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Thread: New vegan!

  1. #1
    daveshorty
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    Default New vegan!

    Hi all... Just wanted to see if I could get some advice from you knowledgeable types out there...

    I've just become vegan and I want to check out a typical daily eating plan to make sure it's alright...

    If i stick more or less to these daily amounts: http://compassionateconsumption.blog...r-healthy.html in my food and take the vegan society Veg 1 vitamin containing B2, B6, B12, Vitamin D, Folic Acid, Iodine and Selenium once a day, should that be me all set and nice and healthy?

    Many thanks for your help!

    Dave.

  2. #2

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    Default Re: New vegan!

    I would say that 6-8 servings of fortified soy milk and alternatives per day is a bit excessive! Most people wouldn't have more then two or maybe three. I am no expert by the way, I just couldn't imagine drinking that much soy milk

    The rest sounds ok - more vegies would be nice. I doubt I ever have that much beans and grains either, but that is just me

    My typical day is:
    - oatmeal with fruit or toast with marmalade and green tea for breakfast
    - lunch is normally a salad sandwich with lots of avocado, ramen noodles or soup (like pumpkin soup or split pea or something)
    - Dinner is normally wholemeal pasta with lentil bolognaise or tomato based sauce or sauteed mushrooms, burritos with avocado, refried beans and salad in it, soups, veggie burgers, falafel and tahini wrap with tabbouli, vegie stir fry and brown rice....whatever I feel like really

    I snack on fresh and dried fruit, potato chips and I drink water, green tea and juices and soda
    I take B12, calcium and at the moment folic acid (I am pregnant), but that is all.
    I am lucky to have soy milk once a week and it is not fortified (I use Bonsoy).

    All this and I am perfectly fine I am sure you will be too

    Just listen to your body - it will tell you what it wants/needs.

  3. #3
    baffled harpy's Avatar
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    Default Re: New vegan!

    I hardly ever drink soy (or any other) milk - will I die?

    I personally think that schedule is a bit light on the fruit and veg. 5 servings of fruit and veg is the minimum recommended by the govt here and I've read scientists think it should really be more like 9 or 10 (but think people won't take any notice if they suggest more than 5 ) . Not sure you need that much grain but I know opinions differ on that one.

    Have you thought about the fatty acids question? See http://www.vegansociety.com/food/nut...atty_acids.php - it's also been discussed on this forum.

    Edited to add: hello by the way, Dave, and congrats on going vegan!

  4. #4
    ♥♥♥ Tigerlily's Avatar
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    Default Re: New vegan!

    That doesn't seem very correct. Nutrition is sort of a hobby of mine. You only need 1-2 soy milks a day, if any. Just like milk, there is no nutritional needs from soy milk you can't get elsewhere. I would increase the vegetable quota to at least 5 (and at least 1-2 servings of that should be a leafy green vegetable).
    Peace, love, and happiness.

  5. #5
    crazy_4_veg's Avatar
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    Default Re: New vegan!

    I usually eat at least 8 fruit and veg a day. I think a person should eat at least 10 though. Would help the obesity epidemic we have now . Yes as Tigerlily says you should include 1-2 servings a day of green leafy veg. They contain calcium as well as iron etc.

    Grains do seem a bit high on that. 6 should be enough at most I'd say.

    The forified soya milk and alernatives is certainly too much. That would be WAY more than the 25g of soya for a start (if you drink soya milk) and I wouldn't want to eat more than that really.

    Really as long as you eat a balanced vegan diet you should be okay. For example I eat seaweed (proper seaweed like nori, wakeme etc not the sping greens they pass of as seaweed) every now and then for iodine as well as a bit of B12 I believe. B12 of can be obtained from vegimite or similar although I understand not everyone likes it. You don't really need a multivitimin etc. I do still try to take one at least once a week but I'm not usually needing it to be honest. That said I'm ill right now and I can't find my multivitimins I do need them now aswell. Oh well lol.
    "I wouldn't eat a chicken if it dropped dead infront of me holding a up a sign that said eat me." - Ricky Williams

  6. #6
    daveshorty
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    Default Re: New vegan!

    Hi all! Thanks for all your responses! It seems like I'm sorta eating pretty much the right stuff already but with a wee bit too little fruit and veg...and I loooove marmite haha.

    So the vitamin once a week to be safe, you think? just i've heard that you really can't tell that b12 deficiency is happening til it's in full swing (maybe that's bollocks?)

    The hardest adjustment is having to check everything to see if there's egg or milk in it! Eating out is gona be a nightmare from now on. But there's more important things than me having an easy time eating out I guess!

  7. #7
    baffled harpy's Avatar
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    Default Re: New vegan!

    You get used to the eating out thing after a bit!

    It could be worth taking the vitamin more often than once a week. Different people have different views about the need for B12 supplementation but there's also the question of vitamin D, which has been discussed here if you search the forum. FWIW I've got the Veg-1 tablets as well and I take one when I remember which usually happens somewhere between once a day and once a week.

  8. #8
    daveshorty
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    Default Re: New vegan!

    haha cool ok.

    i can't imagine any of the restaurants i loved going to as a vegetarian would cater for vegans...unfortunately i live in belfast and we're not the most up-to-date city in the world!

  9. #9
    baffled harpy's Avatar
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    Default Re: New vegan!

    Obviously I don't know the restaurants in question but often they will sort something out esp if you phone up in advance and schmooze them a bit! It's not as if vegan cooking is particularly difficult. There is a catering booklet on the Vegan Society web site that you could print out and give to them if they need some explanations of what vegans eat - personally I'd ask them to lay off the TVP but that's just me!

    http://www.vegansociety.com/images/V...ringForAll.pdf

  10. #10
    CATWOMAN sandra's Avatar
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    Default Re: New vegan!

    Don't I know it!


    (Harpy got in before me..........my comment was in response to Dave's post! )
    I like Sandra, she keeps making me giggle. Daft little lady - Frosty

  11. #11

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    Default Re: New vegan!

    Most things can be veganised by just omitting the obvious stuff - cheese is usually the offender

    You can get pizza with no cheese (check the base), Pasta with tomato or Olive oil based sauces (check for eggs in the pasta - most should be ok), Mexican is good for cheeseless/sour creamless nachos, tacos and burritos and most Asian places will have something. With Asian (particularly Thai/Burmese/Vietnamese/Chinese), just ask them not to put fish sauce/oyster sauce or shrimp paste. You will probably find that most places will be accomodating. Indian is another good one to try, but ask them not to cook with ghee, but rather vegetable oil.

  12. #12
    daveshorty
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    Default Re: New vegan!

    a fellow norn iron vegan?! so where can you go?! as far as i can see, Archana is the only restaurant that will really play ball...

  13. #13
    CATWOMAN sandra's Avatar
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    Default Re: New vegan!

    Hello Dave, where exactly is Archana?
    I always worry a little about asking for vegan food in restaurants as in an Indian restaurant near me they told me the Bombay potato dish was vegan but we later found out they use powdered milk in it!
    I like Sandra, she keeps making me giggle. Daft little lady - Frosty

  14. #14

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    Default Re: New vegan!

    Quote sandra View Post
    ..in an Indian restaurant near me they told me the Bombay potato dish was vegan but we later found out they use powdered milk in it!
    I feel your pain Sandra - I went to an Indian restaurant in Edinburgh (which shall remain nameless!) with my bf and we asked for an espresso - they brought us a hot chocolate and swore that no, it wasn't a mistake

  15. #15
    CATWOMAN sandra's Avatar
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    Default Re: New vegan!

    I like Sandra, she keeps making me giggle. Daft little lady - Frosty

  16. #16
    daveshorty
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    Default Re: New vegan!

    Hi Sandra... Archana's on the Dublin Road. I used to love Greens Pizza up the Lisburn Road and I'm reeeally hoping their bases are vegan!

  17. #17
    CATWOMAN sandra's Avatar
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    Default Re: New vegan!

    Thanks Dave, I think I've passed that place a few times!
    What's your favourite thing to eat there?
    I like Sandra, she keeps making me giggle. Daft little lady - Frosty

  18. #18
    daveshorty
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    Default Re: New vegan!

    sorry sandra!! pretty overdue reply here haha... i love the vegetable chili masala (you'll see on their menu, there's a page pretty much devoted to vegans)... have you been at all yet?

  19. #19
    CATWOMAN sandra's Avatar
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    Default Re: New vegan!

    I forgot I'd asked that question Dave!

    I haven't been yet, that masala stuff sounds nice.
    I like Sandra, she keeps making me giggle. Daft little lady - Frosty

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