Newly vegan help?

Question

Ok i am becoming a vegan today, and i know i need some recipes. I want some really good tasing food to because i am a very picky eater, i loved meat, and my family and friends are totally hating me being a vegan(they think it is stupid and un- reasonable but i dont care what they think =])

but the problem is i cant exactally decide what to eat for dinner because i am only 14...

So I need some vegan recipes that a normal meat eating family would like or somthing that i my self could cook. Oh and the reasons I am a vegan are:

1. Health. I know it is Much healthyer to be a vegan, + i have had small health issues in the past and being a vegan will help it alot!

2.Animals. Factory animals are treated horribly. I can watch my friends and family eat meat, but latly scence i have been reading up on what those factorys are like i really cant bear to eat the products when i know what happened to them

3.Moral. I know this will help me lead a better healthyer life but also, In my mind.

Answer 1

Congrats on your decision to become vegan!

Since you're a picky eater, I recommend making a list of your favorite non-vegan meals and gathering your favorite recipes. Then, figure out if there are ways to "veganize" those foods and recipes. For instance:

Pasta and meatballs --- Pasta and Nate's Meatless Meatballs

Sub with mayo and deli slices --- Sub with Vegenaise mayo and Tofurky Deli Slices

Quesadillas --- Quesadillas made with Follow Your Heart soy cheese

Mashed potato with sour cream --- Mashed potato with Tofutti Sour Supreme

Popular vegan fake meats and non-dairy products are listed here: http://www.vegcooking.com/guide-favs.asp

Other meal ideas:

http://www.tryveg.com/cfi/toc/?v=08sourc...

http://www.chooseveg.com/vegan-recipes.a...

I hope this helps. Good luck!

Answer 2

Not to offend you but at this age it may be a phase.  Good for you though for at least trying.  I hate when family and friends are ignorant.  They know nothing about it so they make fun of it and put it down.  People don't like when someone goes against what they are doing.  It is too bad that your mom can't support you and help you with your meals.  You don't need a lot of recipes.  It doesn't have to be diffcult.  You have to make sure you are getting enough calcium and protein.  Drink Rice or Soy Milk with calcium.  Personally I think the rice milk is a lot tastier.  You know that if you are a vegan that you can't have ANY dairy or eggs.  Read labels for these ingredients.  Casein and whey are dairy ingredients.  Eat a well rounded diet.  Salads, fruits and veggies, I love beans and rice and there are vegetarian chilis.  You should also be having nuts and seeds.  Look for healthy snacks that have protein in them.  If this is something that you believe in don't let anyone put you down and pressure you.  Tell them that you have made this choice and they can either support you or shut up.  I love being a vegan.  I feel great and look great.  My biggest reason for doing it however is because of cruelty to animals.  Dairy cows and chickens are the worst treated of all and that is why I am a vegan.  I no longer wanted to play a part in the cruelty of animals.  People love meat, dairy and eggs because they taste good but they don't think about where they come from.  I live on the same property as a cow pasture so I look at these beautiful animal every day all day long.  Tell your family to go to meat.com and watch how these poor animals are slaughtered so that we can have food to eat and milk to drink.  Being a vegan works great for me because I am not a fussy eater at all.  It may be harder if you are a picky eater.  Just try everything.  You may be surprised and find that you like something that you thought you wouldn't.

Answer 3

You can email me for recipes if you like, I have some saved on my computer. Or get one of these awesome cookbooks:

Vegan with a Vengeance

the Veganomicon

check out this blog: www.fatfreevegan.com

Edited: Sadric posted while I was. I'm vegan and I love it. I only feel tired when I work 2 jobs in one day! I feel healthy, have tons of energy--I rock climb, hike, bike, snowboard and cross country ski. And I eat a total variety of food and never get bored. Nor do I miss dairy, in fact I feel TONS better without it.

Answer 4

www.vegweb.com has lots of great recipes.

Also check out some of the following ethnic foods:

South Indian cuisine (esp food from andhra pradesh)

Thai cuisine

Middle Eastern cuisine

They have a better selection of vegan food than most american style food, IMHO.

Answer 5

I don't know a lot of reciepes, but google has a ton!

I have the same problems as you.... but I just wanted to say way to say that you have great reasons for becoming a vegan. Don't listen to your family when they say it is stupid. My grandpa is the same way, everytime the subject comes up he says it's stupid, unhealthy, blah blah blah, but it isn't!

But I would just google 'vegan reciepes' there are a lot of good stuff. Also try Yves. It is a vegan hotdog brand. =D  Also Chik'n patties/nuggets are great! (they're meatless and soy free.)

Answer 6

http://veganrecipes.com/

Answer 7

more reasons

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Zz-Ubsn-...

i love veggie burgers, boca burgers are the bomb, i eat them without the bread. lentils are full of fiber and protien that you need, i like morningstar beef crumbles in place of ground beef in tacos, spaghetti, ect. there is this awesome "cheese"

soya cheese, and of course soy milk. applesauce can replace any eggs when baking, one fourth a cup per egg.

Answer 8

Here are some web sites with some great vegan/vegetarian food.

http://silksoymilk.com -chocolate and chai flavors are good

http://amys.com

http://organicfoodbar.com

http://gardenburger.com

http://yvesveggie.com

http://sunshineburger.com

http://rightfoods.com

http://veganstore.com -they have chocolate!

http://nakedjuice.com

http://www.cedarsfoods.com/

http://bolthouse.com

http://naturespath.com

http://turtlemountain.com -vegan ice cream and yogurt

http://goodkarmafoods.com - vegan ice cream

http://fruitabu.com

http://clifbar.com

http://www.pacificfoods.com -has good almond milk

Here are some good recipes:

Stir fry- You need cut up tofu, soy sauce, olive oil, steamed veggies, and cooked rice

Get a frying pan and coat it with olive oil. The put the tofu in the pan and brown each side of it. Next, add the veggies. Add a little soy sauce and put in the rice. Mix everything up and then let it sit on the stove, occasionally stirring it to make sure it doesn't burn. After about a minute and a half of that put it in a bowl and enjoy!

Hummus- chick peas, lemon juice, paprika, cumin, black pepper, and any other spices/seasonings you like

Puree the chick peas. Then add a little lemon juice, paprika, pepper, and other spices. Then stir. Serve with a pita, with cucumbers, or on a veggie wrap.

Favorite Classic Pancakes

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp. sugar

2 Tbsp. baking powder

1/8 tsp. salt

1 cup soy milk

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Mix in the soy milk and oil, and with a fork or wire whisk, combine just until the batter is smooth.

Pour cup batter onto a hot, oiled griddle. When bubbles form in the center of the pancake, flip. Cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from pan and keep warm while you make remaining pancakes. Serve warm with maple syrup or fruit syrup.

Here are some snack and dinner suggestions:

Snacks:

Celery with peanut butter

Apples with peanut butter

Pita with hummus

Raisins

Amy's Apple Toaster Pops

All natural popsicles

Natural Valley bars

Clif Bar

Fruit Leather

Silk Chocolate Soy Milk

Naked Juice

Apple chips

Dinners:

Tofu Stir Fry

Amy's Pizzas

Amy's entrees

Sandwiches made with Yves meatless deli slices

Tofu Scramble

Gardenburgers

Natural Oven's bagels

Dr. McDougall's Soups and Noodle Soups

Soy Cheese Quesedillas

Veggie Wraps

Lentils with Wild Rice and Veggies

Whole foods is a great store for vegetarians/vegans, so I recommend grocery shopping there. You also can get a lot of the things I listed above there.

Answer 9

RUN

Answer 10

Well I was a vegan for a while too but I had to stop because it actually ended up being bad for me. I got really sick and was rushed the the hospital.

When discussing the health benefits of veganism, most supporters are quick to point out that non-animal based diets tend to be high in fiber, nutrient-rich, cholesterol-free, and low fat. They emphasize that not only is vegan food better for you, but the consumption of non-vegan food, specifically animal fats and proteins, has been linked to a number of health problems. These include obesity, heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, osteoporosis, and several kinds of cancer. According to the American Dietetic Association, vegetarian and vegan diets are associated with reduced risks for all of these conditions.

The counter-argument is that although vegan diets are undoubtedly beneficial in certain respects, they are detrimental in others, causing minor to serious health problems that often go unnoticed. Critics maintain that even the most informed, health-conscious vegans run the risk of malnutrition. There are several nutrients that are found in abundance in animal products, but exist in only a handful of vegan foods. Therefore, critics argue, while it is possible to get all of the essential nutrients on a vegan diet, it is extremely challenging.

Vitamin B12, for instance, is only naturally-occurring in animal cells and yeast or mold cells. Since vegan sources of vitamin B12 are scarce, vegans must be vigilant about getting enough of this essential vitamin. This is an arduous task, made more difficult by the fact that some vegans altogether avoid yeast or bacterial products. These people must rely upon fortified foods and supplements. A popular argument against veganism is that heavy reliance upon artificial nutrient sources (vitamin pills, fortified foods, etc.) is an unhealthy practice. These people believe that nutrients should be delivered to the body in their natural packaging, which just isn’t feasible on a strict vegan diet.

Also be aware that being a vegan has a lot more limitations than being a vegetarian. I found an article that outlined some things vegans can't eat or do because of it.

"Beyond Milk and Honey: The Vegan Controversy

by Nina Rubin

Imagine never tasting ice cream again.

Or how about milk, butter, yogurt or cheese? Next, try eliminating eggs from your diet (that means no more hearty egg breakfasts, and forget about most baked goods). While you’re at it, don’t eat any more refined sugar – that’s the sugar used in almost every sugar-containing food. And finally, get rid of everything you own that’s made of leather, wool, silk, or down.

Faced with this scenario, most people ask one simple question: why? After that question come others: What’s left to eat? What would you wear? How would you survive? Isn’t it unhealthy, unnatural, or at the least, terribly inconvenient?"

It's good that you're not one of those people who freak out on me when I try to eat meat though. They make me want to eat meat more. . . . not to say I do though.

A lot of vegans I know also say they always feel tired and often have trouble concentrating and lack energy. They do realize it's from their diet. Many people in my school administration support veganism but they still suggest that we at least wait until we're done with school so we can concentrate.

Anyway as for the recipes which was the original question I direct you here: http://www.veganchef.com/. This site was a life saver during my week of veganism. By the way though, it was really bothering me. It's not healthyer, it's healthier.