any vegans or vegetarians?

babybellyfat
babybellyfat Posts: 1,102 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi i would like to know if there is any vegetarians or vegans on here? What kind of stuff do u eat to stay healthy? nay tip for a new vegetarian?
«13

Replies

  • rid1997
    rid1997 Posts: 2
    i was a vegan for a couple weeks but i just couldnt stick to it so i started eating dairy again. all you eat when you're a vegan is fruit, vegetables, and a lot of carbs. i found myself eating a lot more carbs because of the minimal amount of options. it made me feel very good and very cleansed but being vegan makes it a lot harder to get through your day cuz like an hour after you eat you feel hungry again.
  • Rocbola
    Rocbola Posts: 1,998 Member
    Raw fruit and vegetables, mainly. Today i had several fruit smoothies, and a big ol' salad. There are tons of cool recipes out there, too. Soups are really easy. There are so many things that come to mind.

    If you want some really cool "transitional" recipes for those new to being vegan/vegetarian, check youtube for "Engine 2 diet"
  • kay182
    kay182 Posts: 32 Member
    Hi! I have been a vegetarian for 2 years now. My best insight is that you have to change your way of thinking about preparing food... lots of one pot meals for us now.

    Here are some blogs to check out (on my kindle so I'm not going to type out the whole address)
    Happy herbivore - fat free/low fat vegan
    Oh she glows - awesome recipes in general... vegan
    Peas and thank you
    chocolate covered Katie - to die for vegan healthy desserts

    I'll write more later.. I hope this is a good start for you!
  • lissymae11
    lissymae11 Posts: 71
    Morningstar Farms makes great meat substitutes! I especially like the crumbles, which you can put in tacos and things like that...
  • Yogeros
    Yogeros Posts: 19
    I am not a vegan or vegetarian, however, I enjoy a lot of dishes that are plant based. I know of a great website for vegans/vegetarians. It is at www.vegancoach.com
    Very informative information on veganism/vegetarian lifestyle and many recipes she sends you through her newsletters.

    Also, I just posted a wonderful vegan lentil-mushroom burger under the Recipes message board that is delicious. Give it a try and good luck!
  • SammyKatt
    SammyKatt Posts: 363 Member
    I'm vegetarian! But only as of a week so far. I started last Monday so I totally need ideas too!

    I do not (and WILL NOT) use the fake "meats" tho.
  • Rocbola
    Rocbola Posts: 1,998 Member
    i was a vegan for a couple weeks but i just couldnt stick to it so i started eating dairy again. all you eat when you're a vegan is fruit, vegetables, and a lot of carbs. i found myself eating a lot more carbs because of the minimal amount of options. it made me feel very good and very cleansed but being vegan makes it a lot harder to get through your day cuz like an hour after you eat you feel hungry again.
    It sounds like you weren't getting enough calories. It's ok to eat a BIG meal of fruit. Whole plant food is more filling and less calorie dense than food you may be used to, and you therefore need to eat MORE of it in order to get enough. Using a blender to make smoothies is a good way to make sure your meal is big enough to sustain you to the next meal. MFP is helpful in that regard, to make you you get ENOUGH calories. It can be helpful, especially when transitioning, to include small amounts of avocados and coconuts to make sure you get enough fat to satiate you.
  • tikikris
    tikikris Posts: 81 Member
    Vegetarian for 26 years. I'd be vegan, except I do enjoy honey and eggs from my pet hens.
  • tikikris
    tikikris Posts: 81 Member
    I do not (and WILL NOT) use the fake "meats" tho.

    Why's that?
  • SammyKatt
    SammyKatt Posts: 363 Member
    I do not (and WILL NOT) use the fake "meats" tho.

    Why's that?

    Honestly because I feel like its just junk. Why would I go through all this trouble to eat all these yummy, healthy, good for you fruits and veggies and then eat a big hunk of something thats nothing but processed?

    Plus if I wanted to eat meat, I would just eat meat. I made the switch to being vegetarian because I just stopped liking the taste and texture of meat.
  • schpanks
    schpanks Posts: 468 Member
    I've been vegetarian for 16 years. Anyone who is interested in seeing my diary can add me. I'm not much help to the vegans, though because I do a fair amount of dairy and eggs.
  • xlolitabandita
    xlolitabandita Posts: 242
    I'm on my second day meat free! I would be interested in what others are eating as well...So far a lot of fresh fruit and veggies....I had some morning star meatless chicken strips in my salad earlier, and it was delic!
  • juliesmom2
    juliesmom2 Posts: 20 Member
    Well, this morning around eightish for breakfast I had a piece of Killer Dave"s Good Seed whole wheat toast spread with peanut butter and topped with half a cup of fresh raspberries. (It is amazing that raspberries and broccoli are relatively high in protein!)

    For lunch it was left over Pad Thai (noodles and vegetables) from my favorite restaurant.

    Supper was an ear of Corn on the cob dressed lightly with butter-flavored spray and freshly ground sea salt.
    2 corn tortillas warmed in the microwave and filled with Rosarita non-fat refried beans seasoned with taco seasoning, ground gluten, avocado, lettuce and salsa.

    My favorite supper though is 6 tablespoons of popcorn, popped in an air popper, lightly sprayed with butter flavored spray and sprinkled with a tsp of McCormick's taco seasoning followed by two cups of melon and around 15 almonds...Good mouth satisfaction, lots of fiber and the melon sweet...good fats and enough protein.

    I grew up as a vegetarian and over the years have leaned more and more to the vegan way of eating...just finished a month long course called the Complete Health Improvement Program that has given me lots of recipes and a renewed determination to healthy eating...their program is evidence based and very helpful.
  • LordBezoar
    LordBezoar Posts: 625 Member
    DW and I are technically Flexitarian. That is to say, we eat as vegetarians the vast majority of the time, but occasionally eat chicken or fish if we are at a friends or out and about without proper planning or whatever. In any event, we do a green shake nearly every morning that has a full pound of greens and a bunch of other stuff that varies from day to day. That keeps me full for quite a long time. I also love making lasagna, soups, omelettes and veggie burgers. I have also found that Morning Star, Quorn and Boca have some tasty options for quick meals. I do worry a tad about the processing methods and where the ingredients come from (specifically GMO Soy and the like), but I figure that it is better than how we were eating and have slowly begun making many of the same things myself and freezing them so that I know where it all comes from and how it got to my plate.
  • 03428
    03428 Posts: 48 Member
    I'm a vegan! I've been a vegan since I was fifteen, and I'm eighteen now :) veganism is amazing! Go to the vegan society and ask for a mentor if you want to try it :) I've been mentoring people for a few months now, and it's a free service where you exchange contact details with someone and they support you for a 'vegan pledge' of anything from one week to two months :)
  • wanderlust23
    wanderlust23 Posts: 8
    I'm vegan and I eat oatmeal for breakfast, fruit, nuts and seeds for snacks. I eat lots of tofu and vege stirfry, soups, salads, lentil dishes, chickpeas, grains such as quinoa, brown rice etc. I like to find indian recipes as lots are vegetarian and easy to make vegan. Just substitute milk for non dairy milk.
  • rusta
    rusta Posts: 29 Member
    Hi All,

    i have been vegetarian for about a year now. Recently i have been reading some bad stuff about unfermented soy products.

    Despite having tried it heaps of different ways- i just dont like tofu, but i have read that soy milk, edamame etc are unfermented too.

    Does anyone have any thoughts on the saftey / healthiness of unfermented soy products?
  • inkandsheep
    inkandsheep Posts: 101 Member
    I'm vegetarian, and have been for about 5 years.

    I eat high fibre cereal or oats and low fat yoghurt for breakfast, usually with some hemp seeds or linseed added in for Omega 3's etc.

    I cook a lot of one pot meals - recent healthy favourites have included chick pea curry, ratatouille and sweet potato & bean chilli. Yesterday I had courgette cut into thin strips as a low calorie pasta substitute, with hot chilli pesto and low fat grated cheddar. I also like salads, for example cous cous with roasted veg and seeds, or Greek salad with feta and lots of veg.

    I eat a fair bit of tofu - those who say they don't like tofu usually don't know how to cook it... it's very "neutral" on its own, it needs a good marinade and/or spices to make it really nice.

    There are other milk susbstitutes that don't have soya, by the way, I really like chocolate oat milk for deliciousness and healthiness all in one!
  • babybellyfat
    babybellyfat Posts: 1,102 Member
    I started being a vegetarian since xmas! Im still learning on how to make things with tofu ect.. Thanks all for the great ideas! If u can add me please and maybe we can share recipes and tips and ideas :)
  • babybellyfat
    babybellyfat Posts: 1,102 Member
    Im a lacto-ovo vegetarians I eat everything but no fish, chicken, meat! I need tons of calcium since i have osteoporosis.
  • babybellyfat
    babybellyfat Posts: 1,102 Member
    I like to buy the yves ground round! its helps me out with meat foods! like pies ect..
  • babybellyfat
    babybellyfat Posts: 1,102 Member
    Thanks i will check it out. smoothie sounds yummy!

    Raw fruit and vegetables, mainly. Today i had several fruit smoothies, and a big ol' salad. There are tons of cool recipes out there, too. Soups are really easy. There are so many things that come to mind.

    If you want some really cool "transitional" recipes for those new to being vegan/vegetarian, check youtube for "Engine 2 diet"
  • babybellyfat
    babybellyfat Posts: 1,102 Member
    I bow down to the vegans I cant do it as well. But i do get almond milk and from time to time some vegan cheese when the market has it :)
    i was a vegan for a couple weeks but i just couldnt stick to it so i started eating dairy again. all you eat when you're a vegan is fruit, vegetables, and a lot of carbs. i found myself eating a lot more carbs because of the minimal amount of options. it made me feel very good and very cleansed but being vegan makes it a lot harder to get through your day cuz like an hour after you eat you feel hungry again.
  • babybellyfat
    babybellyfat Posts: 1,102 Member
    Thank so much i will look it up!
    Hi! I have been a vegetarian for 2 years now. My best insight is that you have to change your way of thinking about preparing food... lots of one pot meals for us now.

    Here are some blogs to check out (on my kindle so I'm not going to type out the whole address)
    Happy herbivore - fat free/low fat vegan
    Oh she glows - awesome recipes in general... vegan
    Peas and thank you
    chocolate covered Katie - to die for vegan healthy desserts

    I'll write more later.. I hope this is a good start for you!
  • babybellyfat
    babybellyfat Posts: 1,102 Member
    thanks for the link. mmmmmm lentil burger i will check it out thank u!!

    I am not a vegan or vegetarian, however, I enjoy a lot of dishes that are plant based. I know of a great website for vegans/vegetarians. It is at www.vegancoach.com
    Very informative information on veganism/vegetarian lifestyle and many recipes she sends you through her newsletters.

    Also, I just posted a wonderful vegan lentil-mushroom burger under the Recipes message board that is delicious. Give it a try and good luck!
  • babybellyfat
    babybellyfat Posts: 1,102 Member
    congrads!! I use yves ground round as fake meats and its good :) Some of the fake meats i dont like the smell but ground round dont smell funky.
    I'm vegetarian! But only as of a week so far. I started last Monday so I totally need ideas too!

    I do not (and WILL NOT) use the fake "meats" tho.
  • pinkupooh
    pinkupooh Posts: 155
    I have been vegetarian for all my life. I am Indian, so we eat lots of vegetable curries, rice, legumes, beans etc.
    Never felt the need to try non-veg, never missed it...:)
  • msgremmy
    msgremmy Posts: 88
    I'm a long-time vegan (13 years) and was vegetarian for 4 years before... I'm 25.

    I do a mix of all natural fruits and veggies and tofu and "meat substitutes" for protein. I also drink a protein shake on exercise days (or if I'm just low protein). I love Morning Star Crumbles and Chicken Strips for taco salad and ranch chicken salad. You learn to cook from scratch pretty quickly-- like pancakes and manicotti. www.vegweb.com is my favorite resource for recipes.

    I disagree that you, by default, eat a lot of carbs as a vegan-- it's a choice that comes with any dietary path. I'm not hungry all the time at all.
  • babybellyfat
    babybellyfat Posts: 1,102 Member
    WOW 26 years Thats aweosme!!!! any tips , ideas recipes please let me know! :) add me. and i like eggs too

    Vegetarian for 26 years. I'd be vegan, except I do enjoy honey and eggs from my pet hens.
  • bridies01
    bridies01 Posts: 57 Member
    I do not (and WILL NOT) use the fake "meats" tho.

    Why's that?

    Honestly because I feel like its just junk. Why would I go through all this trouble to eat all these yummy, healthy, good for you fruits and veggies and then eat a big hunk of something thats nothing but processed?

    Plus if I wanted to eat meat, I would just eat meat. I made the switch to being vegetarian because I just stopped liking the taste and texture of meat.

    I've been a vegetarian since I was 13 - I also did not like the taste and texture of meat. The fake meat products are highly processed - just because they are vegetarian does not make them health food. I do like the Morningstar Farms chicken patty chopped up on a salad, or making BLT's with their soy bacon - but I only use these products once a week, if that. It's kind of my version of "fast food".

    To convert to being vegetarian, I think people think you have to get complicated with recipes - you can - or you could simply omit the meat and add more veggies to your plate. If you are the typical meat, starch, veggie on a plate meal, it's simple. I get my protein through greek yogurt and egg whites, beans (I add cannellini beans to salads, and love making vegetarian chili), tofu (on the grill, or baked and added to stir fry). I just started getting better about logging meals again, so feel free to look at my food diary for ideas.

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