Vegan tips, support and recipes

RegularIdiot
RegularIdiot Posts: 3 Member
Hey there 😊 I went vegan exactly a week ago and I actually feel great! I think I'm doing a o.k. job with the food, but I want more diversity when it comes to cooking, I like to experiment with food and try new things. So for the vegans out there, can you share your favorite recipes? 😊 Also some tips for begginers like me will be highly appreciated 😊

Replies

  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 9,961 Member
    pizza with vegan cheese and whatever veggie toppings you like. (pizza and enchiladas are about the only places where I feel like vegan cheese doesn't suffer by comparison to dairy cheese)
  • BarbaraHelen2013
    BarbaraHelen2013 Posts: 1,940 Member
    I’d suggest Pinterest for inspiration and recipes...almost endless ideas there!

    Advice - keep an eye on your range of proteins - you need to be sure to get plenty of variety of sources to replace all of the essential amino acids. Also, give some thought to sources of B vitamins - B12 specifically. (Fortified Nutritional Yeast is a common source).
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,594 Member
    I am not a vegan but when I cook for vegans I typically use seitan just like meat in Asian stir fry recipes. Here is an example
    https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/vegan-mongolian-beef/
    If you are new to veganism make sure you check out what supplements you need. Some vitamins such as B12 are very hard to get enough of on a vegan diet.
  • SelenaMariaStewart
    SelenaMariaStewart Posts: 112 Member
    B12 is a must for us, as well as to be sure to eat a varied diet to get essential amino acids, etc. Hemp seeds are a great, rounded protein source! What kind of recipes were you looking for? Soups, salads, burgers, pasta wraps, loafs, etc?
  • RegularIdiot
    RegularIdiot Posts: 3 Member
    Thank you everyone for the helpful tips! 😊 I'm waiting for my blood results to see if I'm lacking anything else except B12, because I heard that a lot of vegans also lack iron? Also to answer this:
    Saibasu wrote: Β»
    What kind of recipes were you looking for?
    Really anything is fine ^^ I seem to have gotten stuck doing the same few recipes again and again (because i like them, but i need some variety as all of you said). So I'm open to any suggestions ^^
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    Thank you everyone for the helpful tips! 😊 I'm waiting for my blood results to see if I'm lacking anything else except B12, because I heard that a lot of vegans also lack iron? Also to answer this:
    Saibasu wrote: Β»
    What kind of recipes were you looking for?
    Really anything is fine ^^ I seem to have gotten stuck doing the same few recipes again and again (because i like them, but i need some variety as all of you said). So I'm open to any suggestions ^^

    You're extremely unlikely to have developed any type of deficiency in a week, so if the goal of the blood work is to see how changing to a vegan diet affected your vitamin/mineral levels, it's almost certainly too soon to tell. Blood work done now is going to tell you if you had any existing deficiencies prior to changing your diet, not what effect the change had.

    This is especially true for B12; the body stores roughly 3-5 years' worth of B12 in the liver, assuming that you were getting enough of it before you went vegan. For the future, here is a good guide to B12 in the vegan diet: https://www.theveganrd.com/vegan-nutrition-101/vegan-nutrition-primers/vitamin-b12-a-vegan-nutrition-primer/

    Similarly, you're probably not going to develop iron deficiency in a week unless you already had that deficiency, or have some other risk factor for anemia, such as extremely heavy menstrual periods. https://www.theveganrd.com/vegan-nutrition-101/vegan-nutrition-primers/iron-a-vegan-nutrition-primer/
  • KevinWH87
    KevinWH87 Posts: 74 Member
    I'm not vegan, but I have made some delicious vegan soups. They are so easy to make and also low cal. Let me know if you want any more details on the recipes for the following soups I love to make!

    * Broccoli
    * Mushroom
    * Ginger, Coconut Carrot
    * Chilled Cucumber with Greek Yogurt
  • dmkoenig
    dmkoenig Posts: 299 Member
    https://cookieandkate.com is a great vegetarian blog with great ideas on new flavors and ingredients. Kate does use dairy but she typically includes vegan options to substitute in all her recipes.
  • ladyzherra
    ladyzherra Posts: 438 Member
    There are some excellent vegan recipes sites out there. I like The Curious Chickpea
  • sfinsc
    sfinsc Posts: 169 Member
    Hey there 😊 I went vegan exactly a week ago and I actually feel great! I think I'm doing a o.k. job with the food, but I want more diversity when it comes to cooking, I like to experiment with food and try new things. So for the vegans out there, can you share your favorite recipes? 😊 Also some tips for begginers like me will be highly appreciated 😊

    If you're into cookbooks, I highly recommend the Engine 2 Cookbook and the Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook! Even if you don't have heart disease (I don't either), the recipes in both are whole food, plant based, which is super important to make sure you're getting the depth and breadth of nutrients you need. I also recommend the YouTube channels Krocks in the Kitchen, The Jaroudi Family, and Jane Esselstyn. Good luck! I've been eating this way for 6 months now and it just keeps getting better. :)