Almost Vegan

[BigA]

Tara.

Thanks for the information. I'm catching up.

I had already dropped most of my soy (changed from Soymilk to Almond milk) and cut down my tofu, which I eat in miso soup.

I've also decided eliminating all meat would make it too complicted to get comlete nutrition and to eat with my family, so I'm allowing a few ounces of chicken and turkey per week along with some fish. Perhaps a total of 8oz turkey&chicken and 8oz fish per week.

I've also added Kasha and Lentils to my cooking, which makes vegan dishes really filling.

[Sequoia]

Tara.

Thanks for the information. I'm catching up.

I had already dropped most of my soy (changed from Soymilk to Almond milk) and cut down my tofu, which I eat in miso soup.

I've also decided eliminating all meat would make it too complicted to get comlete nutrition and to eat with my family, so I'm allowing a few ounces of chicken and turkey per week along with some fish. Perhaps a total of 8oz turkey&chicken and 8oz fish per week.

I've also added Kasha and Lentils to my cooking, which makes vegan dishes really filling.

I can't remember, BigA...do you eat quinoa on a regular basis? It's a good source of protein, is quick to fix and quite yummy.

It really isn't complicated to get complete nutrition as a vegan, even when eating with the rest of a non-vegan family. I do it every day.

[BigA]

No, I have not tried quinoa. I'll have to give it a try, but I've just added lentils and kasha, which I really love.

[casey526]

Really?

I respectfully disagree with your statement - "We are physiologically designed to eat meat." I would argue that since we do not have claws, have a long digestive tract and have blunt teeth, physiologically, we're herbivores.

[BigA]

It's amazing - Kasha for lunch is quite filling. You can get full on complex carbohydrates without feeling hungry.

I think I'll have my "emergency" meal tonight. Sardines with baked potatoes and flax oil for the butter in the potatatoes and some side veggies..

You'd think I'd be dropping the weight, but so far still only about 1lb per month.

[nutritiontara]

Big A, your nutrition sounds really good and well rounded. I feel you are eating a logical amount of animal protein/ week. Remember the base of our diets should be vegetables. Thats why I listed quality vegetarian sources of protein.

[BigA]

I can't remember, BigA...do you eat quinoa on a regular basis? It's a good source of protein, is quick to fix and quite yummy.

It really isn't complicated to get complete nutrition as a vegan, even when eating with the rest of a non-vegan family. I do it every day.

Sequoia,

I assume you're doing the cooking. When I cook on the weekends, I can make food I can eat. During the week, my wife cooks for herself and the kids, so I have sardines to replace the meat or raisin bran if the whole dinner is unedible to me (as when she makes curry from the mix).

is that how you do it? I was thinking of preparing some main dishes in advance that my wife can put them out for me when she makes dinner for the family. Until one switches, it seems like the greatest change from normal life. So far, it's not been a giant change for me.

[BigA]

Thanks for the thumbs-up, tara.

I've just tried Kale for the first time. It's a bit rough to eat uncooked - I've added it to my salads. I will try steaming it.

It's got to be healthy - it has a higher cardboard factor than anything else I've ever eaten

[Sequoia]

Thanks for the thumbs-up, tara.

I've just tried Kale for the first time. It's a bit rough to eat uncooked - I've added it to my salads. I will try steaming it.

It's got to be healthy - it has a higher cardboard factor than anything else I've ever eaten

Kale is wonderful steamed, or lightly stir-fried with a bit of olive oil (minced garlic and ginger too, if you like them). It's really not used much as a raw green.

And yes, it's super-healthy!

To answer your earlier question, sometimes I cook and sometimes my husband cooks, and when my daughter is home for a weekend she cooks too. All of us take into account everyone's dietary preferences/requirements when we cook. For example, I will fix chicken or fish for my husband (I draw the line at red meat), and when he cooks he makes sure some of the meal is things I can eat.

[BigA]

I'll have to try Kale in a stir-fry. ThanksJ

So last night, I made Kasha. 4g protein. I made it with egg whites 8g protein. I used beef broth (because there is more saturated fat and salt in the vegetable kind), removing that one speck of fat that you see in the can. 1g protein.

I'm not sure how much protein was in the other things I ate (Raisin bran, almond milk, mixed greens salad, salad dressing, rye crackers, carrots, apple, soy ice cream), but it's not easy to have a majority vegetable protein. One drop of animal products and you've got at least 1/2 of your protein coming from animal sources.

[artfuldodger]

Consider steaming kale with onions, though i read somewhere the most beneficial way to consume kale is with a quick boil. For the most part i have substituted swiss chard for kale in my diet. Also combined in my vegetarian diet is 2 teaspoons of cod fish oil, 2 tablespoons of flax oil and 4 tablespoons of hemp powder. i have much more endurance and consistent elevated mood with this regime. The hemp powder is an excellent way to get protein and the essential amino acids they provide into our systems. I may have missed a thread on hemp powder yet maybe Tara will chime in.

[Sequoia]

Consider steaming kale with onions, though i read somewhere the most beneficial way to consume kale is with a quick boil. For the most part i have substituted swiss chard for kale in my diet. Also combined in my vegetarian diet is 2 teaspoons of cod fish oil, 2 tablespoons of flax oil and 4 tablespoons of hemp powder. i have much more endurance and consistent elevated mood with this regime. The hemp powder is an excellent way to get protein and the essential amino acids they provide into our systems. I may have missed a thread on hemp powder yet maybe Tara will chime in.

Even a quick boil will strip the kale of more nutrients than steaming, so unless you also consume the boiling liquid (pot liquor), it's my understanding that steaming is better.

I love chard, but unfortunately it's high in oxalic acid and for that reason I rarely eat it.

[artfuldodger]

Interesting point about the Oxalic acid. From my understanding unless you have kidney issues and or stones, it would take take (daily) large amounts of swiss chard to present possible problems. Also the interference with calcium absorption does not seem to be supported in studies.
Possibly the super nutrients in chard bias my interpretations.
Enlighten me with some references as this is of particular interest to me. Possibly Tara will have some insight. Still looking for that explanation (3 sources) about boiling kale for maximum vitamin retention. i will post them when i retrieve them. Prefer steaming everything.=)

[Sir-Voor]

BigA

I'll have to try Kale in a stir-fry. ThanksJ

So last night, I made Kasha. 4g protein. I made it with egg whites 8g protein. I used beef broth (because there is more saturated fat and salt in the vegetable kind), removing that one speck of fat that you see in the can. 1g protein.

I'm not sure how much protein was in the other things I ate (Raisin bran, almond milk, mixed greens salad, salad dressing, rye crackers, carrots, apple, soy ice cream), but it's not easy to have a majority vegetable protein. One drop of animal products and you've got at least 1/2 of your protein coming from animal sources.

Your diet is impressive expect there is one wolf in sheep’s clothing; Raisins are a strong inflammatory and rain bran is a moderately inflammatory. (According to NutritionData.com)

I recommend switching, and add some strawberries for a mildly anti-inflammatory tasty tough to it.

I had no idea that raisin=bad, until just recently. and would eat them as what i though was a health snack.

[Sequoia]

Interesting point about the Oxalic acid. From my understanding unless you have kidney issues and or stones, it would take take (daily) large amounts of swiss chard to present possible problems. Also the interference with calcium absorption does not seem to be supported in studies.
Possibly the super nutrients in chard bias my interpretations.
Enlighten me with some references as this is of particular interest to me. Possibly Tara will have some insight. Still looking for that explanation (3 sources) about boiling kale for maximum vitamin retention. i will post them when i retrieve them. Prefer steaming everything.=)

Tara has talked about the need to avoid high-oxalate foods, but I just spent way too much time searching the forum for her posts on the subject and couldn't find them. Maybe I'm just having a particularly stupid morning.

Anyway, hopefully you (or someone else reading this post) will have better luck with a search.

Personally, I don't stress too much over the oxalic acid level in the foods I eat, but I do avoid large quantities &/or frequent consumption.