The KInd Life Community Forum

Use this space to share stories, exchange ideas, ask questions, and contribute to our growing community!

help!

Started by Tasha Palmer on April 7, 2011

4 Comments

Tasha Palmer said #1 Apr 7, 2011 at 2:06pm

I am new to being vegan and I am having a hard time figuring out what to make. I read a lot of people saying their diet mainly consist of eating grain with greens and or bean so I know this might sound dumb but am I really just supposed to mix that together and just eat that. I know that sounds a little silly but my partner and I tried that the other day and it was not so great. So I was just wondering if anyone could give me some advice and some cooking tips on what I should be eating. Thanks so much!

Hazel said #2 Apr 7, 2011 at 3:15pm

I would suggest starting with looking at some vegan cookbooks - The Kind Diet (which I assume you haven't read), Veganomicon, The Vegan Table, I just got Appetite For Reduction because a lot of people recommend it. You can try finding them at your local library.

Vegan means eliminating all animal products. When you think about it, that leaves an awful lot available to eat - every single vegetable you can think of - try ones you have never had before; grains - that means more than brown rice - there's quinoa, amaranth, wheatberries, tabbouleh, brown basmati, golden rice, etc.; so many varieties of legumes - black beans, pinto, navy, kidney, adzuki, mung beans, garbanzo, lentils; add nuts and seeds to dishes; add herbs, dried or fresh. Then find some recipes. There are of course vegan faux meats and cheeses and stuff, but that's not the healthiest stuff to be eating.

Start by cooking things you might be familiar with - ie whole grain pastas with tons of veggies, burritos, veggie bean burgers, soups, that kind of stuff. You can always search online for vegan recipes - just search 'vegan burritos' 'vegan soups' etc. But I would suggest trying to find or purchase a couple of books.

Janine Cavanaugh said #3 Apr 7, 2011 at 3:49pm

Tasha,

I am often clueless as to what to make for a meal. A good staple and also for new vegans is rice and beans. Sounds simple but I jazz it up just a bit and it's very tasty and filling. I use brown and black rice as well as quinoa. I use as many kinds of beans as I can (or will fit in the pot), usually black, kidney, pinto, etc. When all the rice and quinoa is prepared just warm the beans in a pot and a fill up your bowl. I always store the leftovers (there definitely will be leftovers) separately. All the grains in their own containers and all the beans cacn go in one together. The key to this VERY simple meal for me is HOT SAUCE! SOOO scrumptious!

I recently bought a ton of vegan cookbooks. I've decided to just go through them all and make every recipe. I'm starting with Vegan With A Vengeance from the very first recipe through to the last. I figure this is the most straight-forward way of finding what I like to eat and to cook. Don't forget about Gardenburgers and all the other convenient substitutes for non-vegan food. They got me through the beginning of my veganism. They're tasty and easy and a good source of protien.

Good luck!

Hazel said #4 Apr 7, 2011 at 4:07pm

Just remember that a lot of faux burgers and meats are vegetarian, but not vegan, if that's important to you. Sunshine Burgers are a very good and clean brand of vegan burgers. I always have some in my freezer for emergencies.

Join the Discussion!

Login or create an account on The Kind Life today and you'll be able to leave comments, share photos and videos with friends, and participate in community events!