0711
    jrowden0711 Posts: 136 Member
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    sarko15 wrote: »
    RAxB wrote: »
    I also have experimented with various form of vegan protein powder. Most taste terrible unless you really mix it with almond/coconut milk and fruit or veggies. Either way chocolate will still help to mask some bad flavor, but sometimes can't help any grittiness with certain rice/pea protein blends. My favorite is still Arbonne vanilla, but it's pretty expensive so I try to get it every other tub purchase.

    Any other vegan protein powders beyond Arbonne you recommend? I have a big tub of Orgain but it's so thick and gross in everything I put it in it's taking me forever to get through it and I'd really like to find something better.

    I use a brand called Naturade Vegan Smart. The chocolate with a little PB2 and almond milk is my favorite. It's available on amazon for around $26.99 last time I ordered some.
  • runningforthetrain
    runningforthetrain Posts: 1,037 Member
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    Bump
  • givesometogetsome
    givesometogetsome Posts: 35 Member
    edited December 2016
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    I'm not vegan, but eat a lot of plant foods. Beans (including soybeans) are my to-go for protein. They're cheap and can be used so many different ways. With the cold weather right now I've been making a big batch of bean and vegetable soup for the week. Every batch is a little different with ingredients, but usually offers about 400 calories and 25g protein per bowl.

    Lentils are also high in protein and make for a creamier soup when cooked longer. A bit higher on the calorie side though.
  • tiggerdug
    tiggerdug Posts: 67 Member
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    Thanks for the ideas! Oh and agree about the weight gain, I've gained weight at vegan food really is sooooo good!!!

    Looking at prepping everything is advance now and cooking from scratch.

    I'm excited to see changes!
  • sparky00721
    sparky00721 Posts: 113 Member
    edited December 2016
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    sarko15 wrote: »
    RAxB wrote: »
    I also have experimented with various form of vegan protein powder. Most taste terrible unless you really mix it with almond/coconut milk and fruit or veggies. Either way chocolate will still help to mask some bad flavor, but sometimes can't help any grittiness with certain rice/pea protein blends. My favorite is still Arbonne vanilla, but it's pretty expensive so I try to get it every other tub purchase.

    Any other vegan protein powders beyond Arbonne you recommend? I have a big tub of Orgain but it's so thick and gross in everything I put it in it's taking me forever to get through it and I'd really like to find something better.

    Vega makes vegan protein powder. I can vouch for the Vega One French Vanilla nutritional powder (note: it uses stevia, and I know some who do not care for that sweetner): https://myvega.ca/



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