I am a vegetarian and thinking of becoming vegan?
Its a big step and i wanted to know if any other vegans could give me some advice on what to eat and if its a healthy diet?
Thankyou in advance
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December 18th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
Awesome =D! I’m also a vegan, and its very easy to have a healthy vegan diet dispite what everyone else will tell you. Eat alot of raw fruits and veggies. Veggies that should be cooked are ones like potatoes and broccoli. For protein you can eat soy/tofu (make sure its not the highly processed ones, try silk-soy milk and blocks of tofu you can cook with), nuts like almonds and brazil nuts, and dark green veggies.
If you eat out, you can eat a places like subway (all breads are vegan except the ones with cheese on them; all pickeled veggies are vegan too), papa johns (NO cheese, pizza crust is vegan
) and some burger kings sellveggie burgers… but there fries are not cooked in beef stock and not cooked with the meats. You can try looking for vegan resturants in your city here:
http://www.happycow.net/
Also, here is list of non-vegan ingredients to avoid when eating out (feel free to ask your waiter about the ingredients used in what your ordering!) and shopping:
http://www.veganwolf.com/animal_ingredients.htm
December 18th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
HEALTHY EXERCISE
UNHEALTHY
DIET
LOOK SLIM
NOT
MUCH
December 18th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
I am not a vegan but you might want to read some of these pages.
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=healthy+diet+for+a+vegan&meta=
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=becoming+a+vegan&meta=
December 18th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
You can get your protein from tofu, bean salads and by food combining.
You can take some supplements such as B12 and iron occasionally if you need it.
It’s a very healthy diet, as it lacks bad fats, but don’t be afraid to break it occasionally with sushi or lean chicken!!!!
December 18th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
I know that I’m going to get numerous "thumbs down" with this answer, but, the truth must be told.
To be a pure Vegan, you can’t use ANYTHING derived from an animal, or more accurately, the animal kingdom.
Insects are part of the animal kingdom, so you can’t own any furniture in your house that has a varnish finish. Don’t forget, you can’t wear any woolen clothes. Leather shoes, belts and buttons, forget about it. And please, don’t get into a car with a leather interior. Hope you don’t own a pillow stuffed with feathers, or wear a down jacket. And, technically speaking, coal, oil and gasoline are hydrocarbons derived from animals that died hundreds of millions of years ago. The list goes on and on. Good luck. It is virtually impossible to be a pure Vegan.
December 18th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
It is a big step to take and it is good you are thinking hard about it before taking the plunge. The only tuppence I have to add, is that apart from your own dilemma it will restrict your social life a great deal. Friends and family who are not on the same wavelength are as difficult to convince this is a necessary step. And (as you know) people are generally learning to "deal with" vegetarians (in this country), but cannot (yet) cope with vegans. As a vegan you will also starve to death if you go to countries like Czech Republic for more than a week or two…
December 18th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
think about it its really hard and it affects your whole life when going to resturants you never know whats in the food. But there are a lot of alternatives for things you miss out on like PURE butter tastes just like normal butter but its vegan so if you think you can do it go for it !
December 18th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
I put off switching from vegetarian to vegan for 20 years because I was convinced it would be hard. I’ve been vegan for just over 5 months now and it hasn’t been hard, it’s been great.
Veganism can be a very healthy diet as long as (like anyone else) you eat a varied, balanced diet. "Becoming Vegan" by Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina is great coverage of vegan nutrition.
To keep you inspired, I recommend a couple of cookbooks. "Vegan with a Vengeance" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and "Veganomicon" by Isa and Terry Hope Romero are both excellent. Once you realize that eating vegan isn’t about deprivation or bland food, it’s easy to be inspired. Any of Sarah Kramer’s books are good to have, too.
December 18th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
Being already a vegetarian you’re probably already aware of most meat-free protein sources that are available:
* Tofu
* Pulses – e.g. beans, chickpeas, lentils
* Nuts & seeds
* Peanut butter
* Hummus
* Tahini (sesame paste)
* Wholegrains – e.g. wholemeal bread, porridge oats, brown rice, wild rice, quinoa
It’s really just a matter of replacing dairy products with things like soya milk and yoghurts etc. Check the ingredients list on any meat analogues (food made from wheat and/or soya proteins to resemble meat, poultry, or fish) you buy from now on as well as some contain egg whites. Vegans don’t eat Quorn for example.
One downside of cutting out dairy is it’s a reliable source of calcium and vitamin B12 but there are more alternative sources than you’d think.
CALCIUM
* Fortified soya milk and margarine
* Tofu
* Swede
* Green leafy vegetables – e.g. watercress, kale
* Broccoli
* Dried apricots and figs
* Almonds
* Brazil nuts
* Tahini
VITAMIN B12
* Marmite
* Seaweeds and alfalfa sprouts
* Mushrooms
* Fortified breakfast cereals, soya milk and margarine
* Fortified meat analogues
* Fermented soy products – e.g. miso, tempeh
All supermarkets produce lists indicating which of their products are animal-free. Ask for a copy. You’ll be surprised at how much is on offer.
Look out for these brand names:
FREEZER SECTION
Fry’s
Burgers, sausages, hot dogs, mince, nuggets, schnitzels, culets
http://www.frys-special.com/Default.asp
Cauldron Foods
Sausages, falafels, pâte, tofu (plain, organic, smoked or marinated)
http://www.cauldronfoods.co.uk/CMSPage.aspx
CHILLER SECTION
Redwood Foods
(chilled) Soya cheese, fake meat slices, (frozen) sausages, schnitzels and nuggets
http://www.redwoodfoods.es/index.php
Provamel Alpro
Soya milk, milkshakes, dairy-free yoghurts and desserts
http://www.alprosoya.co.uk/alpro/UK_en/index.html
So Good
Soya milk, beverages and desserts
http://www.sogoodbeverage.com/
Rice Dream
Rice milk, dairy-free desserts and snack bars
http://www.tastethedream.eu/
Tofutti
Dairy-free cream cheese
http://www.tofutti.com/btcc.shtml
SHELVES
Plamil
Egg-free mayonnaise (plain or garlic) and chocolate
http://www.plamilfoods.co.uk/index.htm
Allergycare
Egg replacer
http://www.goodnessdirect.co.uk/cgi-local/frameset/detail/471310_Allergycare_Whole_Egg_Replacer__200g.html
Free & Easy
Dairy-free cheese sauce and gravy
http://www.goodnessdirect.co.uk/cgi-local/frameset/detail/471273_Free___Easy_Gluten_Free_Cheese_Flavour_Sauce_Mix_130g.html
http://www.goodnessdirect.co.uk/cgi-local/frameset/detail/471299_Free___Easy_Gluten_Free_Vegetable_Gravy_Sauce_Mix_130g.html
Kallo
Soy snacks, rice cakes, rice milk, stock cubes and powders
http://www.kallofoods.com/healthdiet/vegan-vegetarian.asp
http://www.goodnessdirect.co.uk/cgi-local/frameset/detail/554638_Kallo_Low_Fat_Rice_Drink__1ltr.html
Green & Blacks
Dark chocolate (with ginger; cherries; mint; maya gold; expresso; or with hazelnut & currants)
http://www.greenandblacks.co.uk/uk/categories.php?pageid=27&cid=6
More on dairy-free chocolate
http://www.animalaidshop.org.uk/chocbars.htm
December 18th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
I used to be a vegan but now I’m absolutely clear about it!
December 18th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
I’m vegetarian. I think that vegan is difficult to be. especially for me because I’m 17
December 18th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
See here:
http://www.annecollins.com/vegan-diet.htm
http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/
Good luck – it’s hard to begin with but gets easier the longer you stick to it. There are loads of great soya-based cheeses and creams out there. Experiment and enjoy!