Thalassa
Permabanned
- Joined
- May 3, 2009
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- 25,183
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- 6w7
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- sx
I think the reason some people struggle with veganism, is simply because of lack of knowledge or misinformation.
You don't have to eat 30 bananas a day, buy every single thing organic (though the dirty dozen in produce, and soy are highly recommended, especially soy. Underline soy nine times) or drink nothing but smoothies. You don't have to buy expensive frozen foods, and a whole foods plant based diet is about equal to being a lacto-vegetarian, and cheaper than eating meat! You won't have to follow complicated recipes, or drink smoothies all day.
Just make sure you take a good B12 supplement and learn to swap fortified soy milk, beans, lentils, green leafy vegetables, tofu, nut butters, and black strap molasses for the animal foods you'll be removing.
Omega 3s are not seafood-centric! They're easily consumed by cold flax oil on noodles or in salads, flax seeds in bread or on cereal, hemp seeds and hemp milk, as well as snacks made from hemp, and whole raw walnuts by the handfull or in oatmeal or stir-fry. Products like Vegenaise, and Gardien Fishless Filets. Products aren't necessary though if you eat the whole foods.
Three day sample:
Breakfast 1- Oatmeal with dried fruit and walnut halves, topped with plain soy milk. Coffee or tea.
Breakfast 2 - Whole grain toast with peanut butter and banana or apple. Glass of vanilla hemp milk. Coffee or tea.
Breakfast 3 - Tofu scrambled with tumeric, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper (black salt if you have it, gives an eggy flavor) in olive oil or Earth Balance. Add herbs, spices, or onions and peppers or tomatoes if desired. Coffee or tea.
Alternative - Fortified vegan cereal (mainstream corn flakes, bran flakes, Grape Nuts, granola, Kashi, flax based cereal) in soy or hemp milk with juice and coffee or tea.
Lunch 1 - Tomato and avacado sandwich. Can dress with Vegenaise or plain olive oil and salt. Piece of favorite fruit. Sunflower seeds.
Lunch 2 - Smashed chickpeas or homemade hummus. Smashed chickpeas can be mashed with avacado, lemon or lime juice, salt and pepper and dill or cilantro. Can also be mashed instead with Just Mayo or Vegenaise, with chopped celery and favorite seasons like onion or garlic salt. Raw veggies. Apple sauce or fruit cup.
Lunch 3 - Clif bar in favorite flavor. Fruit or veggies. Handful of walnuts.
Alternative - Peanut or almond butter and jelly or jam. Vegan potato chips (Lay's plain, salt n vinegar and Limon are all vegan, but you can also buy kettle chips or veggie chips). Fruit or veggies.
Dinner 1 - Press and drain firm tofu, marinate in soy sauce and olive oil, or in peanut butter, lime juice, soy sauce and Sriracha, or teriyaki sauce, for at least a few hours or overnight, after cubing. Stir fry with veggies and serve with rice or naked baked potato.
Dinner 2 - Quinoa pasta or whole wheat pasta, with sautéed mushrooms, marinara sauce, olive oil or Earth Balance. Toasted bread and torn kale salad with lemon juice and flax oil.
Dinner 3 - Lentils cooked with half the recommended water, olive oil and fajita seasoning until tender (20-25 minutes), piled on tortilla of flour or corn, topped with lettuce and tomatoes. Can add vegan sour cream or guacamole and salsa.
Alternative - Veggie burgers with favorite toppings and fries or sweet potato wedges.
You can eat familiar, affordable meals. Make sure you stock up on broccoli and kale, I sometimes snack on plain washed raw kale, but you can use frozen veggies just as well with meals. Black strap molasses can be eaten on toast, or in oatmeal, or in coffee - it's an excellent source of iron and calcium, and replaces refined sugar.
Please ask questions if you want.
You don't have to eat 30 bananas a day, buy every single thing organic (though the dirty dozen in produce, and soy are highly recommended, especially soy. Underline soy nine times) or drink nothing but smoothies. You don't have to buy expensive frozen foods, and a whole foods plant based diet is about equal to being a lacto-vegetarian, and cheaper than eating meat! You won't have to follow complicated recipes, or drink smoothies all day.
Just make sure you take a good B12 supplement and learn to swap fortified soy milk, beans, lentils, green leafy vegetables, tofu, nut butters, and black strap molasses for the animal foods you'll be removing.
Omega 3s are not seafood-centric! They're easily consumed by cold flax oil on noodles or in salads, flax seeds in bread or on cereal, hemp seeds and hemp milk, as well as snacks made from hemp, and whole raw walnuts by the handfull or in oatmeal or stir-fry. Products like Vegenaise, and Gardien Fishless Filets. Products aren't necessary though if you eat the whole foods.
Three day sample:
Breakfast 1- Oatmeal with dried fruit and walnut halves, topped with plain soy milk. Coffee or tea.
Breakfast 2 - Whole grain toast with peanut butter and banana or apple. Glass of vanilla hemp milk. Coffee or tea.
Breakfast 3 - Tofu scrambled with tumeric, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper (black salt if you have it, gives an eggy flavor) in olive oil or Earth Balance. Add herbs, spices, or onions and peppers or tomatoes if desired. Coffee or tea.
Alternative - Fortified vegan cereal (mainstream corn flakes, bran flakes, Grape Nuts, granola, Kashi, flax based cereal) in soy or hemp milk with juice and coffee or tea.
Lunch 1 - Tomato and avacado sandwich. Can dress with Vegenaise or plain olive oil and salt. Piece of favorite fruit. Sunflower seeds.
Lunch 2 - Smashed chickpeas or homemade hummus. Smashed chickpeas can be mashed with avacado, lemon or lime juice, salt and pepper and dill or cilantro. Can also be mashed instead with Just Mayo or Vegenaise, with chopped celery and favorite seasons like onion or garlic salt. Raw veggies. Apple sauce or fruit cup.
Lunch 3 - Clif bar in favorite flavor. Fruit or veggies. Handful of walnuts.
Alternative - Peanut or almond butter and jelly or jam. Vegan potato chips (Lay's plain, salt n vinegar and Limon are all vegan, but you can also buy kettle chips or veggie chips). Fruit or veggies.
Dinner 1 - Press and drain firm tofu, marinate in soy sauce and olive oil, or in peanut butter, lime juice, soy sauce and Sriracha, or teriyaki sauce, for at least a few hours or overnight, after cubing. Stir fry with veggies and serve with rice or naked baked potato.
Dinner 2 - Quinoa pasta or whole wheat pasta, with sautéed mushrooms, marinara sauce, olive oil or Earth Balance. Toasted bread and torn kale salad with lemon juice and flax oil.
Dinner 3 - Lentils cooked with half the recommended water, olive oil and fajita seasoning until tender (20-25 minutes), piled on tortilla of flour or corn, topped with lettuce and tomatoes. Can add vegan sour cream or guacamole and salsa.
Alternative - Veggie burgers with favorite toppings and fries or sweet potato wedges.
You can eat familiar, affordable meals. Make sure you stock up on broccoli and kale, I sometimes snack on plain washed raw kale, but you can use frozen veggies just as well with meals. Black strap molasses can be eaten on toast, or in oatmeal, or in coffee - it's an excellent source of iron and calcium, and replaces refined sugar.
Please ask questions if you want.
