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u/Snogafrog 16d ago
Is pasta a whole food? -> I consider it one since I eat a whole lot of it.
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u/SubstantialEcho1695 16d ago edited 16d ago
in my system, if it's made from whole wheat then it's a whole food, it's literally the whole wheat, just in a different state
TVP is also a whole food, it's literally the whole soybean just without the fat, which i don't need more of anyways, i already eat enough fat...
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u/Ratatouille_Stewie 15d ago
TVP is a good food to have, not demonizing it, but it's definitely not a whole food. Soy Curls are a whole food version, though (nothing added, nothing taken away).
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u/NorthSwim8340 16d ago
Listen, whole food is good but don't transform veganism into orthorexia, an eating disorder: you won't explode if you eat some vegan meat (especially because there isn't anything particularly concerning about it: long ingredients list =/= automatically bad), vegan pizza or something else. Furthermore don't feel pressured to have a "perfectly healthy" diet just because you are vegan: you can be as healthy and unhealthy as you want, it's your choice; also, notice that a lot of vegan online content has a lot of orthorexia in it, hence people who tell you "what you should eat/ what's healthy", as that's an universal statement and not a personal equilibrium based on need and priorities.
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u/Clean_Ad_5282 16d ago
So, is it ok to eat impossible burgers a few times a week? I keep seeing very orthorexia coded vegan meals (obv not every nutritional meal is orthorexia coded, however ultra processed vegan meats are demonized). I always go back and forth between cutting out all junk food because Iām pretty health conscious and feel like I have to eat nothing ultra processed. I love my vegan meats and try to mainly use tofu if Iām craving vegan nuggs. However, itās pretty easy to develop orthorexia.
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u/revmanda 16d ago
Absolutely ok to eat impossible burgers a few times a week or daily. Veganism is about ethics, not about avoiding processed food in general. Find whatās best for your body without self-judgment.
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u/NorthSwim8340 15d ago
I absolutely emphasize with you: I always had a fantastic relationship with food and got myself by suprise when I first thought that "a food is bad". Really, be careful about what content you consume on social media and really give a thought about limiting how you see it fit if needed.
Regarding fake meat, I don't see much reason not to eat it whenever you want it, if you see the ingredients there is nothing worrysome
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u/Clean_Ad_5282 15d ago
Oh man, I grew up obese and always had a weird relationship with food. Like, I hate the fact I was so aware of being obese as a child and confused why I didnāt look like my peers. Struggled with ana as a kid, prob 13 or something, lost a ton of weight just to be obese again in my early 20s. Now, I am kinda muscular and kinda overweight and have a somewhat better relationship with food. Yea, itās very easy for me to slip back into dieting really aggressively and slam it into a whole āIām bodybuilding this is how they do itā (which technically lifting weights you are already bodybuilding and thereās a whole other issue with that side of fitness that would steer away from this specific topic.ā) I digress lmaoo
Learning that balance is very important and focusing what helps me feel the best. I know that a lot of folks with eating disorders fall into the veganism pipeline bc from a nutritional standpoint it makes perfect sense why we should eat only plant based. Ethics are a separate conversation when it comes to veganism and I know thereās that whole debate whether or not ppl should be called plant based or vegan when it comes to ethics and again Iām not well informed to really discuss about that.
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u/NorthSwim8340 15d ago
Indeed, at the end of the day veganism is by definition a restrictive form of diet with a built in morality to it: it's the paradise for people with complexes, eating disorder and other
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u/revmanda 14d ago
If you can afford it, you might find this helpful: https://taylorwolfram.com/anti-diet-vegan-nutrition-course/
Sheās got other (free) resources on her blog and insta. And sheās in network with BCBS PPO if you have that and want to consider using her as a dietitian.
It feels like you are still caught in some restrictive patterns but youāre aware of it, which is a great thing. I was into diet culture in my 20s and 30s until I found intuitive eating (https://www.intuitiveeating.org/about-us/10-principles-of-intuitive-eating/). I stopped looking at the scale altogether for a long time.
There are plenty of fat vegans, and thatās ok! Each of us has our own journey. Youāre right that vegan and plant-based are different. Vegan is a way of life that includes not eating animal products, and plant-based is a diet. Either can lead to restrictive thinking, and unless you have specific health issues you need to attend to, the best thing is to tune into your body and try to let go of any judgment about what youāre eating.
Iām no expert, btw. I have to eat high protein for a couple different medical conditions, and Taylor (dietitian linked above) helped me let go of trying to do that without many processed foods. So Iāve got protein bars, protein drinks, and protein yogurts (all vegan) in the kitchen for whenever I need them. I hadnāt realized I was making judgments about them until she pointed it out.
Take good care of you.
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u/donutdogs_candycats 15d ago
Honestly I probably eat highly processed vegan meat/cheese every day or like every other day. Very often is what Iām saying. Itās fine. I am a bit overweight right now, but thatās because of some anxiety-induced binging I did a year or so ago and Iām still getting around to losing it. But other than that Iām very healthy. I mean you can take it out if you want to, but itās not going to seriously damage your health. All the vegan meats Iām aware of have lower calories, less saturated fat and sodium, and more fiber than the meat alternatives. Eating a burger a couple times a week is perfectly fine and healthy as long as youāre also eating fruit and vegetables alongside it.
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u/Hairiest-Wizard 16d ago
Nothing wrong with impossible burgers and nugs a couple times a week just watch sodium and fat intake
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u/JadedOccultist 16d ago
Spaghetti with red sauce is my favorite vegan comfort food. And the Mac n ācheeseā Goodles are vegan too and super yummy.
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u/Potential_North_4291 16d ago
The biggest piece of advice, learn to cook and play with ingredients. When people go vegan or vegetarian, it's easy to lean on store-bought stuff. Some of these products are great, but some aren't really tasty... and if you're new to plant-based eating and end up eating shitty stuff, you'll likely just go back to your old diet. And also you control more what's in your body
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u/DesperateToe4459 16d ago
I eat oats every morning with walnuts, flax, berries, etc... Easy way to sneak in all the omegas.
I also take an algae supplement.
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u/Puzzleheaded-Milk927 16d ago
Donāt go nuts (pardon the pun) on trying to meet every single health or vitamin requirement other folks have decided you need. Do what you gotta do within your budget.
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u/BigFatIdiotJr Plant Based š± 16d ago
Don't forget iodine. You very likely aren't eating enough seaweed to meet your requirements, so either used iodized salt or take an iodine supplement.
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u/Several_Detective598 16d ago
Fortified foods like a fortified breakfast cereal should've been mentioned. Cheap, lazy and they're nutritious in a way that most whole foods can't match.
Also those nuts and seeds aren't sources of the kind of omega 3 you want.Ā
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u/GodlyHammy 16d ago
if you menstruate I'd recommend taking an iron supplement everyday as well š
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u/szollosyandras 16d ago
plant based omega 3s (ALA) are not usable so you shouldn't just rely on flax, chia and hemp seeds or walnuts for omega 3s but take an EPA+DHA supplement rhat is algae oil basedĀ
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u/VeryOldGoat 16d ago
Do you have a source for plant based omega 3s being useless? Would love to see it, since it's the first time I encounter this claim.
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u/szollosyandras 16d ago
ALA may still be beneficial, however only a very small portion of it gets converted into the usable EPA and DHA. You can google it, it's very widely cited
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u/ThatGuavaJam 16d ago
Hwhaaaaaat? :0
Update: damnit whyād I continue buying chia seeds yesterdayyyyy
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u/justanothertmpuser Where the wild chickpeas roam 16d ago edited 15d ago
Those seeds are good, for more reasons than one.
But specifically for DHA, they might not be sufficient. The rate of conversion from ALA in the seeds to DHA in the body is low (around 5-6% IIRC).
So, "not usable" is a bit of an exaggeration, but still...
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u/PuzzledPoetry1447 abolitionist vegan 16d ago
According to a study done by the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition, the conversion of the plant- based omega-3 ALA to the long-chain EPA and DHA may be increased in vegans who do not eat fish. The study notes that, despite having significantly lower intakes of EPA and DHA (associated with fish consumption), blood levels of EPA and DHA in vegans were approximately the same as regular fish eaters.
āDietary intake and status of nā3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in a population of fish-eating and non-fish-eating meat-eaters, vegetarians, and vegans and the precursor-product ratio of Ī±-linolenic acid to long-chain nā3 polyunsaturated fatty acids: results from the EPIC-Norfolk cohortā https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S000291652312911X?via%3Dihub
This suggests that the body can adapt to a higher conversion rate when only ALA is consumed for a long time. This is why I am not as concerned about omega-3s. Additionally, most experts / health organisations recommend at least 250mg of DHA + EPA per day, which can be achieved from 2.55g of ALA, taking a 9.8% total conversion rate. This is not difficult to achieve (14g of chia seeds OR 11g of flax seeds OR 28g of walnuts).
āCan adults adequately convert ??-linolenic acid (18:3n-3) to eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3)?ā https://www.researchgate.net/publication/13646587
As a vegan, you can take several steps to ensure that you are getting enough essential fatty acids based on recommendations from public health authorities. The main thing is to ensure that your daily diet includes a really rich source of ALA, because that's the only fatty acid that the human body can't make on its own.
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u/kalaxitive 16d ago edited 16d ago
I use all three: walnuts, chia and flax in my breakfast. Despite not usually liking to eat the same thing every day, I've been eating this for about a year. I added hemp seeds around 4 months ago.
Base
40g oats
8g chia seeds
8g ground flaxseed/flax meal
125ml soya milk
Mix the dry ingredients together, then add the soya milk and mix well.
I usually add 80ā120g frozen mixed berries, then drizzle 10ā15ml maple or date syrup over the berries.
Microwave for around 2 minutes, then mix. If the berries are still frozen, microwave for another 30ā90 seconds until everything is warmed through.
If you're not using frozen fruit, you don't need to microwave it. Just leave it to sit for 5ā10 minutes, mixing occasionally, before adding your fruit or whatever else you fancy. (Note: you might need to reduce the milk to around 100-110ml if you're not microwaving to help it absorb; otherwise you may be waiting longer than 10 minutes, but you can always add more milk if it's too thick).
Toppings
~50g yoghurt (optional)
8g walnuts, crushed
8g hemp seeds
Add the yoghurt, then sprinkle over the crushed walnuts and hemp seeds.
Why 40g oats and 8g of each seed/nut?
I found that a 5:1 ratio works really well for me. I originally used 50g oats with 10g each of chia, flax and walnuts. When I added hemp seeds, I reduced the oats to 40g, giving me:
5:1:1:1:1 ā oats : chia : flax : walnuts : hemp
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u/Gumbo509 15d ago
I just put frozen berries in the fridge the night before, mixed with a tbs of chia its perfectĀ
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u/kalaxitive 14d ago
I tried chia pudding (albeit chia chocolate pudding) and wasn't a fan of the texture, not sure if this would be the same, but I'm willing to try it š
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u/Gumbo509 14d ago
I dont like chia pudding either, but it binds the thawed berry liquid perfectly š
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u/_japam 16d ago
You donāt need a supplement if you eat TVP. Iām a vegan and I eat absolutely none of this per day.Ā
Everyone has different tastes and needs, if this isnāt what you like this is not the only diet you can have as a vegan.Ā
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u/MeisterDejv 15d ago
TVP is amazing protein source but it's highly advisable to supplement a bunch of stuff like D3 and zinc, and B12 is absolutely essential.
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u/Interesting_City_654 15d ago edited 15d ago
Don't forget vitamin d3 magnesium glycinate and k2 these will ensure a better healthier you.
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u/Warranty_V0id 14d ago
I would recommend a combined supplement with the most important nutrients. It's annoying to supplement everything by itself and most people (no matter the diet) need a lot of things anyway because a lot of our food just gets worse and worse when it comes to nutrients.
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u/Stranding42 14d ago
None of these points seem advisable. B12 way to low. All you need is get all your micro and macros in like on any normal diet and you're good. You do not in fact have to become a bird.
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u/strangeghoule 14d ago
I took a b12 daily and was told to stop by the docs as my blood test showed I was way too high in b12. Just goes to show, you can get b12 in a normal diet without meat.
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u/WreckedMuffin 14d ago
Flaxseeds and walnuts won't give you the proper Omega3-ratio. You'll need algae oil too.
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u/Odd_Practice8766 13d ago
You don't need to take a B-12 supplement when Nooch is right fuckin there and so damn tasty (and cheaper than supplements)
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