Anyone Vegan

[WDWBarb]

This was part of a larger four week meal plan I put together:

Chana Masala with Quinoa - vegan
Chik'n Curry with Quinoa
Chik'n Parm with Broccoli
Crustless Leek, Greens, and Herb Quiche
Eggplant Lasagne
Italian Fennel Stir Fry - vegan
Lentils with Zucchini - vegan
Portobello Pizza
Quinoa, lentil & feta salad
Quinoa-Stuffed Peppers - vegan
Spring Vegetable Stew - vegan
Taco Salad
Tofu-Vegetable Scramble
Unstuffed Cabbage - vegan
Vegan Greek Quinoa Salad
Vegetable Frittata
Vegetarian Chili
Very Veggie Omelet
Warm mushroom, lentil & goat's cheese salad

Oh my goodness... These sound awesome!! I have recently tried to add quinoa to our plates (and I like it!). The stuffed peppers sound amazing.

 

[WDWBarb]

Don't tell me.....

SOYLENT GREEN IS PEOPLE!!!!!!

So Soylent Green tastes like chicken? (a nod to any Eddie Izzard fans out there).

Or, more appropriate for this thread, it tastes like Morningstar Farms chicken patties.

 

[quasar4legs]

I consider myself a vegetarian but mostly eat vegan at home. My hubby and son mostly eat vegan at home but do still eat meat/fish if we go out for dinner. I found giving up cheese was the hardest part of changing my diet.

Of the top of my head here are a few suggestions.

Mushroom and pea risotto
Five spice pumpkin and tofu served in lettuce cups with tofu
Vegetarian chilli
Beet and brown rice burgers
Baked falafels
Vegetable nori rolls
Curried lentils with steamed broccoli served over baked potato
Stuffed mushrooms
Sri lankan vegetable curry
Homemade hummus with vegetable sticks.
Roasted vegetables and beans served over couscous
Roasted squash tortillas served with salad
Vegetable cannelloni
Vegetable nasi goreng
Pineapple cashew quinoa stir fry
Mountain bread wraps with veggies, refried beans and salsa
Thai red curry vegetable stir fry
pasta with veggies
vegetable lasagne using silken tofu in place of cheese
Rice noodles with asian steamed veggies and satay sauce
Lots of different soups and salads
African peanut stew
Linguine with purple cabbage and pine nuts
Brazillian black bean stew
Lots of indian curries
Garlic and herb marinated vegetable kebabs
Tuscan white bean and fennel stew

I would borrow a few vegan cookbooks from the library and that will get you started also the people on post punk kitchen forum are very helpful.
Some of my favs are

Vegan planet
Veganomicon
Veggie burgers
Color me vegan

I also find that most cook books have recipes that can be tweaked to be vegan especially asian, indian and italian cookbooks

For breakfast I have homemade baked granola (oats, puffed quinoa, nuts, seeds, coconut chips, dried fruit) or sometimes I have a fruit smoothie made with frozen berries, soy drink and sometimes a bit of spinach thrown in.

A handful of nuts can be a good standby snack and of course some yummy fruit or even a vegan cookie

Good Luck with it.
Quasar

 

[VBsHustla]

Cool, I think it's awesome that your husband would like to experiment and that you're being so supportive! I'm vegan and here's what I eat:

Breakfast:
I eat this every single day and think it's quite delicious personally
-oatmeal (1/2 cup), blueberries (1/2 cup), strawberries (1/2 cup), and one whole banana (sometimes I also have raspberries and blackberries)

Lunches:
Really depends on the season for me (like in the summer, I just eat a baked potato, a fresh tomato cut up with basil and some salt, and spinach with lemon juice squeezed on it like every day!)

But lunches lately have been:
-chopped salad (lettuce - fresh or I like the boxes with all the different organic greens, tomato, cucumber, carrots, avocado, black beans) and a tortilla with hummus
-soup
-baked potato or sweet potato (I bake a bunch on Sunday usually and keep them in the fridge and microwave them when I need one) with frozen vegetables that I steam

Dinners:
-stir fry: rice and veggies (broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms, stir fry greens like Bok Choy, kale, spinach, etc., carrots, peppers, onions)
-pasta (we usually have it with tomato sauce and broccoli or we'll have orzo with lemon juice, spinach, shallots, artichokes, Kalamata olives, sundried tomatoes)
-soup and salad
-ratatouille
-tostadas (so good! Bake a tortilla, top that with Spanish rice, then put a ton of fresh lettuce on top, then some black beans, some avocado, and put salsa on top)

For snacks, I eat grapes, apples, oranges, strawberries, cucumbers, carrots, pretzels, semi-sweet chocolate chips

As for shopping, for our big weekly trip, I personally go to Whole Foods just because I hate all the other grocery stores around here and Trader Joe's occasionally to get a couple of items in the middle of the week. We stock up on rice, beans, pasta, and canned tomatoes every couple of months and then just buy produce every week.

I know that probably isn't that helpful, but I have a cookbook called 1000 Vegan Recipes that is really good. I'm sure it would be a bit much to invest in for a week, but if you like any specific categories of foods or want to look at the table of contents on amazon or Google Books or something and like any of the recipes I'd be happy to type any of them up for you!

 

[MelanieC]

baby steps

Agree - no sense in scaring someone who wants to put their foot in the water. As a vegan, I love hearing people want to try. It's better than them not caring at all. It's easy if you take baby steps, but I don't agree in scaring people. I'd have no problem with someone giving up all animal food products even if they didn't give up the leather, etc. It's better then them still eating meat. Veganism is finally coming to the mainstream and for the masses this means that most will just do the food portion before they really get or care about the other stuff.

 

[NHdisneylover]

I read (on the DIS I think) about Oprah doing a one week vegan challenge. Here is a link to all the information--with recipes and shopping lists and things. It seems like a really good way to try it out without a lot of time involved in research. There is also a 3 week meal plan if you want to try a little longer.

http://www.oprah.com/packages/vegan-starter-kit.html

 

[MelanieC]

I agree with everyone else to do it slowly. I'm vegan now but became vegetarian first. I gave up all meat cold-tofu Then I started trying non dairy milks, non dairy ice creams, etc. Then I gave up eggs and last was cheese. Cheese was the hardest because it's in so much (as is eggs). I just started trying new things at restaurants,etc. till I was ready to say from this day forward. I became vegetarian in Nov 2009 and vegan in May 2010. I haven't looked back and I love it. Eating vegan at Disney was super easy too!

 

[disney_mommy]

PCRM (Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine) offers a great way to ease into veganism. They offer support and ideas and recipes. They are about to start a 21-Day Vegan Kickstart, which is a free program where they guide you on what to eat every day - check it out here. I found it to be a great resource as I dabbled in veganism.

Kickstart Your Health this April 4th!

Based on research by Neal Barnard, M.D., one of America’s leading health advocates, this program is designed for anyone who wants to explore and experience the health benefits of a vegan diet. Low-fat vegan—plant-based—diets are the easiest way to trim excess weight, prevent diabetes, cut cholesterol, lower blood pressure, prevent and reverse heart disease, and reduce cancer risk. They even trim our carbon footprint.

The Kickstart will give you an all-access pass to:

Celebrity Tips, Nutrition Webcasts, 21-Day Meal Plan, Restaurant Guide, Community Forum and Daily Messages.

 

[bicker]

I'd have no problem with someone giving up all animal food products even if they didn't give up the leather, etc. It's better then them still eating meat.

And beyond that, what is more disrespectful, wearing leather you bought before you were a vegetarian? or adding insult to injury by discarding the leather? I think there sometimes is an assumption that ethical vegetarianism means believing that animals are human's equals. While some folks may feel that way, generally it's not the case: We just respect animals enough to not see them as "living to serve us". They live their own lives. That doesn't mean we see a cow in the exact same way as we see another person. So that raises the question as to whether wearing leather purchased before you were vegetarian is more or less respectful than throwing it out. It's a personal decision each person needs to make. I have cloth belts, and have non-leather shoes, but not everyone necessarily must make that grand leap all-at-once.

 

[MelanieC]

And beyond that, what is more disrespectful, wearing leather you bought before you were a vegetarian? or adding insult to injury by discarding the leather? I think there sometimes is an assumption that ethical vegetarianism means believing that animals are human's equals. While some folks may feel that way, generally it's not the case: We just respect animals enough to not see them as "living to serve us". They live their own lives. That doesn't mean we see a cow in the exact same way as we see another person. So that raises the question as to whether wearing leather purchased before you were vegetarian is more or less respectful than throwing it out. It's a personal decision each person needs to make. I have cloth belts, and have non-leather shoes, but not everyone necessarily must make that grand leap all-at-once.

I totally agree on wearing out what you already own. I think it's more disrespectful unless you give it away and it gets used. It's better to honor the life that was given then to just discard.