How many vegans out there? (Page 3)

I find the internet to be a good resource.  I like this website below and if I were you I would make these burgers right away.  I usually add a little more cayenne and I think the wetter the mix the better. 

http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/vegetarian-recipes/black-bean-veggie-burgers.php

I would love to have more "go vegan" or something similar on my race kits, but there's few things in the USA. Right now, I have an Organic Athlete kit, but I'd prefer something simpler, and faster. 

Anyone have leads?

Here are some "No Meat Athlete" items http://store.nomeatathlete.com/

I swear I've seen this stuff in the form of a tri or cycling jersey but don't see it in their store right now.

Love love love Post Punk Kitchen (the blogger is the author of Veganomicon mentioned above and several other awesome vegan cookbooks -- brunch, cookies, cupcakes...not exactly all health food, but it's delicious!). She's coming out with another cookbook next year featuring easy weeknight vegan recipes from scratch.

Anyway. Lots of great recipes on the site to help you make delicious vegan food!

http://www.theppk.com/

My bf and I are experimenting with vegan cheese making. It's crazy and weird and a lot of fun. Being vegan can be a bit of an adventure -- I don't necessarily recommend it for first timers, but we did make an amazing spinach cheese ravioli with a sage mushroom white wine sauce. Totally utterly vegan. I even made the ravioli from scratch! Anyway. That might be a bit much, but I have however, discovered an excellent cheese alternative for mac'n'cheese that's pretty darn simple:

Ingredients:

1 package of macaroni or pasta of choice

1-2 Tbsp butter substitute (Earth balance works well)

2 Tbsp nutritional yeast (I use Braggs, but there are other brands -- http://bragg.com/products/yeast.html-- bonus, it's fortified with vitamin B!)

1/2 c. milk (I use unsweetened soy milk, but you could probably use coconut or almond or rice and get similar results -- unsweetened milk does work best, though)

Half a package of shredded Daiya cheese (I use a combo of cheddar and pepperjack -- http://www.daiyafoods.com/our-products)

2 tsp ground nutmeg

Prepare pasta as according to package. Set aside.

In a heavy sauce pan, melt the butter. Keep heat on medium low. Add the nutritional yeast and stir until it's absorbed and becomes pasty, like a roux. Add milk, stir until smooth. It can simmer, but don't allow to come to a full boil. Add cheese and stir until fully melted. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste.

Combine pasta and cheese sauce. Serve with a side of steamed broccoli.

Enjoy!

Anyone have any fun vegan recipes to share?

Hi all,

I've been a vegetarian - not a vegan - for many years, and have been a devoted marathoner and occasional triathlete following a vegetarian diet including eggs and dairy products. But I wanted to add my two cents because of some changes I've made in my diet this past year that appear to have improved my times substantially. My experience may be of particular interest to women in my age category - that is, veteran and older!

These diet changes were in response to some bone loss since I turned 50 (I'm now 56). Having read that a low acid-producing diet might slow bone loss - an unproven theory, but one I was interested in testing - I eliminated as many highly acid-producing foods as possible. The most important of these are: refined sugar and artificial sweeteners, and wheat products. That is, NO "fun food" - no pastries, ice cream, no regular pasta. My carb intake now consists essentially of non-wheat sources (potatoes and sweet potatoes, quinoa, brown rice, millet), and fresh and dried fruits, applesauce, and nuts - mainly almonds - are my snack foods. As always, lots and lots of fresh veggies. Meantime, a good sports nutritionist told me to increase my protein intake, also in response to bone loss. Nuts and legumes are now one of my main protein sources; soy is unfortunately acid-producing, but I have kept it in my repertoire, mostly in the form of tempeh (high protein, less acid-producing than tofu). I continue to consume milk products, despite their being acid-producing, because they are a great protein source. I eat lots of greek yogurt, for instance.

So the upshot of all this: I do not yet know whether any of it has had an effect on my bones. But without ANY other changes to my training, my running has improved dramatically. In these twilight years, I had gradually slowed down and, like all of us over-the-hill folks, took it for granted given my age. Now that I am following this new eating regime, however, I am running times comparable to what I ran in my 30s and 40s: 9 minutes better in the half marathon, and a whopping 23 minutes better in the marathon. It may be a combination of the reduced acid and extra protein - or perhaps none of the above - but whatever is going on, I feel fantastic.

I'm so glad to find this thread!!  I have been eating a mostly whole-food, vegan diet for about 6 weeks and my cholesterol has come down from 260 to 197.  I'm 42 y.o. and at a good weight/BMI, and training 5-6 days/week, so I was frustrated and frankly scared by my high cholesterol and borderline-high blood pressure this spriong. I'm encouraged by the improvement so far.  It's been easy to get enough protein and fats.  I'm having a hard time giving up the highly-processed power bars, protein bars, Gu, etc, but am reading about options and determined to clean up my diet further (reduce or eliminate wheat/gluten, soy ?).  I like many of the recipes in E2 (Esselstyn), and http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/   

Thanks for sharing your stories - it's a great encouragement!

Hemp protein and Vega

My ideal is low fat raw vegan but I can't do it for the whole day, usually good until early afternoon. Almost every morning is a green smoothie with bananas, apple (organic a must here), Vega powder Vanilla Chai, absolute MUST for flavor), water, ice, spinach (or kale etc.), organic baby carrots (cheap at Costco), Skinny B for chia seeds etc. and a bit of Flax Oil for Omega 3 and 6.

The above tastes like a mikshake because if the Vanilla Chai Vega powder. I always loved milkshakes.

The only milk I drink (because it's the only one I like in tea) is Ryza Rice Milk. I used to drink a quart of Skim Milk a day. 

Most of my cooking is in the crockpot with lentils, vegatables (lots), beans that kind of thing. Feel exceptional and weight loss much easier than other type of eating I've tried (but I do use cronometer to watch calories and nutrition).

Last week I started the eat-stop-eat system ( 2-24 hour fast per week but no 1 day without food) and so far I am very impressed. It's early days and we will see but so far this feels as dramatic as when I started experimenting with LFRV (low fat raw vegan).

Eating and short-fasting this way and really never feeling hungry. Nice.

alex jb - 2012-07-26 3:43 PM

NBennett86 - 2012-07-24 1:41 AM I've been eating vegan for the last two weeks now and I've felt great, but my concern is that I've also developed gas... And ideas on naturals gas reduction methods?

major changes in diet can have this effect, if your friends love you they will deal with it! I am a vegetarian for over 20 years, but a a convert to the plant based diet for only the last 6 months. I throw out big kudos to those folks that are truly vegan, but also to those folks like me that find it difficult to remove those last aspects of animal by-products from their lives. I guess coming from the ethical side of vegetarianism, dietary veganism is acheivable, but I've always thought the term 'vegan' was including the ethical side and hence rejecting all use of animal by-products, no leather car interiors and animal tested products etc. Anyway, as veg/vegans we contribute less to the worlds polution, we usually promote local/fresh/organic/healthy produce and we are strong athletes, hooray for our lifestyle choice!

While it's true that there are differing degrees of veganism (and very different reasons -- some people do it for their health, their diet, their ethics, for the environment, for money issues) all of them are valid. I hate the idea that anyone has a monopoly on the phrase. I think every little bit helps and I would never fault someone for doing the best they could to reduce harm, even if that meant someone who loved bacon signing onto Meatless Mondays.

Personally I still own leather goods from my pre-vegetarian days, but I haven't purchased new ones since (you'd be amazed what the clothing industry is able to fake in shoes these days!). However, a lot of people ask me why I don't throw those things out, and my response is that it wouldn't reduce harm, it would serve no purpose in my personal reasons for being vegan. But some people think that makes me less of a vegan.

I also think it's astoundingly difficult to be purely vegan in everything. I was outraged a few months ago when I found out regular sugar isn't vegan because it's often refined using animal bone char (seriously??). The more I learn about what goes into making everyday products I consume, the more horrified I get -- and the more things become off-limits. lol. 

I think the best part of being vegan is taking ownership in what I participate in, in knowing what practices my money endorses. Sure, it can be annoying sometimes, but overall it's very empowering. 

Anyway, that's a long way of saying everything you do, even if it's tiny, makes an impact somewhere. 

Wow. You eat in a day what I eat for breakfast.

Breakfast 3 bowls of cereal with soymilk + two bananas + lots of water

snack: three apples with peanut butter (1/4 cup?) + lots of water

Lunch: two tofu sandwiches with lettuce tomato veganaise and avocado, + a LARGE salad with artichokes and spinach and garbanzos and peas and nuts, + dessert (I'll take a slice of pie)

Snack: a small bean/rice burrito

Dinner: Two plates of WW Pasta with red sauce and soy ice cream for dessert!

And more water. 

I eat less for snacks when I'm not training. 

"Things like razors or bike tires and and the other things needed to fully enjoy life take some learning."

Ok, I need some education here, what makes a razor non-vegan?

How many calories does that work out to in a day?  Are calories from those lower in fat that calories from animal-based foods?  I guess what I mean is- eating that much- don't you put on weight?