Anyone Vegan

[dakcp2001]

My husband read some book about the meat industry and he is grossed out. He would like to be vegan for a week or two and see how do-able it is. I am pretty sure it will not last, but I would like to support him while he tries.

For those of you that are vegan, can you tell me what you normally eat for meals? I am just looking for staples,recipes, suggestions on easy things to eat/make.

Where do you shop? What do you buy every week? What is a typical breakfast, lunch, dinner? I am also going to google, but just looking for tips.

 

[npmommie]

Hi, I am not totally Vegan, I try but can't give up my half and half.
but here are some typical ideas for meals.
breakfast
oatmeal,
peanut butter toast
smoothie using soy yogurt
tofu scrambles ( but I am not a huge fan of this, but others like it)

lunch/dinner
sandwiches made with faux lunchmeats, some are better than others for sure
salads
bean soups and veggie stews
stir frys with tofu, or some of the really good faux products, like Gardein.
"chicken" parm again with the faux products
lots of good bean/rice dishes out there
mexican with rice/beans, or faux meats to make tacos
pasta with veggies
you can make good sandwich fillers with chickpeas too that are good

one of my favorite cookbooks is
Vegan with a Vengeance
everything I have cooked from it is yummy

 

[npmommie]

oh I forgot to add
I shop at the regular grocery store, Trader Joes, and BJ's
I have meat eaters in the house too

I wanted to add.......because I have a meat eater in the house I should have included local farms in my list of where I shop.
I buy only grass fed meats, and locally raised chicken. there is a farm nearby, actually a couple of them.
so at least we do not support factory farms, it can be more expensive, but we don't buy a ton of meat so its not bad.

I also utilize farmers markets in the summer

 

[etoiles]

I am not vegan but vegetarian but wanted to let you know to check out my favorite veggie message boards.

http://www.veggieboards.com/newvb/forum.php

They also have a section titled what did you eat today which gives really good dinner ideas.

 

[plutolovr]

Going Vegan does not just involve consumed foods, it also involves goods purchased and used. So are you willing to sell or throw out all your leather goods or wool items?

 

[npmommie]

I am not vegan but vegetarian but wanted to let you know to check out my favorite veggie message boards.

http://www.veggieboards.com/newvb/forum.php

They also have a section titled what did you eat today which gives really good dinner ideas.

I read veggieboards too.
I don't post much, but I find tons of great ideas and recipes there
here is a good blog from one of their members
http://tofu-n-sproutz.blogspot.com/

 

[npmommie]

Going Vegan does not just involve consumed foods, it also involves goods purchased and used. So are you willing to sell or throw out all your leather goods or wool items?

baby steps

 

[dakcp2001]

Going Vegan does not just involve consumed foods, it also involves goods purchased and used. So are you willing to sell or throw out all your leather goods or wool items?

Easy there killer, we are just trialing this out here. No need to jump all over me.

 

[MzDiz]

I'm not vegan, but I've been a vegetarian for many years, as are my three kids. Going vegan all at once sounds nearly impossible. Baby steps is right. Like any dietary change, it's a lifestyle change. You need to become very aware of what you're eating, and it's all too easy to fall back on vegetarian junk food like fake meats. Get a cookbook, read some websites, eat *real* food.
And yes, the meat industry is disgusting and immoral. Find a local farmer who raises and slaughters animals humanely to buy your meat from.

 

[katesorad]

I'm a vegetarian who has been vegan many times, but I couldn't do it because I like cheese and ice cream too much!

But here are some things about taking meat out of your diet that he should consider for sure:
- Iron is harder to get in your diet. I am anemic now because I do not get much iron. I do have to take vegan iron supplements. It doesn't bother me, but it may bother another person.

- Protein is harder to get in your diet. I eat products such as Morningstar Farms (not all of their products are vegan, but they are all vegetarian), Quorn, etc. There is a lot of sodium in these products, though. Morningstar is soy, and Quorn is not. You will want to see how his body reacts to soy. A lot of people are fine with it; some are not. I also love tofu; he may not. Definitely try to see if he does!

- He will probably want to include protein bars of some sort (or shakes) into his diet so that he keeps up with his protein needs.

Being a vegetarian is easier than you'd think.. though it's harder to eat healthy when I'm at a restaurant. The options are usually salad (which I don't particularly enjoy), or something that includes bread/pasta. There are a LOT of vegan restaurants where I live, though, and there may be some near you! He will enjoy those places for sure!

The first year of being a vegetarian is hard. I still had cravings for meat for a while. Now, I don't anymore. It's a lot easier for me. Also, if you eat red meat after being a vegetarian for a while, it won't sit well! So if he is vegan for a bit and goes back to eating meat, have him ease into it so he doesn't get sick.

I hope he is successful with going vegan! It's a very rewarding thing to do.. and certainly very possible for everyone!

 

[dakcp2001]

I am thinking cutting out meat might be the first place to start. I think we might need to wait a bit before cutting out dairy. I am waiting for him to get home tonight to see what he wants to do, but I think for him, dairy will be super hard to give up. For me too!

Thanks for the website suggestions and cook book suggestion! Any other good books or websites?

I am going grocery shopping tomorrow. Going to research today.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

oh I forgot to add
I shop at the regular grocery store, Trader Joes, and BJ's
I have meat eaters in the house too

I wanted to add.......because I have a meat eater in the house I should have included local farms in my list of where I shop.
I buy only grass fed meats, and locally raised chicken. there is a farm nearby, actually a couple of them.
so at least we do not support factory farms, it can be more expensive, but we don't buy a ton of meat so its not bad.

I also utilize farmers markets in the summer

That is a great idea. I have been watching this show called "Kill It, Cook It, Eat It" and basically it brought that point home to go local because of a myriad of reasons.

Next time I am in the bookstore I will check out your cookbook.

 

[WDWBarb]

I agree that it's a big step from Omnivore to Vegan. I've been a vegetarian for 23 years now and the first step was a big one. I've attempted the next step to Vegan several times but have never been successful. Having to spend so much time traveling for work made it very difficult. Also, many vegetarian "convenience" foods are not Vegan. One of theses days I will do it and stick with it.

My favorite vegetarian/vegan cookbook is Veganomicon. I believe that all recipes are vegan but you can you milk in place of soy milk, etc.

Oh, and I've discovered that I prefer almond milk to soy milk. The taste is better, you get almonds into your diet (another healthy protein) and you don't have too worry about adding more soy. Soy is a controversial food nowadays and vegetarians tend to get plenty of it.

Good luck to your DH!!

 

[NatashaDisneyCM]

I am thinking cutting out meat might be the first place to start. I think we might need to wait a bit before cutting out dairy. I am waiting for him to get home tonight to see what he wants to do, but I think for him, dairy will be super hard to give up. For me too!

Thanks for the website suggestions and cook book suggestion! Any other good books or websites?

I am going grocery shopping tomorrow. Going to research today.

yah, making a step like this for two weeks is just not gonna happen. I have been vegetarian for many years, and my daughter is 100% vegan. It is something that is done over time, and a lot of research goes into this. It is not an over night thing.
IF this is something you have a commitment to then that is one thing, but it sounds like a just wanna have fun thing.
If that is the case, just do not eat meat for two weeks.
To use it is a science of how to balance to get all the nutrients that are needed.
We also use 100% organic non chemical cleaning products which include soaps, detergent,my daughter has a cloth diaper business.

so if you do not want that type of commitment then just lose the meat!

oh, and just a news flash, being that food industry has been a career of mine, if you only knew the real truth, you would eat NOTHING!! It is not just in the meat industry, but food industry in general. I will leave it at that!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

oh, and just a news flash, being that food industry has been a career of mine, if you only knew the real truth, you would eat NOTHING!! It is not just in the meat industry, but food industry in general. I will leave it at that!

Don't tell me.....

SOYLENT GREEN IS PEOPLE!!!!!!

 

[npmommie]

my old Moosewood cookbook is another good one.
mine is falling apart its so old. LOL
the recipes are not vegan though they use dairy
you can easily veganize them if you want.

Vegetarian Family Cookbook is another good one I love, my copy is very dogeared. the recipes are not all vegan, but they do have options to veganize them as well. and the recipes are mostly kid friendly

 

[npmommie]

some websites for ideas

http://www.vegkitchen.com/
http://www.theppk.com/
http://www.ourveggiekitchen.com/
http://vegandad.blogspot.com/

 

[Goofy_Girl]

I also educated myself about our major food industries and was a bit grossed out like your DH.I opted instead to only buy local or organic foods and grass fed humanely kept beef,chicken and pork. As another poster pointed out it can be a more expensive lifestyle but I enjoy knowing what I am eating and where it comes from. Doing so has made me more aware of what I eat hence living a healthier lifestyle. I only eat meat once or twice a week so my food costs aren't so bad (grass fed beef can be expensive, but pre-made vegan food can likewise be expensive) This is an option you can consider if going vegan seems to rigid of a lifestyle for him.Hope I helped

 

[amyren]

Good for you for exploring veganism!

We are vegetarian. I'd like to go vegan but raising DD vegetarian is challenging enough I don't know if I could handle full vegan, especially since she can't take peanut butter to preschool (but that's another thread).

Keep in mind that we aren't vegan so some of these meals have dairy & eggs but here are a few ideas from my standard meal plan:

Black beans and rice
vegetarian chili
Italian beans and greens (cannelloni beans and spinach)
lentil loaf (like meat loaf surprisingly tasty)
a dish I call tortilla pie (a baked dish with layers of tortillas, beans, cheese, corn, peppers & salsa)
zucchini & portobello tacos
veggie fajitas
pizza
stuffed shells
gnocchi
spagetti
veggie stirfry with edemame
veggie burgers
pierogies with peppers and faux sausage
potato soup
corn chowder
butternut squash stew
spagetti squash with marina sauce
pasta salad
I'm sure I could come up with more

Another typical dinner is veggie plate night. I'll bake potatoes (sometimes regular sometimes sweet) and serve them with various other veggie sides. Maybe a casserole, zucchini fritter & salad.

We also eat lots and lots of eggs. I get most of our eggs from a friend who has about 30 chickens. We make omelets or frittatas about once a week!

We also stock up on meals from Trader Joe's. They have excellent vegetarian and yes vegan meals in their frozen food section.

There are lots of options. I have fun exploring new meal ideas. I actually have a few of my own recipes on my blog

Don't tell me.....

SOYLENT GREEN IS PEOPLE!!!!!!

My husband just explained this to me a few weeks ago. I want a t-shirt that says Soylent Green.

 

[bicker]

My husband read some book about the meat industry and he is grossed out. He would like to be vegan for a week or two and see how do-able it is. I am pretty sure it will not last, but I would like to support him while he tries.

For those of you that are vegan, can you tell me what you normally eat for meals? I am just looking for staples,recipes, suggestions on easy things to eat/make.

Where do you shop? What do you buy every week? What is a typical breakfast, lunch, dinner? I am also going to google, but just looking for tips.

I'm not vegan, but I am 100% vegetarian, and try to stay as vegan as I can. To be honest, though, I wouldn't jump from carnivore to vegan. It's a very big change... I'd take it in a few steps. Most folks who become vegan started out by cutting beef and chicken out of their diet entirely, first, and then cut out all animal meat (i.e., including seafood), and then later cut out cheese and eggs.

I just posted recipes for some things we either made last week or will make this coming week:

http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=40291550&postcount=51

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