Vegan Forum

Last November I started eating a vegan diet because I found out meat was causing my migraines and aches all over my body. I have started a blog: http://begrudginglyvegan.blogspot.com/ I am really only skimming the surface with my new life style, especially where it comes to other products that contain animal products. Specifically I like meal planning tips, recipes, and any other advice you guys might have.
I have heard about studies that show the amount the government says we need for protien was based on studies done on animals, and don't actually relate to humans. Has any one else heard this, and where can I find this study?

Well that's a shame you're begrundingly vegan, but I'm happy to see you here all the same. I don't know about the studies you're talking about but if you're looking for health information regarding veganism I'd recommend The China Study. I haven't read it all myself but my vegan friend in school for nutrition swears by it.

On to the stuff I can help with! I recently wrote a document for my university food services about what is and isn't vegan. It has a list of the most common non-vegan ingredients so if you like I can email it to you or try to post it here (but it's in chart format so I'm not sure that would work). The document also has a list of foods that need to be available on campus for vegans because they need these things in their diet - so that would also give you a jumpstart on things to make sure you have in your cupboards at home.

For meal planning tips I recently wrote an outline of everything I eat in a day for a new vegan on another forum so I'll just copy and paste it here so you can read it as well. That being said I also think it's important to think how you want to eat. Do you want to include fake meats? Do you need to watch that you get enough veggies? Is the problem that you're not getting enough calories? My diet is based on simply eating enough and getting iron, but it is by no means the perfect diet, just my lived experience of being vegan.

So for breakfast I have:
a spoon of black strap molasses (lots of iron and calcium) or a spoon of peanut butter
orange/grapefruit juice or chocolate soy milk
wholegrain cereal and soy milk or plain oatmeal or waffles/pancakes that I make or toast
a fruit such as a banana, apple, strawberries or raspberries

For lunch and dinner I have:
one or two of the following (so in total I have at least 3 items from this group daily): veggie soup with lentils or stir fry or vegan soy/wheat based meat or vegan grilled cheese or salad with dressing made out of avocado or vegan cheese pizza or falafel or eggplant and sprout wrap and the list goes on as I'm sure you can imagine.
Side dish of some sort of vegetable which can be sweet potato, kale, broccoli, brussel sprout, carrots, corn and so forth.

For snacks some of the things I have 2-5 of the following things daily:
almonds
trail mix (that has peanuts, hazelnuts, brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, raisins, and dark chocolate chips)
carrot juice
corn chips
date bars
vegan baked good such as cookies or pie
more fruit
hummus and pitas
bok choy
and so forth.

Wow, that is a lot of great information! I really appreciate the time you took to give some advice
I do realize, me titling myself as begrudgingly vegan is kinda a contradiciton of sorts. I used that title really to grab the attention of people to realize, hey, you know what, maybe eating animals isn't a good idea! I have my own reasons for eating vegan, but I also do care about animals, and our Earth. We humans tend to do more harm than good in a lot of things we get our hands in and monopolize. Just look at the soy market. Some body decided, hey there are people out there who won't eat meat, adn will pay money to get soy, so, lets genetically alter some soy seeds and mass produce soy so we can make more money! It is a shame.
I am working on some vegan baking recipes, because I love to bake, and I look forward to all the things I can invent
I'm going to research this study you mentioned too. Thanks again for the advice!

It's really nice to see that you've taken the step to become vegan and if you keep looking through vegan cook books you'll get the hang of some easy recipes.

If you're feeling a lack of motivation to keep up your new veganism, watch this film, it's amazing, it's not an intentional gorefest, it simply shows the facts and will make you proud to be a vegan

Best of luck lovely!
Xxx

Just realised I didn't post the film haha



There you go x

Hi!

I have read that protein necessity was determined in 19 century examining German soldiers. At that time there was not enough knowledge on protein in general.
Today protein is said to be treat to acidize body system as too much of it gives acid body Ph. That takes necessary minerals out of the system in order to neutralize the excess acidity.
Every plant has protein, it is necessary for it to actually grow. So, protein should not be of concern in healthy veg diet at all

I stop eating meat and all by products on April 19. 2011. I was craving some chocolate chip chunck cookies; one of my favorites, when I happen upon this website. I received the shock of my life and such an education that I was not looking, for, and was completely unprepared. I had previously seen the cruelty of animals on a smaller scale. I saw the RAVE diet dvd, and this is what changed my mind. But now that I have seen EARTHLINGS, my heart feels as if it has been ripped out of my chest and handed to me on a platter. My eyes were opened to the devastating and boundless hatred that we have for ourselves (if we really loved ourselves we would not hate them so much) and the animals that we are suppose to love. I thank Jesus that I am no longer blind. Usually when we get information like this we forget and disregard the initial shock of it all and go back to our old ways. I want to hold on the images that cause my chest to heave with pain, and my eyes to burn with tears, so that I will never eat anything that is animal based again. I thank you so much for this video and the awakening that came with it.

I feel exactly the same. I have seen and read so many other animal cruelty cases and even though they have always hit me hard nothing hit me quite like Earthlings. It's been around a month and a half now since I saw the film at a campus screening at Michigan State and I still sometimes have trouble sleeping. It may sound dramatic, but I thought about suicide for the first time in my life immediately after watching Earthlings. I simply couldn't bear the thought of living in a world with such cruel beings. Through the support of my boyfriend who saw the film with me (and decided to stop eating red meat and poultry) I recovered mostly. It still haunts me and will forever though. Until things change. I do not regret seeing the film though and I encourage everyone to see it. As the director Shaun Monson said, "We must not refuse with our eyes what they must endure with their bodies".

I have since been working on becoming a vegan. I also sometimes classify myself as "lazy" especially when I'm really hungry and don't feel like cooking even though I know it's the best way to get nutrition for a vegan. This thread is very helpful to me as well, thank you guys!

I like to have mosly raw vegan food in my diet. No cooking - very easy to clean up afterwards and best of all you keep a lot of that good nutrition with little denaturing. The perfect diet for the 'lazy' and a great choice for the environment and your power bill etc.