Vegans - what do you eat?!

Lol i'm sorry but I just woke up and though this thread said "Vaginas - What do you all eat?"
I spit coffee all over my computer!

Um...I think vegans eat plants and stuff!
Google it!






I'm just joing around!

Happy Easter
Passover
Or
Original Zombie Day

Whatever you call it enjoy your day!

=D

I just squirted iced tea out of my nose after reading that. LOL!!

Vegan breakfast sandwich

1oz vegan cheddar ( I use Follow Your Heart brand )
3oz extra firm tofu sliced into thin slices
1 tablespoon earth balance buttery spread (1 tsp for frying, 2 for the English muffins)
Vegan breakfast sausage pattie, or vegan bacon ( I use morning star maple breakfast patties)
Ezekiel sprouted grain English muffin

1. Press the tofu so that all the excess moisture is removed and fry in a skillet with 1 tsp earth balance until the tofu shrinks a bit and is a little crispy.

2. Toast the English muffin in a toaster and put 1 tsp earth balance on both halves of them and then put the vegan cheese evenly on both halves. Then put it under the broiler until the cheese is meaty and bubbly.

3. Cook the breakfast patties according to the package directions

4. Put the sausage and sliced tofu on the English muffin and enjoy!

Serves 1 and is 440 cals. Without the sausage it is 360 cals

Yum that sounds really good, i will be trying that this week with some tofu i will have left over from another meal

I've been vegetarian before and my girlfriend is a conditional vegetarian (she won't cook meat for herself but if someone else is making dinner she will eat it) and the biggest thing for me when I was eating that way was getting away from the "replacement" mentality (i.e. what do I replace meat with in this recipe). It's great to rehab family recipes and such using that thinking, but in the long run it's just going to remind you what you have cut out of your diet, which in my experience just makes you want it more. Two of my favorite cookbooks from that period (and ones I still use pretty regularly) are "Fresh From the Vegetarian Slow-Cooker" and "Veganomicon". The slow-cooker book is great for me as I don't get home until 11:30p when I work so having dinner ready for me when I get there is always nice. The Veganomicon is a really great everyday book that features really delicious food that also happens to be vegan, so you never feel like you are compromising on the flavor by "removing" an animal protein. Good luck with the diet shift and I hope it works out for you!

"I´m vegan who eat fish, seafood and eggs so not a 100% one".

Errr so not really vegan at all then!

I'm happy to eat vegetarian most of the time. I have vegan friends who stay sometimes and I've always thought the compromises are too far for me to go. Doesn't help that a lot of the substitutes are additive laden and highly processed. I can't say I've ever really had a very enjoyable meal at theirs in return either - so many flavourings and ingredients become impossible. Cheese is always going to be my downfall!

Still, hats off to those have the creatitivity and willpower.

The only recipe I've got to contribute is for an oven-baked risotto with pinenuts and mushrooms, which works for vegans if I leave off the grated cheese and breadcrumb topping I'd normally use.

This is why I'm not labeling myself as vegetarian, vegan, or whatever...If I want meat or cheese, I'm going to eat it...if I want eggs, you better believe I'll get some...especially if bacon is involved...we just want to get away from depending on meat/animal products and definitely get away from all the processed crap.

And that's why when you said you are trying to follow a primarily plant-based diet, it was and will be much appreciated.

I would recommend studying and reading John McDougall's starch based diet. You can find him on YouTube and his own web site, http://www.drmcdougall.com/. He has a couple of DVD's where you can see his wife show how to cook, I recommend those as those DVD's will help with the transition. You can even find a 7 day meal plan complete with recipes.

If you read the Fire Engine book, then you know that Jeff Novick helps out in the seminars and you will see Jeff Novick on McDougall's site.

I don't recommend tofu, because it is over 50% fat, but I do recommend starches because they are cholesterol free, low-fat, low sodium, low sugar, nutritious and it gives you the energy (calories) you need to get on with the day. It is not a fast losing diet but it is a good way to lose the weight without eating salads all the time. Now, saying that, you do need your veggies but a meal centered around starches and veggies is the perfect combination. If you want to lose the weight, you eat more veggies than starches combined with exercise, I would recommend playing around with those two (starchy foods and veggies).

Because I am trying to lose 25 lbs quickly, I am eating salads and jogging. However, I do plan on going back to my starches for maintenance. Starches include potato, oatmeal (grains), rice, beans, corn, squash, pumpkin, more examples on McDougall's web site.

There are a lot of delicious vegan foods! For breakfast, look for cereal that doesn't contain milk (casein or whey included), try a coconut based yogurt and add apples and berries, there are vegan pancake & waffle mixes as well as frozen options. And if you like smoothies, there are tons to choose from.

Many of my favorite recipes come from The Kind Diet book by Alicia Silverstone, she also has a great website where other vegans post recipes they like: http://www.thekindlife.com/

Other great healthy vegan sites are:
http://happyherbivore.com/ (great, low cal and easy recipes)
http://karmachow.com/ (she Tony Horton's nutritionist - from P90x)

Substitutions I use are almond milk or coconut milk, earth balance butter, lara bars or clif bars, daiya cheese (works well when melted like on a pizza, i wouldn't eat it if it weren't melted), chickpeas mashed with vegenaise, relish, celery, etc for tuna/chicken salad, Costco has great veggie patties, there are tons of great "meat" but once you're eating this way for a wle, you'll get rid of craving fast food and really enjoy fresh, whole foods. And if it comes down to it... Oreos are vegan. haha

I have never felt better after becoming vegan. I think I was lactose intolerant before so not having all of the pain and discomfort is reason enough for me. Plus, you'll naturally lose weight without even trying. It's good for animals, the environment, and you! I recommend watching the documentary "Forks Over Knives" to see how reducing animal products can actually reverse heart disease, diabetes, cancer, etc. It's amazing! And it really has made me a lot more mellow and calm. More people should try it. The only cons are having people in your life that think its weird, or if you live in an area that doesn't offer too many vegan/vegetarian options. Whole Foods is a wonderful resource if you live near one.

I definitely recommend trying it at least for 30 days to see how you feel and make modifications if you need to. Good luck!

I'm a lazy vegan, as in if I'm out, and my choices are a dish with dairy in it or french fries and a side salad, I'll eat the dairy, and I don't beat myself up for little things like foods my mom cooks like her stuffed shells with cheese. I haven't eaten meat in about 2 years though. It really isn't hard, and I feel wonderful and happy about this choice for me.

For breakfast one of my favorite options is a smoothie. I'll toss some frozen fruit (mangos, pineapple, any kind of berries) in a blender with a banana and some coconut milk (so delicious makes a coconut milk that doesn't taste like coconut, it is VERY creamy) and a tablespoon of flax seeds, or a tablespoon of peanut butter, or a handful of nuts. There is a LOT of variety out there with smoothies. As long as you have something with decent fiber and protein in there, and make it a little thick, you don't feel like you've just had a non-breakfast.

For lunch I usually eat leftovers, or make up a salad that doesn't look like a salad. It is easy to get trapped in a "all salads all the time" attitude with watching your weight as a vegan. I make salads with half a can of beans (garbanzo, cannellini, black beans, all low sodium), a few sun-dried tomatoes (non-oil packed), some veggies that sound good (celery, carrots, fresh tomatoes, shredded spinach), some fresh herbs (cilantro, whatever I have leftover from previous dinners), and a teaspoon of lemon juice, maybe a tsp of a flavorful oil if I think I'm going to be low on calories for the day (walnut and hazelnut oils are favorites of mine).

For dinner, I have a subscription to vegetarian times, and love making a lot of different recipes from there. I also have a shelf full of vegetarian, vegan, and healthy cookbooks I read on a regular basis looking for ideas.

When it comes to substitutions, it is again easy to get trapped in a rut. Veggie burgers are easy, most give you some protein. I'd say try and find a recipe for making them at home if you have time. BUT... no veggie burger will be a real burger. You have to approach each new food substitute as a food experience on it's own. There are so many foods out there that AREN'T meat, you just don't realize it until you get away from a dinner diet based on meat, starch side, veggie side. I make a lot of protein/starch/veggie dishes with a soup on the side to avoid a one-pot meal mentality, as I cook for my family and don't want them to get bored with my food choices. The more I can keep them happy eating a vegan lifestyle, the happier I am.

Substitutions I TOTALLY am in favor of:
Milk - There are SO many different kinds of not milk. Again, approach each one as a new food, not as milk. You really have to try a variety to find the one you like most. I prefer So Delicious coconut milk, the unsweetened original is 50 calories in a cup and very creamy. I'm looking forward to trying their almond milk with 5g of protein.

Cheese - Ok, It's not a healthy choice. However, for most people cheese is the BIGGEST thing they can't give up. I make vegan eggplant not parmesan that I bake and top with Daiya's shredded mozzarella, and we all love it. I use it on some toasted sandwiches as well (nothing beats a pot of tomato soup and grilled cheese on a rainy day, using their cheddar). There isn't a lot of "good for you" in fake cheeses, but there isn't in real cheese either. Daiya just came out with some slicable cheeses as well. Now, there are other brands of not cheese out there. Try them, please, but I have been happiest with Daiya.

Yogurt - You can find coconut milk yogurt, soy yogurt, and my favorite has been almond milk yogurt, I can't remember the brand off hand.

Butter - Earth Balance's soy free spreadable tubs are delicious! Again, just because it doesn't have dairy in it doesn't mean it's a health food, but sometimes you just need butter (toast for breakfast?).

Remember there are a lot of foods out there that you can still eat, don't focus on what you can't! And if you decide you want meat? There is nobody to stop you. I choose not to eat it because I do not enjoy it so much, or feel it is so necessary in my diet that it justifies ending another life, the suffering involved in factory farming disgusts me, and I can't afford humanely farmed cheese and dairies on a regular basis. I'm also allergic to either dairy or eggs, have a couple other health problems that clear up when I don't eat animal products, and kinda enjoy the challenge. As a benefit, it is SO easy to stay within my calorie goals, it's pretty awesome. I'm never hungry and fill up on veggies, fruits, and delicious!

There are some good groups on here you should look into, like happy herbivores.

there's an entire thread dedicated to meat free meals and most of them are vegan: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/523632-what-do-your-meatless-meals-look-like-photo-thread

The main poster gets a lot of her recipes from this blog: http://thevegankitchen.net/ and the recipes look really good!

If you cook at home a lot then the cookbook "Veganomicon" is really popular.

I am a vegan, have been for several years, and I don't eat that much tofu (sigh).

Breakfast... usually, I have a green smoothie, then maybe a lovely bagel with Trader Joe's "This is not a tub of cream cheese" spread, or peanut butter, or almond butter on it...

I do happen to love steel cut oats, with raisins.

I also make the world's absolute best vegan waffles - gluten free, too! - which are a lovely weekend treat for us.

Scrambled tofu is a nice breakfast, as well.. with tortilla wraps, with toast, or just by itself.

I used to like some granola with non-dairy milk, but granola seems to mess with my blood sugar levels.

I'm also very into fruit early in the day... apples with raw nuts, citrus, bananas...

We use some "substitutes", but beware the sodium!!

A great website / cookbook is the Happy Herbivore. She makes basic food, gives nutritional information, and most of it is easy to find ingredients, with minimal prep involved.

Go ahead, friend me and see my diary.

my diary is open, if you want to look at it. i can be a bit of a junkfood vegan at times -- i love my cap'n crunch and my french fries and the occasional skittles and oreos (yes, they're vegan!), but i make it work.

i use Smart Balance Light for my butter, and when it comes to faux-dairy, i like to use stuff made by Tofutti (their mozzarella slices and cream cheese are awesome). if you don't like fake cheese, i recommend not eating any cheese or fake cheese for several months, and then try the fake stuff again. none of it REALLY tastes like the real stuff, but if you give yourself time without either, you'll actually kind of forget what the real stuff tastes like (yes, it's possible), and the fake stuff will taste better. i read this advice on another board when i went vegan, and it worked really well for me, so i like to pass it on!

i snack on fresh fruits and vegetables, and sometimes granola bars and crackers. for dinners, i eat a lot of pasta (whole grain), rice dishes, and you can make some bangin' vegetable soups too. i like mine with lots of tomatoes in them!

breakfasts... i myself LOVE oatmeal, so i do eat that most days, and sometimes i'll have a granola bar if i'm on the go, and i do have the aforementined cap'n cruch weakness...

i also agree with whoever said not to try to do it all at once. when i went vegan, i gave myself about a month to transition (i'd been vegetarian already, so i'd eliminated the meat and stuff already). it wasn't like "ok, today i'm going to be vegan forever". i know a lot of people who tried to switch too fast, and got overwhelmed and did not sustain the diet/lifestyle as a result. slow and steady is perfectly fine!

I'm a vegetarian.

I'd love to be vegan, in fact, it's one of my life goals.

And, YES, I am a vegetarian for moral reasons. I don't know why people are so funny about it. Maybe it's guilt.

Suggestions: 21-day Vegan kick-start (have a FB page)

Dr. Neil Barnard's cookbook "Go Healthy Go Vegan" --- The book focuses on eating a healthy, balanced diet without any added oils.


I hardly ever eat any tofu.


Sorry about breakfast but I eat oatmeal, so I have no better suggestions.

Lunch and dinner:

salads, rice, beans, veggies, pasta

snacks:

for me mostly mixed nuts and peanut butter sandwiches.

Caveat: I am vegetarian, not vegan. Still eat eggs, but no other animal products.

Breakfast - hot cereal (buckwheat, quinoa), fruit and nuts, baked potato, leftovers, homemade muffins or pancakes

Other favourite foods - curries, soups, stir fries, tacos, falafels, pizza, veggie burgers.

Favourite recipe sources - internet discussion groups and recipe sites

Substitutions - I've been veggie for a couple of decades and don't really think in terms of substitutes. Take a look at my diary and see what you like.

So my husband and I recently decided that we want to try and get away from animal protein and have a primarily plant-based diet...not because we're hippies or care about the feelings of a cow...but for the health implications. So here's my question for the vegans or anyone else who has embraced this type of lifestyle. What do you eat?

Favorite foods? Especially breakfast...that isn't oatmeal...

Favorite recipes?

Favorite books/cookbooks?

Substitutions you commonly use?

Pros/cons of eating like this?

Any (well...most...if you're just wanting to be a jerk, move along) feedback is appreciated. :happy:

I'm a nutrition major and there are always exceptions to what's required for most Americans when it comes to vegans and vegetarians. There is a lot of potential for deficiencies, such as iron, B12, and calcium, and you have to especially be careful if you're planning on becoming pregnant at any point. Therefore you really need to see a dietitian about how you can get in what you need. Make sure to get regular checkups, especially at the beginning, to make sure you are getting what you need.

Anyway, just made these awesome vegan cupcakes-chocolate with chai frosting! They were incredibly moist!
http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/healthy-recipes/best-healthy-cupcakes-weve-ever-seen

Whoops - vegans don't eat honey, as a rule.

I've never done vegan, but Honey Nut Cheerios and Silk milk (i think its almond "milk") are absoluetly wonderful!