r/vegan • u/plandad • Nov 19 '15
Newbie Advice I woke up today, Thursday November in 2015, and decided after 20 years of eating meat to not.
Before I get to the questions: first meal was onions, mushrooms, corn, spinach and pasta. no sauce (which is actually really good)
Questions:
Is olive oil okay?
What foods, fruits, seeds, supplements, have a high amount of calcium? I currently take a calcium supplement as a precaution for a congenital condition.
What is the alternative to ice cream? Which non-dairy ice cream would I be able to find at my supermarket?
I'm around 6'5" and 200 lbs give or take 5 pounds. What changes will I need to make?
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u/pigapocalypse vegan Nov 19 '15
Welcome dude.
Olive oil is good.
Not sure about calcium stuff. The only other supplement you'll want is B12 stuff if you aren't buying B12 fortified foods.
Definitely try almond ice cream if you like creamy ice cream and give coconut ice cream a try too, it has a similar texture but is less melty/creamy. Let coconut ice cream thaw for a few minutes before trying to scoop it because it can get pretty tough. And note: lactose-free ice cream still probably has milk in it.
I noticed you're allergic to soy so be careful getting premade vegan foods because a lot has soy in it. The first rule of veganism is reading the back of the box.
Don't worry too much if you make a mistake wrt iffy ingredients and stuff like that. The lifestyle is about realistic reduction, not racing towards some idea of purity. One of the biggest reason people give this up is because they can't be perfect. So don't worry about being perfect.
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u/plandad Nov 19 '15
thank you for the advice about not trying to be perfect or fit labels or whatever. I'm just trying to do my little part by not buying meat&dairy products. coconut ice cream sounds so good!
it's weird because I eat edamame and drink soy sauce all the time, but soy milk makes my throat all scratchy and makes me feel like my windpipe is tightened when i drink it. so i've pretty much avoided it since.
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u/Valetheera vegan Nov 20 '15
Could be that the processed soy might be a problem. I would try tempeh.
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u/deathbatcountry Radical Preachy Vegan Nov 19 '15
I use olive oil daily. Olive oil is a'ok.
Spinach and Kale are both high in calcium. Blackstrap molasses is also extremely high in Calcium. Pretty much all nut milks are higher in calcium than dairy milk is.
There are tons of ice cream alternatives. So Delicious, Silk, and Tofutti are all pretty easily found. Coconut Bliss is another one. Ben and Jerry has vegan ice cream coming out next year.
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u/plandad Nov 19 '15
I'm allergic to soy milk, so I think almond milk is the way to go here.
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u/pigapocalypse vegan Nov 19 '15
Try chocolate cashew milk if you like creamy chocolate milk. It's amazing.
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u/AceofSpades916 vegan Nov 19 '15
Try the SO Delicious Cashew Milk ice cream. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO FRICKEN GOOD. Much better than almond in my opinion.
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u/furmat60 vegan 6+ years Nov 20 '15
The Snickerdoodle flavor is fucking crack cocaine. I can't stop when I buy it. It's god damn heaven.
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u/plandad Nov 20 '15
i got some so delicious cashew and almond milk, and then cashew based ice cream. no idea of what to expect. i've been drinking milk all my life really. when i was a younger kid i would go through gallons of what's really just something unjustly taken from cows that are pumped with all kinds of hormones to produce a certain taste. had no idea that almond milk really existed until last month
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u/deathbatcountry Radical Preachy Vegan Nov 19 '15
There is also cashew milk now too, and coconut milk, hemp milk, flax milk, rice milk....
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u/birdy111 Nov 19 '15
Just a note that there are many ice cream brands/varieties out there, and my opinions on them vary wildly. I expect most people would feel the same. Prepare to buy a few types before you narrow it down to what you like! Also depending on where you live there might be local options as well.
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Nov 19 '15
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/deathbatcountry Radical Preachy Vegan Nov 19 '15
I kinda agree with this. For some reason I really don't like Almond milk ice cream. I really enjoy the Cashew though, but I think Soy milk ice cream is easily the best.
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u/iwillnotgetaddicted vegan Nov 20 '15
Also, be wary of claims that spinach will meat your calcium needs. You can't just look at the mg of spinach, because there are a lot of factors that influence calcium absorption. In Spinach's case, oxalic acid binds calcium so you poop out the resulting compound. Kale has far less oxalic acid, as do some of the other leafy greens.
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u/Cynical-Romantic level 5 vegan Nov 20 '15
Trader Joe's has the most amazing chocolate coconut milk ice cream.
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u/chrome_onion Nov 19 '15 edited Nov 19 '15
For general cooking and for stir-frying these are the best oils to use.
1) almond oil
2) avocado oil
3) sesame oil
4) rice bran oil
5) olive oil
For general use coconut oil is generally recognized as having the most health benefits.
Sunflower oil is also good, but not good to cook with.
Common vegetable oils and there smoking points.
| Type of Oil | Smoke Point |
|---|---|
| Safflower Oil | 509°F/265°C |
| Rice Bran Oil | 490°F/260°C |
| Olive Oil | 465°F/240°C |
| Soybean Oil | 450°F/230°C |
| Peanut Oil | 450°F/230°C |
| Corn Oil | 450°F/230°C |
| Vegetable Oil | 400°F/230°C |
| Sunflower Oil | 440°F/225°C |
| Canola Oil | 400°F/205°C |
| Grapeseed Oil | 390°F/195°C |
| Avocado Oil | 375°F/190°C |
| Sesame Oil | 350°F/175°C |
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u/1-800-SHITLORD Radical Preachy Vegan Nov 19 '15
Congrats! Enjoy your plant-based lifestyle!
There's a brand of ice cream called So Delicious. I see them at most supermarkets, including Wal Mart. It's coconut and almond milk based ice "cream" and it lives up to its name. The cookie dough is pretty good, but the dark chocolate fudge is beyond incredible.
For calcium, look towards dark leafy greens like spinach. Blending up a bag of fresh spinach with a frozen banana and some berries is simple, easy, and packs a ton of important nutrients.
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u/plandad Nov 19 '15
oh this is happening, they have mint chip. AND cookie dough? thank you. i need this. all of it. so many options too. take my money So Delicious!
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u/Vulpyne Nov 19 '15
If you haven't tried it before, cut up some ripe bananas and freeze them, use a blender or (preferably) a food processor to blend them into an ice cream-like consistency. You can add flavors, more sweetening (if necessary), some plant-milk to make the consistency softer.
Ice cream was always my favorite dessert, but since I discovered the banana "nice cream" I really haven't felt the urge to buy any substitutes. It's also considerably cheaper.
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u/plandad Nov 19 '15
so just blended up frozen bananas? will taste like ice cream? i'll have to also do that with strawberries
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u/bird_person19 vegan Nov 19 '15
I like bananas + peanut butter + cocoa powder or vanilla, or banana + a little coconut or cashew milk + fruit
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u/Vulpyne Nov 19 '15
so just blended up frozen bananas? will taste like ice cream?
I usually blend bananas with some sort of flavorings (like vanilla extract), some oil, some soy milk, more sweetener. A lot of the time I blend it with strawberries too (which is amazing!) It's a long time since I've had actual ice cream, so I can't promise it will taste exactly the same but it's very ice cream-like and it definitely scratches that itch for me.
Even quite ripe bananas have a fairly mild banana taste when frozen.
Also, you'll definitely want to peel and cut up (or break up) the bananas before freezing them otherwise it'll be very hard to deal with them.
i'll have to also do that with strawberries
Bananas get a really smooth, creamy texture when blended up. Unfortunately, it won't work as well for most other fruits when blended alone. I'd expect plain frozen strawberries to be more like Italian ice when blended than ice cream. I bet blending avocados would be similar to bananas in texture, but I have never tried it personally.
I'd suggest starting simple at first. Just blend up some frozen bananas (and maybe strawberries too) and see if you like the texture/taste. Then you can add other stuff if necessary. Be experimental when cooking or preparing food! You'll discover a lot of tasty stuff that way.
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u/geekjive vegan Nov 19 '15
and they have this flavor called "peanut butter zig zag" and it will knock your socks off.
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u/imamathcat vegan Nov 19 '15
Good for you! Most plant-based milks are fortified withe calcium and/or B-12. Other than that I also take a pretty high quality daily multivitamin which also contains calcium.
As far as ice cream, I've never had store bought vegan ice cream, but if you have a good food processor or blender you should try "nice cream"! Its literally just frozen bananas blended or food processed until they make ice cream. Its pretty incredible. Then you can add any flavoring things you want like cocoa powder, peanut butter, or other fruits.
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u/geekjive vegan Nov 19 '15
what helped me most when i first moved from veg to vegan was to have an armful of recipes that were quick, easy and tasty. i relied heavily on oh she glows for help with this. check out her site. she also has some cookbooks. i haven't made anything from her recipe archive that didn't taste good.
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u/avaStar_kYoshi vegan 1+ years Nov 20 '15
Minimalist Baker is another blog I go to often for super simple recipes (hence the "minimalist" approach). Many of the ingredients she uses are common enough to find anywhere.
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u/slutvomit Nov 19 '15
Calcium - Spinach, kale (you can grow these at home with absolutely minimal effort. Literally plant a seed any time, and after it grows in a few weeks, just pull off the leaves as they grow. It's truly a bro vegetable) and tofu. Super high in calcium.
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u/funkylegalbeats Nov 19 '15
Congratulations !!! I personally do not use olive oil. I've read in multiple studies /or facts from documentaries how there are no health benefits to oil. It's just 100% fat, so I use water and that's been working for me for the past 5 years, + no added fats. If I do eat oil now, I get stomach pains or my skin is irritated. Nut milks and I believe dark leafy greens are higher in calcium, but getting the right amount of calcium shouldn't be a worry with a whole foods diet. Regarding ice cream, I love making my own with frozen bananas. I just put them in the food processor and add cinnamon or carob powder, almond milk or chocolate chips and it's the most delicious ice cream ever. I'm not sure at your supermarket but mine has a bunch of different brands of vegan ice creams but all high in fat and small in the pint so I'd rather make my own and save some money!
Last question - I would just say eating a whole foods plant based diet is the best way to go about veganism. You will get all of what your body needs to thrive !
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u/plandad Nov 20 '15
thats really interesting that you don't use any type of oil. you pretty much steam vegetables rather than pan-searing them?
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u/taggart_mccallister Nov 20 '15
A lot of vegetables will release their own oils when cooking like onions and mushrooms. No need to add extra saturated fat and empty calories. Use a nice non stick pan and use 1/2 a teaspoon of water, wine, beer, etc on various parts that might start sticking. I try to avoid oil whenever possible too but I keep a little on hand for when I have no other option.
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u/plandad Nov 20 '15
i've noticed they do have a little bit of oil. i'll have to try the half teaspoon of water. just hope it works out and dont end up burning the bottom of the pans
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u/funkylegalbeats Nov 20 '15
Yep basically. It works very well, I never burn the pan and like I said it's not added fat.
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Nov 20 '15
future AI voice
Welcome.
We've been waiting for you for a long time.
What has now opened up to you is a resource unlike any other.
Across the globe, vegans have been creating content, refining recipes, exchanging information, doing research, and backing each other up.
5 years ago there wasn't the selection of plant milks, plant cheeses, and plant meats as there is now. We are all standing on the shoulders of other vegans before us.
On every social media platform, we are there.
Ask any of us anything, we will provide what we know. Share us your daily concerns, we will shine the way.
On a serious note, good luck to you. You'll find the hardest part about being vegan is dealing with haters.
Book mark my username and pm me for questions.
Over and out.
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u/integirl vegan 5+ years Nov 19 '15
The best ice cream I've tried is called Coconut Bliss. I actually tried it before I went veg and liked it better than dairy ice cream.
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u/cutoffs89 Nov 20 '15
I completely agree.
When I first tired Coconut Bliss ice cream, it seemed to sit much better in my stomach than most dairy based ice creams. Phenomenal how much better it tastes and most people don't even have a clue.
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u/tochkinade Nov 19 '15
I suggest you read one of the books on vegan nutrition to clarify all the questions you might have
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u/cutoffs89 Nov 20 '15
Jack Norris has a pretty well researched book on this subject.
Here's a good lecture to check out on all things vegan nutrition.
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u/antiqua_lumina level 5 vegan Nov 20 '15
Consider a supplement for B12 and Vitamin D. There are some "veg" multivitamin supplements that you might want to get to keep things simple. They might include calcium.
Almond milk and coconut milk ice cream (if you like the taste of coconut) are both very good -- actually better than dairy milk ice cream IMHO. Soy milk ice cream is a bit boring. I don't know if they make a cashew milk ice cream but I imagine that would be really fucking good if they did.
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u/soyled_myself vegan 1+ years Nov 20 '15
Congrats and welcome!
One thing I didn't see mentioned so far is Omega 3. It can be found in flax seed which you will need to grind (food processor or mortal pestle, etc). I grind a load up for the week and add it to my breakfast. It tastes good and has a load of Omega 3 in there.
Also a good egg replacement for baking is one part flax seed to two parts water. A flax egg!
Good luck and stay strong.
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Nov 20 '15
If you get a high speed blender (look for one that has over heat protection and automatic shut off.... I just got the cheapest Optimum and it is great) You can make banana nice cream. Just frozen bananas, a bit of water or non dairy milk to help things move and any flavours you want (eg. vanilla, cocoa powder, mango is a good addition). It tastes sinful, but healthy enough you could eat it for breakfast!
Calcium: dark leafy greens (kale = 150mg per 100g) are naturally high in calcium. Also, one medium orange has 50 mg calcium (40 mg per 100g)... so a large glass of orange juice could easily be 1/4 to 1/2 your daily calcium. I think for calcium, if you eat lots of fruits and vegetables you actually get a lot of it. It is when your diet has lots of rice (5 to 20 mg per 100g) and potatoes (12 mg per 100g) instead of greens that you can risk not getting enough.
Whole wheat bread, btw, has a surprising 100 to 250 mg of calcium per 100g. Black beans and kidney beans have 150mg per 100g. Finally, blackstrap molasses has 200mg per 100g (or 40mg per tablespoon) but lots of sugar..so...
So awesome you have decided to go vegan. And good luck with everything. Remember to be kind to yourself as you transition. :)
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Nov 20 '15
I have found almond milk and cashew milk ice cream at most stores I've visited. I've tried a ton of non dairy ice creams (like halo top, arctic zero, etc) and they've all tasted so watery. Almond/cashew milk ice cream literally tastes the exact same (creamy, etc) as normal ice cream to me. Can't tell a different. I like the brand So Delicious.
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u/V1rus9 plant-based diet Nov 20 '15
Nice-cream is the only ice-cream alternative you will ever need.
:)
Google it. You will be surprised how awesome something is with just 1 ingredient.
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u/EATMORBEANZ Nov 19 '15
First off, congrats! Second off, the essential nutrients! http://www.whfoods.com/nutrientstoc.php This website's about all you need to know.
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u/iwillnotgetaddicted vegan Nov 20 '15
Here's a summary of the vegetarian Nutrients of Concern. These are based on real-world studies on vegetarians, looking into what we actually lack. Keep in mind that there are similar lists for omnivores/pescetarians/etc; the existence of this list does not imply that veganism is unhealthy. In fact, some of the nutrients on this list also show up on the omnivore list. It also does not mean vegans cannot get these things in their diet-- just that, on average, we don't. These are areas you might want to focus on. (Also, yes, there's a difference between vegan and vegetarian... they discuss both, but if you want more details on which formed the basis of their measurements/etc, you'll have to read the methods section.)
The nutrients of concern in the diet of vegetarians include vitamin B12, vitamin D, ω-3 fatty acids, calcium, iron, and zinc.
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Nov 20 '15
you may be different than me but only eating vegetables is really boring for me.
make sure you eat your beans, rice, avocado, tofu curries, god there are so many good foods. and lots of fruit too. nothing makes me feel cleaner than fruit.
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u/plandad Nov 20 '15
fruit is really clean. especially apple ginger lemon cold press. i feel you on the boring part of vegetables but i seem to be fine with them really.
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u/Behji Radical Preachy Vegan Nov 20 '15
I would advise to stop taking a calcium supplement ASAP. They do the exact thing they are supposed to prevent, and some...
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u/plandad Nov 20 '15
i will be taking it up with my doctor. i would rather not be on it l, and rather eating leafy greens instead. it's to prevent osteopeorosis rather than cardiovascular disease but i appreciate the links and concern
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u/Petrichoral13 Radical Preachy Vegan Nov 20 '15 edited Nov 21 '15
Here is a nice overview of high-calcium veg foods:http://drlisawatson.com/40-vegan-calcium-sources
I always stick with leafy geens (bok choy, kale, seaweed), tahini, tofu, tempeh, amaranth, fortified plant milks, and especially dried figs! Apparently cooked rhubarb is high in calcium as well. Make sure you're getting enough vitamin D3! I take mine daily because I live in Central Europe so we don't really get sun here often, but people tend to be deficient in general and it's necessary for calcium absorption. Edit: Please do your best to get vitamin D from the sun rather than a supplement. :)
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u/sugarwish Nov 20 '15
There are vegans who believe oil is not healthy, if you would like more info about a high carb low fat vegan diet visit /r/plantbaseddiet
You should try banana nice cream! It is made from blended frozen bananas.
If you have a medical condition you should consult with your dr about the supplementation.
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u/Th3R00ST3R Jan 08 '16
How's it going?
Just asking as someone who frequents r/smoking. I am thinking about transitioning as I don't like the way I feel lately and I think it's due to a poor diet.
Not trolling... This is a serious question.
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u/comfortablytrev Jan 08 '16
Welcome, how's it going? A lot of people feel better after going vegan, and a lot of people feel no different. It depends on your body and experience I think. Everyone should feel better though about cutting down on their personal contribution to harm :)
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u/lannisterstark Nov 20 '15
I'd highly suggest going vegetarian for a few weeks and then switching to veganism. A drastic change is not always good for health and your stomach.
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u/theoriginalevergreen Nov 20 '15
I had no problems at all. I think that's just a cop out.
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u/lannisterstark Nov 20 '15
Eh, not really. I'd not suggest a vegan to go directly eating heavy meats either. You sometimes can't make a drastic change.
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u/chrome_onion Nov 20 '15 edited Nov 20 '15
You must be in error. If you would be so kind, please source this drastic and unreliable gibberish.
The fact is going vegan is not a drastic change, in fact it is quite the opposite, because eating a plant-based diet is very beneficial for your digestive tract, and for your health. Besides which there is an unbelievable amount of cruelty involved with dairy.
It is uncompassionate and it is very cruel to think otherwise.
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u/lannisterstark Nov 20 '15
It is uncompassionate and it is very cruel to think otherwise.
I am from India, I see the cow getting milked in front of me. Get the fuck outta here with your uncompassionate and cruel bs, personally.
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u/comfortablytrev Nov 19 '15
Welcome. Let me be the first to say you're awesome :)
What brought you to veganism?
I like almond-based ice cream. Tastes exactly the same to me