Vegan virgin!

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TheCurvyGamble
TheCurvyGamble Posts: 42 Member
in Recipes
I am going vegan to help reset my body and to live a healthier lifestyle than I am, but I need suggestions to ease me into it and how to start! Suggestions? Recipes?

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  • TheCurvyGamble
    TheCurvyGamble Posts: 42 Member
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    I don't like to get on here and make a statement because that isn't what I am here for so my post was focusing on the health side of things. I am wanting to transition into a more plant-based lifestyle. I am just looking for healthy, easily starting out recipes. I know some unhealthy vegans as well and that is why I came to the community on here to ask for help. If you have any insight or suggestions of recipes in that regard it is greatly appreciated.
  • khlokins
    khlokins Posts: 31 Member
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    Gurrrrl. I'm gonna play my annoying vegan card and say it's all about the statement (; Be proud of your ethics if it's a motivation to get you on a vegan/plant-based diet.

    Outside of that though, Pinterest can reeally help. It really depends on what you're trying to eat. Are you trying to go Raw vegan (basically everything you eat isn't cooked, ever. I can't do it, but hey more power to you if you can), or are you just trying to replace meat and dairy with healthier options like lentils and whatnot?

    Are carbs (like pasta, rice, potatoes) still on the table for you? Or are you trying to cut down on those?

    Does your body handle soy products well (like tofu, and meat substitutes)

    These are all important questions to ask imo on how you want to lead a healthier lifestyle on a plant based diet.

    One thing I can ALWAYS suggest regardless of what you're trying to do is green smoothies!! Not the nasty lawn clipping tasting ones either. Like good green smoothies lol Some spinach, with a liquid of your choice (I usually use water or oj but it's a completely open ball field), some mango, some pineapple, and banana.. mmm. Delicious; And nutritious (:
  • TheCurvyGamble
    TheCurvyGamble Posts: 42 Member
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    @khlokins I have started to go meat free and trying to stay away from dairy. Cheese is really hard to quit for me so far. I couldn't do all raw either. I have been eating a lot of rice, quinoa, different types of beans, i eat potatoes on occasion, I do have pasta, but in moderation. I am trying to find variety so im open. Veggies are a huge struggle for me. I have struggled all my life with eating fruits and veggies, but there are a few i actually like. I just tried a black bean burger the other night. I have been off put by tofu, but possible because it wasn't made properly when I tried it. I have been looking into different smoothies as well.
  • nickssweetheart
    nickssweetheart Posts: 874 Member
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    I found that my cravings for cheese went away over time, but in the meanwhile, things like olives and hummus that have that kind of yummy, savory, tangy quality helped. I love to use hummus as a salad dressing or as a spread on a wrap. (If you're watching calories, though, you do have to measure it! I can eat way more hummus than is good for me.)

    I use this peanut sauce for everything (as a cole slaw dressing with cabbage, over noodles, to dip baked tofu in):
    Chinese Peanut Sauce

    If veggies are a struggle for you but you like pasta, you can do something I often do for a quick meal: boil 1 serving of pasta (or 2, whatever you have calories for) and the last minute of cooking time, toss in half a bag of frozen stir fry veggies. Then drain it all and toss with soy sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, and a little sesame oil. Gets you your pasta fix but really bulked up with veg and tastes kind of like a lo mein noodle dish. Sesame seeds are good on it too.

    This is delicious and summery and a good introduction to lentils if you haven't been eating them before:
    Lentil Potato Salad

    I also like this (obviously use veggie broth instead of chicken): Lentil Potato Stew

    I like to bake my tofu: slice it about half an inch thick, bake on a silpat at 350 for around 20 minutes (flip halfway through) then cube and toss with flavorful sauce.
  • RenaTX
    RenaTX Posts: 345 Member
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    I'm not vegan or vegetarian but I like to eat a lot of vegetarian based meals. Pinterest as mentioned is a great place to start. You mentioned cheese. If you have the time there are nut based cheese subs you can make which are pretty good. Some can be even melty like. I make a vegan ranch from soaked cashews to cover dehydrated kale which is really yummy.

    Because my hubby is terribly picky I have lurked in many Vegan Facebook groups to find recipes that he may enjoy too.

    If you are Facebook check out these groups

    Vegan Cheese - hits and misses. Learn to make vegan cheeses.
    The Seitan Appreciation Society if you can eat gluten . There is a lot of recipes using seitan to create mock meat. All high in calories but occasional use can help make the transition from eating meat to a vegan lifestyle a bit easier as you can learn to make some mock meat dishes you may currently enjoy.

    Aquafaba everything
    aquafaba (vegan meringue - hits and misses )
    Learn to use chickpea water to create dishes you may use to have to use cream or egg whites for.
    rice paper bacon (lækon) - whaaat Learn to create fake bacon using rice paper. Though this group has been dead for a bit there are still a lot of recipes and technique conversations out there.

    Vegan Recipes to Share is a pretty good general group to check out.



    One tip I would suggest is if you are not already, check out other cultures and how their vegetarian / vegan meals maybe like. My mom and grandmother are from Taiwan and are vegetarians so I was exposed to some unique things growing up that are becoming more mainstream here in the States and I'm still learning as well.

    Like green jackfruit can be used in a lot of dishes as mock meat. I have only made mock pulled pork with it and my husband loves it. But I seen people use it for much more.

    Banana blossoms can be fried to make mock white fish. Like a fish and chips sub . It was good but not filling IMO but just a few ideas regarding looking at other cultures for inspiration.
  • RenaTX
    RenaTX Posts: 345 Member
    edited July 2018
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    My favorite vegan meals currently are
    • Buffalo Cauliflower "wings" . I make my batter with vodka and buffalo sauce which keeps it crunchy.
    • Black beans and plantain tacos
    • Green jackfruit pulled pork
    • Cauliflower Alfredo with Polenta
    • Chickpea "tuna" salad
    • Falafels with my version of tabbouleh salad where I use quinoa

    I'm sure there is more but just off the top of my head.
    Food52 is one of my favorite places to search for Vegan / Vegetarian meals FYI. They have some fun recipes I'm looking to try like Smoked Carrot "Lox" . There is also a carrot "hot dog" that I'm interested in trying but it doesn't sound filling really. Who knows. I like odd food.

    Other good recipe websites / blogs
    https://www.seriouseats.com/vegan-experience
    https://FullOfPlants.com
    https://naturallyella.com/
    http://chefjanapinheiro.com/
    https://olivesfordinner.com/
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
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    go ahead, go vegan but don't do it to reset your body. your body does not need to be reset.

    pinterest is a great resource for vegan meals
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,626 Member
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    If you are new to veganism make sure you look up the supplements that are recommended as some vitamins and minerals are hard to get enough of in a vegan diet, such as B12.
  • goodywitch
    goodywitch Posts: 1 Member
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    https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/9-all-time-favorite-recipes-from-the-forks-over-knives-staff/
    http://www.theveganrd.com/vegan-nutrition-101/
    As for veggies, cut them small, stir fry with tofu, and drench with hot sauce. Or get a super salad pack and use that.

    Avoid the earth balance, make cashew cheese for when you miss cheese, and http://www.chocolatecoveredkatie.com has amazing dessert recipes. I don't use artificial sweetener like she does, I use sugar, but monkfruit sugar is 0 cal and doesn't taste terrible. It's expensive, though.
  • gamboajudy
    gamboajudy Posts: 9 Member
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    Best of luck to you! Just something to remember - every BODY is different. Going plant based is not easy or possible for everyone. My sister was vegan for years, and after falling ill, doctors explained it was her diet - she was missing essential nutrients that SHE needed. She got a lot of backlash from the vegan community about starting to eat eggs again. I was vegetarian for years and attempted to go vegan, but also fell ill myself. I haven’t been able to go completely vegan... always had to have a few eggs or else I couldn’t make it through the day. Everyone is different. Don’t let anyone try to shame you for your diet choices. Eat what makes your body feel good. Plain and simple. As the person said above, make sure you’re getting all the vitamins you need! 🤞🏽😊
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    gamboajudy wrote: »
    Best of luck to you! Just something to remember - every BODY is different. Going plant based is not easy or possible for everyone. My sister was vegan for years, and after falling ill, doctors explained it was her diet - she was missing essential nutrients that SHE needed. She got a lot of backlash from the vegan community about starting to eat eggs again. I was vegetarian for years and attempted to go vegan, but also fell ill myself. I haven’t been able to go completely vegan... always had to have a few eggs or else I couldn’t make it through the day. Everyone is different. Don’t let anyone try to shame you for your diet choices. Eat what makes your body feel good. Plain and simple. As the person said above, make sure you’re getting all the vitamins you need! 🤞🏽😊

    What essential nutrients did your sister need that other people don't?

    What is in eggs that can't be found in any other food?
  • Princesstri
    Princesstri Posts: 18 Member
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    Here are a bunch of Vegan recipe bloggers. Plus, try an app called Yummly which lets you search recipes for any diet or cuisine you want including vegetarian (vegan + cheese) or pescatarian (vegetarian + fish). https://www.culinarynutrition.com/top-50-vegan-blogs/

    I’m not vegetarian but I eat a lot of plant based recipes because veggies are delicious. One of my favorites is cashew “cheese”.

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