Saturday, May 4, 2013

New to vegan and vegerarian lifestyle and concerned about Soy?

Q. I recently decided to go vegan/vegetarian and my family is concerned that I may be consuming to much soy. I hear it's not good for women. The problem is that when I grocery shop almost all the protein meat substitutes or either soy based or contain soy. Just about everything I purchase for my new way of eating contains some soy. What are other meat substitute or protein products I can buy and cooked with that are not soy based.

A. I think the problem with soy is that it is in almost every processed food these days. Soy is so subsidized, like corn, in the US that it ends up in everything as a filler. If you're consuming enough processed foods, even without consuming tofu and soy milk, you're eating a lot of soy. I think moderation is key. Not eating mock meats everyday with soy milk at every meal will help with your concerns.

Switch your plant milk to a different kind like almond, oat, hemp, or rice. My currently fav is almond.

Find recipes that have lots of whole plant foods, rather than soy crumbles and Boca burgers. It's not too difficult to make bean burgers yourself that contain no soy products. They'll be tasty, healthier, and cheaper than the frozen store bought version.

Try to eat more beans, nuts, veggies, seitan, etc rather than soy based mock meats.

Some veg resources I like:
http://101cookbooks.com [TLT sandwich - has soy, but so good]
http://vegweb.com [grilled avocado sandwich]
http://onegirlsslideintohippiedom.blogspot.com [taco salad]
http://blog.fatfreevegan.com [smoky refried bean soup, red bean chipotle burgers, raw corn and black bean salad]

Cookbooks (I like to first borrow them from the library before purchasing):
Veganomicon [leek and bean cassoulet, snobby joes (http://www.theppk.com/recipes/dbrecipes/index.php?RecipeID=2059), grain salads]
Vegetarian Sandwiches [greek salad wrap, egg salad]

Hope that helps!


What are some easy healthy vegetarian school lunches?
Q. I drink milk and eat eggs still but I love it. I don't really like yogurt. I don't eat meat obviously. I am kind of a picky eater. What are some healthy school lunches that are easy to eat that I might like?

A. Sandwiches on whole wheat bread wraps with tofu (extra firm) or if you dont like use some vegan hqm or turkey col cuts, or half a mashed avocado they are all good sources of protein also on your sandwich have some hummus(whatever kind you like, my favorite is jalepeno and roasted red pepper) or veganaise and your fav cheese (i use either vegan swiss or laughing cow lite spreadable cheese) and your favorite veggies, i like cucumbers, bean sprouts, spinach, onions, but red peppers, tomato, or lettuce would all be good mix it up andtry all different stuff throughiut the week

Make some vegetable soup, or but some tomato or whatever kind you like from the can (just make sure its not made with chicken or beef broth) keep it warm in a thermos and bring a toasted cheexe sandwich to dip in or eat sepertatly

Bring your favorite cold cereal in a thermos and milk or buy a milk and have cereal as a little treat

On the side make some wholesome cookies with lots of whole grain oats raisins and seeds or trail mix with your favorite dry cereal, nuts, and dryed fruit. Or fresh fruit. Or hummus with veggie sticks.

www.peasandthankyou.com has some good make ahead recipes check it out


How to eat a healthy vegan diet on a low budget (college student)?
Q. I've been vegetarian for over three years now. I've been vegan on and off, but I want to do it for good this time. I sometimes find myself eating unhealthy foods because I'm not sure what to eat on a vegan diet. I feel like almost everything has animal products in it. and anything that is a dairy or meat substitute is usually pricey. and I don't want to eat just fruits and vegetables all the time.

A. Fake meats are a convenience food. A meat eater on a budget wouldn't buy tiny packages of pre-cooked chicken with lemon pepper, and a budget-minded vegan should not often buy the little packets of fake chicken strips, either. This having been said, I find that most brands of soy, almond, and rice milk don't break the budget. I buy it to go in my tea and on top of my oatmeal.

Some of the cheapest vegan foods are:

dried lentils
dried split peas
cabbage
carrots
bananas
peanuts/peanut butter
rice

Plain tempeh and tofu are not as cheap as the other foods I just listed, but they are cheaper than most fake meats, and I'm sure you'll want to eat them once in a while. You can make a simple tofu sandwich by slicing it, patting or squeezing it dry, and then frying it on a lightly-oiled pan. Sprinkle dried herbs, salt, and/or nutritional yeast on the top, and then flip to brown both sides. Serve on whole grain toast with your favorite toppings.

Tempeh can be marinated in soy sauce, with mirin, ginger, and/or garlic, if desired, and then added to a stir-fry. I also love this tempeh sausage recipe:

http://www.veganchef.com/italtempeh.htm

You can vary the herbs, and you can also use breadcrumbs or cracker crumbs (homemade for thrift) instead of flour.

Other ideas:

SImply cooked lentils over rice
Split pea soup
Baked cabbage (slice and bake, covered, for about 45 minutes at 350F, with sliced onions and/or a few pats of margarine if desired)





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