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Vegan Diet Beginner- any helpful tips?

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Iri said #1 Jun 3, 2012 at 12:36am

Hello Everyone


I've recently been diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder and my doc's orders included going completely off meat, fish, dairy, eggs and nuts. As someone whose staple diet included lots of the above I'm a bit daunted and have been living off of homemade hummus and spinach.


Any recent vegan converts want to share how they stay the course..after 10 days my nerves are starting to fray!

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powerlifer said #2 Jun 3, 2012 at 3:50am

Eat as best a variety of food as you can, this will ensure you are getting a wider scope of nutrients. Beans, legumes, try and consume as many different fruits and vegetables as possible.


Any reason your doctor suggested staying off nuts ?. If you are still aloud seeds then there are many choices such as pumpking, hemp, chia seed etc.


Juicing Recipes

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Kasey Minnis said #3 Jun 8, 2012 at 12:22pm

Hey, Iri. That's tough when you have to make the change all at once. My best tip is to get every vegan cookbook you can get your hands on and see which ones work for you. (I've gotten a lot through second-hand bookstores and on swap.com.) Once you find ones that match your individual tastes and cooking skill, it will be much smoother sailing.


Feel free to PM me if you want to talk recipes!

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Kathleen Mawby said #4 Jun 8, 2012 at 12:40pm

Check out the Post Punk Kitchen website - it's amazing! I go on and on about it and have loved every meal I've created using their recipes. The people who make the site have also released a few books. It's well worth spending a few minutes checking it out.


I haven't got a link for it, but if you Google Post Punk Kitchen or PPK it will be easy to find.

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Mandy said #5 Jun 8, 2012 at 2:03pm

It's all about find brands/recipes you like


Recipes: http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/


FAVORITES: Bread: Rudi's Organic Bakery http://www.rudisbakery.com/ (white, whole wheat..etc, Tortillas & Wraps, Buns & Rolls, Bagels & English Muffin) Ezekiel bread http://www.foodforlife.com/ -BOTH found in regular and health food stores in bread or freezer section.


DAIRY: Yogurt- SO DELICIOUS http://www.turtlemountain.com/ coconut or soy Ice Cream: SO DELICIOUS or RICE DREAM http://www.tastethedream.com/index.php Cheese: Daiya http://www.daiyafoods.com/ Mozz shreds for pizza! Nutritional yeast for macNchz or cheesy sauces. Recipe: http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=296050 Milk: Rice Dream Rice milk, SILK Soy or Coconut http://silksoymilk.com/, TEMPT Hemp milk http://livingharvest.com/


FAKE MEAT: Gardein http://www.gardein.com/index.php try Crispy Tenders! Field Roast http://www.fieldroast.com/ sausages (best)


OTHERS: Amy's *NOT ALL VEGAN* Go to site, click PRODUCTS, SEARCH vegan. http://www.amys.com/products/product-result


Dr. McDougall vegan RAMEN Noodles!


Dr. McDougall website http://www.drmcdougall.com/packaged.html is a list of canned and packaged foods that are vegan. Go to top right corner, click packaged foods

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diana said #6 Jun 8, 2012 at 7:41pm

Pasta w/marinara, vegetarian chili (add some bulghur to give it that meaty texture), rice & bean burritos (don't forget the guacamole & non-dairy sour cream), stir fries, soups, tabouli made with quinoa instead of bulgur, veggie tacos & enchiladas, tofu scrambles, grilled veggi kebabs, veggie sushi rolls, veggie pizza. If you're concerned about where to get your protein: tofu, quinoa, mixing grains & beans, seitan (make your own, it's so much cheaper) and occasional faux meats. There's protein in most everything, but the foods just listed have more.


You mentioned no nuts, but can you have seeds? I loooove a lemon-tahini dressing to dip my raw veggies into...wonderful on cooked greens, but it's especially delicious on falafels (stuffed in pocket bread w/cucumbers, pickles & lettuce....divine!)


Here's the recipe (from the Moosewood Cookbook):


http://www.molliekatzen.com/recipes/recipe.php?recipe=tahini_lemon_sauce


Try some smoothies, too, they're fun & delicious & so easy.


Here's a blog you might find useful:


http://www.littlehouseofveggies.com/


I second the cookbook idea, try these two: Vegan with a Vengeance & Veganomicon. And, of course, The Kind Diet has many easy, delicious recipes. Hang in there....


ps...start to read labels, you'd be surprised how much dairy there is in foods you wouldn't think had it.

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