Vegan Safe Space

[whiteraven]

First up - milk alternatives. This is the hard one for me, and has been my downfall trying to vegan in the past. I'm fine with soy on my breaky cereal, but I hate it in my coffee. Hate, hate, hate! And coffee gets me past that initial morning seroquel-hangover.

I'd prefer not to go almond, partly because it's all shipped from miles away, partly because of the farming land required. I've heard that oat milk is okay? Can someone help me out here? What do you put on your tea and coffee??

I love this thread! I don't drink coffee and don't put anything in my tea, but for cereal - which I seldom have - I use almond milk. I think oat is a very good substitute; I am also gluten free and it's hard to find prepared milks around here with gluten free oats.

I'd advise against almond milk.

I appreciate this. I need to do some additional research on this.

I love fried tofu with a flavourful sauce

Yes! I like to fry it and add it to rice and beans and guacamole (and sometimes salsa).

Cashew Cream is my go to for most cooking subs, but absotively for any kind of curry or creamy soup. <swoon> So damn good. And super easy. Soak raw cashews overnight (or bring to a boil, turn off and let sit for apx an hour, until completely cool and swollen soft), drain and reserve the very oily liquid, add soaked cashews to high speed blender (nutribullet, super cheap, works as well to this purpose as the oh so expensive vitamix), and add in as much of the reserved oily liquid as you choose for the consistency you want. From a thick paste, to a luscious cream.

Oh, this sounds fantastic! Gonna have to try it!

 

[whiteraven]

Forgot about quorn! I love that stuff!

All the other meat replacement stuff I found to be completely unpleasant. That said, I haven't tried an "impossible burger" yet.

I use the Beyond Meat product - quorn isn't gluten free and at least some of the BM is. I like it and always mix stuff with it. Like, I use the crumbles for tacos and mix tomato sauce or taco sauce with it.

 

[Tornadic Thoughts]

I love me some chia seeds, too! I make chia puddings, chia fruit jams, and add it to smoothies and sometimes nice cream.

When I buy chia and flax, I make sure to buy it whole from a good source, then grind them in a coffee grinder before using them, unless I'm already blending stuff in the nutri-bullet or vitamix. Both of which I found used and incredibly cheap compared to new. This link explains all you want to know, and then some, about flax seeds:

http://www.ellies-whole-grains.com/ground-flaxseed.html#axzz6Gp6Z8C00

This link is the condensed version with just the basics:

Are store-bought pre-ground flaxseeds as nutritionally effective as buying whole seeds and grinding yourself?

My nutri-bullet was found at a consignment shop for like $9 and the vitamix was found as a result of me putting a "wanted" ad on craigslist and scored one for $95 vs. the several hundred dollars+ they ask for new ones. The coffee grinder was a thrift shop special for $1.00. A small food processor was $3.00. I scored an old school Jack LaLane juicer for $4.00. All still work just fine several years later. (knock on wood) I see that stuff in thrift and consignment shops often.

This doctor has explained a lot of things that helped me better innerstand various aspects of , especially the flax seed/Omega 3 deal:

She's a medical doctor and healed her own lupus and has helped guide a lot of peeps through healing from many things they've been told to never expect to heal from. She offers free classes online via you tube every so often, which consists of about 3 hours worth of info on how to hyper-nourish your body. I really enjoyed it, and even the highly cynical hubby was impressed with the info, which says a lot when it comes to things he used to just shrug off with a, "Meh". lol

Freshly ground flax meal is my typical egg replacement in baking. One tbsp. mixed with 3 tbsp. water = 1 egg, then let it sit for at least 20 minutes to thicken up. Psyllium husk has been mentioned in some arenas as a good thickener, too, but I haven't experimented much with that. Baking isn't my strong suit when it comes to breads, pastries, etc. vs. roasting veggies and what not, but I'm working on it.

I use my veggie and fruit pulp from juicing to make crackers and flat breads. That's fun and pretty hard to screw up. I make a cracker recipe sometimes with raw sunflower seed and vegan shredded cheese. Like this, except she's using dairy-based cheese:

I got tired of spending so much for raw cashews when I wanted to make cheese substitutes and such and learned that raw sunflower seeds work well, too. Not quite as creamy-ish in the sauces, but still taste really good to me, and can be bought in bulk at a local shop.

Soaking them, too, just like the cashews that Friday mentioned, makes a huge difference when doing the sauces or making block types. I use agar agar when doing blocks, but haven't found one I've fallen in love with, yet. I also make a sunflower seed parmesan replacement for pasta like this one:

Sunflower Seed Vegan Parmesan

 

[barefoot]

I’m not vegan or veggie but rarely eat red meat now and eat much less meat overall than I used to. Hope it’s ok for me to follow along here.

 

[Sideways]

@barefoot - absolutely!

I'm lovin on this so much right now - the Vegan Easy 30 day challenge I'm following for tips and eating help is like the "How to eat food" lesson that I was going to go to a dietician for a few months back:
30 Day Challenge

They've also helped me with the essentials that I need in my (previously non-existent) pantry.

I hope so much that I can stick with this. My body seems to be so grateful. Real food. So many veges. New tastes I wouldn't have tried before.

The deal with calcium? Is eating a good variety of fruit and veg should have you covered, because they nearly all have calcium in them. Make sure you're including dark green leafy stuff like spinach and kale (which I've tried for the first time!!) and broccoli:)

 

[Tornadic Thoughts]

I'm so excited for and with you! It's amazing how we were never taught that our bodies could healthily exist on a well planned plant-based vegan diet, and how to best plan one out, but rather made to fear that we'd never be able to be fully nourished by it.

However, no one really seemed all that concerned if we were truly fully nourished as long as we were steadily munching on animals and their by-products with a couple bites of veggies here and there, or at least they didn't in my life experiences.

Then I later learned just how many schools, higher institutions of learning, etc. are heavily funded by the meat and dairy industry, so that explained a lot. I look at school lunches now and cringe. No wonder so many kids struggle to pay attention, stay wake, stay engaged, and often bounce off the walls, etc.

I remember my body going through some pretty rough spots (I called it withdraw symptoms, like any other addict, but many folks called it "detox") when I made the change, but I was going from hardcore Standard American Diet fare full of fast food, highly processed boxed stuff full of sodium and sugars, quick and "convenient" frozen already prepared items, snack machine options, meat of some sort with each meal, a helluva lot of cheese (I was like a rat eating that stuff), sodas, then diet sodas thinking I was improving my choices (ha!), a shit ton of coffee (would request it intravenously daily), southern sweet tea, and so much milk chocolate, junk, and ice cream, hence my eventual visit to the ER to possibly have an organ removed.

Overnight, after that ER visit, I gave up all meat, dairy, gluten, eggs, caffeine, alcohol, and as much of the highly processed stuff as humanly possible. I did a juice, soup, and liquid fast for a short while with the help of a close friend who had already been down the consumption lifestyle changes herself trying to get relief from several dis-eases, with much success.

Without her help and ongoing support, not sure I would have succeeded. Grateful for the folks who openly and freely share via blogs, websites, and you tube vids to give us bits of hard learned, yet tasty wisdom along the way. It can get overwhelming, especially with an overactive "what-ifness" brain, that's for damn sure.

I had to laugh at the folks who would approach me full of concern as I started to shed pounds and feel so much better, asking if I was sure I was okay since I seemed to be losing weight so quickly. All I could think was, damn, none of ya' seemed a damn bit concerned when I was ballooned up to 330 lbs. feeling miserable as f*ck and in severe pain while I was cooking and baking all the stuff I no longer eat and keeping them supplied, too. lol I guess they were missing their favorite sugar/salt/oil/meat/cheese dealer/pusher. Hahaha! What a strange world it is, indeed.

May your innards continue to celebrate and may your mind be chill and kindly let your body enjoy the grooves of the increased veggie vibes of wellness every damn chance it gets. High fives and heart hugs!

 

[Mee]

@Tornadic Thoughts - I have often thought the most inclusive, inexpensive and healthiest way to provide school meals would be to make them vegan.

Then kids of all religious exclusions/ diets would be able to enjoy them together. The problem I think now is but allergies which are so much more common than when I was young.

I am not vegan nor vegetarian but as I choose to only eat produce with high welfare standard AND I like not eating a meat heavy diet we eat vegan/ vegetarian a fair bit.

 

[Friday]

- I have often thought the most inclusive, inexpensive and healthiest way to provide school meals would be to make them vegan.

They’ve had vegan & vegetarian meals in the public schools here since the 90s. (Hippy Dippy PacNW) They’re the same disgusting ultra high calorie / low nutritional value slop as the rest of the garbage the cafeterias.

Institutionalized food? Is institutionalized food.

The private schools manage vegan, vegetarian, kosher, halal, omnivorous, and allergy diets with ease... but they have a 40k per year pricetag.

 

[Mee]

They’ve had vegan & vegetarian meals in the public schools here since the 90s. (Hippy Dippy PacNW) They’re the same disgusting ultra high calorie / low nutritional value slop as the rest of the garbage the cafeterias.

Institutionalized food? Is institutionalized food.

The private schools manage vegan, vegetarian, kosher, halal, omnivorous, and allergy diets with ease... but they have a 40k per year pricetag.

Yeah- I sort of mean - reducing choice and thus cost. I went to private schools and yes- the food was institutionalised. I think it’s not a disincentive to so many girls in boarding schools developing eating disorders when the best food on offer was toast at breakfast and tea time.

 

[Sideways]

Looking for good recipes for sweet stuff I want to try. So anyone with tried and true recipes for that awesome chia pudding, and protein balls (without too much oil).

Bonus points to go recipes that ooze simplicity - I'm not a chef, and in this season of hoarding unnecessary foods, short ingredients lists are my definite fave atm?

 

[mumstheword]

Looking for good recipes for sweet stuff I want to try. So anyone with tried and true recipes for that awesome chia pudding, and protein balls (without too much oil).

Bonus points to go recipes that ooze simplicity - I'm not a chef, and in this season of hoarding unnecessary foods, short ingredients lists are my definite fave atm?

If you reeeeeaaaallly want to get into the joy of vegan sweets? You might wanna purchase this aaasmmmaaaaazzing non-cook book.

Here's a chia recipe from here

Chia pudding
1 tablespoon (10g) chia seeds
1/4 cup (59ml) water
1 tablespoon (20g) maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
fruit layers
1/3 cup (52g) pitted cherries
1/3 cup blueberries
1/3 raspberries
1/3 chopped pineapple

make the pudding; mix the chia seeds with the water and other ingredients. The chia seeds will quickly turn the mixture into a gel-like consistancy.
Assemble; later the fruit with the chia pudding and eat with a spoon or fork.

 

[mumstheword]

Maca Cocao Truffles makes 10 truffles

1/2 raw walnuts
1/2 cup hemp seeds
1 cup (84g) pitted dates
2 tbsp maca power, plus more for coating, if desired
1 tbsp cocoa powder, plus more for coating, if desired
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (optional)

Put the walnuts and hemp seeds into your food processor until they are powdered. Add the rest of the ingredients and process until it all sticks together. Roll the mixture into balls and then coat in maca powder or cocoa powder if desired. Yahoo!