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So, I’ve been a vegetarian for over a year now, and I think I’m about ready to take it to the next step. My diet has improved since beginning vegetarianism, but what on earth am I allowed to eat as a vegan?
A list of foods would be nice, and a list of don’ts would be great as well.
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You go Vegan the same way you went Vegetarian, except now you’re cutting out eggs and dairy instead of meat. You’re allowed to eat anything that comes from plants. Here’s a list of foods I typed out in another answer, when asked what to eat as a Vegetarian (though since I am Vegan, all of these foods are Vegan).
"Here are some of the things that are typically found in my kitchen, though some aren’t bought each and every week. And by no means am I saying all of these are healthy…
Freezer: Blue berries, broccoli, mixed vegetables, whole kernel sweet corn, extra bread/bagels/pita, …
Fridge: Rice and/or hemp milks, broccoli, hummus, cucumber, carrots, cooked pasta/rice/quinoa/vegetables. When in season, I buy eggplant a lot. Oh, also have jam (homemade but not by me), Earth Balance ("butter"), Vegenaise ("mayo")…
Counter: Pita, wraps, normal bread, hamburger buns, bagels, …
Cupboard: Quinoa, rice, rice noodles, pasta (linguine, elbow, spiral, shells), rice and/or hemp milks. Canned goods: Black olives, baby corn, some beans. Bagged beans. Ramen (yeah, guilty pleasure. I use my own seasonings.). Peanut butter. Potatoes. Pasta sauce. Cereal. Nuts/seeds (bought in bulk), specifically macadamia nuts, peanuts, and sunflower seeds. All raw and unsalted.
I think that’s about it… In the winter months I have stuff to make a lot more warm foods, like chili and soup, but in the summer I don’t care too much for warm foods."
I don’t think I mentioned Nutritional Yeast in that list. I don’t eat it every day, but I try to incorporate it into a meal at least once a month or two. Not too concerned about a B12 deficiency.
Hi!
First of all, welll done for going vegan!
NExt, some good companies for vegan stores are Cheatin’, Fry’s, and Redwoods.
This is a website containing more detailed things of what to eat…. and answer some of your questions
http://www.vegansociety.com/default.aspx
Don’t eat gelatina nd always check the label until you are familiar with the products,,,,,, It’s easy to be a vegan! Oh, and some good stores are Holland & Barrats and Health Matters.
If you focus on meals that consist of mostly whole plant foods, you won’t have any problems.
To help you get ideas on what to eat, check out these resources:
http://blog.fatfreevegan.com [red bean chipotle burgers, chili mac, smoky refried bean soup]
http://onegirlsslideintohippiedom.blogspot.com [taco salad, breakfast ideas]
http://101cookbooks.com [vegetarian site with vegan recipes: TLT sandwich]
http://vegweb.com [orange tofu, brownies, grilled avocado sandwich, tofu scramble]
Cookbooks (I like to borrow them first from the library):
Veganomicon [my fav: seitan piccata, grain salads, leek and bean cassoulet, snobby joes]
Vegan Planet [good pizza ideas, excellent pesto]
Vegan Brunch [for all your breakfast needs]
Ani’s Raw Food Desserts [for tasty, easy desserts]
Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar [mmm rocky road cookies]
Make sure you try a variety of plant milks. A lot of people drink soy, however I find almond to be the most tasty. Oat and rice milks are good as well. You’ll need to figure out how you’re going to get a semi regular amount of B12 in your diet through either fortified foods or a supplement.
There’s a lot of foods that don’t contain animal products that may surprise you:
- dry pasta (fresh stuff contains egg)
- semi sweet chocolate chips (check the bag, some contain milk, some don’t)
- breads (check the bag for whey and honey)
- Triscuits, Oreos, etc.
Here’s a good resource to help when you eat out. I like to eat a chipotle when out with friends:
http://aveganlife.blogspot.com/2007/02/vegan-fast-food-options-updated.html
Make sure you double check because it’s not 100% accurate, but at least it will give you an idea.
Hope that helps and good luck!
By planning.
Set a date and then spend some time thinking about what you are going to eat and shop for food before so you don’t get half way through your first day and get stuck for what to have for lunch!
Spend the time checking out things like where you eat your lunch. If you are at school or your job has cafeteria facilities talk to the caterer and see if there are any options for you. If not then its time to consider a packed lunch.
A sample days food for me might be….
breakfast of homemade muslie (oats, berries, grapes, banana, fortified rice milk) and a smoothie (banana, other fruit and fortified rice milk)
lunch of spicy mexican beans and salad in a wrap with fruit.
Dinner of Thai curry with tofu, cashew nuts, coconut milk, onions, courgettes, peanut butter and spices.Served with rice and vegan yogurt and cucumber dip.
For snacks there is of course fruit but I also like to home bake so muffins, cupcakes, cookies, Vegan need not = boring
Have a look around some sites and borrow some vegan cook books from the library to get you going. Its really not as difficult as the monies would like you to think it is