storafötter
Member
It hasnt been released yet so I have no clue honestly. I know Violife is from Greece and they do distribute in both Europe and America. So just have to wait patiently!
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Vegan community thread - Give Peas a Chance
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It hasnt been released yet so I have no clue honestly. I know Violife is from Greece and they do distribute in both Europe and America. So just have to wait patiently!
I have been trying to go vegan for a couple of months. By trying I mean not eating animal products for about 10-14 days and then I slip up. I just wanted to know what was it like for you guys when you first started out. My reasons for changing are philosophical, so I am pretty committed to a vegan diet.
Most people moving to a vegan or even "just" vegetarian diet probably slip up from time to time and I don't think you should feel too bad about it. Going two weeks without animal products is far better than not trying at all. At some point you might notice that you'll easily go 3 weeks without any animal products, then a little over a month and then you might not crave for them for months on end, especially if you find some replacements that fill the role of whatever you are missing from the animal kingdom.
It was fairly easy to me since other than chicken and some fish dishes, I've never been a superhuge friend of meat. Bacon was always disgusting to me and during Christmas the usual hams & such weren't my favorites at all, so giving up meat was pretty easy, especially since all kinds of chicken like vegan protein sources exist. I did continue using eggs for quite a while for a super awesome chocolate cake that has been passed on in my family for a few generations now before aquafaba became a thing, but with aquafaba existing, there pretty much went the last reason to use eggs. Cheese is still one thing that needs a lot of evolving in vegan offerings but there are some specialty products in different parts of the world that seem to reach dairy cheese levels of tastiness, they just aren't mass produced and can be limited to single countries so if you aren't from, like, UK, you'll miss out on some products that aren't exported to anywhere else.
It was fairly easy to me since other than chicken and some fish dishes, I've never been a superhuge friend of meat. Bacon was always disgusting to me and during Christmas the usual hams & such weren't my favorites at all, so giving up meat was pretty easy, especially since all kinds of chicken like vegan protein sources exist. I did continue using eggs for quite a while for a super awesome chocolate cake that has been passed on in my family for a few generations now before aquafaba became a thing, but with aquafaba existing, there pretty much went the last reason to use eggs. Cheese is still one thing that needs a lot of evolving in vegan offerings but there are some specialty products in different parts of the world that seem to reach dairy cheese levels of tastiness, they just aren't mass produced and can be limited to single countries so if you aren't from, like, UK, you'll miss out on some products that aren't exported to anywhere else.
I remember trying first for a week and caving a few days in. But it felt good to try, so I committed to a month and by the end of it I wanted to keep going. At a point, it all just became routine, the new normal, and it didn't feel like a struggle at all anymore. If you're having a tough time, try changing out your breakfast first, then your lunch and finally your dinner. Try a lot of recipes and try to find some core meals you enjoy that you can rely on. For me, bean burritos have been my go-to. I could eat them daily and be happy for ever. Same with peanut butter toast w/ banana or jam.
I still have moments now and then when I miss something non-vegan or accidentally eat cheese or something, but I don't beat myself up about it. If you're 99% there that is great and you'll get there eventually
Have you tried some of the meat substitutes like Quorn or Gardein products? They both scratch that particular itch personally, so whenever I get that feeling like I want to eat something meaty I just get one out of the freezer.
Thing is, you're making progress and a couple of weeks without animal products is a great effort. Your body will adapt and you'll get less and less of those cravings over time. Don't be hard on yourself
I don't really get why any restaurant that was vegetarian & vegan from the beginning might start to offer meat sausages because "someone asked". It is/was well-attended so it truly can not be a financial reason. I was never a fan of their food and the owner, but it was like the only option when I travelled there for business reasons.
Krauser Kat
Member
Is Quorn vegan still? Not all of their products are vegan so i stay away usually, when you have Tofurkey, Gardien and Beyond around.
Some are; they're aiming to make their full range Vegan but it's still around 5 products. I wish we had Gardein over here but Wheaty are awesome in the EU and I've recently got good at Seitan (give it a go, it's fun and cheapish).
This recipe I tried last night is the bomb so far and I usually make Vegan spicy Italian sausage and stuff it on pizza. http://www.thatwasvegan.com/2012/01/30/my-favorite-chicken-style-seitan-recipe/
Making seitan of your own isn't just cheap"ish", it's super cheap. The flours alone are just insanely cheap and the price of spices is neglible. Even in an expensive nordic country you can get 1kg of the flours for about 5-6 and you can make many, MANY servings from that kind of amount.
Just remember to not make it from gluten flours alone (add gram/chickpea and/or soy flour, some others could work as well). Not only does it make for a more complete and nutritiously varied seitan, it's a better texture than gluten flours alone results in.
It's also easy as hell. Mix flours & spices, mix liquids, mix liquids to dry ingredients knead for a few minutes and depending on what you're making you can cook slices of it in flavoured water or make a marinade and wrap the seitan clump(s) in something and put it in the oven.
Just remember to not make it from gluten flours alone (add gram/chickpea and/or soy flour, some others could work as well). Not only does it make for a more complete and nutritiously varied seitan, it's a better texture than gluten flours alone results in.
It's also easy as hell. Mix flours & spices, mix liquids, mix liquids to dry ingredients knead for a few minutes and depending on what you're making you can cook slices of it in flavoured water or make a marinade and wrap the seitan clump(s) in something and put it in the oven.
Well yeah, I'm going through a fair bit of it though (the chicken stuff can be thrown in noodle dishes, the Italian stuff is going in Pizza/Pasta which I make healthy versions of a lot) and spending a fair bit on various flavour combos.
Weirdly I've toned down the gram flour in mine a fair bit but I think I just like the chewiness.
I also steamed mine for the first time the other day and that was pretty decent, usually I bake in foil then boil in stock.
Weirdly I've toned down the gram flour in mine a fair bit but I think I just like the chewiness.
I also steamed mine for the first time the other day and that was pretty decent, usually I bake in foil then boil in stock.
I bake sausages & seitan hams in the oven, but if I want something chicken-y, that I first knead into a big log-like clump, cut that into ~1cm thick chicken breast like slices, cook those for ~30 minutes (in 1,5 liters of water with a little bit of soy sauce & a couple of vegetable stock cubes, sometimes a little apple cider vinegar too) and then I either continue to fry those seitan steaks as they are (once they've settled a bit or even been in the fridge overnight) or cut them into smaller slices if I'm making some wok-like thing or maybe use them as fillings in tortillas.
I use about 2,5dl of gluten flour and 1,25dl of a combination of soy flour & gram flour (usually about half and half, though sometimes I put a little more soy flour than gram)
I use about 2,5dl of gluten flour and 1,25dl of a combination of soy flour & gram flour (usually about half and half, though sometimes I put a little more soy flour than gram)
For those in the UK, you can watch Simon Amstell's Carnage, a mockumentary about Veganism, on iPlayer:
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSreSNaLtZQ
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04sh6zg
For those not in the UK I'm sure you can get it somewhere else or something.
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSreSNaLtZQ
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04sh6zg
For those not in the UK I'm sure you can get it somewhere else or something.
For those in the UK, you can watch Simon Amstell's Carnage, a mockumentary about Veganism, on iPlayer:
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSreSNaLtZQ
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04sh6zg
For those not in the UK I'm sure you can get it somewhere else or something.
Yet to watch this but it's had good reviews from the Vegans I know; will give it a watch later.
This week I've been mostly addicted to mezze/Middle Eastern food; anyone got any recommendations? Trying to get healthy for summer so lots of Veg and beans (it's quite oily but I'm also doing 60 - 75 minutes biking a day and back on doing weights).
Also if no one's had these; do. They sell them in jars at Middle Eastern stores and they're godlike. Makdous (pickled aubergine stuffed with garlic, walnut, pepper).
panda-zebra
Member
FitVeganUKGAF (now there's a subset):
Any UK Vegans into running or want to be and need something to aim for? We had 70 or so runners at this race last year, biggest race attendance so far for the club. Our members placed 2nd, 4th and we won the team competition (the winner is Vegan, too, just not a member). This year we're going back and already have 120 places booked with over 150 looking realistic. Sounds a lot but that's not even a tenth of our membership, the club is growing rapidly.
We're going to paint the city black & green, a chance to show how living meat- and dairy-free is not a compromise but an advantage!
Come along and support or begin a couch-to-10k quest and be a part of it.
Hope this isn't seen as spammy, my activism is 99% wearing the shirt and sending a message that way - giving the people the opportunity to challenge existing ideas and work it out for themselves. It worked on me after being vegetarian of 20-odd years
Any UK Vegans into running or want to be and need something to aim for? We had 70 or so runners at this race last year, biggest race attendance so far for the club. Our members placed 2nd, 4th and we won the team competition (the winner is Vegan, too, just not a member). This year we're going back and already have 120 places booked with over 150 looking realistic. Sounds a lot but that's not even a tenth of our membership, the club is growing rapidly.
We're going to paint the city black & green, a chance to show how living meat- and dairy-free is not a compromise but an advantage!
Come along and support or begin a couch-to-10k quest and be a part of it.
Hope this isn't seen as spammy, my activism is 99% wearing the shirt and sending a message that way - giving the people the opportunity to challenge existing ideas and work it out for themselves. It worked on me after being vegetarian of 20-odd years
FitVeganUKGAF (now there's a subset):
Any UK Vegans into running or want to be and need something to aim for? We had 70 or so runners at this race last year, biggest race attendance so far for the club. Our members placed 2nd, 4th and we won the team competition (the winner is Vegan, too, just not a member). This year we're going back and already have 120 places booked with over 150 looking realistic. Sounds a lot but that's not even a tenth of our membership, the club is growing rapidly.
We're going to paint the city black & green, a chance to show how living meat- and dairy-free is not a compromise but an advantage!
Come along and support or begin a couch-to-10k quest and be a part of it.
Hope this isn't seen as spammy, my activism is 99% wearing the shirt and sending a message that way - giving the people the opportunity to challenge existing ideas and work it out for themselves. It worked on me after being vegetarian of 20-odd years
very cool.
not spammy. perfect content for this thread actually.
Chance Hale
Member
Thinking about going vegan tomorrow as I've been vegetarian almost a year now and I'm relatively lactose intolerant anyway. What are the best recipes or brand name cheese replacements as while I never had meat cravings I do love my cheese and think it's going to be the one hard thing to change.
dooooo it!
where do you live? out of the commercial ones, Chao is one of the better ones imo. Daiya is eh but easily found and decent on some pizzas.
there are really a ton of brands out there now. the best ones are pretty expensive though. i have a small local start up in my state that makes INSANE products. https://www.facebook.com/threegirlsvegan/
the local handmade stuff is going to be the best. as far as commercial cheeses go, the spreadable stuff is the best for me.
cultured cashew cheeses are really damn good. theres seriously a ton of brands out there and more coming out every year.
Chance Hale
Member
I live in Austin so I'd imagine we have a lot of options I haven't bothered exploring in the last year lol.
Make your own if you have the time and willingness to learn. I just ordered the Non-Dairy Evolution cook book a few days ago and I'm hoping to learn a few cheese recipes from it. The mozzarella & feta should be pretty good and fairly simple to make as well and they claim that the mozzarella melts like the real deal. Here's hoping. :s
There are also more "advanced" cheese recipes with homemade vegan blue cheese & shit but those can be a bit tricky since they can grow unwanted mold as well since you have to age them and if you're not careful & hygienic enough, they'll have unwanted crap that will make them inedible after aging them.
There are also more "advanced" cheese recipes with homemade vegan blue cheese & shit but those can be a bit tricky since they can grow unwanted mold as well since you have to age them and if you're not careful & hygienic enough, they'll have unwanted crap that will make them inedible after aging them.
Chance Hale
Member
To clarify my first comment I was also asking for people's favorite homemade recipes and for any good name brands. Definitely willing to give it a go but it's nice to have backup as I've found the first time I ever make anything something goes wrong.
Same with me. My first own vegan cheese attempt from some random food blog's recipe on the Interwebz failed miserably so now I decided I'll buy the book that a lot of people seem to be praising for having great cheese recipes (other stuff as well) and test one of the easier recipes first, following every part of the recipe as closely as humanly possible.
panda-zebra
Member
I am reliably informed that this is the mutt's nuts: http://thevegan8.com/2015/08/09/vegan-smoky-black-pepper-cream-cheese/
storafötter;231908900 said:The most exciting to me is haloumi as its one of the things I miss while being vegan. It is a Cypriotic cheese that is made from a mixture of goat, sheep milk and it can be eaten raw or grilled. Gets a smooth texture when grilled. Amazing stuff!
Only thing missing afterwards is Norwegian brown goat cheese.
I'm confused. If it is goat/sheep milk, how is it vegan?
Glad I found this thread. I'm looking to incorporate vegan meals into my diet and who knows maybe one day I can transition into full vegan. My only issue is I don't have a lot of time to cook on weekdays and I usually prep my meals for the week in advance and I've been having issues finding vegan meals I can just cook to last the week. I'll keep looking though but if you guys having any suggestions, I'm eager to hear them.
HiredN00bs
Member
It's a vegan substitute for that particular type of cheese.
Seems like a very niche product.
That was a description of regular halloumi cheese for those that aren't familiar. It's definitely a very different cheese; it's quite firm, a bit chewy and elastic, salty and you can fry it in block without it melting. It was one of my faves.
Not sure how the makers of that vegan version made it, but it obviously won't include the animal milk. A lot of them use coconut oil, and I'd imagine the brine is also a big part of getting the flavour right, but yeah guess we'll have to wait and see how close it gets to the real thing.
I would look for soups and stews like a vegan chili.
Some Indian dishes like channa masala are easy to make a big batch of and the spices and flavors can get even better on later days.
I really like making a spaghetti bolognese on the weekend to last me the week. It's easy to make in bulk and you can chuck plenty of nice veggies in there. I like using a vegan mince or TVP, although I had a very nice one at a restaurant which used lentils.
I also make big batches of veggie burgers which I chuck in the freezer for when I need them.
Hmm? How is vegan food any different from meaty/dairy-y food in that regards? I make all kinds of food from soups & fried rice + vegetables to lasagnes & different kinds of sauces in bigger batches that can last me anywhere from 2-3 days to a week (though I usually give some to my parents if it's that much). If anything, since there's no meat, shit is far less prone to going bad quick.
You're mostly right. I guess I'm still unfamiliar with vegan dishes so I'm still trying to find stuff that looks interesting to me to cook a big batch of. I think I will try to make a veggie lasagna to start with.
This looks interesting, I'll add it to my list. Thanks
I don't have much time (or energy left) to cook on weekdays as well. But there are some really simple, yet healthy and rich meals that require just 30 minutes.
My biggest go-to is vegetable/potato stew with red lentils and rice.
Second is rice with meat[soy crunch]
Third is cowboy beans. (potato, white beans, vegetables, smoked tofu, tomato sauce).
My biggest go-to is vegetable/potato stew with red lentils and rice.
Second is rice with meat[soy crunch]
Third is cowboy beans. (potato, white beans, vegetables, smoked tofu, tomato sauce).
panda-zebra
Member
Since I bought a slow cooker, making meals has become very simple. Throw things in, get on with life, come back 8 hours later and find 5 meals ready: one to eat and 4 to share, store for later in the week or freeze for future. Eat half the week like that and the other half super-quick rice or pasta meals with vegan quorn, tempeh (the crappy but hassle-free preserved-in-a-jar kind), seitan or silken tofu.
Lunchtime 90% of the time is seeded wraps with homemade hummus, tomatoes, avocado and and whatever veggies come to hand. Used to think the shop bought hummus was fine and making it would be hassle until a friend kicked my arse into giving it a go.
With oatmeal/porridge made with coconut milk and blitzed chia seeds and linseed, topped with rice milk for breakfast, and copious amounts of bananas, I fuel myself through a physical job and running up to around 40 miles a week.
Making food is very simple, no more hassle than when I was vegetarian for 20 years and way, way healthier.
Lunchtime 90% of the time is seeded wraps with homemade hummus, tomatoes, avocado and and whatever veggies come to hand. Used to think the shop bought hummus was fine and making it would be hassle until a friend kicked my arse into giving it a go.
With oatmeal/porridge made with coconut milk and blitzed chia seeds and linseed, topped with rice milk for breakfast, and copious amounts of bananas, I fuel myself through a physical job and running up to around 40 miles a week.
Making food is very simple, no more hassle than when I was vegetarian for 20 years and way, way healthier.
Just got my blood test results and everything's good as usual. Been vegan since June last year and haven't been supplementing aside from generic B12. Eating mostly whole foods prepared at home like beans, rice, oatmeal, fruits and veggies. Plus soy milk everyday.
I do "cheat" every few days by eating (vegan) junk food like potato chips or french fries, and I eat nuts and add olive oil to my food. So I'm not a stereotypical skinny vegan but I'm not overweight either. (Before going vegan I was slightly obese and even had fatty liver disease at one point plus very high levels of cholesterol.)
And to cap it off, my grocery bill is about half of what it used to be. And the funny thing is I wasn't even thinking about my health when I went vegan; I stopped eating animals and animal products because the guilt was starting to get to me.
I do "cheat" every few days by eating (vegan) junk food like potato chips or french fries, and I eat nuts and add olive oil to my food. So I'm not a stereotypical skinny vegan but I'm not overweight either. (Before going vegan I was slightly obese and even had fatty liver disease at one point plus very high levels of cholesterol.)
And to cap it off, my grocery bill is about half of what it used to be. And the funny thing is I wasn't even thinking about my health when I went vegan; I stopped eating animals and animal products because the guilt was starting to get to me.
It's just goes down to the individual I guess. Frankly, I'm jealous since I've always wanted to be skinny lol.
Heh yeah, I always have the same weigth, no matter how healthy or unhealthy my phases are. But "of course you are vegan look at you" is tiresome and hurtful.
Definitely that sucks. But it's just other people projecting their own ignorance/defensiveness on you. And also one of the downsides of being a member of a minority--people just automatically expect you to represent their idea of the group they're unfamiliar with outside of stereotypes.
Once I was having a conversation with a friend who noted my improved health and appearance but then said "yeah, well too bad vegans can't be bodybuilders". Which is bizarre since I never expressed any interest in bodybuilding and I bet there's plenty of vegan bodybuilders out there!
Once I was having a conversation with a friend who noted my improved health and appearance but then said "yeah, well too bad vegans can't be bodybuilders". Which is bizarre since I never expressed any interest in bodybuilding and I bet there's plenty of vegan bodybuilders out there!
They sure are
I'm not really a vegan, but I incidentally eat only foods which would be fine for vegans, except that I put honey in my oatmeal. I'd consider just going ahead and embracing it, but I also like to have the option to get food other than a salad with friends few times a year.
There are many well known ones. Torre Washington, Jon Venus, Nimai Delgado, Robert Cheeke etc. Just takes a quick google search. Your friend is dumb. Building muscle on a plant based diet is certainly possible. Just need to get plenty of protein and calories.
They sure are
I'm not really a vegan, but I incidentally eat only foods which would be fine for vegans, except that I put honey in my oatmeal. I'd consider just going ahead and embracing it, but I also like to have the option to get food other than a salad with friends few times a year.
I think you should just take the plunge (I'm biased I know
), but yeah eating out is probably the only time where it gets difficult and I think part of the reason why I didn't change sooner. I don't typically bring up what I eat in a conversation but it's pretty unavoidable when you're asking for things to be taken out of a meal or piecing together side dishes. Thankfully it seems to be getting better every day when it comes to options.
The thread title is more accurate than ever right now, in Finland. I've talked about "pulled oat" in here before, a Finnish innovation made from oat and some beans that is almost indistinguishable from real meat (not just a vegan opinion). Now there's another option arriving to the market called "pulled peas", a similar product only its main ingredient is, of course, peas. Some say it is even better than pulled oat. Haven't tested it out yet but I will as soon as I see it in stores near me.
So I tried spelt milk with coffee today for the first time, I was at a cafe and saw it on the menu so I thought I'd give it a shot, plus I'm really into the spelt pasta at the moment. Anyway, the milk has a nice natural sweetness to it, quite creamy as well with that kind of cereal taste present in something like oat milk. Goes down very well, would definitely have it more often if it was more widely available.
It's amazing how many different types of alternatives there are these days.
It's amazing how many different types of alternatives there are these days.
Argh, I hate to use this thread to let of steam but I just don't understand people sometimes.
A colleague made muffins for her birthday and some vegan ones too, so that I have something to munch as well. Very nice of her and very tasty!
Following comments fom other colleagues towards her and myself and every vegan/vegeterian were abysmal. Not only I got mad, but my colleague too and I don't think she is going to make vegan ones in the future again. Or at all. Starting from making puke and death noises because one touched a vegan muffin to "why she does not make bacon muffins" comments and retelling every single bullshit bingo phrase. It was sad and disheartening. I feel so sorry for her and it's my fault I guess... :-(
It wasn't even forced "HEY VEGAN MUFFINS" they were just there and I said thanks for the effort. I never, ever make any comments regarding my lifestyle, only when I get asked - but I am the militant and abnormal vegan in my office, sure... :-(
A colleague made muffins for her birthday and some vegan ones too, so that I have something to munch as well. Very nice of her and very tasty!
Following comments fom other colleagues towards her and myself and every vegan/vegeterian were abysmal. Not only I got mad, but my colleague too and I don't think she is going to make vegan ones in the future again. Or at all. Starting from making puke and death noises because one touched a vegan muffin to "why she does not make bacon muffins" comments and retelling every single bullshit bingo phrase. It was sad and disheartening. I feel so sorry for her and it's my fault I guess... :-(
It wasn't even forced "HEY VEGAN MUFFINS" they were just there and I said thanks for the effort. I never, ever make any comments regarding my lifestyle, only when I get asked - but I am the militant and abnormal vegan in my office, sure... :-(
Wow, those coworkers are really rude. It is not your fault that they acted rude towards you and the coworker who made the muffins. And really, death noses over vegan muffins of all things? Most muffins can easily be made vegan just by switching out cow milk for a plant based milk.