Vegan diet !!

Congrats on going vegan, that is wonderful. I wish I had a shopping list for you, but I do not, I am in the process of creating one but it is not done yet. Feel free to friend me as I am vegan and completely went vegan in June.

Try some quiona and polenta, rice, fruits and veggies (frozen and fresh), tofu! (i love it with bbq sauce). i'm not vegan, but those are things i would get if i was thinking about shopping vegan.

My husband and I did this starting June 12, 2011. And he was an avid carnivore. We are so happy about all the unexpected positive changes, that we don't intend to go back. It was a LOT of work at first and we ate way too many meat and cheese substitutes, but once we gained more experience, we realized that it didn't have to be complicated and that most of the foods can be obtained from the local grocery store.

So far, all our blood levels (cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, fasting blood sugar, etc) have dropped significantly. My husband no longer needs his heart medications for blood pressure or cholesterol. Our aches and pains have gone. We have more energy. His acid reflux and hemorrhoids went away as well as my seasonal allergies (after over a decade). We really didn't expect this many improvements. Sometimes you don't even know you are sick until you start feeling better. My husband and I each lost about 30 pounds since the change in diet.

I highly recommend the movie "Forks Over Knives" (available on Netflix) and the book, "The China Study". Message me if you have any questions.

I was a vegan for two years but gave it up because I really LOVE meat. I never got over craving it and each day felt like i was being deprived.

That being said, I couldn't get by without vegetable stock. It can be bought right next to the beef and chicken stocks in most groceries.( Cook barley in this and it is like beef and barley soup) Also, white gravy mixes that don't contain milk. Although, you can make it at home, it is really quick to add water to a mix when pinched for time.

Oh, yeah, Bacos with vegan mayo on toast with lettuce and tomato. OMG great mock BLT! (Bacos are made with soy)

Watch out for meat replacements. They almost always have egg in them. I think Gardenburger has a vegan option.

TVP is a good one to keep on hand. (Great for homemade vegan chili)

An assortment of grains so you dont get bored and lots of canned beans cause they heat up quick.

Lots of fresh stuff and soy or nut milks can help with recipes calling for cream.

Even though I eat animal products now, I still use some of my old vegan recipes.

Hope this helps.

Please try and get the Book Eat Right. Live longer by Dr. Neal Barnard, M.D. Not only does it have Recipes... It also has the SCIENCE you need to understand the lifestyle!! Been Vegetarian since '96 and Vegan Since 2001. If you can't get that book any book by Brenda Davis (Becoming Vegetarian and Becoming Vegan) also books with the Science to help you understand that this is a Healthy way to eat and Live! Congrats on trying what so many think is a scary/unhealthy/unnatural life style yet forget that 20% of the world NEVER eats meats or Dairy and has been this way for hundreds of years!! (and Incidentally are Way healthier than the SAD eaters (Standard American Diet) ) OH should add that this is my Boyfriend's page and he is overweight.. I is not!

Go to the fatfreevegan.com ... she always has really great recipes, and I think she provides nutritional info on all of them, which is INCREDIBLY helpful!

Enjoy!

I ditto this recommendation. These are some of the best recipes I have found.

I am not vegan, but my son is. Since he moved in I'm been incorporating some vegan meals into the weekly menu. Shopping list ideas given (beans, lentils, nuts, quinoa, noodles (not enriched), rice, lots of fruit & veggies) are great. Tofu is very versatile and will take on the flavor of whatever you put it in, I prefer the extra firm has a better texture. I'm not a big fan of soymilk or coconut milk, I prefer almond milk. Most vegans do not eat honey or any processed sugar so raw sugars & maple syrup for sweetners. No jello (made with hooves of various animals). I've gotten better at reading labels to make sure what I buy he can eat. I haven't gone vegan but eat ALOT less meat, eggs, and cheese since he's moved in. I do have to admit I feel better!

Good luck.

I would invest in some vegan cookbooks:
Veganomicon
Appetite for Reduction
30 Day Diabetes miracle cookbook (even if you don't have diabetes lol.)
A raw food cookbook is nice, too (I just bought Thrive Foods)
The Joy of Vegan Baking
And, I highly recommend a Vegetarian Times subscription
There are more, but I haven't had a chance to look at them.


My pantry usually has:
oatmeal
blackstrap molasses
frozen veggies for quick stir fries
buckwheat (soba) noodles for stir fries
brown and wild rice - for burritos, stir fries, curried lentils or rice and beans
beans and lentils
quinoa
salsa and tortillas for burritos
onion and garlic (seriously, I almost always need these)
bananas and frozen fruit for smoothies
kale - this is such an important food. Make kale chips, sautee with lemon. the 30 day diabetes cookbook has the best kale salad recipe in the history of mankind.
whole wheat white flour
guacamole because my daughters love this
So delicious coconut yogurt
Van's waffles (for the kids)
fresh fruit
frozen veggies (peas, asparagus) for sides
almond/hemp/soy/other milk, all varieties
pasta - try whole wheat or gluten-free varieties. I try to minimize refined pasta.
Daiya vegan cheese for homemade lasagna or pizza
tofu
tofurkey italian sausage or that grain-based kind that's expensive but one of those quick go-to things on a busy night (good with pizza, pasta)
Trader Joe's frozen meals - vegetable gyoza, etc.
so delicious vegan ice cream
trail mix, raw nuts
chia seed - great for smoothies
hemp seed - ditto
almond butter
ezekiel sprouted grain bread and Trader Joe's quinoa bread
nutritional yeast flakes

I would never survive as a vegan if I didn't learn how to cook. There are some great blogs now, the Little House of Veggies, Fat Free Vegan Kitchen, Post Punk Kitchen which can inspire me on my lazy days. Have fun with it!

Hi ! I'm pretty much vegan except for dairy and fish. My grocery list consist of dried legumes (i.e. pinto beans, black beans, lentils, great northern beans, black-eyed peas, garbanzo beans, chickpeas, etc.), fresh produce (all types of veges and fruit), frozen produce as well, brown rice, oatmeal, whole wheat pastas, vegetarian products (Gardein or Amy's products - I'm very selective), etc. You can have a full balanced vegan diet and enjoy it and be satisfied. I hope it works out for you.

I'm a vegetarian, though my husband and I eat a vegan diet at home. I recommend Appetite for Reduction by Isa Chandra Moskowitz as a good starter cookbook, and I'd also recommend checking the bulk bins for fun new grains to try!

Feel free to friend me!

Yay! I started two days ago. I can tell you it makes you feel wonderful, i suggest you dont count calories and just eat those veggies and fruits as u like. I was a bad snacker and all of a sudden i dont crave it. Ive been cooking yummy tasting food and baking cakes for my husbamd who is not vegan and i have not wanted to eat or taste it, its so weird and fun
GOOD LUCK

I've been vegan for almost two years now. I feel GREAT, have no desire for meat or dairy items. I wasn't a huge meat eater before, did love fish though and really loved my dairy. I thought I would crave it, but I haven't. My cholesterol (which was over 200 since age 25) is now 168 after just 18 months on a vegan diet.

Phlumpet sent a great list for you and I definitely love the Fat Free Vegan blog. I love trying new recipes and have been on a new recipe "binge" lately - everything I've made for the last month has been never-before-tried recipes and every one of them has been excellent!

The thing that I did to make my life easier (because I work at home, homeschool my teenage daughters, and have two small home-based businesses) is make out menus and complete grocery lists to go with each of them and put them on the computer. I printed out copies and put them in a binder. When it is time to go grocery shopping, I decide which menu I want and just print out a grocery list. Then I check off things I already have in my pantry like seasonings or staples and go off to the store. It took a while in the beginning, but the time savings afterwards has been huge.

I do not eat a ton of tofu or meat-substitutes. I do love tofu, but only have it perhaps once a week. I had to learn how to properly prepare it, though. Before I hated it. :^) I will make substitutes to most of our "old" meals because I was using meat as an ingredient rather than eating how I was raised (lots of meat and starch, token veggie on the side). Lentils make a yummy taco meat substitute. I've had requests from carnivores for my vegan chili.

Go to the fatfreevegan.com ... she always has really great recipes, and I think she provides nutritional info on all of them, which is INCREDIBLY helpful!

Enjoy!

I ditto this recommendation. These are some of the best recipes I have found.

Double ditto this website. Plus www.vegweb.com
Good luck at your new journey! I've been vegan for 6 years and I know it is possible to get off the cheese!