Question: What should vegan people eat?
I'm just a beginner,I've always been interested in being vegan,I was just wondering what should I eat? I do not want a boring meal,Something nice,tasty and not always fruits and veggies.
(By: Gia)
Category: Becoming a vegan
ANS: Question: What should vegan people eat?
Wow Gia, you have ask a question that is not easy. Think of someone asking a flesh eater what they should eat. They would have a hard time answering the question. It is the same for a vegan. We eat almost everything that a flesh eater would eat except for flesh, dairy, and eggs. Even those things could be veganized. In addition we have so many other choices. Most flesh eaters do not eat tofu, temphe, and so many other things that vegans often eat. So in reality a vegan with a good diet will have so many more choices then the average flesh eater.
As an example, tonight I had fried tofu with Asian flavoring along with Jasmine rice. For a drink I had tomato juice. For desert I had coconut yogurt with fresh blueberries on top of it. It was delicious and nutritious.
You can find thousands of recipes by going to Vegweb.com. The site is owned by "Veggies Unite!". It was the first veg'n web site that I ever went to when the Internet was new. That was back in 1995. You can find recipes for almost everything. It is a great source of information for vegans just as VEGAN 2050 is.
(By: Doc)
Category: Becoming a vegan
Does jello instant pudding contain any milk product? If not, can I use soy milk to make the pudding?
Will the pudding thicken with soy milk?
(By: Dar)
Category: General Questions
ANS: Does jello instant pudding contain any milk product? If not, can I use soy milk to make the pudding?
I looked up the ingredients and can't say for sure whether they are all vegan or not. I did notice that several of the ingredients were known carcinogens. Soy milk would work. The pudding would already contain thickening agents. There are some soy puddings you could buy that are still not 100% healthy but they would be an improvement.
Category: General Questions
Question:
I'm generally anemic. I live the vegan lifestyle for 3 weeks, then when my iron gets low the only thing I know to do is eat some beef. It makes me feel better (although guilty), and then I go back to being a vegan again. How can I get off of this roller coaster? I'd like to be an always-vegan. Thank you.
(By: marsha)
Category: Becoming a vegan
ANS: Question:
Hi Marsha,
There are several vegan foods that are high in iron. You can also get an iron supplement. I would have to research foods that are high in iron and I am sorry that I do not have the time right now but it is easy to do a web search to find out which vegan foods are high in iron. This way you will also find a complete list and not just a listing of a couple of iron rich vegan foods.
(By: Doc)
Category: Becoming a vegan
ANS: Question: Iron
3oz (1 serving) of beef has about 3mg of iron in it. To get this much from plants, try:
1 tbs. blackstrap molasses
A 6”x ½” slice of watermelon
¾ cup of cooked leafy green vegetables (spinach may have less available iron than other greens)
½ cup of chickpeas
A little more than 1/2 a cup of cashews
½ cup walnuts (3.75mg)
¾ cup raisins
¾ cup lima or kidney beans
½ cup prune juice (5.2mg)
Enriched cereals
You should be eating about 10-18 mg of iron a day. To improve absorption, eat your iron-rich foods with Vitamin C. You can also try cooking in a cast iron pan (tomato sauce cooked in cast iron has about 5.7mg of iron). If all else fails, try a supplement!
For a list of other iron-rich foods, try http://www.umm.edu/blood/aneiron.htm or http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/iron.htm
Category: Becoming a vegan
Question:
I am trying to make the change to the Vegan way of life but I have so many questions! I noticed that some vegans eat butter, is that okay? Alot of vegan recipe's call for margarine, which I don't think is healthy. One Vegan friend told me I could not heat any oils (such as olive oil, flax oil, or coconut oil) so I am wondering if I am allowed to saute or caramelize veggies. Also, my favourite drink is Gin and diet tonic with lime. I don't drink anything "diet" except for the occasional gin and diet tonic. Is that vegan friendly? Is red wine vegan friendly? Some of my vegan friends drink coffee and some say that it's not okay to drink coffee. I am so confused!
Thanks :)
(By: Miranda)
Category: Becoming a vegan
ANS: Question:
1. Butter is not vegan but there are some products that are not the same as the traditional margarine which is unhealthy. For example, there is a product called Earth Balance which is made from oils that are not hydrogenated.
2. You can heat olive oil if the heat is low. You can also use canola oil which can take a higher temperature but it's better if it's organic since canola is often genetically modified.
3. Regarding alcohol, there are lots of alcoholic beverages that are not vegan but there are also many that are fine. Gin is usually okay. Wine is more difficult but there are many that are vegan. Here is a website that will help. http://barnivore.com/
4. Here is a webpage with a good explanation about the coffee dilemma for vegans. http://veganbits.com/vegan-coffee/
Let us know if you have any more questions. Good Luck!
Category: Becoming a vegan
Question: Thit Chay
Is Thit Chay vegan?
(By: Fred)
Category: General Questions
ANS. Re: Thit Chay
> Is Thit Chay vegan?
> (By: Fred)
Hi Fred,
Thit Chay (dried bean curd (tofu)) is vegan in its plain form. Whether it remains so depends on what it is cooked with, since it needs to be rehydrated and flavored before it is eaten. If you cook it yourself, you have total control of the ingredients used in that process. If you buy it prepared in sauce, etc, read the ingredients to be sure it is vegan.
(By: Chef Deb)
Category: General Questions
Question: sick
i have been vegan for four days, but i eat some meat and now i feel sick is that a bad thing
(By: amber p)
Category: Health Questions
ANS: Question: sick
> i have been vegan for four days, but i eat some meat and now i feel sick is
> that a bad thing
If you change your eating habits suddenly, it is normal to feel some side effects. That should be nothing to worry about. It is just your body expelling toxins and adapting.
But to avoid those side effects, you can change gradually over time (e.g., eat less and less meat for a period of 1 month or so, until you leave it completely). Then the adaptation should be easier for you.
Category: Health Questions
Question: jello?
I am Not a vegetarian or vegan, but I know some. Two 'completely' avoid animal products (one is a friend, and the other is a resident at a shelter I cook for once a week, and I always make hummus for her!)and one (she is a client, and my concern is that she eats enough protein beans, dark green veggies and calcium -- she's not!), well, she mostly avoids meat, but occasionally eats a little poultry.
They ALL eat Jello! So, my question is, would any kind of vegetarian/vegan/whatever, really want to KNOW what Jello is made from? Would I be a friend or a fiend to tell them?
pls let me know.
t/r
Loretta
(By: Loretta B)
Category: General Questions
ANS: Question: jello?
Lorette, thank you for bringing up this subject. Veg'nism is not a religion so we are not dogmatic or at least we should not be.
Some vegans are what we call "junk vegans". They do not eat a good diet and instead they eat vegan junk. Frankly a junk vegan diet is far worse than the SAD (standard American diet). It is even worse than a junk flesh diet. On the other hand a good vegan diet is one of the best diets in the world if not the best. I am very sorry that your client is not eating a good veg'n diet.
If she eats some poultry she is not a veg'n. Eating any flesh is like saying that a woman only has sex once in a while and she calls herself a virgin. We call this kind of person a person that eats a mainly vegetarian diet.
It seems like you know that Jello is made of the bones, skins, and hoofs of horses, cows, and pigs. It is sad that they do not know.
I believe that they would want to know. At least any real veg'n would want to know. Thank you for your concern for these women.
(By: Doc)
Category: General Questions
ANS: Question: jello?
> I am Not a vegetarian or vegan, but I know some.
>
> ...
>
> They ALL eat Jello!
>
> (By: Loretta B)
---
Hi Loretta,
If you want to show your vegan and vegetarian friends
something very interesting, go to your nearest health
food store and buy some VEGAN Jello-type dessert mixes.
These are made with vegetable gels and come out almost
exactly like Jello. Serve these to your friends, and
you will do at least three things at the same time:
1. let them know what Jello is made of,
2. let them know there are vegan substitutes for it,
3. let them know that you care about them!
[NOTE: Avoid Emes brand -- which have been found to be non-vegan]
Regards,
Deb
(By: Chef Deb)
Category: General Questions
Question: How do I answer other peoples questions on veganism?
I have been a vegetarian for over a year now. Very recently I decided to go vegan. Since then everyone feels the need to question what I eat at every meal. I understand that they just want to understand, but I would never question a meat eaters choice of eating unhealthy food. They also question my portions sizes. Since being vegan I don\'t eat as much, because I the healthy foods actually fill me up. How do I go about answering people nicely but also get across the point that their questioning my eating habits is rude. Thank you so much for your help.
(By: Sarah)
Category: Becoming a vegan
ANS: Question: How do I answer other peoples questions on veganism?
I just politely say that I eat everything that they eat except for meat, dairy, and eggs plus I eat many things that they do not eat. When they keep asking me what I eat, I use an old Jewish trick. I then ask them what they eat. Most people can not off hand tell you more that 20 things and most of those items will be flesh so I then say \"ïs that all that you eat\". I then go one to show them how unhealthy a diet of almost all flesh is. So I have turned it from what do I eat to what do they eat.
Since most will not give up their flesh, I suggest that they just eat less of these unhealthy food choices. If they do cut back it saves animals lives.
Actually I do not think that it is rude for them to ask. I think that most have a concern for your health and are curious if you can actually live on a vegan diet. It also gives us a chance to discuss veganism.
(By: Doc)
Category: Becoming a vegan
Question: Are vegan toffee bits available?
I am looking for a vegan version of toffee bits to use in cookies. Does this item even exist? If not, why not?
(By: Collette)
Category: General Questions
ANS: Question: Are vegan toffee bits available?
There are some awesome vegan toffees made by Allison's Gourmet. I'm not sure if you can chop them up and use them successfully in cookies or not but either way you can enjoy them even on their own. Vegan Essentials carries them.
Category: General Questions
My daugter has been a vegan for the past year. She eats only raw foods and follows it very strict. She is careful to get all her proteins, very little bread, and gets plenty of exercise. She is heavier now than when she started, bloated, and bad acne. I feel like something is not right..she should not even have to think about her weight, she eats soo healthy. What could be going on? I feel her body is rejecting this diet, yet she eats soo healthy.
(By: Robin Boorsma)
Category: Health Questions
ANS: My daugter...
> My daugter has been a vegan for the past year.
> [she's having problems] What could be going on?
A "vegan diet" can be almost any diet at all, as long as it does not contain any animal-derived products. So there are theoretically MILLIONS of ways to eat a vegan diet. If her current food choices are giving her trouble, she can change it around in all sorts of ways (more cooked food, less raw, more greens, less starchy food, etc), until she arrives at a diet with a variety of foods that she tolerates well and thrives on. Keeping a "food diary" may help a lot. That way she can figure out which foods cause trouble, and which ones don't. Tell her not to give up.
(By: Chef Deb)
Category: Health Questions
ANS: My daugter has been a vegan for the past year. She eats only raw foods and follows it very strict. She is careful to get all her proteins, very little bread, and gets plenty of exercise. She is heavier now than when she started, bloated, and bad acne. I feel like something is not right..she should not even have to think about her weight, she eats soo healthy. What could be going on? I feel her body is rejecting this diet, yet she eats soo healthy.
Chef Deb gave some very good advice but I am going to add something else. If your daughter is on a junk vegan diet then she will almost surely have trouble. A junk vegan diet is one of the worse diets in the world. We vegans need to take a vitamin B-12 supplement. That is basically all that we miss on a GOOD vegan diet. A good vegan diet is one of the best diets, if not the best diet, that anyone can eat. When I say a junk vegan diet I mean things like candy bars, sweets, chips, and food and snacks without good nutrition value to them. A good vegan diet had a lot of fruits, veggies, nuts, grains, soy (like tofu), and other foods with good nutritional value.
Please have your daughter use the resources of VEGAN 2050 including this sub area of it. We are more than happy to help her and Chef Deb will give her some great recipies. All you need to do is ask any of us. Chef Deb has her own sub section of VEGAN 2050.
(By: Doc)
Category: Health Questions
Vegan Recipes
>
> Please have your daughter use the resources of VEGAN 2050 including this
> sub area of it. We are more than happy to help her and Chef Deb will give
> her some great recipies. All you need to do is ask any of us. Chef Deb
> has her own sub section of VEGAN 2050.
> (By: Doc)
VEGAN 2050 also has a Facebook page, with lots of vegan "mini-recipes" and ideas.
(By: Chef Deb)
Category: Health Questions
Question: Is molasses vegan?
I am new to the life of a vegan and am curious about molasses.
(By: Nicole Keeler!)
Category: Becoming a vegan
ANS: Question: Is molasses vegan?
Yes, molasses is vegan.
(By: Chef Deb)
Category: Becoming a vegan
Question: How does becoming a vegan make you better?
I've heard that it makes you stronger/improves your brain because 90% of the brain is filled with curds and whey. Is this true?
(By: Scott Ingram)
Category: General Questions
ANS: Question: How does becoming a vegan make you better?
Scott, I do not know where you heard that our brains are filled with curds and whey. It is so far from being true. Please do a web search on the human brain and you will see just what the brain is.
(By: Doc)
Category: General Questions
ANS: Question: How does becoming a vegan make you better?
> Scott, I do not know where you heard that our brains are filled with curds
> and whey. It is so far from being true. Please do a web search on the
> human brain and you will see just what the brain is.
> (By: Doc)
It's a joke. He's wasting your time with a question based on Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. There's a scene in the movie all about veganism, and a vegan man who gains superpowers from the diet.
(By: Exposed)
Category: General Questions
ANS: Curds and Whey?
> Scott, I do not know where you heard that our brains are filled with curds
> and whey.
> (By: Doc)
It only LOOKS like curds and whey. Actually, it's mashed tofu.
[just kidding -- but look at it!] :)
(By: Deb)
Category: General Questions
Soy Protein
What is the difference between soy protein and soy protein isolate?
(By: Frank Angus)
Category: General Questions
ANS: Soy Protein
> What is the difference between soy protein and soy protein isolate?
> (By: Frank Angus)
Here is an article about them:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soy_protein
(By: Chef Deb)
Category: General Questions
Are some people just 'made' to be vegetarians?
I am 50. Always been a meat eater like my Dad and uncles, but they passed from colorectal cancer.
I have always had a slow metabolism like them and irritable bowel syndrome.
I gave up red meat for lent and felt a lot better. Now since Jan. 1 I have been a vegetarian. Havent lost weight yet but digestion is better and belly still shrinking (very slowly).
Maybe I am geneticly programed to be a vegetarian and meat is harmfull to my system?
My buddy is the opposite-eats tons of meat but is very slim and healthy.
Thanks!
(By: bud)
Category: Health Questions
Are some people just \'made\' to be vegetarians?
If you give up a food and you feel much better, that should tell you something important. Likewise, if you eat something new and it gives you trouble, that is important information too.
People who "can eat tons of rich food" and remain rail-thin are genetically unusual. We are designed to turn food into fuel and repair material for our bodies. When times were tough, people who couldn't put on weight were in big trouble. Those folks who could put on weight for the lean times survived, while the skinny folks often did not. It's just that nowadays, almost everything we do is automated, so people don't get as much exercise anymore, and it is much easier to gain weight.
(By: Deb)
Category: Health Questions
gJGYPYSTMZ
I eat little if any tofu. That idecunls the fake meats that many love to have as a main staple to their diet that is soy based.I eat pretty much what I have always eaten, but make it without the meat. Sounds difficult? It isn't.Something like a stuffed bell pepper is usually stuffed with meat. I instead go for rice and veggies with a tomato base sauce over it.Soups are no problem. Vegetable soups are easy. Go just with the veggies or add grains such as barley to them to add more nutritional value to them. There are also tomato based soups.A baked potato is not just a side dish. You can add all sorts of things on top of it. Broccoli, sauteed veggies of all sorts bell peppers, carrots, zucchini, onions, cilantro, parsley only limited by your imagination or personal tastes. You can even bake them ahead of time which saves on wasted energy and have them ready for you when you get home from work or school to be warmed up.I even have a traditional Italian sauce that is carrot based for pasta dishes. Vareity is not a problem.Kabobs that have veggies, mushrooms that you like on them a total treat that I have never had any to refuse.Mushrooms are fabulous, the variety is more than many people know. Stuff them, broil them, add them to other things. With the things that they have found out recently about capers, you might want to think about adding them to your salad or other dishes.Cold salads with pasta, grains, or just the veggies another wonderful experience for the palate.The things that you can do with a rice dish again only limited by your personal taste. You can go from main dish to dessert with this versitile grain.Baked apples, fruit salads, or just plain fruit a healthy addition to a balanced diet.Whole grain breads of different variety of grains is something else that I would suggest. Pumpernickle, rye, sour dough are great. Something as simple as switching over to a pita bread can bring variety to something that you may not have considered.You can juice, you can make fruit smoothies for quick fixes and treats. My suggestion is always for people to go with what they eat now and see how they can adapt and adjust what they already know and like to fit within a healthy diet. Reason that I suggest this is because you already have most if not all of what you need on hand and the outlay of money is not going to be a big bite out of the budget.If such is more than you can handle, or you just are not convident enough to do such I strongly suggest talking to a good dietician/nutritionist and getting their helpful insights. They not only will help you to know if what you are eating is meeting all your dietary needs, they can help you with formating a grocery list to make sure that you get all the things that you will need to have a healthy diet.Last but not least know that spices are your best friend. Learning about them and how to best use them in cooking is something that is going to make what you eat either something that you really enjoy or something that you just do and make do with. When you get comfortable, start trying new things. Add to what you already know. I suggest going to the library and getting cookbooks to see if the cookbook is something that you want to invest your hard earned money in buying. If it is filled with ingredients that are hard to find, foods that you really are not suited to your personal taste matters not if everyone else loves it.There are websites but I have found that many of the sites will rave about some dish that many times comes from an ethnic taste that you might not be familiar with and ingredients that are not easy to find. So make sure when searching such sites on the web that they are things that you can find easy or at least order.Again, can't say it enough. At first, I would suggest going with what you know. Helps to keep the budget down. Add the ingredients that you think that you might need as you need them easier than a massive outlay of monies on things all at once.
(By: Rajeev)
Category: Health Questions
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Question: what kind of milk should I feed my 6 mos old when I stop breast feeding
I am not a true vegan...in other words, I occasionally eat some meat and dairy products. I am currently breast feeding but also supplementing with formula. I have 2 questions. What kind of formula should I supplement with if I would like to raise my baby vegan.....and what kind of milk should I give to my baby when the time comes?
[By: @ 2011-06-28, 04:35 | Reply | Print ](By: michelle)
Category: Becoming a vegan
ANS: Question: what kind of milk should I feed my 6 mos old when I stop breast feeding
Hello Michelle,
[By: @ 2011-06-28, 05:10 | Reply | Print ]Even though one of my hats is as a psychologist, I do not have a complete answer for you. I believe one of the female vegan mentors could give you a better answer. Here is my partial answer.
Breast milk is by far the best milk for every baby. If you feel that you can not expose your breasts in public to feed your baby then you can get a breast pump and place it in a bottle. You can also bring a baby blanket and cover your baby while s/he is sucking.
I believe that there is a vegan formula but that is where someone else needs to answer. Just remember that breast milk is the best.
I believe that your baby will be healther as a vegan if s/he has a good balanced diet. It will also help all the animals that you and your baby will not eat. It will also be a great diet for you. Let us know if we can help in any way.
(By: Doc)
Category: Becoming a vegan