Practically Vegan

dedakada
dedakada Posts: 8 Member
in Food and Nutrition
My husband and I have made the decision to go “practically vegan.” Anyone else trying to make the same dietary change, or already vegan? Can you share some tips? I say “practically vegan” because we are still learning how to be vegan. We are first focused on how many of our meals are vegan. We started doing this January 2020. Our focus is reduced animal protein, wellness, and life longevity. We already feel the difference, and we are loving this journey, and are proud of ourselves for making this life giving change. The scientific evidence is compelling. If you have been on the fence about being vegan, do it!

Replies

  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    You might like this group: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/45-happy-herbivores
  • dedakada
    dedakada Posts: 8 Member
    Thanks for your comments, and I will check out the link you recommended. It is encouraging to hear you have been a vegetarian for 45+ years. I have been learning from the Food Revolution Network, from John and Ocean Robbins, Dr Kristi Funk, Dr Joel Fuhrman, and Dr Neil Bernard primarily. It’s a learning experience, and so a transition but I’m committed. Thanks for reaching out to support me.
  • dedakada
    dedakada Posts: 8 Member
    KShama2001,
    Even pregnant women get 9 months to prepare and learn about the new status they are transitioning to, “mother,” I am okay with taking some time to figure out my vegan journey. Sorry if my choice of words “practically vegan” offended you. I went with “practically” because there might be some times or circumstances that wholly plant based foods might be impractical. Not sure; still learning, and I will give your comment some thought.
  • dedakada
    dedakada Posts: 8 Member
    Thanks to all for the useful links! I appreciate the interaction.
  • unstableunicorn
    unstableunicorn Posts: 216 Member
    I’ve reaped too many benefits from increasing my meat consumption to give up my omnivorous ways. With that said, veggies are yum too! I was introduced to Oh She Glows last fall and finally picked up the first cookbook earlier this month and have been happy with what we’ve tried so far. Even accidentally found a replacement for my maple lattes (steamed almond milk with some maple syrup. OMG!!! 🤤 )

    One thing I learned quickly is to be mindful of plant-based alternatives. Many protein sources are pretty calorie-dense, and most ready products like veggie burgers are loaded with sodium. That’s not to say don’t eat them (loooove Yves’ mexican ground round in chili) just make sure you’re aware of what you’re eating.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    dedakada wrote: »
    KShama2001,
    Even pregnant women get 9 months to prepare and learn about the new status they are transitioning to, “mother,” I am okay with taking some time to figure out my vegan journey. Sorry if my choice of words “practically vegan” offended you. I went with “practically” because there might be some times or circumstances that wholly plant based foods might be impractical. Not sure; still learning, and I will give your comment some thought.

    I wasn't offended, just a stickler for using terms correctly so we are all on the same page in conversations. We had a new poster who described herself as...something I don't quite remember, but confusion followed many of her posts, and once she started calling her way of eating pescatarian, that noise was eliminated :)

    Jane's post explains why “practically vegan” isn't accurate:
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    dedakada wrote: »
    KShama2001,
    Even pregnant women get 9 months to prepare and learn about the new status they are transitioning to, “mother,” I am okay with taking some time to figure out my vegan journey. Sorry if my choice of words “practically vegan” offended you. I went with “practically” because there might be some times or circumstances that wholly plant based foods might be impractical. Not sure; still learning, and I will give your comment some thought.

    I don't think anybody is offended by the term "practically vegan," it's just that veganism is an ethical position you either hold or you don't. Using "plant-based" or "mostly plant-based" eliminates the confusion if you're planning on continuing to use animals for "practicality."

    That said, welcome to your explorations with reducing animal exploitation. I've been vegan for about thirteen years now. My best advice is to explore different cookbooks (as @kshama2001 suggested, the local library can be a great resource). Pinterest also has lots of vegan recipes of all different types, including many that are health-focused. If you're not already eating them regularly, beans are a fantastic resource for the plant-based diet -- they can be used in so many different ways and they're cheap and easy to prepare. If you don't already have a B12 supplement picked out, start researching that now. I use a spray three times a week, as well as eat some fortified foods.

    The scientific evidence is compelling that we should eat plenty of plant foods. It's less clear that we need to eliminate animal products to get the benefits of that, so I'd be thoughtful about how you present this. When vegans and plant-based eaters make claims that aren't fully supported by evidence, it's a net loss for animal advocacy, as we look either misinformed, dishonest, or manipulative.
  • nooshi713
    nooshi713 Posts: 4,877 Member
    I think vegan is a very strict term. Like, if you eat a dairy product once a year on your birthday, you aren’t vegan. So I use plant based also. I still eat fish once in a while but 99% of the time I’m plant based.
  • Urun4me
    Urun4me Posts: 37 Member
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    dedakada wrote: »
    KShama2001,
    Even pregnant women get 9 months to prepare and learn about the new status they are transitioning to, “mother,” I am okay with taking some time to figure out my vegan journey. Sorry if my choice of words “practically vegan” offended you. I went with “practically” because there might be some times or circumstances that wholly plant based foods might be impractical. Not sure; still learning, and I will give your comment some thought.

    I don't think anybody is offended by the term "practically vegan," it's just that veganism is an ethical position you either hold or you don't. Using "plant-based" or "mostly plant-based" eliminates the confusion if you're planning on continuing to use animals for "practicality."

    The mission for the vegan society (founded by the person who created the term) includes the phrase "as far as is possible and practicable."

    A lot of people are vegan for non-ethical reasons.

    If someone says they eat plant based and you find out they also eat mushrooms would that confuse people? Everyone knows what OP means, so it's not necessary to debate what the definition of a particular term is.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    I've never encountered someone who is a vegan whose reasons for adopting the way of life did not include either concern about harm to animals, or (less commonly as a sole reason) concern about the effect of animal agriculture on the world (environmental impact, for instance.

    I've met people who were strict vegetarian for more abstract religious reasons or for health; and some who are ovo or lacto or both for health; but even among those less strict than actual vegans, it's pretty common to have ethical issues as at least one reason for their choice.

    Some people make the mistake of believing that if there is an ethical reason, it's always and only a concern about the well-being of animals, but that's not necessarily the case. Adopting a way of eating for (say) environmental reasons is also an ethical position. There are other potential ethical reasons for these choices, as well as varying senses among individuals about how strict they need to be with their own personal rules.

    I'm ovo-lacto veg. I think clear use of the terms is helpful, partly because I try to be respectful of others' beliefs. As a simple example, I recent went to a potluck party where I knew there would be a small number of strict vegans. I made it a point to buy vegan sugar (yup, a thing) for a vinaigrette, and vet other ingredients I was using in the dish I brought, in order to have reasonable chance that mine would be among the small number of things at the party that they could eat.

    In that sense, terminology matters. I'm a laid-back person, but if someone told me they were vegan, and I made it a point to get special ingredients or do extra work to accommodate that, I'd be mildly irritated to see that person eat cheese, for example.

    Yes, I'm an omnivore, but when cooking for vegans make a point of using egg substitutes and sugar that was not whitened with bone char (which is most sugar sold.)

    When I cooked at a yoga retreat center in Costa Rico and accommodated dietary requests, I was mildly irritated when I saw a man who had claimed to be vegan eating a sausage down at the beach.
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
    dedakada wrote: »
    My husband and I have made the decision to go “practically vegan.” Anyone else trying to make the same dietary change, or already vegan? Can you share some tips? I say “practically vegan” because we are still learning how to be vegan. We are first focused on how many of our meals are vegan. We started doing this January 2020. Our focus is reduced animal protein, wellness, and life longevity. We already feel the difference, and we are loving this journey, and are proud of ourselves for making this life giving change. The scientific evidence is compelling. If you have been on the fence about being vegan, do it!

    What is wrong with your wellness now? Perhaps if you state your health problems people can tell you if going more plant based will help.
  • shaumom
    shaumom Posts: 1,003 Member
    Glad to hear that the new diet is making you feel so much better! I have met so many people now who find a diet that really seems to click with their own biology (whether that's vegan, vegetarian, no grains, or even high meat). And all of them seem to really do well on their chosen diet. So congrats on finding one that works so well for you!

    While I'm not a vegan, I had to change my diet a lot a few years ago for medical reasons and ended up cooking a lot of new foods, so I'm offering advice from that perspective. :-)

    - If you have not already done so, check out Asian markets, or Indian markets if you have those specifically, for spices. They tend to sell spices in MUCH larger amounts - like bags instead of tiny bottles - for much more reasonable prices.

    - If you are looking for recipes, I cannot recommend enough looking at traditional (or based on traditional) vegan recipes from around the world. On average, these are, IMHO, light years better than a lot of modern vegan recipes. I think of it this way: if a vegan dish has existed in a culture for decades, or hundreds of years even, then it's probably pretty freaking good, you know? And I'm not saying that modern vegan dishes are bad, because there are amazing cooks for every kind of diet.

    But often, I have found the most flavor in dishes that have kind of stood the test of time, as it were, if that makes sense? And they tend to be easier to hunt down. Like, socca from france (a chickpea based flat bread), or this entire list of traditional Indian vegan dishes: https://www.thenomadicvegan.com/vegan-indian-food/ .

  • 2tryharder
    2tryharder Posts: 31 Member
    I hate this thread got hi-jacked over semantics, but to OP: my husband and I are at the exact same stage as you in trying a plant based diet. We've been doing it since last December and both of us feel better, sleep better, and are losing some weight. I love the Cookie and Kate website and have tried a lot of the recipes there. I had never tried quinoa or tofu before but have learned to cook them (to make sure we get enough protein) and they are delicious! I struggled not to substitute meat with simple carbs (like pasta) but have tried zoodles and spaghetti squash with success. Also beans and lentils work for tacos, chili, etc. I think in the Spring/Summer it will be even easier to adapt some of my existing recipes to exclude the meat. Good luck on the new approach to eating (whatever you want to call it lol).
  • dedakada
    dedakada Posts: 8 Member
    Hello, everyone. It has been a long while since I posted, but I just re-read our posts and wanted to say 'thank you' to all who participated. I think this was a robust and educational discussion. My husband and I are still "plant-based," but have changed our thinking toward how many plant-based meals we eat. In other words, we have given ourselves grace for not being perfect. Our goals are the same: to eat a healthy diet for health, wellness, and recovery. When my husband and me are not plant-based, we lean toward the Mediterranean diet. I think the bottom-line to this discussion is "words matter." Journey on!

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