Another n00b question . . .

[sophia_corvino]

Yeah, so you are going to see a lot of me on here for awhile :-P  The last time I tried being vegan I didn't have a forum of people to talk to, but now that I do I plan on taking advantage of you guys/gals any chance I get! Mwahahahaha!  Its just nice to have the support of like minded people who have been living this way for years

Comments

[malloreigh]

you SHOULD be eating more as a vegan, but if you're brand new at it, it might take a while to adjust. as long as you're getting lots of beans & nuts for protein, lots of leafy greens, and some good grains, you should be fine. with veganism you can eat til you're full and be healthy, and snacking is definitely allowed... so snack away.

get some trail mix with nuts and dried fruit and snack on it all the time. that way you'll be getting lots of vitamins and yummy fat and if it's around you'll eat a lot more. or - pita & carrots with homous if you're stationary. trail mix is best when on the move.

soy milk, rice milk, orange juice are ALL fortified with calcium so if you are eating breakfast cereal or oatmeal you should be fine. just have as much of that as you would with milk and you will get your calcium.

check out the vegan food pyramid for more info:

http://www.fitnessandfreebies.com/fitness/veganfgp.html

[kari_louise]

i just bought a ton of books, cookbooks and vegan nutrition books, they explain a lot of what to eat and things you need, but i go by how im feeing, if i feel like im not getting enough protein i make sure i add more and if i feel i need to take a multi-vitamin i take one. every non vegan tells me "you look so healthy compared to the other vegans i know...your color isnt pale at all!" so i guess im doing it right. i also get lots of fresh air and exercise so im sure that helps too.

[violet_flames]

Did you look pale? Did you feel ok? I mean, if your family truly feels you need meat to be healthy, they may say these things regardless of how you're actually doing. And to some degree trying to convince them otherwise may just add fuel to the flames. The first time I was a vegetarian EVERYONE knew it. I went back to being a veggie before x-mas when I was home for 3 weeks, and I didn't hide it, but I just didn't say much. No tofurky, no special foods, just ate what I could, when I could. I came home 2 months later for a wedding, then fully vegan, and my Dad was all, but I thought you ate chicken... DESPITE having spent 3 weeks not eating meat. It's a little harder with vegan foods, but I think the more you can just downplay it around the fam, the better at first. (That is if your fam is like mine

[kristenny]

I highly recommend The McDougall Plan (by Dr. John McDougall) for all health questions related to veganism.

I keep several copies on hand so that I can give them out to people interested in veganism - they're great for a certain group of people, because it approaches veganism from ONLY a health perspective (so people who think it's "wussy" to care about animals can still hinge their decision on nutrition and save face).

Plus? It's, like, less than $1 on half.com! ;)

Get it! :)

[futurejane]

malloreigh is right in that most people tend to eat a lot when they go vegan, but if you're not i wouldn't be worried about it. it's more important to listen to what your body needs and make what you DO eat count. and if you're worried about not getting enough of one thing or another, take supplements. even omnivore diets should have supplements. take your flax, take a calcium with vitamin D added, take a multi with iron and make sure you're drinking fortified soymilk. it sounds like a lot, but that's all your body really needs. and, of course, make sure you're eating the proper foods. eat a variety of fruits and vegetables in a variety of colors and be especially into the leafy greens. the only thing about greens you should be aware of though is that spinach actually makes some vitamins difficult to absorb, so don't eat it with, say, an orange if you need vitamin C or iron.

[violet_flames]

I would add listen to your body and double check calories. I don't really get hungry anymore... I can get lightheaded dizzy headachey before I recognize that oh shit I need to eat... make that I should have eaten a couple of hours ago. Once I worked that out, it's not been a problem, I just need to make sure I eat at regular intervals regardless of whether my body is signaling me to. Which is so odd, because before I went vegan I was ALWAYS hungry whether I was full or not.