VEGANS!

[noxious.sunshine]

Have you ever tried going vegan!? Like eating crap like Soyrizo and Tofurkey?

Today, I made totally vegetarian eggplant lasagna (using sliced eggplant for the noodles instead of actual noodles) and on a whim I bout the "ground beef" tofurkey (omg that word needs to be illegal)... I sauteed it according to package directions, tasted it like I do with everything else, and holy chuck was it bad. It tasted like Begg'n Strips dog treats (yes, I've tried Begg'n Strips. When I was little. My brother dared me. I still remember it) or something else related to dog food.

But my sauce was so chock full of a ton of veggies, I threw it in anyway. Thank goodness it was a minimal amount compared to the other components so we couldn't even really taste the whateverthefuhhhhhh that ground up soy by-product was.

Also... The lasagna turned out ok, but I dried out the eggplant slices as best as I could and the whole she-bang still turned out hella watery. It actually tastes pretty good ('cuz I used real cheeses instead of that crazy Vegan cheese), but I think I'd have been better off just using regular tofu for added substance.

And I had planned on making a meatless 3-bean chili tomorrow, but it's not gonna happen 'cuz he likes meat too much and actually -does- need it to fill him up 'cuz of his issues with keeping weight on.

I actually am making a conscious effort to have at least 2 days/nights a week eating meat-free. Not vegan 'cuz that's just pushin' it. I mean, I -do- love veggies a lot and I like grabbing stuff from the produce section that I've never cooked with and experimenting and trying new things, but it's also kind of an effort to get my boyfriend to eat more veggies too. Which isn't too much of a problem 'cuz he eats whatever I put in front of him, but whatever.

So do y'all ever go meat-free for like dinner as a main course? If so, what do you make? And then the vegan question. XD

[Shorty]

I was a pescetarian for a while a few years ago (I began classifying myself as a vegetarian because I got tired of explaining what it was all the time). If you're eating meat all the time, every day, it can be hard to cut it out. I went cold turkey and didn't bother with a transitional phase like some people do but my god, I got cheeseburger cravings so badly. Boca burgers are just not the same.

I did start transitioning out of pescetarianism, though, because eating meat would make me absolutely sick to my stomach, and I didn't eat much of it or eat it often at all because of how sick it made me. Eventually I went to a sort of plan where I would eat vegetarian breakfast and lunch and include some meat with my dinner, which was what I came here to suggest if you are trying to be more veg-conscious.

There are some vegan/vegetarian members on this forum who probably have some great ideas, but everything about the world of veg is at your fingertips with google! There are so many damn good vegetarian recipes, and two of the biggest things I was introduced to that I had never used before was polenta and couscous. They fill you up and are so workable with any sort of dish. I would suggest playing around with recipes for stuffed mushrooms, stuffed peppers, stuffed tomatoes, pitas, sandwiches, pizzas, pies. I know how much you love Mexican - you can totally tailor Mexican recipes to be vegetarian-specific and still taste amazing.

It's all really about just making small tweaks to your meal and substituting things for the meat, forcing you to get a little more creative with your meals. This is the first search that I did and some of the recipes look absolutely wonderful - 100 Vegetarian Meals - Cooking Light (http://www.cookinglight.com/food/vegetarian/vegetarian-meals-00412000083741/page103.html).

[Chris]

Once, I purposefully lied to a friend about using any kind of meat in my lasagne. Naturally, he got meat every time he visited.

[Shorty]

Are you making a gay joke? I can't tell.

[Chris]

How cocky of you.

[noxious.sunshine]

Hehe I'm not totally phasing out meat, just going meatless a couple nights a week. I do cheese and onion enchiladas fairly often, actually.

[Shlup]

Tofu meats are nasty. Textured vegetable protein is a far better substitute for ground beef.

Here's my own recipe for vegan chili:
2c beans (either canned or, if you get dry, you have to soak them for 24 hours--I get a mix of beans, but mostly kidney because I like them)
1 tbs olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped,
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
4 oz diced green chili peppers (I get canned)
6oz tomato paste
28oz diced tomatoes
2tbs vegetarian bouillon mix
1/2c lentils
1c textured vegetable protein
1tsp cumin
1.5tsp paprika
1/2tsp thyme
1/2tsp sage
1tsp oregano
cayenne pepper to taste

1) Saute onion and bell pepper in olive oil for about 3 minutes.
2) Add all the spices; stir over med-low heat for about 3 minutes.
3) Put everything in the crock pot with about 5c water; cook on high 5 hours.

[Mirage]

I'm vegetarian about 2-3 times a day. Breakfast, lunch, and whatever I eat right before going to bed.

[Spuuky]

There are a lot of vegan meat substitutes that have nothing to do with the pre-packaged "big name" vegan brands like Tofurky. Try just cooking seitan or tempeh next time instead of getting that garbage.

[noxious.sunshine]

I did the vegetarian chili yeusterday! ^_^ I made it with kidney, pinto, and black beans. Soooo yummy. And I made it with shredded buffalo chicken sliders. Teh bf was very happy . XD

[Miriel]

I don't think I would ever become a vegan.

That's not to say that I don't eat food that could be classified as vegan and enjoy it. I'd actually say that a lot of the food I eat is either very close to vegan, or can be made vegan with minimal changes. It's just that I really really love lots of non-vegan stuff and I would hate to cut that stuff out completely.

I do really really love tofu. It's one of my favorite things.

I generally have a better time with foods that happen to be vegan, rather than foods specifically made for vegans to imitate non-vegan food. Like, kale salad? YUM! Fake chicken meat? Noooooo.

[noxious.sunshine]

Hahaha yeah I agree

I'm on day 4 of not eating meat, actually (aside from a chicken slider on Sunday) & I've already lost 7 lbs. And that's also not eating bread.

[Pete for President]

I started thinking about becoming vegetarian about 7 months ago. After 2 months of cutting down the meat-consumption (first 3 days a week vegetarian, then 4, then 5) I moved to New Zealand and losing the last two days came easy with a change as big as this one.

Been pretty much meat-free since then. Well, a few friends' diners aside since I don't like being the guy other people have to go out of their way for when they offer me to cook me food. People who've known me for a while make sure they cook vegi stuff though.

One of my favourites:

Get pesto, pasta, broccoli, walnuts and cheese.

Boil the pasta and broccoli, chuck it in a frying pan afterwards. Add the rest. Stir. Salt and pepper the whole thing. Supereasy, done in 15 minutes and it's awesome :greenie:

[noxious.sunshine]

XD

My bf told me this morning that he can't wait for tomorrow to get paid so that he can go eat something with meat in it ... And I was like ".... Dude... I have chicken and ground beef and chorizo in the fridge."

He nearly died.

[Shiny]

I eat vegan pizza since it's non-dairy cheese. I can't deal with real dairy products in bulk. The pizza is called V for Vegan and you can get it at some hipster place on 45th and 9th in New York.

[kotora]

It's pretty easy to be vegan when you're a poor. I lived on beans, carrots, peanuts, red cabbage and soy milk for about a year and a half. Spent like 10 to 20 euros a week on groceries. Later, when I lived in a house that had a useable kitchen, I mixed it up at started cooking lots o' rice and beans every day.

I still don't buy meat in supermarkets and probably never will (unless I'll allow myself a fancy expensive sausage every once in a while, when I'm back in civilizedland again), but I don't have a problem with ordering it when I'm eating out.

[Minami]

I've been vegetarian for 19 years and have tried going vegan a number of times but i miss cheese too much. Vegan cheese is just disgusting. I do use almond milk instead of dairy milk though and soy yogurt.

[Breine]

I've been a vegetarian for 3,5 years now. I went cold turkey, and I actually found it to be super easy. My grandfather was a slaughter (had his own store etc), my dad worked in a slaughterhouse for years when I was a kid, and I worked in a slaughterhouse myself for 3-4 years when I was a teenager. Suffice to say I've spent a lot of time being around dead animals, lots of blood and animal guts - and my family naturally has a rich history of eating meat. Meat and slaughterhouses were always very natural to me, and I thus have a very practical view and good understanding of where meat comes from. Still, I found it to be incredibly easy, and it didn't take long to get to the point where I didn't have to think about it anymore. It was good fun telling my dad that I had become a vegetarian too :)

I went vegan (and off gluten too) for about a month earlier this year because of possible allergies. Wasn't really that hard, but I missed dairy. I have friends that are vegan, of course I totally get why they do it and I think it's really cool. Personally, I just don't think I'd ever want to do it. I would totally be able to, but I'd miss dairy (cheese!) way too much.

[Rantz]

I generally have a better time with foods that happen to be vegan, rather than foods specifically made for vegans to imitate non-vegan food. Like, kale salad? YUM! Fake chicken meat? Noooooo.

I'm pretty much like this with vegetarian meals. I could definitely go vegetarian, but I don't particularly want to. Vegan is a different story - I don't think I could ever do that. I love cheese, cream and eggs wayyyy too much to ever go without them.

[Lone Wolf Leonhart]

I tried veggie burgers for the first time a month or two ago and they're actually really good! I love me some spicy chicken Boca burgers. I substitute them for meats when I can.

There was a block of time there where I only ate the veggie meat and I felt a little sick at the smell of frozen pizza or pizza rolls. Now that I'm used to them again, I enjoy them again. Unfortunately.

I don't have a title for what kind of eater I am. I'll just say I hit all the food groups and substitute meat for veggie burgers on occasion.

I tried to be vegan for a few days in early high school. I was trying to impress a girl and liked that it was an uncommon lifestyle. Couldn't handle it. I looked through my parents kitchen at the time and really only found baby carrots and pretzels. Wasn't fulfilling.

[noxious.sunshine]

I did go vegetarian for like 6 months. Then my parents came home and my mom cooked steaks.

That was all she wrote. I was like "GET IN MAH BELLEH!"

[ffxatticus]

Smart ground is "the" ground beef substitute of choice. I made meat sauce with it and my family couldn't tell the difference. Generally, with fake meats you just need to know what to avoid. Most of the time, tofu or tempeh is just better. Trader joes "chorizo" is amazing for tacos (or taco pizza :D)

[Elskidor]

I don't think I could ever do that for very long. I've dieted for 6 months at a time or so, but that's just cutting the carbs, bread, sugar out of meals. Never cheese though! Go seafood, like Tilapia, instead of fatty meats and low carbed veggies and you'll be shedding a lb a day. If you have a caffeine problem, then go coffee black and straight up green tea. Green Tea is a natural fighter of fat. I dropped 65 lb in under 3 months...yes I was big, lol. Got to 165 and picked back up the good food, but just kept a healthy exercise routine to counter the tasty fatty foods. I could never go vegetarian or cut some of my favorite foods permanently.

[Slothy]

but just kept a healthy exercise routine to counter the tasty fatty foods.

Those tasty fatty foods are good for you. ;)

[Spooniest]

I did once, and I'd do it again, as long as I didn't have to immediately do the cooking. I can do basic stuff like omelets and possibly muffins, but vegan cooking is a fine art.

I do enjoy it, though. Meat's gotta go.

[Calliope]

Almost eleven years ago I went from being a full omnivore to a vegan, and it was the easiest lifestyle choice I have ever made. I hadn't even been vegetarian before, so when I decided to opt out of eating meat/dairy/eggs I said to myself that if in six months I found my diet to be boring, too expensive or difficult to maintain, or that I was suddenly lacking in energy, then I could go back to eating whatever. At the time, the only veg*ans I had encountered were of the high school "I feel sad for animals so I will stop eating them until a week later when I remember I like cheeseburgers" variety, and I wasn't going to have any special food provided for me at home, so I had to figure it out by myself. It took me six months before I realized that there was no "butter" in peanut butter! I make some rookie mistakes, but ultimately found my diet became vibrant, interesting, not a lot of work, and that I very rarely feel like I'm missing out on anything.

Some people go vegan for health reasons, some to lose weight, some to cut down their impact on the environment, and some to help reduce direct suffering in animals. Some will happily eat honey and wear leather, and others will eschew all but the most necessary conventional medicines - guess what, people are diverse! What I've learned is that most omnivores treat all vegans as if they are the same, and in reacting against the "PETA supporting, super-militant-and-judgey, preaching-at-the-dinner-table" stereotype, they become really unpleasant and judgey themselves. I'm more than happy to answer questions from people who are concerned or genuinely curious, but if I had a dollar for every facetious question from Stupid Omnivore Bingo (http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2736/4170866438_d9df17cdbf_o.jpg) that was ever asked of me, I'd be a millionaire. I'm so tired of people saying things like "Oh, haha, I put bacon in that thing you just ate!" or "Oh, you feel tired today? That must be because you don't eat steak like me!". I don't act morally superior to other people just because I happen to have the privilege of being able to choose and prepare what I eat - so either ask me a polite question, or shut up and let me eat in peace.

What surprises me the most is when I go to eat out with a new friend and they suddenly ask if it's "okay" for them to eat meat or dairy in front of me - it's cute, but they don't have to ask. My goal as a vegan is to reduce suffering, and that includes not being a dick to my friends or lecturing someone on what they should choose to put into their body. I've also been pleasantly surprised when I go to a party or to someone's house and they have gone out of their way to provide an option for me - I don't expect anything, so it's always very sweet when they do, especially if they discover it's something that they enjoy, too!

You can be vegan while subsisting on a diet of oreos, red bull and vodka, minute rice and potato chips. You can be a vegan while subsisting on sprouted bread, kale juice, alfalfa and dehydrated fruit. Not every faux vegan product is terrible (Heads up for Daiya Cheese, Smart Bacon, Gardein Chicken, Vegannaise, So Good Ice cream and Tofurky Kielbasa) but many of them are terrible and overpriced. Likewise, I've had disappointing experiences at vegan restaurants, and wonderful meals that I still think about, but when it comes to savoury items, the best meals are ones that let the fresh ingredients be delicious on their own without trying to replicate a meat item.

It annoys me when people say "Oh, all vegan _____ is bad" - do you happen to like EVERY brand of sausage/cheese/milk/whatever that is on the market that meets your dietary restrictions? Did you decide to "go vegan" yesterday and magically expect your palate to automatically adjust from twenty years of eating McDonald's? Have you tried every vegan item on the market? If you're expecting to be able to buy a seitan steak and have it render the exact same taste and texture as beef, then you're a fool. The first time I ever tried tofu, it was awful, but I've since learned to cook and order it the way that I like it. If you're willing to explore that maybe some alternative protein sources (alternative only in Western culture, might I add) can be different but still delicious, you're going to have a much different experience.

If you're limiting yourself to pre-packaged vegan substitutes, then not only is that pretty bad for you, it's also really boring! Personally, I dislike it when somethings looks or tastes too closely of meat - if I really wanted to eat meat, I would! I enjoy a grilled "cheese" sandwich or a hotdog about once a week, but most of my food I make myself, using inexpensive ingredients like lentils (green, red, black, french, etc.), beans (chickpeas, kidney, great northern, black, pinto, adzuki, etc.), grains (faro, quinoa, barley, rice, freekeh, wheatberry), herbs and spices, and fresh vegetables. I like to cook, and I've had the means to be able to experiment making my own savoury pies, burger patties and sausages.

I eat curries, soups, salads, stir fry, pasta, casseroles, sandwiches, burritos, cereal, home-baked treats - nothing revolutionary or bizarre. If I ever bring baked goods or salads into work, they disappear very quickly and people beg me for the recipe. People love coming to my house for lunch. I can outcook and outbake most people I know because I've had to explore for myself how to make fresh, healthy food that I enjoy.

I get more than adequate fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals (with the exception of Vitamin D, because everyone who lives in the Pacific Northwest is Vitamin D deficient). If anyone wants to "ask a vegan" about recipes, or options for buying vegan shoes, makeup, vitamins, cleaning products, etc., or just questions in general, I'd be more than happy to answer them, but I don't put up with crap just so that other people can feel superior or avoid feeling guilty/defensive about their own choices.