Please tell me I’m not the only vegan here. I decided to become vegan January 1st and so far so good. I realized that I haven’t been eating as much as I should and getting enough nutrients/protein. Ive eaten a vegan poptart (I left my poptarts out and my kitty ate one T_T), a little 45 calorie açaí treat, and some takis. Clearly that isn’t good but I did wake up a bit late today. I’ve been having trouble on deciding what to eat. I love vegetable pot pie and it has plenty of calories and keeps me full but I can’t always have that in my freezer. Any good recipes I could make or foods I could buy to keep me full longer or just has plenty of nutrients. I also have low iron and refuse to take my pills mainly cuz I forget due to my horrible memory that has continued to get worse. I just need some yummy healthy recipes from fellow vegans. I am still rather new and I’m tired of eating the same things everyday.
Forums General Chit-Chat Calling all vegans!
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i'm not strict abt my diet but i do end up eating vegan unintentionally p often! a lot of what i cook tends to fall under general categories of like:
- tofu + noodles: will add peanut butter + soy sauce + bell pepper or any veggies would work (i.e. broccoli, snow peas, carrots, etc. fresh or frozen are fine!) - if you want a recipe i'd look up like "vegan pad thai" and go from there?
- black/pinto/red beans: black bean tacos (will add sweet potato and/or tomatoes on tortillas), or vegan chili ! chili + tortilla chips is soo good imo, you could probably make vegan nachos w a similar combo as well. can do bean burritos / burrito bowls w rice and salsa too !
- chickpeas: will season + add veggies and hot sauce over rice, or chickpea coconut curry over rice!
- lentil soup - will sometimes have w toast
- if you like korean food, sometimes i do tofu soondubu over rice (though you might need access to an asian foods store for this one)
i usually keep frozen edamame on hand and will microwave it w a splash of water (for steaming) + salt as a protein side dish! i tend to season my food generously as well
nutritional yeast can be a useful vegan ingredient to keep on hand, you can use it kind of like a cheese substitute (i.e. put it on potatoes/sweet potatoes, popcorn, loaded nachos, etc.)
i think u can get vegan protein powder too like for smoothies? i like to do peanut butter + banana + (optional) chocolate chips
generally speaking i would recommend making sure you have plenty of protein in whatever you're eating, that will help you stay feeling full!
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i'm not strict abt my diet but i do end up eating vegan unintentionally p often! a lot of what i cook tends to fall under general categories of like:
- tofu + noodles: will add peanut butter + soy sauce + bell pepper or any veggies would work (i.e. broccoli, snow peas, carrots, etc. fresh or frozen are fine!) - if you want a recipe i'd look up like "vegan pad thai" and go from there?
- black/pinto/red beans: black bean tacos (will add sweet potato and/or tomatoes on tortillas), or vegan chili ! chili + tortilla chips is soo good imo, you could probably make vegan nachos w a similar combo as well. can do bean burritos / burrito bowls w rice and salsa too !
- chickpeas: will season + add veggies and hot sauce over rice, or chickpea coconut curry over rice!
- lentil soup - will sometimes have w toast
- if you like korean food, sometimes i do tofu soondubu over rice (though you might need access to an asian foods store for this one)
i usually keep frozen edamame on hand and will microwave it w a splash of water (for steaming) + salt as a protein side dish! i tend to season my food generously as well
nutritional yeast can be a useful vegan ingredient to keep on hand, you can use it kind of like a cheese substitute (i.e. put it on potatoes/sweet potatoes, popcorn, loaded nachos, etc.)
i think u can get vegan protein powder too like for smoothies? i like to do peanut butter + banana + (optional) chocolate chips
generally speaking i would recommend making sure you have plenty of protein in whatever you're eating, that will help you stay feeling full!
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oh i'd say peanut butter (nut butters in general) can help too, as they are a source of protein
good for snacking (apple slices, carrots, etc.) and for sauces (e.g. on tofu, noodles)
hummus is helpful to keep around as well! (for sandwiches, snacking, etc.)
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oh i'd say peanut butter (nut butters in general) can help too, as they are a source of protein
good for snacking (apple slices, carrots, etc.) and for sauces (e.g. on tofu, noodles)
hummus is helpful to keep around as well! (for sandwiches, snacking, etc.)
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@koneko: Omg those sound amazing and wow that’s a long time. I hope to make it as long as possible. Thank you for the ideas! I can’t wait to try them. Oh and I will eat literally anything haha I love trying new foods as well. Chickpeas are my fav! (I think I prefer salty over sweet now tbh)
@Totalanimefan: yesss I love kale but I’ve never tried spinach on its own. I’m gonna have to try to eat more filling salads with spinach. Ty!
@koneko: Will do! I’ll buy some next time I go to the store.
@xvz: I’ve been wanting to try vegan pad Thai, I’m gonna have to get all the ingredients. Wow thank you for all the recipes n ideas! I’ve been wanting to get some protein powder because I definitely need it but wasn’t sure if it would even taste good in smoothies cuz I’ve heard it has a weird taste.
I actually have some almond butter in my fridge, not a huge fan, but I’ll still eat it. Kind of completely forgot about it oops.
Thank you guys! I have so many new recipes to try.
@Totalanimefan: yesss I love kale but I’ve never tried spinach on its own. I’m gonna have to try to eat more filling salads with spinach. Ty!
@koneko: Will do! I’ll buy some next time I go to the store.
@xvz: I’ve been wanting to try vegan pad Thai, I’m gonna have to get all the ingredients. Wow thank you for all the recipes n ideas! I’ve been wanting to get some protein powder because I definitely need it but wasn’t sure if it would even taste good in smoothies cuz I’ve heard it has a weird taste.
I actually have some almond butter in my fridge, not a huge fan, but I’ll still eat it. Kind of completely forgot about it oops.
Thank you guys! I have so many new recipes to try.
I have been eating vegan (to the best of my ability and with the exception of free things that would otherwise go in the garbage, that is) since January as well. Lots yet to learn, and unfortunately I don't have much time to cook these days, but it's not hard to find recipes and there's always something new to try, so it's been kind of exciting in that regard. Sometimes I stare longingly at the offerings in my store, wishing I had just decided to be vegetarian instead, but I know I can either buy these things elsewhere or make them myself without the eggs/milk if I really wanted them that badly.
Combination being too busy for intensive cooking sessions and not wanting all my dinners to consist of red beans and rice (which is great btw and apparently a complete source of protein, but does get old after a few days), I rely pretty heavily on "fake meats" for my protein a lot of the time... but they're delicious and convenient and let me feel like I don't have to give up old favorites, so why not? Beyond sausages and Gardein breakfast bowls give me life. I actually discovered a while before making the switch that I like a lot of the "substitutes" better than the animal product versions anyway.
As a huge jerky fan, I was pleased to find that vegan jerky can easily be found online. Not so easily in stores, sadly, but it's out there and makes a great protein snack if you're sick of everything being sweet (idk why 99% of protein snacks are sweet, it's annoying) or just nuts (more than a little handful of those tends to make me sick).
And as more people cut back on animal products, I'm finding more and more vegan offerings in my local grocery stores, which makes shopping and cooking--or not cooking--SO much less of a hassle. Most of the time I don't even have to think about finding a new recipe. I can just get the vegan version of whatever food I have in mind and go on as normal.
Seitan, tofu, and tempeh are my best friends now. I can't believe how tasty and versatile they are tbh; you can put this stuff in anything and the recipes you can find are boundless.
I was never a huge fan of beans, but I'm coming around on them lately. Same with greens. It's funny how your whole diet can be plants and you can still struggle to get enough veggies, but that's about where I fall. But if I throw on some steak seasoning, brussels and broccoli suddenly become delicious. Who knew? I also discovered cooked spinach, kale, or turnip greens can be pretty good, whereas before this year you couldn't pay me to eat cooked greens. I'd eat them raw as a salad, but never cooked. Now I like them both ways, and cooked greens are pretty versatile. You can sneak them into anything, too.
As for recipes, I highly recommend It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken. Lots of easy-to-make recipes, very beginner-friendly and informative, and they offer a variety of email series with different themes. It's helped me out a lot; even if I'm not following the recipes exactly, seeing them gives me a better idea of what things I can use for what purpose, and just in general it opens me up to a lot of possibilities I might not have otherwise considered.
tl;dr: I'm so far from being limited to beans and salad that I have to actually remind myself to eat more beans and salad.
I'd complain about needing to take a supplement to make sure I'm not missing anything vital, but I had to do that anyway for health problems, so *shrug*.
Combination being too busy for intensive cooking sessions and not wanting all my dinners to consist of red beans and rice (which is great btw and apparently a complete source of protein, but does get old after a few days), I rely pretty heavily on "fake meats" for my protein a lot of the time... but they're delicious and convenient and let me feel like I don't have to give up old favorites, so why not? Beyond sausages and Gardein breakfast bowls give me life. I actually discovered a while before making the switch that I like a lot of the "substitutes" better than the animal product versions anyway.
As a huge jerky fan, I was pleased to find that vegan jerky can easily be found online. Not so easily in stores, sadly, but it's out there and makes a great protein snack if you're sick of everything being sweet (idk why 99% of protein snacks are sweet, it's annoying) or just nuts (more than a little handful of those tends to make me sick).
And as more people cut back on animal products, I'm finding more and more vegan offerings in my local grocery stores, which makes shopping and cooking--or not cooking--SO much less of a hassle. Most of the time I don't even have to think about finding a new recipe. I can just get the vegan version of whatever food I have in mind and go on as normal.
Seitan, tofu, and tempeh are my best friends now. I can't believe how tasty and versatile they are tbh; you can put this stuff in anything and the recipes you can find are boundless.
I was never a huge fan of beans, but I'm coming around on them lately. Same with greens. It's funny how your whole diet can be plants and you can still struggle to get enough veggies, but that's about where I fall. But if I throw on some steak seasoning, brussels and broccoli suddenly become delicious. Who knew? I also discovered cooked spinach, kale, or turnip greens can be pretty good, whereas before this year you couldn't pay me to eat cooked greens. I'd eat them raw as a salad, but never cooked. Now I like them both ways, and cooked greens are pretty versatile. You can sneak them into anything, too.
As for recipes, I highly recommend It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken. Lots of easy-to-make recipes, very beginner-friendly and informative, and they offer a variety of email series with different themes. It's helped me out a lot; even if I'm not following the recipes exactly, seeing them gives me a better idea of what things I can use for what purpose, and just in general it opens me up to a lot of possibilities I might not have otherwise considered.
tl;dr: I'm so far from being limited to beans and salad that I have to actually remind myself to eat more beans and salad.
I'd complain about needing to take a supplement to make sure I'm not missing anything vital, but I had to do that anyway for health problems, so *shrug*.
soup! it's so versatile and so yummy
you can buy it a can and it takes 5 mins, or you can make it yourself if you feel like it
blending your veggies like butternut squash or peas can make the soup a creamier consistency, without adding cream
also.... it's finally soup weather!
hehe i been waitin for this
you can buy it a can and it takes 5 mins, or you can make it yourself if you feel like it
blending your veggies like butternut squash or peas can make the soup a creamier consistency, without adding cream
also.... it's finally soup weather!
hehe i been waitin for this
! soup is one of my favorite things to make. Very easy and you can put whatever you want in it, including any veggies, beans, etc you have laying around and don't know what to do with.
I actually got a really nice butternut squash soup recipe from the sticker on a squash I bought a while back. Dealing with the squash itself was the hard part (cooking and peeling it, specifically) but the rest was pretty simple and it made enough to last me quite a while.
1 cooked butternut squash (I baked mine in the oven; you can also buy squash frozen and pre-cut to save time!)
2 Tb olive oil
1/2 c chopped yellow onion
4 cloves minced garlic (or ~2 teaspoons pre-minced garlic from a jar to save time)
1/8 ts ground nutmeg
1ts chili powder
1ts salt
4c vegetable broth
1ts maple syrup
In a large soup pot, sauté onions and garlic. Scoop cooked squash into a blender. Combine onions, garlic, and all remaining ingredients into the blender and blend until smooth (pause blending a few times to let steam escape). Transfer back to the soup pot and heat through. Garnish with black pepper and roasted pumpkin seeds if desired.
My personal go-to soup, though, is something I didn't get from a recipe but threw together one day in the kitchen, so excuse the lack of proper measurements:
1/2 block tofu, cubed
1 8oz pack sliced mushrooms (or any kind of smaller whole mushrooms if you prefer)
1-2 chopped green onions
seaweed (I like to use about a half cup to a cup's worth of rehydrated chopped wakame, but I find a packet or two of those roasted seaweed snacks works well when I don't have that; just crumble them dry into the soup and they'll rehydrate)
vegetable broth (as much as you need for a base, I usually use one of those 32 oz boxes)
dash of mirin
dash of tamari or soy sauce if desired (may not be needed if your seaweed and/or broth are already salted)
You can add noodles, dumplings, peas, carrots, etc if you feel like it; sometimes I also add a little bit of ginger and garlic to taste.
-No special instructions; I just wash my veggies/mushrooms, chop the tofu, put everything into the pot, and let it simmer until it tastes right. Works great when I don't have a lot of time but need to prep something that will last me a day or two.
I actually got a really nice butternut squash soup recipe from the sticker on a squash I bought a while back. Dealing with the squash itself was the hard part (cooking and peeling it, specifically) but the rest was pretty simple and it made enough to last me quite a while.
1 cooked butternut squash (I baked mine in the oven; you can also buy squash frozen and pre-cut to save time!)
2 Tb olive oil
1/2 c chopped yellow onion
4 cloves minced garlic (or ~2 teaspoons pre-minced garlic from a jar to save time)
1/8 ts ground nutmeg
1ts chili powder
1ts salt
4c vegetable broth
1ts maple syrup
In a large soup pot, sauté onions and garlic. Scoop cooked squash into a blender. Combine onions, garlic, and all remaining ingredients into the blender and blend until smooth (pause blending a few times to let steam escape). Transfer back to the soup pot and heat through. Garnish with black pepper and roasted pumpkin seeds if desired.
My personal go-to soup, though, is something I didn't get from a recipe but threw together one day in the kitchen, so excuse the lack of proper measurements:
1/2 block tofu, cubed
1 8oz pack sliced mushrooms (or any kind of smaller whole mushrooms if you prefer)
1-2 chopped green onions
seaweed (I like to use about a half cup to a cup's worth of rehydrated chopped wakame, but I find a packet or two of those roasted seaweed snacks works well when I don't have that; just crumble them dry into the soup and they'll rehydrate)
vegetable broth (as much as you need for a base, I usually use one of those 32 oz boxes)
dash of mirin
dash of tamari or soy sauce if desired (may not be needed if your seaweed and/or broth are already salted)
You can add noodles, dumplings, peas, carrots, etc if you feel like it; sometimes I also add a little bit of ginger and garlic to taste.
-No special instructions; I just wash my veggies/mushrooms, chop the tofu, put everything into the pot, and let it simmer until it tastes right. Works great when I don't have a lot of time but need to prep something that will last me a day or two.
ALWAYS PING ME
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good luck !! i hope you can try lots of tasty recipes you end up liking :-)
oh also i stumbled across this youtube channel a while back and a lot of the recipes seem fairly easy and very tasty!
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good luck !! i hope you can try lots of tasty recipes you end up liking :-)
oh also i stumbled across this youtube channel a while back and a lot of the recipes seem fairly easy and very tasty!
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Having you as a Voltie would be awesome.