Practically Vegan

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  • shaumom
    shaumom Posts: 1,003 Member
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    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
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    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
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    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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