becomming a vegan?! help!?

Question

alrighty, so i have decided to become a vegan for awhile, just to see what its like, the benefits, etc. but when i usually go online to search for food that can be considered "vegan" its always crazy recipes with things ive never heard of...and im not the type of person who has enough time to cook every night. so, my REAL question is, does anyone have any suggestions on just some premade, requires little cooking, vegan types of foods that you can just buy at the supermarket? because im not sure if i can go through with being vegan if id have to cook something every single day.

any brand names, or whatever, works, any help is appreciated :D

Answer 1

Try the freezer section! My favorite brand is Morningstar Farms. They have a variety of all soy products such as soy dogs, corn dogs, burgers, chicken nuggets & patties, bacon, etc. It's all soy, easy to make and it actually tastes good too. There are also other brands such as Boca and Gardenburger but I don't think that they are as good as Morningstar Farms. You can still make basic meals and replace the meat w/ one of these soy products and it is very simple. Also check for a section (usually near the produce) for items to replace your dairy such as soy milk, soy cheese, etc. I also buy silken tofu and mix it up into just about every thing I cook. You can't even taste it or see it if you mix it in the blender. Good luck. It's really not that hard to be a vegan once you learn the products and just start making it a part of your lifestyle. Good luck!!

And a vegetarian does not eat fish. They don't eat any meat including fish. But they do eat dairy.

A vegan doesn't eat meat OR dairy products.

Don't listen to these people who aren't vegetarians or vegans. They don't get it. Stick to what you want to do. There are plenty of products out there once you know where to look =]

Answer 2

I was a lacto-vegetarian before going vegan a couple of years ago. Since then I have noticed that I have less mucus in my system and I don't get the cold or the flu a few times a year any more. I also find that (sorry if this sounds like tmi) I am much more regular now compaired to when I was a lacto-vegetarian. I think the key is preparing balanced meals at home and freezing the leftovers so that quick dinners are available on those nights you come home from work dog tired. I hope this helped. :-)

Answer 3

Go to the freezer section. Morningstar farms makes lots of vegan hot dogs, fake chicken, and other meat substitutes if you're into that kind of thing. Also, Amy's makes a wide range of good frozen vegetarian meals and burritos, some of which are vegan. They're kind of pricey, though.

I don't have time to cook every day either, so what I tend to do is when I have time, I make something like a big chopped salad, batch of beans, or veggie stew or soup chili or something. Combined with something like brown rice, pasta, a good sandwich, a green salad, or something else quick every meal, it will last me several days without having to cook again. I prefer this because it's fresh food, better for you, and much, much less expensive than relying on vegan frozen food. Here's a link to my favorite recipe for vegetarian chili for starters (just leave out the sour cream condiment, obviously). As written that recipe makes enough for lunches and dinner for almost a whole week for me.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_25982,00.html

Answer 4

I have been a vegan for about 15 months, and I can honestly say that I have not given into any cravings. It's more than likely that I have unknowingly eaten some nonvegan, and perhaps nonvegetarian foods, but I've made every attempt to avoid those.

I highly suggest you watch Earthlings if you haven't already. It is a documentary narrated by Joaquin Phoenix that explains how much humans rely on animals for food, entertainment, science, and clothing. It totally changed my life, because it pretty much convinced me to convert to Veganism. I wasn't vegetarian before - I was a full on omnivore. Once you understand how much of an impact your diet has on the world, it's hard not to change.

There are tons of alternatives to meat and dairy. If you have a Whole Foods or Outpost near you, that will be much easier for you. I depend heavily on the meat alternatives.

Boca obviously makes Boca burgers, but if you're used to eating real hamburgers, make sure you have lettuce, tomato, and other condiments. That way they test better, and of course get the extra veggies. Boca also makes chicken nuggets which are really good.

Morningstar makes what I think are called Meal Starters. They have "ground beef," "steak strips," and "chicken strips." I use the "ground beef" in tons of recipes.

Gardenburger also makes vegetarian and vegan burgers (make sure to look at the box) , veggie crumbles (ground beef), and my favorite - bbq riblets. Oh they're so yummy!

Tofu is also a great addition to a vegan diet, if you haven't started eating that. It's cheap (about $2 a block), high in protein, and low in fat (as are all veggie protein substitutes). It tastes bland by itself, but will take on the flavor of whatever marinade or sauce you use. I definitely suggest the firm or extra firm varieties.

Dairy substitutes are pretty easy (at least for me) to come by. I've successfully found vegan ice cream (Soy Decadent makes Peanut Butter Zig Zag which is to die for), cream cheese, sour cream (Tofutti brand), and mayo (Nayonaise and Veganaise). They do make vegan cheese too, but I only use it on homemade pizza.

So as you can see, tons of alternatives to meat and dairy!

Finally, becoming a vegan (or vegetarian) is a huge change. I've been given a hard time about it, but I think my family and friends are finally beginning to understand how important this is to me. Just remember that a vegan/vegetarian diet is a diet of compassion.

Good luck to you!!

Answer 5

At my local Stop-and-Shop store they have a whole natural foods section with many vegan selection for premade foods. They have a lot of vegan substitutes for chicken nuggets, patties, egg rolls, hot dogs, etc. They also have some vegan TV dinners.

Some other common foods you might consider:
soy milk
peanut butter
fruits
vegetables
nuts
beans
breads (vegan ones)
soy patties
tofu

Answer 6

www.amys.com--I agree with everyone's recommendations on this.

www.yvesveggie.com--Yves has a couple of premade meals in the refrigerator section, as well as deli slices, and a fabulous taco crumbles mix.

www.tofurkey.com--vegan deli slices and vegan sausages

www.lightlife.com--all sorts of veg*an goodness from slices to veggie strips for stir-fry

I recently discovered a German brand of analogues called Viana (www.viana.com). You can get them through www.veganessentials.com or www.veganstore.com. It only takes about five minutes in a frypan. Add some veggies and rice or a potato, and you've got an easy meal!

Answer 7

That's definitally the hard part of being vegi for me. Not many things that you can just buy off the shelf and put in the microwave for 5 minutes. I would suggest a lot of pasta recipes. Sandwhich stuff for lunch- tofurky is really good. I also eat burritos which are pretty quick, pitas with ranch dressing and veggies, etc. Good luck!

Answer 8

If you want to be a vegan, then do it because you truly believe in eating or not eating whatever a vegan eats/doesn't eat. If you want to do it, don't just give up because it's hard. If you want the benefits, you have to work at it.

Answer 9

Well becoming vegan isn't a decision, it is a choice that takes time to choose to be. ou need to think about if it's what you really want to be, not just become it because you decided to.

Answer 10

nope
not enough vegans to make market profitable
but those recipes are awesome
I eat over nieghbors a lot and they are vegans
healthy but kinda skinny in my opinion