Folks at r/vcj have convinced me, read title. From what I understand I should also be looking into taking B-12 supplements, any other important nutrient supplement/whatever that I should be aware of?
Sorry if this is a redundant question but I couldn't easily find a thread about this, feel free to link to another thread if this has been discussed (probably has).
Feel free to repost onto !food@hexbear.net
https://hexbear.net/post/89775
https://hexbear.net/post/38275
https://hexbear.net/post/72198
https://hexbear.net/post/68371
https://hexbear.net/post/66134
https://hexbear.net/post/64714
https://hexbear.net/post/52766
Good luck
One last thing, don’t investigate too hard where your guilty pleasure food comes from. Nothing’s more annoying than a “helpful” friend pointing out your treat actually contains animal byproducts.
I'm very confused by this logic. This is literally willful ignorance and I don't think we should encourage that.
I honestly just google vegan recipes and look for something I want to make/eat. Sometimes it’ll lead me to a website with a variety of recipes and I end up browsing. Also there’s lots of recipe books, and most libraries will have a vegan/vegetarian cookbooks section.
You might just look up guides on getting familiar with the usual vegan “replacements” so you get an idea of how to cook with tofu, seitan, tempeh, etc. I personally have had good luck with Tofutti cream cheese and sour cream, and I like Hellman’s vegan mayo, but it depends on what stores carry near you. If the price isn’t too high, just try different things and see what you like. Aldi’s also carries a surprising number of meatless options, if you want to save money. I like the soy burgers they carry.
Congratulations on the change, welcome comrade.
I personally wouldn't worry too much about B12 if you regularly eat foods high in B12. Things like nooch, Marmite/vegemite, or any plant milks. I think 2 cups of commercial plant milk each day meets the requirement for B12.
Find a way to veganize the meals you eat regularly now. I found this easier than discovering and making and trying a bunch of new recipes, since I am lazy.
Good luck, we love you, you're very special
I think 2 cups of commercial plant milk each day meets the requirement for B12.
Where I live (Italy), none of the vegetable milks you find in stores are B12-fortified. You have to go to some of the food stores who sell fortified vegetable milk. This is also the case for nooch, as far as I know it's not a source of B12 "by default" like marmite/vegemite/shiitake mushrooms, you have to make sure you're buying the fortified version
I personally take a B12 pill every day so I just don't have to make sure I'm getting enough B12. Where I live, a one-year sized bottle costs 20 bucks which is a reasonable price
The first months I went vegan, what saved me is:
- oat milk and oat for breakfast, plus a banana. This is still my go-to breakfast
- lentils. I fucking love lentils, they're cheap and tasty and a great source of protein. You can also use them to make pasta with bolognese, it's pretty good
- rice & (red) beans
- spinach. Great source of iron and calcium, they taste fucking good and are cheap
- seitan, tofu, chia seeds. I would just throw them randomly wherever I could
- of course salad
- various cereals I used to eat for dinner, like, as a soup or in a salad
I used to buy a lot of these stuff just to make sure I was getting the nutrients I needed, and in the meantime I experimented with new stuff and learned to do proper groceries. Not that I'm good at cooking now, but I'm definitely better and at least people don't go "lol typical depressing vegan salad" when I bring my packed meal at work
Would recommend a multivitamin over B-12. I think my diet is varied enough that I'm most likely fine with all vitamins, but I take a multi mostly just to avoid having to think about it altogether.
There's a wealth of knowledge for recipes online free. Minimalist Baker has really simple stuff. I'm a big fan of eating as many whole foods as possible, so I really like Forks Over Knives recipes. If I don't have a plan for dinner on a given night, I'm probably making veggies and beans over a bowl of a grain (brown rice, farro, wheat berries, millet.) Maybe some type of root veg with a healthy sauce. Lots of other people recommending great stuff. Lentils are so good in soups, pastas, whatever, or just good cooked and spiced.
