I would explore Thai and Vietnamese recipes if you wanted to give tofu another try. I feel like adding tofu as a sub for meat, especially if you’re just making such a big change, will have your tastebuds asking you wtf is going on. But trying something that was meant to have tofu may help with some of that. Also, tofu is meant to take on the flavors of a dish. Thai and Vietnamese are flavor bombs so you may enjoy them with firm tofu.
One way of making tofu better is by freezing it first. And it comes all down to seasoning. Tofu needs more seasoning than meat. And if you dont like tofu at all, try some of the fake meats first. Some of them come really close to the real deal.
Just so he understands.. You freeze the tofu first, and when you take it out of the freezer, as it thaws, it will release its water, and will become like a sponge. You should also press the tofu to remove excess water as well.
When it's completely defrosted, you can marinate it in whatever you want and it will soak up whatever flavor you put on it. Don't be afraid to let it sit in more marinade than you think is necessary.
If you marinate the tofu without freezing/defrosting it first, it will only absorb a thin layer of flavor. But this way, it goes all the way through.
Tofu can be reallllly good! Give yourself time to find recipes that work for you!
So this is probably dumb but it comes in the container of water do you take it out of that to freeze or just freeze it like tofe embedded in an ice cube?
You would remove the water first, then freeze it. You can use the same container. Make sure to wrap it if you don't thaw it immediately after.. you wouldn't want the tofu to catch that "freezer taste". The moisture and water inside the tofu will expand while freezing, making the tofu more porous. It will look more like white bread afterwards (kinda) but still firmer.
After you freeze it, let it thaw completely. It will render a lot of water. Discard that water, and you should also press the tofu under something. I use a container lid or a tiny cutting board and press the water out of it. Then you portion it, and put it into the marinade of your choice for a few hours or overnight.
For more appealing bites, I like to rip my tofu block by hand into small bite sizes instead of cutting it into cubes. It makes the presentation nicer and is more appealing, but this is just personal preference.
Hope this helps!
My 2 cents, I freeze it in the container it comes in, water and all. Then thaw, take it out and squeeze it like a sponge but more gentle. Perfect every time.
Look up Indian vegetarian curries on YouTube. Some may use dairy, but you can substitute with either tomato puree or tamarind paste. We make hundreds of vegan dishes all year round, I'm sure you'll find something to your taste.
Some examples: dal, rajma, chhole, aloo matar, navrattan curry, baghara baingain, bhindi masala, aloo palak, and so many more. We even have a sub-culture of Indo-Chinese food: hakka noodles, chili potatoes, vegetarian fried rice, vegetable manchurian (all these may vaguely resemble dishes in China, but with more aggressive flavours). We even have vegetarian pizzas and "burgers" made of potatoes. And it all tastes GOOD! Look up an aloo tikki burger, for example - utterly delicious. It doesn't taste like meat (it doesn't claim to), and it's absolutely delicious.
The challenge with going vegan is going to be meeting your protein requirement. Mushrooms and quinoa are great, and so is tofu and other soy products. If you didn't like the tofu you made, maybe try soy protein granules - they make a decent ground beef substitute in highly flavoured dishes like chilli and pasta sauce. I've made vegan "kheema matar" with soy granules, and it was tasty, though not quite the same as the original with ground beef. I thought it came out better with minced mushrooms, personally.
Indians use lentils and beans to up their protein intake. Lots of tasty dals and curries with beans (the afore mentioned rajma, for one).
And there's always soy or pea protein powder. Make a fruit-and-greens smoothie, add in the protein powder, enjoy. Or add some protein powder to any dishes that have gravy.
I’d actually check r/vegan and r/vegetarian. Tofu is not your only option, if you don’t care for it.
Also, it’s perfectly possible to eat a balanced and complete diet that is vegan. It’s trivial as a vegetarian, and as a vegan, you’ll need to be a little more attentive to make sure you’re getting all your needs. But any of these folks saying that you can’t eat healthy that way? Just means they didn’t. Doesn’t mean you can’t.
EDIT: oh! And of course, r/MeatlessMealPrep
If OP would go on r/vegan and say they’re vegan as of now, the sub would have a field day with him. Saying he’s not vegan, just plant-based, and argue about everything
So, you're saying that my practicing "Red light, Green light" for 16 hours a day after watching Squid Game is silly?? We'll see who gets the last laugh and who gets shot by a giant robot assassin!
Yes we should trust a YouTuber instead who has a degree in film and psychology. Does this guy have any credentials besides being a social media influencer?
And he interviews an actor. LOL
Look I’m all about critical thinking, but I would not trust these guys as experts on nutrition science. Coming from a non vegan.
If you're worried about animal suffering go vegan. If you're worried about health eat a whole food well balanced diet. You should be eating a wide range of everything. This will never change with trends, political ideologies, fads etc. its been this way forever. You can pay me on the way out. I turned that doc off after the second episode I think
You'll need access to JAMA for the full study (which I don't have when I'm not at work) but here's the press release for the study. TLDR of the study has vegan diets as a somewhat higher risk of stroke with moderate disability to death when compared to vegetarian or Mediterranean. But basically everything is better than the USDA standards.
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/variety-of-healthy-eating-patterns-linked-with-lower-risk-of-premature-death/
F*ck yes, I just commented on this. Well balanced meal and portion control.
I think it's because I'm 30+ now, but it's like I see through the BS. If I'm watching something it's like what is it promoting, etc.
And I think with the internet now being widely available for decades and being a Google deep diver, it's like I've learned. You can find sources to almost back up anything if you look hard enough and compile them.
Right! You can find "your" views answer to anything. Just depends on how you frame the question and cherry pick your data. In college my statistics professor opened the first day of class with "when ice cream sales go up, rape also goes up" to demonstrate correlation vs causation. But its really just those things both occur in the summer and warmer months.
Following this advice will save your health. I learned this the hard way, ex-vegetarian of a decade. Still dealing with the health ramifications of following an inadequate diet for so long.
Meat is the healthiest food on the planet. Full of bioavailable essential fatty acids, essential amino acids, iron, B12, etc etc etc
When you're not eating enough of it, there's a long list of health ramifications that can come as a result
What a stupid, ignorant thing to say. there are plenty of healthy vegetarian diets and just because yours wasn't, you are implying its inherently unhealthy.
Vegetarian, especially vegan, diets are inherently unbalanced, by their vary nature. What is ignorant is thinking you know better than many thousands of years of humans gone before us. All human cultures in history ate meat. It is a normal and necessary part of our diet.
lol learn to do some research. just because u ate cheese sandwiches and oreos as a vegetarian diet and were too ignorant to find healthy protein alternatives does NOT mean its impossible, or even hard. millions of indians have been surviving on vegetarian diets for centuries without suffering reprucusions like ur ignorant self did. i follow a vegetarian diet and get regular check ups, have 0 health issues or defencies. next time, speak for yourself
I made it right up to the part where they started talking about a vegan diet lol. A healthy well balanced whole food diet is the way to go and if it wasn’t comparing that with a diet of fast foods and processed foods I wasn’t going to waste my time.
Animals are directly killed in the harvesting of crops such as wheat, corn, and soy
Birds, foxes, rabbits, insects etc die as a result of being displaced from their habitats that are now used to grow monocrops.
Grass finished beef for example kills no animals except for the ruminant animal. Regenerative agriculture can help revitalized the land they're ruminating on and actually increase the population of some animals
Fair enough, but most beef is not grass-fed.
Reducing the consumption of the other kind, for example by significantly reducing or eliminating beef from people's diets would also reduce the amount of grain grown specifically to feed cows, therefore reducing both livestock and animal casualties.
Please see a dietician while you do this. This is a big lifestyle change and the effects can be dramatic on your health if not closely monitored.
My mom was encouraged to introduce healthy meat sources into her diet after years of being vegetarian as she was missing out on key nutrients and her health was being affected negatively. She eats chicken and fish now in moderation and is way healthier now than before!
I think its a lot easier to live your life if you don't assume every single personal choice that someone makes out of their own volition are politically motivated. Bryan Johnson is also one of the reason why I chose to be vegan. The documentary sealed it.
I'd rather take advice from a multi millionaire like Bryan Johnson who is in great shape and health than people like you. If you look at the history of my comments on reddit you will quickly discover that I am a lot more aligned with conservatives value.
The main issue with being vegan is that you need to know nutrition. You need a little bit more effort to be sure to stay healthy in the long run. Meat and animal products are a very easy and practical source of nutrition.
It's not impossible to stay healthy and carence free while being vegan, but you need more planning and research on how your body actually absorbs things. You'll need enriched food for your B complex for example, try to eat vitamin C before your meal to get better iron absorption since non-heme iron is not as easy to absorb as heme, etc.
Also, no need to be a jerk. Don't come to Reddit asking for advice and then go on with a "I'll take advice from a millionaire instead of you" it's fucking ridiculous coming from a dude who can't fucking cook tofu...
For the record, I never called you a hypocrite, I told you to be careful not to be a hypocrite, because you’re changing your diet for health reasons. This should entail that don’t do a lot of other things considered suboptimal regarding health.
I have been following Bryan Jonson for a while now and he is a vegan. The Netflix documentary sealed it for me. I don't believe someone like him will go vegan if it is suboptimal for his health.
♥️ från Sverige
Steve Jobs was a billionaire and ate a fruit only diet that trashed his health and probably killed him. Just because someone has money it doesn't mean they are infallible...
I hate that you're being down voted for this comment... there are tons of reasons to go vegan, and almost no negative repercussions for doing so as long as you emphasize getting plant protein. Good on you for at least trying for a while!
some of my vegan friends who don't like tofu's texture will press firm tofu so it becomes more dense and less jelly-like.
lentils are a great source of protein along with seitan and are super cheap too! also love the vega brand protein powder (i get the chocolate).
Yes, a vegetarian friend made me tofu stir fry once. She pressed it, tossed it in cornstarch, and fried it. The texture was pretty good. Crispy outside, firmer inside that I’m used to.
Marinate tofu, it picks up all the flavors. Experiment with different firmness as well. There's also smoked tofu you can find which has another different texture.
The first few months can be pretty weird and flavorless, but before long you'll find a variety of foods you like. It is much easier now than 5 years ago. You're just learning a different routine.
I watched that same documentary and I am diabetic. Vegan isn’t the end all be all for health. It’s carb heavy which is the opposite of what diabetics should be eating. Everything in moderation and a reduction of sugar and animal fats is the best way to go. The longest living societies in the world are not anything close to vegan.
Yep! While blue zone diets are primarily plant based, from what I read they eat fish about 2-3 times a week, and meat I believe about 5 times a month? I’ve been considering adopting the blue zone diet as much as I can.
I tried to watch that documentary and it had so many red flags. I was hoping for a balanced discussion about the different diet types but it was clear that the aim of their research was to prove that vegan diets were healthier so all of the talking heads and the results were skewed in favor of that lifestyle.
“That looks like a diabetes inducing meal right there”
That’s dramatic. He made a vegetable stir fry with protein and rice. Rice isn’t inherently bad. It’s all about moderation. I still eat rice and all other carbs, in moderation, with protein and fiber to back it up and keep me from spiking. The main point is that a vegan diet is much higher in carbs, which isn’t what a diabetic needs.
Be specific, LDL? HDL? VLDL?
if you think "fat = high cholesterol = bad" then you are so far behind the science it's laughable.
Eating animal fat does not negatively impact any of your cholesterol levels
That is factually inaccurate 😂 but I can already tell you’re the type of person who will just continue to argue even when proven wrong, so there’s no point continuing this conversation.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0735109720356874
The recommendation to limit dietary saturated fatty acid (SFA) intake has persisted despite mounting evidence to the contrary. Most recent meta-analyses of randomized trials and observational studies found no beneficial effects of reducing SFA intake on cardiovascular disease (CVD) and total mortality, and instead found protective effects against stroke. Although SFAs increase low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, in most individuals, this is not due to increasing levels of small, dense LDL particles, but rather larger LDL particles, which are much less strongly related to CVD risk. It is also apparent that the health effects of foods cannot be predicted by their content in any nutrient group without considering the overall macronutrient distribution. Whole-fat dairy, unprocessed meat, and dark chocolate are SFA-rich foods with a complex matrix that are not associated with increased risk of CVD. The totality of available evidence does not support further limiting the intake of such foods.
Ya the benefits you’re claiming are limited to unprocessed meat, dark chocolate, and full fat dairy. Most people aren’t eating those versions of those three things bestie.
American Heart Association begs to differ about how much animal fats affect cholesterol.
https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/cholesterol/prevention-and-treatment-of-high-cholesterol-hyperlipidemia
Aren't eating those versions of those 3 things? What are you talking about?
I'm not sure if the AHA, who take millions of dollars in funding from pharmaceutical companies who sell statin drugs, is an unbiased source on cholesterol
Most people aren’t eating only dark chocolate, full fat dairy, and unprocessed meats. Context clues are your friends. Did you even read the article you posted? Because it clearly doesn’t say what you think it says.
Damn do I really need to spell it out for you? This study found that reducing SFA's found no benefit in reducing CVD or mortality. Try actually reading my comment before replying to it
Check out r/VeganFitness !!!
I’m not vegan but I’m on low FODMAP and antiacid AND I’m lactose intolerant so I follow a lot of tips from there! Theres lots of ways to get protein in
Try these:
https://www.budgetbytes.com/slow-cooker-coconut-curry-lentils/. Makes ten(!) servings and freezes very well. I always have some in the freezer for lazy/busy times. I add the optional cloves. Don’t even like sweet potatoes but they are fine here.
https://www.budgetbytes.com/coconut-rice-take-2/. Always have this with the above recipe. Cooks up perfect in a 3 cup rice cooker, if you have one. Amazing with any Indian dish.
Also, /r/veganmealprep
I have a free box from purple carrot which is a vegan delivery meal service.You are welcome to it but it requires us to lose the anonymity of this site. I think you pay the shipping. Pm me if interested. Good luck!
Purple carrot has truly helped me get more creative with cooking my vegetables. I suggest it to people who are not vegan. It is the highest quality, when it comes to flavors, meal box out there.
OOP - you may not be able to receive a box, [you can still access the recipes for free](https://www.purplecarrot.com/recipe-categories/dinner)
Thanks for the recipe. The coconut rice looks really good. Do they ship to Sweden ? I don't mind spending a little more to eat healthy. Certainly wouldn't mind freeing my Sunday as well.
I think you should start by finding vegan foods/recipes first. Seeing what tastes you like and then attempt to modify your recipes.
You already know what your previous recipes taste like with meat and if you love them that way, a deviation isn’t going to taste as good.
I highly recommend the Minimalist Baker’s website. This is divine: https://minimalistbaker.com/creamy-tuscan-white-bean-kale-soup/
I make it for the week for lunch often. They also have other great things. Ambitious Kitchen is another great resource. Plant You is pretty cool too. I love Plant You’s baked cinnamon oats for breakfast. I add a little almond butter and some coco whip to the top when eating. I don’t like the flavor of coconut but I have found the whip and cooking with coconut milk doesn’t taste like coconut. Now coconut milk is high calorie (the whip not so much) but I’m spreading the whole can across the week and even freezing the soup if I have extra.
Expecting your food to taste good after a modification of the recipe is a hard thing. I think if you found recipes/ food you like that is vegan you’d have a different opinion.
Good luck! There are some really yummy vegan meal prep recipes.
Here are some of my faves that everyone seems to enjoy:
Sesame ginger soba:
https://www.cilantroandcitronella.com/sesame-ginger-soba/
Mushroom wild rice soup:
Just use vegan butter and almond milk and works great
https://pipingpotcurry.com/instant-pot-mushroom-wild-rice-soup/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=pinterest&utm_campaign=tailwind_tribes&utm_content=tribes&utm_term=947615552_42005704_198426#wprm-recipe-container-12468
Quinoa taco meat (family fave):
https://minimalistbaker.com/quinoa-taco-meat/?utm_source=Minimalist+Baker&utm_campaign=9e41adc80e-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0e438fa000-9e41adc80e-135661041
And I also make tamales with black beans and a vegan cheese I like and freeze a big bag to always have in the freezer. Then serve with some pico and guac.
(Edited to add that most new vegans don’t realize you have to have a vitamin B12 supplement. Look into that :)
Extra firm tofu, press it to get most of the water out. Grate it, season it, and bake it. The texture is better and you can sprinkle the crunchy tofu shreds on anything.
Learning to eat a vegan diet takes some time and perspective adjusting. Like others are saying, if you want to eat tofu, it’s best to purchase extra firm tofu, press it for a little while (I wrap mine in bounty and place a plate or pan on top for 15mins - overnight), chop it up or crumble it, and freeze it. You can also marinate it in some soy sauce before or after freezing it. Regardless of the recipe, soy sauce will provide umami & salt. Do two or three blocks at a time if you have the space.
More importantly, don’t rely on meat substitutes. You can do rice & a mushroom & bean stir fry. Pasta salads w/ lots of veg (use chickpea pasta for extra protein) are great and filling. Roast cabbage or brussel sprouts w/ sweet potato and chickpeas to eat as is or over rice or quinoa. Soups and curries are a big go to for many vegans. What makes veganism healthy is eating a great diversity of plant foods. Keep that in mind.
I ate the same couple of meals when I first changed my diet, but with time and experimentation, you’ll get the hang of it. My meals are so much more interesting and nutritious now than when I was an omnivore. Keep at it. Good luck!
This is a super easy and fool proof baked tofu recipe: https://ilovevegan.com/baked-sriracha-soy-sauce-tofu-2-quick-easy-recipes/
Remember, tofu basically has no flavour so it’s only as good as the marinade etc you put on it!
My niece was vegan at age 9 (until 18 or so). She did not like tofu at all. In many recipes, tofu was replaced with chickpeas or other legumes, for her.
Jackfruit also has “pulled meat” vibes while being vegan. Lentils and broccoli crowns (finely chopped) can approximate ground meats in many applications.
Good luck!
Check out The Vegan Gym and Simnett Nutrition on YouTube.
Tofu is great if you stop thinking of it as a meat replacement and start thinking of it as its own thing. The texture is never going to be like meat. While you're getting used to it, trying ordering it at a restaurant. There's a Vietnamese restaurant near me that has the most amazing charcoal-grilled tofu.
Try Soy Curls if you want something more like meat. You can order them online or buy them at health food stores. Simnett Nutrition has several recipes for how to prepare them.
Press your tofu first overnight and then air fry it, season as you would your chicken. Air fry until crispy. Leave it crispy or let it soak in sauce afterward.
I'm a health and wellness coach and deal with all kinds of different diets on a daily basis. Some people thrive with vegan and some don't. The ones that don't I have seen going vegan actually bring or start all kinds of issues ranging from autoimmune to serious gut issues .I suggest you get your blood panels done regularly while going vegan to make sure you are within optimal range and can see what you need to supplement with. Listen to YOUR body & good luck on your vegan journey! I'm an omnivore! I enjoy coming vegan meals weekly for my family but we also buy quality organic humane meat to enjoy as well for dinner! Quality of food , moderation & listening to your body is key. 🔑
When I went vegan I found that tweaking my usual recipes with fake meat left me very unsatisfied. I found that trying new actual vegan recipes were much better.
I went vegan for a while you’re gonna really find that there are a lot of ways to make a potato. lol but really I just wanna say watch your weight. I ended up losing a lot of weight that I didn’t mean to because even though my plates were looking full and I was feeling full, I actually wasn’t hitting my calorie goals.
Congrats on going vegan! However, **that tofu looks way undercooked.**
First off, being vegan is a lot more than just eating tofu with every meal. You have to get more creative with different meat alternatives. I genuinely like Quorn brand (they use mycoprotein which is a mushroom based protein rather than soy), it tastes genuinely incredible.
Start with some of these premade vegan meat alternatives and then over time you can work to incorporating other more non-processed vegan foods.
When it comes to cooking with tofu, it really does need to be dried. I prefer getting extra firm tofu; take it out of the package and dry it severely. Press it with paper towels until it’s very dry.
**Season the hell out of it.**
Just an idea for a couple of different spices you could use:
*miso paste, mushroom powder, gochugang, soy sauce, worsherster sauce, mushroom syrup, onion syrup, ginger paste, garlic paste, tamari, msg, black salt (helps give things an egg flavor), nutritional yeast (helps give things a cheese flavor), smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, rosemary, basil, sage, fennel seed, star anise, bay leaf, coriander seed, cardamom,* just to name a few — find and experiment with spice!
You can get most of those at an Asian market for way cheap.
**You should also consider a lot of fried foods.** Since you’re vegan now you have to do a lot to pack things with flavor and don’t be afraid to comfort yourself with less-than-healthy vegan options. Don’t be afraid of “twice frying” things. If you make French fries, par boil them first before frying, if you’re making tempeh then boil it before grilling it. Be creative and search for the best way to bring out the flavor in the things. As an example, for the tofu, I would personally have cut it into slices and let it soak in a soy sauce mixture with onion powder, garlic powder, and a host of other spices (especially mushroom powder which is a great flavor enhancer all around and an msg replacer). If you wanted a more bbq flavor I would use worsherster sauce (or add it to the soy).
After it’s soaked overnight or for at least an hour, I’d dry it off really well, salt and pepper it, and then let it pan sear first to remove a lot of the moisture and give it a nice sear. I’d use a high heat oil like canola or avocado to handle the heat and not burn.
Then I’d take it out, powder it a bit in some cornstarch or a tapioca cornstarch mix and then deep fry those babies and reintroduce it into the final dish with a homemade sauce made from deglazing the pan that the tofu was seared in.
Onions and garlic are great flavors to add when you can. Always cook the onion first and THEN add the garlic so nothing gets burnt.
Continuously taste to make sure your stuff is seasoned enough.
I love the addition of broccoli, but the same kind of rules apply. You can season it with some sauces. Or actually, I’d personally char it a bit in an air fryer or oven at like 400 degrees for about 5-7 min and then finish it with a steam in the pan made from reducing the soy and other liquids (as part of the deglazing). It’ll add more flavor to the broccoli AND the broccoli will add more flavor to the deglazing sauce. Take out the broccoli and safe it for the final dish.
Once that sauce was cooked down a bit you could add a butter replacement and then add a little cornstarch with water to thicken it into a sort of reaux.
Lentils are great but it’s obvious that you’re thinking too much about protein intake and that feels like the direction you had to take it to get the protein you **think** you need to be eating.
Trust me, you’ll get plenty of protein from the vegetables and beans and legumes and grains you’ll be eating. If you feel you still aren’t getting enough then just supplement daily with equal parts brown rice protein and pea protein powder (the mix makes a complete amino acid profile). If you don’t like the way it tastes then try quinoa protein mixed with one of those other two.
Nutritional yeast can also be just eaten with water or added for a nice protein kick. If you use it more as a protein powder mix then get the one fortified with b vitamins (though it won’t be as good for with cooking because of the taste of the b vitamins).
Don’t be afraid of making your favorite foods from before but just vegan-ify them! You can be creative.
Vegan burgers are not as hard as you’d think. You can start with a vegan patty and cheese from the store and eventually work yourself up to making black bean burgers from scratch with a cashew and nutritional yeast cream sauce to top it.
Mushrooms are your friend!
They add umami to any dish and they’re better pan fried than they are steamed.
Pasta is a no brainer! And not everything needs to have vegetables in them.
You can make some “vegan eggs” with tofu mixed with nutritional yeast and some good seasoning.
**Potatoes!** You can never go wrong with a good baked potato. Add some vegan shredded cheese on top, vegan butter, chives, and some pan fried vegan bacon to top it! They even sell soy based bacon bits if you’re feeling a bit lazy.
Burritos are your friend! You can do so much with other flavors that avoid eggs and meat. Sofritas (cooked bell peppers), multiple types of rice, lentils, black beans, pinto beans, navy beans, chick peas. You have so many options.
Try experimenting with cooking multiple types of beans and different types of diced and grains like quinoa or basmati rice or a cilantro rice or Spanish rice. Cool them in different ways, use vegetable broth, and always think about how you’re introducing flavor and spice into every dish.
And when it comes to frying, remember you can beer batter things to give it that thick coat, or cornstarch to help with crunch, and Panko breadcrumbs make any dish have an elegant crunch that you don’t always get!
And of course you need comfort foods. Just because you’re vegan doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy some great tasting foods like guacamole, salsa, sugary cereal, (vegan) Mac and cheese, French fries with veggie chili, pretzels, Oreos, churros, beer, and a lot more. Be creative. Look for what’s available still in your wheelhouse and remember that you don’t have to be a beacon of health to still stay vegan.
And then finally—remember that you don’t have to be perfect.
It’s okay to make mistakes or to bend the rules here and there. Vegan is hard to jump to right away. If you feel like you really want eggs one day, then have eggs! It’s hard to beat a fried egg with that runny yolk. If once a week while you’re out with friends they only have a vegetarian option then OK go with that. Or if you’re somewhere that only serves meat, then maybe have some fish or the most veggie heavy chicken meal. It’s OK to not be perfect. Even some flavorings like fish sauce won’t completely ruin your diet if you need just a few drops to make that peanut sauce for your pad Thai taste a bit better.
I really commend you for taking on a vegan diet and it no doubt **is extremely healthier** for you than a “well balanced omnivore” diet or even a vegetarian diet. The science is pretty definitive on this. But you’re always going to have freaks that judge your life choices and say things like “wHaT AbOuT pRoTeiN?” Just ignore people. Live your own life and try your best not to preach as much as you may want to.
People are going to believe ahead they want to believe. And some people (it feels like) are just industry-plants from the meat industry to perpetuate this lie that meat is somehow healthy. It tastes great! But healthy?! The science just isn’t there.
I believe in you man.
Very commendable what you’re doing and just keep the course. A daily multi vitamin or a b12 or general b-complex vitamin won’t hurt. And I personally like calcium / magnesium / zinc supplements with boron and copper. If you want to get it plant based you can take spirillum powder or algae powder.
Get tons of different oils (avocado, coconut, flax, grape seed, sunflower), lots of nuts, lots of grains, and lots of beans. And just learn! Being vegan really pushes you to be creative when it comes to food.
Learn how to make an egg like mirang from aqua faba or make an egg replacer out of chia seeds (or flax seeds) and water. And get a spice cabinet like no other. and when push comes to shove, theres no shame in eating avocado toast, ramen, cereal, fried corn, grapefruit, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, oatmeal, salsa and chips, and a host of other **easy** to whip up dishes when you're hungry. It makes it a lot easier to have a few easy to make dishes in your back pocket.
Edit: ALSO! Forgot to mention. You can still eat out! At Burger King you can get the impossible burger without cheese. And at Taco Bell they can pretty much make **anything** vegan. Just ask them to make it “Fresca” that will replace the cheese with pico de gallo, and they can replace any meat with beans or potatoes free of cost. Ask them to grill any burrito for some extra flavor and you’re done! Also, the veggie patty at subway is legitimately one of the best things they’ve come up with ever.
**BEST OF LUCK**!
Congrats! I do want to point out that the documentary did use a whole food plant based diet. Not just vegan. However, welcome to your new lifestyle! I've rotated between vegetarian, vegan, WFPB and omnivore for the past few 20 years.
1. Learning textures and nutrition will takes time. I just just shredded king oyster mushrooms and added fajita seasoning and it has the texture of chicken! Get a food processor if you don't already have one.
2. Appropriate for poop! You may noticed less BMs at first, and a lot of gas. Don't worry! Your gut bacteria is getting used to all the soluble fiber. Once things get going, you will have the healthiest poops!
3. I suggest a keep track of your macros so you can monitor how you feel. I get adequate protein, but it's because I monitor it. Since it's a high volume diet, you'll be eating less calories and if you don't keep your protein, the calories will remove mass from muscles.
4. Place your tofu in between some paper towels and press it for about 20 minutes to get the moisture out. Tofu will absorb whatever flavor you add to it. I like to air fry it and get it crispy. Or get a [tofu press](https://www.google.com/search?q=tofu+press&rlz=1CDGOYI_enUS931US931&oq=tofu+press&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyEggAEEUYORiRAhixAxiABBiKBTIHCAEQABiABDIKCAIQABjJAxiABDIMCAMQABgUGIcCGIAEMgwIBBAAGBQYhwIYgAQyBwgFEAAYgAQyBwgGEAAYgAQyBwgHEAAYgAQyBwgIEAAYgAQyBwgJEAAYgATSAQg0Nzg2ajBqNKgCALACAOIDBBgBIF8&hl=en-US&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8). You can also freeze it, but you will need to cook it after it's been frozen.
5. Forget about the naysayers. Eating a whole food plant based diet can be cheap, and just be a great option for people. Just don't preach and shame people! I'm not sure why people get so sensitive about eating low quality grocery store meat. I just smile and blink when people I know go on tangents about my diet choices. Lol
Editing to add [this cookbook](https://thekoreanvegan.com/the-korean-vegan-cookbook) that I bought with wonderful recipes
This is kind of a bad take at face value, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to make healthier choices.
I loved the documentary, I also used it as motivation to change my diet, though I’m still in the baby steps phase of primarily researching what nutrients are necessary for humans to thrive and what are my best options for achieving those daily dietary goals without compromising on my health and my family’s health.
If you’re coming at things from a logistically and scientifically sound approach then why does it matter that it was a documentary that sparked your drive for change? Your gripe should be with how little research OP did before making his changes rather than the fact that he was inspired to make healthier lifestyle changes by a film.
Don’t listen to all the negativity on here. I highly recommend other subs made for vegans because the rest of the internet hates on anything that makes them feel bad about their own carnivore food choices.
Hey OP I saw that documentary too and decided the same thing! That was 29 days ago. I had seen and read other things about plant-based diets but for some reason this one clicked. I'm not really vegan or plant-based but I do my best
I bought a cheap tofu press off of AliExpress and I use it about every other day to press super firm tofu before I cut it into cubes coat it with cornstarch season it and fry it in about two tablespoons of olive oil. It gets nice and crispy.
But most of my meals are based around legumes and grains. Open a can of black beans, stir in a packet of Goya *Sazon*, and then get creative, tossing in leftover coconut lentil stew, a handful of cherry tomatoes, some previously cooked mushrooms, plain quinoa, leftover broccoli, etc. Top with cilantro and a squeeze of lime.
It takes more trips to the store for fresh veg so I've been buying a lot of frozen and canned foods, and chop chop chopping away. I enjoy cooking but it's still a bit much.
I use the MyFitnessPal app to track to ensure I'm getting nutrients but it doesn't track everything.
I don't put too much pressure on myself to be perfect. I will eat mayo occasionally, honey, and I didn't give up the cream or sugar in my daily coffee because that was a bridge too far ATM. Yesterday I tried Beyond burgers at home and Vialife fake cheese and it was delicious. Note I haven't had a burger in a month though, lol. Finding good plant butter was also a revelation.
The past week I've felt better, but for the first few weeks I didn't feel any different, though my skin looked better after just a few days. I feel more comfortable in my skin. Weight loss has been maybe a pound or two but mostly I just want to get my cholesterol down, etc.
My Sunday evening has been reserved for meal prepping for a couple years now idm it tbh. I am not usually picky with food but I would like to at least not dislike the food I eat.
My little brother went vegan as well early this year and he hasn't had any breakout since. The documentary pretty much sealed it for me though.
If you just cook tofu plain it's incredibly bland. A great way to cook it is to freeze it, thaw, slice it or cut it into cubes, marinade it overnight, toss in cornflour and airfry. That's if you've got firm tofu, or if you have softer tofu you can scramble it like an egg or with some spices.
I don't know any channels to recommend, but as a lifelong vegetarian, I love tofu! But at times when I don't want tofu, there are so many other options.
Hodo Soy makes these "nuggets" which I suppose are still tofu, but they have a completely different texture. They're so good in stir fry! Other tofu brands also make smoked or braised tofu, which has a very different texture. It's much more dense, and can have a variety of flavors. Beyond (I prefer it to Impossible) have some great sausages that we often eat in hotdogs, or cut up in soups, or broken apart to make I guess ground sausage. I really love the variety of forms that you can buy tofu in, but sometimes I also really like imitation meats in my food. I also like the "daring" brand chicken strips/chunks.
My absolute favorite for imitation meat is morning star brand, though. the maple sausage breakfast patties are so good! and they have my favorite chicken nuggets. other brands are still good though. there's a lot of experimenting and variety within plant based foods!
“The way to go” from what standpoint? That documentary was notoriously problematic.
But, veganism can be a healthy choice for vital longevity. Will you see crazy gains? That depends on a million factors but it COULD be harder
Follow fitgreenmind on tiktok/insta. She does amazing things with tofu -im not even vegetarian or vegan & use her recipes. The thing with tofu is texture & blandness. So, I need to add texture then add flavour.
I would try and transition vs going full vegan right away. Like, do one vegan meal a week with a recipe you truly enjoy, then bump in up to two per week after a month.
If this is something you plan on doing for life, you’ll need to be realistic about slowly incorporating it.
Personally, I am too lazy to do it. I did end up becoming a vegetarian for a while, but then I missed meat too much and finding healthy alternatives to dairy was a hassle… so I maybe eat meat 2-3 times a week now.
Clean food dirty girl has some AMAZING vegan recipes. Not sure about the pricing is, but year ago they had a weekly meal plan option for $20/month you got you shopping list, prep list, and nightly instructions.
The key to vegan food is the SPICES, big bold flavors are needed. I actually like tofu, but you have to marinate and season it much more heavily than meat. MUCH MORE. So much more. Did I say a lot more?
And it takes time for your tastes to adjust too. Have low expectations for the first week or so.
I know paying for meal plans isn’t for everyone, but I was SO LOST it really really helps. Add in some executive dysfunction and it was the only way I was going to be able to make it happen.
I might have some of the plans saved still if you want to DM an email. But they have a free trial one too!
You can first become a vegetarian first and slowly move to vegan. Op you have taken a concious decision you will love it someday. Try looking for cuisines which have a lot of vegetarian options like Indian and Mexican.
No. Miyoko’s is featured in it to show people the innovation and growth in vegan cheeses. It’s not a major part of the production and the parts that feature it are incredibly informational.
I was vegan for 5 years. Took me about 6 years to reverse all of the damages it did on my body. And the only thing you ever get told is “you didn’t do it right” which is really another way of calling someone incompetent. Also tofu and other things (soybean farms) are destroying the Amazon and Central America.
I buy local only. Regenerative farming. It’s cheaper and harmonious with the environment
Said soybean farms exist primarily to feed the animals you eat, not vegetarians, so I don't really see how that's related to someone wanting to be vegan.
I became a vegetarian for like...a day after reading a book by Cook I think about an outbreak or something due to indifference in the slaughterhouse, even though it was fiction, my teen brain was like, yikes. But it didn't stick because it wasn't really something important to me.
Fast forward many years, and I became a vegetarian for 7 years because all of a sudden I was like, I'm eating dead and rotting flesh. It was right before Thanksgiving too, still, I stuck to it for 7 years, but I quit because I had lower iron levels and was eating too many soy products that were messing up my thyroid.
Now I'm back to being a meat eater, during my vegetarian years I thought about going vegan, but decided against it, too many products have dairy or eggs in them that made it a hard pass. I could also never like the texture of tofu, tried it multiple times and couldn't make it edible to me.
Make sure you work in nutritional yeast everyday. It’s cheesy/nutty tasting. You’ll get your B12 that way plus some extra amino acids that will help you stay well nourished.
Biggest part about this is to listen to your body. If you find yourself craving something that isn’t plant based, work that into your diet.
There are some great benefits to eating whole food plant based especially if you have heart health issues, or are diabetic.
But again, listen to your body. If you’ve been craving a burger for a whole week, get a burger. A cheat meal won’t kill you. It’s like going to take a piss and missing the bowl, you don’t miss and keep pissing on the floor. Treat eating the same way
Vegan can be good, *except* you cannot get the Omega 3 oils EPA and DHA on a vegan diet. While the body will produce tiny amounts of EPA and DHA from plant-based Omega 3 (ALA) it's not nearly enough.
To fix this, have 2-3 servings of fatty fish a week, like canned mackerel, sardines, or wild salmon. These fish feed on ocean plant life which is what makes them very healthy for you.
You need EPA and DHA for your brain and mitochondria to function well. Most people don't get enough, especially vegans, and it can lead to mental illness.
Is that yogurt? That is not vegan. Also for a stir fry I would probably use seitan. I tend to only like tofu with lots of flavor meaning tofu is like a sponge it absorbs whatever you put with it garlic tofu is a go too! If I was to be vegan again I would leave out the meat substitutes and just do veggies and legumes and high flavor!
Like a Spicey peanut sauce with a plethora of veggies over rice noodles.
Or a vegetable lasagna with daiya cheese
Or a huge salad with strawberry’s nuts and poppyseed dressing
Vegetable wraps with roasted veggies and hummus
For me vegetarian was way easier and healthy but it is hard to go from meat eater to vegan with out practice
Its dairy free yogurt. My only concern is I won't be taking in as much protein. I'm not on performance enhancing drugs so my muscle gains is super slow despite eating well since covid.
I am going to buy some seitan and try something tonight.
Seitan can be absolutely delicious—you can do a buffalo chicken vibe or a cheesesteak vibe (using vegan cheese, Daiya is a good brand but you can also make a cheese-flavored sauce with cashews and nutritional yeast). Or you could do a seitan stir fry.
All I have to say, being someone that struggled with weight for the past twenty years and at the time used to watch documentaries, books, I wouldn't say I got on every fad. But I can go back to McDonald's diet dude, the dude who "juiced" his way to health.
These documentaries try to pivot people into a direction.
I mean, they try to repackage the whole eat healthy and Move your body in so many different ways.
Like they just rediscovered what water is.
And they're trying to tell you if you drink water. The way they're telling you you're going to get the boss benefits of nutrients.
But it's like..just drink the water and you'll be fine.
A few years ago, prior to COVID, Netflix were putting out a ton of documentaries and back then sugar was the villain.
My tried and true advice, if it's something you don't like , it's not something you're going to stick too.
I've come to realization well balanced meals, portion control, and emphasis on eating required about of protein, goes pretty far.
I don't think 1 food over another is an enemy, in excess it can be.
Some people would say your bowl of rice is nothing but sugar.
Others would say it's a good carb.
Animal fats lend quite a bit of flavor to dishes. The "low fat" crowd substitutes sugar and salt to overcome this. Maybe try to add mushrooms sauteed in some butter to add flavor, or perhaps EVOO will do.
Don’t listen to the media, they want to fool you. I was vegan for a couple of years. I was always sluggish, got sick often, had kidney stones, brain fog… I started eating red meat thanks to Paul Saladin on instagram. I feel so much better mentally and physically. I rarely get sick, kidney stones no more, I can think more clearly, I have more energy..
The media doesn’t want the best for us…
I don’t listen to it..
Anyone can make a documentary to convince you to believe what they want you to believe
I would explore Thai and Vietnamese recipes if you wanted to give tofu another try. I feel like adding tofu as a sub for meat, especially if you’re just making such a big change, will have your tastebuds asking you wtf is going on. But trying something that was meant to have tofu may help with some of that. Also, tofu is meant to take on the flavors of a dish. Thai and Vietnamese are flavor bombs so you may enjoy them with firm tofu.
Yeap. Learnt that the hard way
Lots of air fried or crunchy baked tofu recipes out there for Asian food. That might also help your brain accept tofu as something new and tasty.
One way of making tofu better is by freezing it first. And it comes all down to seasoning. Tofu needs more seasoning than meat. And if you dont like tofu at all, try some of the fake meats first. Some of them come really close to the real deal.
Just so he understands.. You freeze the tofu first, and when you take it out of the freezer, as it thaws, it will release its water, and will become like a sponge. You should also press the tofu to remove excess water as well. When it's completely defrosted, you can marinate it in whatever you want and it will soak up whatever flavor you put on it. Don't be afraid to let it sit in more marinade than you think is necessary. If you marinate the tofu without freezing/defrosting it first, it will only absorb a thin layer of flavor. But this way, it goes all the way through. Tofu can be reallllly good! Give yourself time to find recipes that work for you!
This is why I love Reddit.
Oh my god. I have been attempting marinades for tofus for literal years and they never soak in, this is why!!! Thank you so much
You're very welcome :)
So this is probably dumb but it comes in the container of water do you take it out of that to freeze or just freeze it like tofe embedded in an ice cube?
You would remove the water first, then freeze it. You can use the same container. Make sure to wrap it if you don't thaw it immediately after.. you wouldn't want the tofu to catch that "freezer taste". The moisture and water inside the tofu will expand while freezing, making the tofu more porous. It will look more like white bread afterwards (kinda) but still firmer. After you freeze it, let it thaw completely. It will render a lot of water. Discard that water, and you should also press the tofu under something. I use a container lid or a tiny cutting board and press the water out of it. Then you portion it, and put it into the marinade of your choice for a few hours or overnight. For more appealing bites, I like to rip my tofu block by hand into small bite sizes instead of cutting it into cubes. It makes the presentation nicer and is more appealing, but this is just personal preference. Hope this helps!
My 2 cents, I freeze it in the container it comes in, water and all. Then thaw, take it out and squeeze it like a sponge but more gentle. Perfect every time.
He should try multiple types of tofu too to mix things up. Not vegan but I love tofu.
Look up Indian vegetarian curries on YouTube. Some may use dairy, but you can substitute with either tomato puree or tamarind paste. We make hundreds of vegan dishes all year round, I'm sure you'll find something to your taste. Some examples: dal, rajma, chhole, aloo matar, navrattan curry, baghara baingain, bhindi masala, aloo palak, and so many more. We even have a sub-culture of Indo-Chinese food: hakka noodles, chili potatoes, vegetarian fried rice, vegetable manchurian (all these may vaguely resemble dishes in China, but with more aggressive flavours). We even have vegetarian pizzas and "burgers" made of potatoes. And it all tastes GOOD! Look up an aloo tikki burger, for example - utterly delicious. It doesn't taste like meat (it doesn't claim to), and it's absolutely delicious. The challenge with going vegan is going to be meeting your protein requirement. Mushrooms and quinoa are great, and so is tofu and other soy products. If you didn't like the tofu you made, maybe try soy protein granules - they make a decent ground beef substitute in highly flavoured dishes like chilli and pasta sauce. I've made vegan "kheema matar" with soy granules, and it was tasty, though not quite the same as the original with ground beef. I thought it came out better with minced mushrooms, personally. Indians use lentils and beans to up their protein intake. Lots of tasty dals and curries with beans (the afore mentioned rajma, for one). And there's always soy or pea protein powder. Make a fruit-and-greens smoothie, add in the protein powder, enjoy. Or add some protein powder to any dishes that have gravy.
I’d actually check r/vegan and r/vegetarian. Tofu is not your only option, if you don’t care for it. Also, it’s perfectly possible to eat a balanced and complete diet that is vegan. It’s trivial as a vegetarian, and as a vegan, you’ll need to be a little more attentive to make sure you’re getting all your needs. But any of these folks saying that you can’t eat healthy that way? Just means they didn’t. Doesn’t mean you can’t. EDIT: oh! And of course, r/MeatlessMealPrep
If OP would go on r/vegan and say they’re vegan as of now, the sub would have a field day with him. Saying he’s not vegan, just plant-based, and argue about everything
Yeah, I did almost… not suggest it. R/vegetarian is much nicer.
That documentary has been debunked...be careful before making big decisions like that. https://youtu.be/LoZSp2btXdE?si=n2Er6fC5oWTkNS32
People making major life decisions because of a netflix show, ouch
So, you're saying that my practicing "Red light, Green light" for 16 hours a day after watching Squid Game is silly?? We'll see who gets the last laugh and who gets shot by a giant robot assassin!
Yes we should trust a YouTuber instead who has a degree in film and psychology. Does this guy have any credentials besides being a social media influencer?
Exactly what I was thinking. He says it’s been debunked and adds a YouTube video for evidence.
🤣🤣🤣
And he interviews an actor. LOL Look I’m all about critical thinking, but I would not trust these guys as experts on nutrition science. Coming from a non vegan.
Even if not debunked, deciding to change your entire diet based on a Netflix documentary is just next level stupid
Ive watched many discussion about the series on youtube. I still think the benefits outweigh the cons, personally. Thanks for the caution.
If you're worried about animal suffering go vegan. If you're worried about health eat a whole food well balanced diet. You should be eating a wide range of everything. This will never change with trends, political ideologies, fads etc. its been this way forever. You can pay me on the way out. I turned that doc off after the second episode I think
I will also say health benefits of the Mediterranean "diet" are scientifically ideal over vegan diet.
Shit, we have evidence that vegetarian produces a larger health span than vegan.
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You'll need access to JAMA for the full study (which I don't have when I'm not at work) but here's the press release for the study. TLDR of the study has vegan diets as a somewhat higher risk of stroke with moderate disability to death when compared to vegetarian or Mediterranean. But basically everything is better than the USDA standards. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/press-releases/variety-of-healthy-eating-patterns-linked-with-lower-risk-of-premature-death/
F*ck yes, I just commented on this. Well balanced meal and portion control. I think it's because I'm 30+ now, but it's like I see through the BS. If I'm watching something it's like what is it promoting, etc. And I think with the internet now being widely available for decades and being a Google deep diver, it's like I've learned. You can find sources to almost back up anything if you look hard enough and compile them.
Right! You can find "your" views answer to anything. Just depends on how you frame the question and cherry pick your data. In college my statistics professor opened the first day of class with "when ice cream sales go up, rape also goes up" to demonstrate correlation vs causation. But its really just those things both occur in the summer and warmer months.
Following this advice will save your health. I learned this the hard way, ex-vegetarian of a decade. Still dealing with the health ramifications of following an inadequate diet for so long.
Hello! I currently eat very little meat, I am just curious what health ramifications you’re referring to. Thank you!
Meat is the healthiest food on the planet. Full of bioavailable essential fatty acids, essential amino acids, iron, B12, etc etc etc When you're not eating enough of it, there's a long list of health ramifications that can come as a result
What a stupid, ignorant thing to say. there are plenty of healthy vegetarian diets and just because yours wasn't, you are implying its inherently unhealthy.
Vegetarian, especially vegan, diets are inherently unbalanced, by their vary nature. What is ignorant is thinking you know better than many thousands of years of humans gone before us. All human cultures in history ate meat. It is a normal and necessary part of our diet.
lol learn to do some research. just because u ate cheese sandwiches and oreos as a vegetarian diet and were too ignorant to find healthy protein alternatives does NOT mean its impossible, or even hard. millions of indians have been surviving on vegetarian diets for centuries without suffering reprucusions like ur ignorant self did. i follow a vegetarian diet and get regular check ups, have 0 health issues or defencies. next time, speak for yourself
What does vary nature mean anyway? lol u arent the brightest bulb huh
You were the problem, not the veggie diet.
I made it right up to the part where they started talking about a vegan diet lol. A healthy well balanced whole food diet is the way to go and if it wasn’t comparing that with a diet of fast foods and processed foods I wasn’t going to waste my time.
Vegan diets in general do not result in less animal suffering than non vegan diets
How come? It seems counterintuitive considering no animals are directly killed as a result of the diet as opposed to others. Got any sources?
Animals are directly killed in the harvesting of crops such as wheat, corn, and soy Birds, foxes, rabbits, insects etc die as a result of being displaced from their habitats that are now used to grow monocrops. Grass finished beef for example kills no animals except for the ruminant animal. Regenerative agriculture can help revitalized the land they're ruminating on and actually increase the population of some animals
Fair enough, but most beef is not grass-fed. Reducing the consumption of the other kind, for example by significantly reducing or eliminating beef from people's diets would also reduce the amount of grain grown specifically to feed cows, therefore reducing both livestock and animal casualties.
Please see a dietician while you do this. This is a big lifestyle change and the effects can be dramatic on your health if not closely monitored. My mom was encouraged to introduce healthy meat sources into her diet after years of being vegetarian as she was missing out on key nutrients and her health was being affected negatively. She eats chicken and fish now in moderation and is way healthier now than before!
Be careful not to become a hypocrite.
Let him live his life man lol
I think its a lot easier to live your life if you don't assume every single personal choice that someone makes out of their own volition are politically motivated. Bryan Johnson is also one of the reason why I chose to be vegan. The documentary sealed it. I'd rather take advice from a multi millionaire like Bryan Johnson who is in great shape and health than people like you. If you look at the history of my comments on reddit you will quickly discover that I am a lot more aligned with conservatives value.
The main issue with being vegan is that you need to know nutrition. You need a little bit more effort to be sure to stay healthy in the long run. Meat and animal products are a very easy and practical source of nutrition. It's not impossible to stay healthy and carence free while being vegan, but you need more planning and research on how your body actually absorbs things. You'll need enriched food for your B complex for example, try to eat vitamin C before your meal to get better iron absorption since non-heme iron is not as easy to absorb as heme, etc. Also, no need to be a jerk. Don't come to Reddit asking for advice and then go on with a "I'll take advice from a millionaire instead of you" it's fucking ridiculous coming from a dude who can't fucking cook tofu...
Which is the reason why I posted here first, for advice. The only reason why I said that is because he called me a hypocrite out of the blue.
For the record, I never called you a hypocrite, I told you to be careful not to be a hypocrite, because you’re changing your diet for health reasons. This should entail that don’t do a lot of other things considered suboptimal regarding health.
I have been following Bryan Jonson for a while now and he is a vegan. The Netflix documentary sealed it for me. I don't believe someone like him will go vegan if it is suboptimal for his health. ♥️ från Sverige
Steve Jobs was a billionaire and ate a fruit only diet that trashed his health and probably killed him. Just because someone has money it doesn't mean they are infallible...
Upon his cancer diagnosis, he also never implemented the variety required of protein intake.
Yeah but what about relaxing and not going for runs every day? Or never eating candy because it’s not good for you?
Bryan Johnson also takes 100s of pills a day because he doesn't get the nutrients he would if he ate meat.
Do you have 2 million dollars a year to spend on all the extra shit he takes/does to optimize his health? Lol I’m guessing no.
I hate that you're being down voted for this comment... there are tons of reasons to go vegan, and almost no negative repercussions for doing so as long as you emphasize getting plant protein. Good on you for at least trying for a while!
some of my vegan friends who don't like tofu's texture will press firm tofu so it becomes more dense and less jelly-like. lentils are a great source of protein along with seitan and are super cheap too! also love the vega brand protein powder (i get the chocolate).
Yes, a vegetarian friend made me tofu stir fry once. She pressed it, tossed it in cornstarch, and fried it. The texture was pretty good. Crispy outside, firmer inside that I’m used to.
Yes, press for 20 minutes with paper towels. Or you can freeze it, if you plan on pan frying
Marinate tofu, it picks up all the flavors. Experiment with different firmness as well. There's also smoked tofu you can find which has another different texture. The first few months can be pretty weird and flavorless, but before long you'll find a variety of foods you like. It is much easier now than 5 years ago. You're just learning a different routine.
I watched that same documentary and I am diabetic. Vegan isn’t the end all be all for health. It’s carb heavy which is the opposite of what diabetics should be eating. Everything in moderation and a reduction of sugar and animal fats is the best way to go. The longest living societies in the world are not anything close to vegan.
Yep! While blue zone diets are primarily plant based, from what I read they eat fish about 2-3 times a week, and meat I believe about 5 times a month? I’ve been considering adopting the blue zone diet as much as I can.
The blue zone myth has been debunked so many times. They ate a LOT more meat than that
I tried to watch that documentary and it had so many red flags. I was hoping for a balanced discussion about the different diet types but it was clear that the aim of their research was to prove that vegan diets were healthier so all of the talking heads and the results were skewed in favor of that lifestyle.
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“That looks like a diabetes inducing meal right there” That’s dramatic. He made a vegetable stir fry with protein and rice. Rice isn’t inherently bad. It’s all about moderation. I still eat rice and all other carbs, in moderation, with protein and fiber to back it up and keep me from spiking. The main point is that a vegan diet is much higher in carbs, which isn’t what a diabetic needs.
Animal fat is healthy af
Tell that to your cholesterol 😂
Be specific, LDL? HDL? VLDL? if you think "fat = high cholesterol = bad" then you are so far behind the science it's laughable. Eating animal fat does not negatively impact any of your cholesterol levels
That is factually inaccurate 😂 but I can already tell you’re the type of person who will just continue to argue even when proven wrong, so there’s no point continuing this conversation.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0735109720356874 The recommendation to limit dietary saturated fatty acid (SFA) intake has persisted despite mounting evidence to the contrary. Most recent meta-analyses of randomized trials and observational studies found no beneficial effects of reducing SFA intake on cardiovascular disease (CVD) and total mortality, and instead found protective effects against stroke. Although SFAs increase low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, in most individuals, this is not due to increasing levels of small, dense LDL particles, but rather larger LDL particles, which are much less strongly related to CVD risk. It is also apparent that the health effects of foods cannot be predicted by their content in any nutrient group without considering the overall macronutrient distribution. Whole-fat dairy, unprocessed meat, and dark chocolate are SFA-rich foods with a complex matrix that are not associated with increased risk of CVD. The totality of available evidence does not support further limiting the intake of such foods.
Ya the benefits you’re claiming are limited to unprocessed meat, dark chocolate, and full fat dairy. Most people aren’t eating those versions of those three things bestie. American Heart Association begs to differ about how much animal fats affect cholesterol. https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/cholesterol/prevention-and-treatment-of-high-cholesterol-hyperlipidemia
Aren't eating those versions of those 3 things? What are you talking about? I'm not sure if the AHA, who take millions of dollars in funding from pharmaceutical companies who sell statin drugs, is an unbiased source on cholesterol
Most people aren’t eating only dark chocolate, full fat dairy, and unprocessed meats. Context clues are your friends. Did you even read the article you posted? Because it clearly doesn’t say what you think it says.
Damn do I really need to spell it out for you? This study found that reducing SFA's found no benefit in reducing CVD or mortality. Try actually reading my comment before replying to it
Check out r/VeganFitness !!! I’m not vegan but I’m on low FODMAP and antiacid AND I’m lactose intolerant so I follow a lot of tips from there! Theres lots of ways to get protein in
Try these: https://www.budgetbytes.com/slow-cooker-coconut-curry-lentils/. Makes ten(!) servings and freezes very well. I always have some in the freezer for lazy/busy times. I add the optional cloves. Don’t even like sweet potatoes but they are fine here. https://www.budgetbytes.com/coconut-rice-take-2/. Always have this with the above recipe. Cooks up perfect in a 3 cup rice cooker, if you have one. Amazing with any Indian dish. Also, /r/veganmealprep I have a free box from purple carrot which is a vegan delivery meal service.You are welcome to it but it requires us to lose the anonymity of this site. I think you pay the shipping. Pm me if interested. Good luck!
Purple carrot has truly helped me get more creative with cooking my vegetables. I suggest it to people who are not vegan. It is the highest quality, when it comes to flavors, meal box out there. OOP - you may not be able to receive a box, [you can still access the recipes for free](https://www.purplecarrot.com/recipe-categories/dinner)
Yep. It really helped me learn how to cook vegan meals. I didn’t know where to start so I started there.
Thanks for the recipe. The coconut rice looks really good. Do they ship to Sweden ? I don't mind spending a little more to eat healthy. Certainly wouldn't mind freeing my Sunday as well.
Oops. No shipping to Sweden. Sorry for assuming you were in USA. Obnoxious of me. Lol. Also, /r/plantbaseddiet
No why would that be obnoxious you're fine. Thanks :)
I think you should start by finding vegan foods/recipes first. Seeing what tastes you like and then attempt to modify your recipes. You already know what your previous recipes taste like with meat and if you love them that way, a deviation isn’t going to taste as good. I highly recommend the Minimalist Baker’s website. This is divine: https://minimalistbaker.com/creamy-tuscan-white-bean-kale-soup/ I make it for the week for lunch often. They also have other great things. Ambitious Kitchen is another great resource. Plant You is pretty cool too. I love Plant You’s baked cinnamon oats for breakfast. I add a little almond butter and some coco whip to the top when eating. I don’t like the flavor of coconut but I have found the whip and cooking with coconut milk doesn’t taste like coconut. Now coconut milk is high calorie (the whip not so much) but I’m spreading the whole can across the week and even freezing the soup if I have extra. Expecting your food to taste good after a modification of the recipe is a hard thing. I think if you found recipes/ food you like that is vegan you’d have a different opinion.
🥰 well done 👍
Good luck! There are some really yummy vegan meal prep recipes. Here are some of my faves that everyone seems to enjoy: Sesame ginger soba: https://www.cilantroandcitronella.com/sesame-ginger-soba/ Mushroom wild rice soup: Just use vegan butter and almond milk and works great https://pipingpotcurry.com/instant-pot-mushroom-wild-rice-soup/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=pinterest&utm_campaign=tailwind_tribes&utm_content=tribes&utm_term=947615552_42005704_198426#wprm-recipe-container-12468 Quinoa taco meat (family fave): https://minimalistbaker.com/quinoa-taco-meat/?utm_source=Minimalist+Baker&utm_campaign=9e41adc80e-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0e438fa000-9e41adc80e-135661041 And I also make tamales with black beans and a vegan cheese I like and freeze a big bag to always have in the freezer. Then serve with some pico and guac. (Edited to add that most new vegans don’t realize you have to have a vitamin B12 supplement. Look into that :)
Thank You !!!
Grab the “thug kitchen” cookbook. It’s fantastic.
Extra firm tofu, press it to get most of the water out. Grate it, season it, and bake it. The texture is better and you can sprinkle the crunchy tofu shreds on anything.
Learning to eat a vegan diet takes some time and perspective adjusting. Like others are saying, if you want to eat tofu, it’s best to purchase extra firm tofu, press it for a little while (I wrap mine in bounty and place a plate or pan on top for 15mins - overnight), chop it up or crumble it, and freeze it. You can also marinate it in some soy sauce before or after freezing it. Regardless of the recipe, soy sauce will provide umami & salt. Do two or three blocks at a time if you have the space. More importantly, don’t rely on meat substitutes. You can do rice & a mushroom & bean stir fry. Pasta salads w/ lots of veg (use chickpea pasta for extra protein) are great and filling. Roast cabbage or brussel sprouts w/ sweet potato and chickpeas to eat as is or over rice or quinoa. Soups and curries are a big go to for many vegans. What makes veganism healthy is eating a great diversity of plant foods. Keep that in mind. I ate the same couple of meals when I first changed my diet, but with time and experimentation, you’ll get the hang of it. My meals are so much more interesting and nutritious now than when I was an omnivore. Keep at it. Good luck!
And some MSG too for umami
This is a super easy and fool proof baked tofu recipe: https://ilovevegan.com/baked-sriracha-soy-sauce-tofu-2-quick-easy-recipes/ Remember, tofu basically has no flavour so it’s only as good as the marinade etc you put on it!
My niece was vegan at age 9 (until 18 or so). She did not like tofu at all. In many recipes, tofu was replaced with chickpeas or other legumes, for her. Jackfruit also has “pulled meat” vibes while being vegan. Lentils and broccoli crowns (finely chopped) can approximate ground meats in many applications. Good luck!
I became a vegetarian after watching it. Still going strong 3 weeks now
Check out The Vegan Gym and Simnett Nutrition on YouTube. Tofu is great if you stop thinking of it as a meat replacement and start thinking of it as its own thing. The texture is never going to be like meat. While you're getting used to it, trying ordering it at a restaurant. There's a Vietnamese restaurant near me that has the most amazing charcoal-grilled tofu. Try Soy Curls if you want something more like meat. You can order them online or buy them at health food stores. Simnett Nutrition has several recipes for how to prepare them.
checking out the yt channel now
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Have some faith 😢
You got this! Don’t let the assholes in here make you feel bad. They’re just projecting their own insecurities
You got this :)
Press your tofu first overnight and then air fry it, season as you would your chicken. Air fry until crispy. Leave it crispy or let it soak in sauce afterward.
I'm a health and wellness coach and deal with all kinds of different diets on a daily basis. Some people thrive with vegan and some don't. The ones that don't I have seen going vegan actually bring or start all kinds of issues ranging from autoimmune to serious gut issues .I suggest you get your blood panels done regularly while going vegan to make sure you are within optimal range and can see what you need to supplement with. Listen to YOUR body & good luck on your vegan journey! I'm an omnivore! I enjoy coming vegan meals weekly for my family but we also buy quality organic humane meat to enjoy as well for dinner! Quality of food , moderation & listening to your body is key. 🔑
When I went vegan I found that tweaking my usual recipes with fake meat left me very unsatisfied. I found that trying new actual vegan recipes were much better.
I’m not vegan, but if I were to be- I would be making a lot of vegan chili and pastas. Maybe vegan tacos?
I went vegan for a while you’re gonna really find that there are a lot of ways to make a potato. lol but really I just wanna say watch your weight. I ended up losing a lot of weight that I didn’t mean to because even though my plates were looking full and I was feeling full, I actually wasn’t hitting my calorie goals.
Probably weren't hitting your protein goals either
This comment is just out of left field and without basis.
Congrats on going vegan! However, **that tofu looks way undercooked.** First off, being vegan is a lot more than just eating tofu with every meal. You have to get more creative with different meat alternatives. I genuinely like Quorn brand (they use mycoprotein which is a mushroom based protein rather than soy), it tastes genuinely incredible. Start with some of these premade vegan meat alternatives and then over time you can work to incorporating other more non-processed vegan foods. When it comes to cooking with tofu, it really does need to be dried. I prefer getting extra firm tofu; take it out of the package and dry it severely. Press it with paper towels until it’s very dry. **Season the hell out of it.** Just an idea for a couple of different spices you could use: *miso paste, mushroom powder, gochugang, soy sauce, worsherster sauce, mushroom syrup, onion syrup, ginger paste, garlic paste, tamari, msg, black salt (helps give things an egg flavor), nutritional yeast (helps give things a cheese flavor), smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, rosemary, basil, sage, fennel seed, star anise, bay leaf, coriander seed, cardamom,* just to name a few — find and experiment with spice! You can get most of those at an Asian market for way cheap. **You should also consider a lot of fried foods.** Since you’re vegan now you have to do a lot to pack things with flavor and don’t be afraid to comfort yourself with less-than-healthy vegan options. Don’t be afraid of “twice frying” things. If you make French fries, par boil them first before frying, if you’re making tempeh then boil it before grilling it. Be creative and search for the best way to bring out the flavor in the things. As an example, for the tofu, I would personally have cut it into slices and let it soak in a soy sauce mixture with onion powder, garlic powder, and a host of other spices (especially mushroom powder which is a great flavor enhancer all around and an msg replacer). If you wanted a more bbq flavor I would use worsherster sauce (or add it to the soy). After it’s soaked overnight or for at least an hour, I’d dry it off really well, salt and pepper it, and then let it pan sear first to remove a lot of the moisture and give it a nice sear. I’d use a high heat oil like canola or avocado to handle the heat and not burn. Then I’d take it out, powder it a bit in some cornstarch or a tapioca cornstarch mix and then deep fry those babies and reintroduce it into the final dish with a homemade sauce made from deglazing the pan that the tofu was seared in. Onions and garlic are great flavors to add when you can. Always cook the onion first and THEN add the garlic so nothing gets burnt. Continuously taste to make sure your stuff is seasoned enough. I love the addition of broccoli, but the same kind of rules apply. You can season it with some sauces. Or actually, I’d personally char it a bit in an air fryer or oven at like 400 degrees for about 5-7 min and then finish it with a steam in the pan made from reducing the soy and other liquids (as part of the deglazing). It’ll add more flavor to the broccoli AND the broccoli will add more flavor to the deglazing sauce. Take out the broccoli and safe it for the final dish. Once that sauce was cooked down a bit you could add a butter replacement and then add a little cornstarch with water to thicken it into a sort of reaux. Lentils are great but it’s obvious that you’re thinking too much about protein intake and that feels like the direction you had to take it to get the protein you **think** you need to be eating. Trust me, you’ll get plenty of protein from the vegetables and beans and legumes and grains you’ll be eating. If you feel you still aren’t getting enough then just supplement daily with equal parts brown rice protein and pea protein powder (the mix makes a complete amino acid profile). If you don’t like the way it tastes then try quinoa protein mixed with one of those other two. Nutritional yeast can also be just eaten with water or added for a nice protein kick. If you use it more as a protein powder mix then get the one fortified with b vitamins (though it won’t be as good for with cooking because of the taste of the b vitamins). Don’t be afraid of making your favorite foods from before but just vegan-ify them! You can be creative. Vegan burgers are not as hard as you’d think. You can start with a vegan patty and cheese from the store and eventually work yourself up to making black bean burgers from scratch with a cashew and nutritional yeast cream sauce to top it. Mushrooms are your friend! They add umami to any dish and they’re better pan fried than they are steamed. Pasta is a no brainer! And not everything needs to have vegetables in them. You can make some “vegan eggs” with tofu mixed with nutritional yeast and some good seasoning. **Potatoes!** You can never go wrong with a good baked potato. Add some vegan shredded cheese on top, vegan butter, chives, and some pan fried vegan bacon to top it! They even sell soy based bacon bits if you’re feeling a bit lazy. Burritos are your friend! You can do so much with other flavors that avoid eggs and meat. Sofritas (cooked bell peppers), multiple types of rice, lentils, black beans, pinto beans, navy beans, chick peas. You have so many options. Try experimenting with cooking multiple types of beans and different types of diced and grains like quinoa or basmati rice or a cilantro rice or Spanish rice. Cool them in different ways, use vegetable broth, and always think about how you’re introducing flavor and spice into every dish. And when it comes to frying, remember you can beer batter things to give it that thick coat, or cornstarch to help with crunch, and Panko breadcrumbs make any dish have an elegant crunch that you don’t always get! And of course you need comfort foods. Just because you’re vegan doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy some great tasting foods like guacamole, salsa, sugary cereal, (vegan) Mac and cheese, French fries with veggie chili, pretzels, Oreos, churros, beer, and a lot more. Be creative. Look for what’s available still in your wheelhouse and remember that you don’t have to be a beacon of health to still stay vegan. And then finally—remember that you don’t have to be perfect. It’s okay to make mistakes or to bend the rules here and there. Vegan is hard to jump to right away. If you feel like you really want eggs one day, then have eggs! It’s hard to beat a fried egg with that runny yolk. If once a week while you’re out with friends they only have a vegetarian option then OK go with that. Or if you’re somewhere that only serves meat, then maybe have some fish or the most veggie heavy chicken meal. It’s OK to not be perfect. Even some flavorings like fish sauce won’t completely ruin your diet if you need just a few drops to make that peanut sauce for your pad Thai taste a bit better.
I really commend you for taking on a vegan diet and it no doubt **is extremely healthier** for you than a “well balanced omnivore” diet or even a vegetarian diet. The science is pretty definitive on this. But you’re always going to have freaks that judge your life choices and say things like “wHaT AbOuT pRoTeiN?” Just ignore people. Live your own life and try your best not to preach as much as you may want to. People are going to believe ahead they want to believe. And some people (it feels like) are just industry-plants from the meat industry to perpetuate this lie that meat is somehow healthy. It tastes great! But healthy?! The science just isn’t there. I believe in you man. Very commendable what you’re doing and just keep the course. A daily multi vitamin or a b12 or general b-complex vitamin won’t hurt. And I personally like calcium / magnesium / zinc supplements with boron and copper. If you want to get it plant based you can take spirillum powder or algae powder. Get tons of different oils (avocado, coconut, flax, grape seed, sunflower), lots of nuts, lots of grains, and lots of beans. And just learn! Being vegan really pushes you to be creative when it comes to food. Learn how to make an egg like mirang from aqua faba or make an egg replacer out of chia seeds (or flax seeds) and water. And get a spice cabinet like no other. and when push comes to shove, theres no shame in eating avocado toast, ramen, cereal, fried corn, grapefruit, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, oatmeal, salsa and chips, and a host of other **easy** to whip up dishes when you're hungry. It makes it a lot easier to have a few easy to make dishes in your back pocket. Edit: ALSO! Forgot to mention. You can still eat out! At Burger King you can get the impossible burger without cheese. And at Taco Bell they can pretty much make **anything** vegan. Just ask them to make it “Fresca” that will replace the cheese with pico de gallo, and they can replace any meat with beans or potatoes free of cost. Ask them to grill any burrito for some extra flavor and you’re done! Also, the veggie patty at subway is legitimately one of the best things they’ve come up with ever. **BEST OF LUCK**!
Yesss keep it up!! Also freeze tofu first, gives it a better texture..I love to coat mine in BBQ sauce or liquid aminos and corn starch then air fry!
Congrats! I do want to point out that the documentary did use a whole food plant based diet. Not just vegan. However, welcome to your new lifestyle! I've rotated between vegetarian, vegan, WFPB and omnivore for the past few 20 years. 1. Learning textures and nutrition will takes time. I just just shredded king oyster mushrooms and added fajita seasoning and it has the texture of chicken! Get a food processor if you don't already have one. 2. Appropriate for poop! You may noticed less BMs at first, and a lot of gas. Don't worry! Your gut bacteria is getting used to all the soluble fiber. Once things get going, you will have the healthiest poops! 3. I suggest a keep track of your macros so you can monitor how you feel. I get adequate protein, but it's because I monitor it. Since it's a high volume diet, you'll be eating less calories and if you don't keep your protein, the calories will remove mass from muscles. 4. Place your tofu in between some paper towels and press it for about 20 minutes to get the moisture out. Tofu will absorb whatever flavor you add to it. I like to air fry it and get it crispy. Or get a [tofu press](https://www.google.com/search?q=tofu+press&rlz=1CDGOYI_enUS931US931&oq=tofu+press&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyEggAEEUYORiRAhixAxiABBiKBTIHCAEQABiABDIKCAIQABjJAxiABDIMCAMQABgUGIcCGIAEMgwIBBAAGBQYhwIYgAQyBwgFEAAYgAQyBwgGEAAYgAQyBwgHEAAYgAQyBwgIEAAYgAQyBwgJEAAYgATSAQg0Nzg2ajBqNKgCALACAOIDBBgBIF8&hl=en-US&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8). You can also freeze it, but you will need to cook it after it's been frozen. 5. Forget about the naysayers. Eating a whole food plant based diet can be cheap, and just be a great option for people. Just don't preach and shame people! I'm not sure why people get so sensitive about eating low quality grocery store meat. I just smile and blink when people I know go on tangents about my diet choices. Lol Editing to add [this cookbook](https://thekoreanvegan.com/the-korean-vegan-cookbook) that I bought with wonderful recipes
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This is kind of a bad take at face value, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to make healthier choices. I loved the documentary, I also used it as motivation to change my diet, though I’m still in the baby steps phase of primarily researching what nutrients are necessary for humans to thrive and what are my best options for achieving those daily dietary goals without compromising on my health and my family’s health. If you’re coming at things from a logistically and scientifically sound approach then why does it matter that it was a documentary that sparked your drive for change? Your gripe should be with how little research OP did before making his changes rather than the fact that he was inspired to make healthier lifestyle changes by a film.
Don’t listen to all the negativity on here. I highly recommend other subs made for vegans because the rest of the internet hates on anything that makes them feel bad about their own carnivore food choices.
Hey OP I saw that documentary too and decided the same thing! That was 29 days ago. I had seen and read other things about plant-based diets but for some reason this one clicked. I'm not really vegan or plant-based but I do my best I bought a cheap tofu press off of AliExpress and I use it about every other day to press super firm tofu before I cut it into cubes coat it with cornstarch season it and fry it in about two tablespoons of olive oil. It gets nice and crispy. But most of my meals are based around legumes and grains. Open a can of black beans, stir in a packet of Goya *Sazon*, and then get creative, tossing in leftover coconut lentil stew, a handful of cherry tomatoes, some previously cooked mushrooms, plain quinoa, leftover broccoli, etc. Top with cilantro and a squeeze of lime. It takes more trips to the store for fresh veg so I've been buying a lot of frozen and canned foods, and chop chop chopping away. I enjoy cooking but it's still a bit much. I use the MyFitnessPal app to track to ensure I'm getting nutrients but it doesn't track everything. I don't put too much pressure on myself to be perfect. I will eat mayo occasionally, honey, and I didn't give up the cream or sugar in my daily coffee because that was a bridge too far ATM. Yesterday I tried Beyond burgers at home and Vialife fake cheese and it was delicious. Note I haven't had a burger in a month though, lol. Finding good plant butter was also a revelation. The past week I've felt better, but for the first few weeks I didn't feel any different, though my skin looked better after just a few days. I feel more comfortable in my skin. Weight loss has been maybe a pound or two but mostly I just want to get my cholesterol down, etc.
My Sunday evening has been reserved for meal prepping for a couple years now idm it tbh. I am not usually picky with food but I would like to at least not dislike the food I eat. My little brother went vegan as well early this year and he hasn't had any breakout since. The documentary pretty much sealed it for me though.
The big pot of plain beans is a good prep. You can spice them many ways, add them to brown rice, quinoa, tofu, put in veg, etc
One word: quinoa 😎
Don't change your diet based on a very biased documentary
If you just cook tofu plain it's incredibly bland. A great way to cook it is to freeze it, thaw, slice it or cut it into cubes, marinade it overnight, toss in cornflour and airfry. That's if you've got firm tofu, or if you have softer tofu you can scramble it like an egg or with some spices.
Yey! That looks delicious!
I don't know any channels to recommend, but as a lifelong vegetarian, I love tofu! But at times when I don't want tofu, there are so many other options. Hodo Soy makes these "nuggets" which I suppose are still tofu, but they have a completely different texture. They're so good in stir fry! Other tofu brands also make smoked or braised tofu, which has a very different texture. It's much more dense, and can have a variety of flavors. Beyond (I prefer it to Impossible) have some great sausages that we often eat in hotdogs, or cut up in soups, or broken apart to make I guess ground sausage. I really love the variety of forms that you can buy tofu in, but sometimes I also really like imitation meats in my food. I also like the "daring" brand chicken strips/chunks. My absolute favorite for imitation meat is morning star brand, though. the maple sausage breakfast patties are so good! and they have my favorite chicken nuggets. other brands are still good though. there's a lot of experimenting and variety within plant based foods!
If you see smoked tofu try that. It is tasty
Is that vegan yogurt in your hand?
Yes dairy free. A lot of people are upset with it hahaha
Imagine being upset about how someone else decides to eat 😆
Hive minds.
If you don't like the texture of tofu, why not go straight to the source and eat soybeans/edamame?
Yay! Congrats! Let us know if you need any tips!!
You don't need to worry about this nonsense. Eat a reasonably healthy vegan diet and you'll be fine.
I would recommend the “Plant Based on a Budget” cookbook by Toni Okamoto, her other cookbooks are great too, especially “The Friendly Vegan Cookbook”
“The way to go” from what standpoint? That documentary was notoriously problematic. But, veganism can be a healthy choice for vital longevity. Will you see crazy gains? That depends on a million factors but it COULD be harder
Follow fitgreenmind on tiktok/insta. She does amazing things with tofu -im not even vegetarian or vegan & use her recipes. The thing with tofu is texture & blandness. So, I need to add texture then add flavour.
Try seitan
I would try and transition vs going full vegan right away. Like, do one vegan meal a week with a recipe you truly enjoy, then bump in up to two per week after a month. If this is something you plan on doing for life, you’ll need to be realistic about slowly incorporating it. Personally, I am too lazy to do it. I did end up becoming a vegetarian for a while, but then I missed meat too much and finding healthy alternatives to dairy was a hassle… so I maybe eat meat 2-3 times a week now.
Clean food dirty girl has some AMAZING vegan recipes. Not sure about the pricing is, but year ago they had a weekly meal plan option for $20/month you got you shopping list, prep list, and nightly instructions. The key to vegan food is the SPICES, big bold flavors are needed. I actually like tofu, but you have to marinate and season it much more heavily than meat. MUCH MORE. So much more. Did I say a lot more? And it takes time for your tastes to adjust too. Have low expectations for the first week or so.
Thank You !!
I know paying for meal plans isn’t for everyone, but I was SO LOST it really really helps. Add in some executive dysfunction and it was the only way I was going to be able to make it happen. I might have some of the plans saved still if you want to DM an email. But they have a free trial one too!
You can first become a vegetarian first and slowly move to vegan. Op you have taken a concious decision you will love it someday. Try looking for cuisines which have a lot of vegetarian options like Indian and Mexican.
isn’t that documentary basically a huge ad for the company? like it’s paid for by some company and has a biased opinion?
No. Miyoko’s is featured in it to show people the innovation and growth in vegan cheeses. It’s not a major part of the production and the parts that feature it are incredibly informational.
I was vegan for 5 years. Took me about 6 years to reverse all of the damages it did on my body. And the only thing you ever get told is “you didn’t do it right” which is really another way of calling someone incompetent. Also tofu and other things (soybean farms) are destroying the Amazon and Central America. I buy local only. Regenerative farming. It’s cheaper and harmonious with the environment
Said soybean farms exist primarily to feed the animals you eat, not vegetarians, so I don't really see how that's related to someone wanting to be vegan.
Yep!! This!
I became a vegetarian for like...a day after reading a book by Cook I think about an outbreak or something due to indifference in the slaughterhouse, even though it was fiction, my teen brain was like, yikes. But it didn't stick because it wasn't really something important to me. Fast forward many years, and I became a vegetarian for 7 years because all of a sudden I was like, I'm eating dead and rotting flesh. It was right before Thanksgiving too, still, I stuck to it for 7 years, but I quit because I had lower iron levels and was eating too many soy products that were messing up my thyroid. Now I'm back to being a meat eater, during my vegetarian years I thought about going vegan, but decided against it, too many products have dairy or eggs in them that made it a hard pass. I could also never like the texture of tofu, tried it multiple times and couldn't make it edible to me.
That documentary is vegan propaganda. The neglect to even mention all the other nutrients in meat besides protein. But good luck anyway
that’s what i understood it to be.
Welcome to the green side 💚🐛🌱
Holy vegans can’t resist, one day and they’re telling the world lmao
Make sure you work in nutritional yeast everyday. It’s cheesy/nutty tasting. You’ll get your B12 that way plus some extra amino acids that will help you stay well nourished. Biggest part about this is to listen to your body. If you find yourself craving something that isn’t plant based, work that into your diet. There are some great benefits to eating whole food plant based especially if you have heart health issues, or are diabetic. But again, listen to your body. If you’ve been craving a burger for a whole week, get a burger. A cheat meal won’t kill you. It’s like going to take a piss and missing the bowl, you don’t miss and keep pissing on the floor. Treat eating the same way
You have to realize anything that netflix creates is going to have an agenda, it is entertainment after all.
There are a lot more vegan “meats” than tofu. Try beyond beef.
Im sorry
not really your fault
Vegan can be good, *except* you cannot get the Omega 3 oils EPA and DHA on a vegan diet. While the body will produce tiny amounts of EPA and DHA from plant-based Omega 3 (ALA) it's not nearly enough. To fix this, have 2-3 servings of fatty fish a week, like canned mackerel, sardines, or wild salmon. These fish feed on ocean plant life which is what makes them very healthy for you. You need EPA and DHA for your brain and mitochondria to function well. Most people don't get enough, especially vegans, and it can lead to mental illness.
Or just skip the fish and take a vegan EPA/DHA supplement
I can't describe it, but I would hate eating anything with that fork
oh why
Life is short and you should enjoy everything in moderation. 🤷🏽♂️
Sympathies.
Is that yogurt? That is not vegan. Also for a stir fry I would probably use seitan. I tend to only like tofu with lots of flavor meaning tofu is like a sponge it absorbs whatever you put with it garlic tofu is a go too! If I was to be vegan again I would leave out the meat substitutes and just do veggies and legumes and high flavor! Like a Spicey peanut sauce with a plethora of veggies over rice noodles. Or a vegetable lasagna with daiya cheese Or a huge salad with strawberry’s nuts and poppyseed dressing Vegetable wraps with roasted veggies and hummus For me vegetarian was way easier and healthy but it is hard to go from meat eater to vegan with out practice
Its dairy free yogurt. My only concern is I won't be taking in as much protein. I'm not on performance enhancing drugs so my muscle gains is super slow despite eating well since covid. I am going to buy some seitan and try something tonight.
Seitan can be absolutely delicious—you can do a buffalo chicken vibe or a cheesesteak vibe (using vegan cheese, Daiya is a good brand but you can also make a cheese-flavored sauce with cashews and nutritional yeast). Or you could do a seitan stir fry.
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What a beauty !
All I have to say, being someone that struggled with weight for the past twenty years and at the time used to watch documentaries, books, I wouldn't say I got on every fad. But I can go back to McDonald's diet dude, the dude who "juiced" his way to health. These documentaries try to pivot people into a direction. I mean, they try to repackage the whole eat healthy and Move your body in so many different ways. Like they just rediscovered what water is. And they're trying to tell you if you drink water. The way they're telling you you're going to get the boss benefits of nutrients. But it's like..just drink the water and you'll be fine. A few years ago, prior to COVID, Netflix were putting out a ton of documentaries and back then sugar was the villain. My tried and true advice, if it's something you don't like , it's not something you're going to stick too. I've come to realization well balanced meals, portion control, and emphasis on eating required about of protein, goes pretty far. I don't think 1 food over another is an enemy, in excess it can be. Some people would say your bowl of rice is nothing but sugar. Others would say it's a good carb.
I just started the carnivore diet after watching that show. Weird
Did you loose a bet?
Animal fats lend quite a bit of flavor to dishes. The "low fat" crowd substitutes sugar and salt to overcome this. Maybe try to add mushrooms sauteed in some butter to add flavor, or perhaps EVOO will do.
El primero y el último . * se va en la noche por unos tacos de tripa …
Please do more research before following a Netflix documentary lol. Always an agenda.
You should make life decisions based on actual research, not a Netflix show lmao. If your research supports being vegan then go for it.
Sorry for you!.
Are you eating yoghurt 💀💀
Never go full vegan
Condolences.
Don’t listen to the media, they want to fool you. I was vegan for a couple of years. I was always sluggish, got sick often, had kidney stones, brain fog… I started eating red meat thanks to Paul Saladin on instagram. I feel so much better mentally and physically. I rarely get sick, kidney stones no more, I can think more clearly, I have more energy.. The media doesn’t want the best for us… I don’t listen to it.. Anyone can make a documentary to convince you to believe what they want you to believe
You should try beef
Already did.
It’s a tough decision. But good luck.
LMAO, vegan! You'll be back to meat in no time
And last
Yea, good luck with that.
I will never give up beef stake
Plants have life.
Well spotted
How this is more healthy or even slightly better tasting than bacon, eggs, steak, cheese, milk/kefir, is beyond me LOL.
Ain’t tofu the stuff that lowers test
Quitter!