# The Vegetarian thread



## slowro (Oct 11, 2012)

I have been vegetarian for a bit over a month now to improve my diet and lifestyle. 
I have got past the stage of feeling like I have to justify it to anyone and keep it to myself. I am not in any way on a crusade to change the world but I don't really have any close friends that I can chat to about it.

Does anyone have any tips for me? 
Good recipes/sites etc 

I intend to get a lot fitter and build some more muscle too does anyone have tips on this?

I considered becoming vegan but I really have no issue with dairy, I used to work on a diary farm and I have seen how local producers treat them. I mainly drink lactose free milk after my girlfriend became lastose intolerant I became a lot more aware of diet


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## Necris (Oct 11, 2012)

Get ready for the hate from uninformed people who are deeply offended that you chose to have a different diet from them; it comes with the territory.


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## CannibalKiller (Oct 11, 2012)

I would be a vegetarian but I survive on bacon


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## jon66 (Oct 11, 2012)

While I personally am not a vegetarian, it's a personal choice no different than how you dress, wear your hair or your preferred style of music. To each their own.

As far as good sites though, a bit of googling led me to this neat article. Again I can't really back any of this info up since I've never had any experience with it personally, but hopefully it'll be of help you to:

Vegan Muscle Building: Getting Big and Strong | veganstrength.org


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## slowro (Oct 11, 2012)

jon66 said:


> While I personally am not a vegetarian, it's a personal choice no different than how you dress, wear your hair or your preferred style of music. To each their own.
> 
> As far as good sites though, a bit of googling led me to this neat article. Again I can't really back any of this info up since I've never had any experience with it personally, but hopefully it'll be of help you to:
> 
> Vegan Muscle Building: Getting Big and Strong | veganstrength.org


 
Thanks I will check that out tonight 
Its nice to hear an attitude like that. I live in a really small town where my beard is looked upon with strange reactions


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## thraxil (Oct 11, 2012)

Vegetarian for 12+ years.

Honestly, I don't feel like there were any major difficulties to overcome. If you're not vegan, it's not too difficult to accommodate in daily life. Most restaurants will have *something* on the menu you can eat, so you can still go out with your meat-eating friends (I will admit that this can be more of an issue in some parts of the world, but I've traveled extensively around five different continents as a vegetarian and could probably count on one hand the number of restaurants I've actually had to leave because there were no vegetarian options). 

Nutrition again isn't very difficult if you're not vegan. I'd say it's just about as easy or difficult to get proper nutrition as a vegetarian as it would be as a meat-eater. The issues are just a bit different. Meat-eaters need to watch their cholesterol, blood pressure, fiber, and fat intake more closely than most vegetarians, but we have to make a bit of effort to make sure we get enough protein, omegas, and B vitamins. I buy peanut butter, black beans, and chia seeds in bulk and I happen to like eating a variety of fruits, vegetables, beans, and nuts. Otherwise I'm pretty lazy about my diet. I don't lift weights, but I bike about 50 miles a week and walk 5 miles every day and don't have any trouble with energy levels or putting on muscle quickly when I want to. My doctor tells me I have some of the healthiest blood work that he's ever seen.

I'm not much of a cook, but my girlfriend and I love this site and the accompanying cookbook: VeganYumYum | Yup, I'm back.

Of course, one major benefit of being a vegetarian is that you'll never have to experience a beef tapeworm: {fray} drugs - the worm within


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## highlordmugfug (Oct 11, 2012)

http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/li...-vegan-athletes-muscle-building-concerns.html

Vegan since september of 2008, chiming in.


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## highlordmugfug (Oct 11, 2012)

As far as good sites and recipes:

Anything by Isa Chandra Moskowitz, The Post Punk Kitchen website | Post Punk Kitchen | Vegan Baking & Vegan Cooking , Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness are good sources.


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## Bevo (Oct 11, 2012)

Veggie here...

Take your time and get used to all the new foods and search out new.
Also look at your micro nutrition needs, don't just eat carbs like some people.

I eat egg whites and whey protein plus a bit of cheese.
For me I run a lot and am trying to put some muscle on, diet is good and I feel strong.

Keep at it and it will get easier.


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## Trespass (Oct 11, 2012)

Vegetarian since September of 2007.

Over the last year I've been moving to a raw-food, dairy free, gluten free diet and I'm contemplating shifting completely to vegan.

Cooking your own food is always going to help. It'll go a long way to educating you as to how to economically eat healthy while being a veggie.

Steel cut oats, hemp hearts, broccoli, beans/peas/legumes, squash etc. are all your best friend. And once you know your way around a stove (or spiralizer/dehydrator for raw-foodists) and with spices you can make an incredible variety of tasty meals.


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## SenorDingDong (Oct 12, 2012)

I've gone back and forth between vegan and vegetarian, seeing what works best for me, but I haven't touched meat in almost seven years. 

I stick to a foundation of raw foods, but for my busy lifestyle I've found that home made, non-shit filled shakes are a godsend for gaining and maintaining weight. I have an overactive thyroid, so you can bet I've experimented with a million and one ways to not lose all of my weight. 


I'd suggest checking out Choosing Raw's web site, as well as The Vegan Coach. 

If you want some good reads that will help with your nutrition, check out The China Study and Meat is for Pussies. Great reads with a lot of very useful information.


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## slowro (Oct 12, 2012)

Thanks guys
I am excited to be changing my eating habits. I have eaten so much of the same stodge and processed food for years. 
Which leads me to the question, is frozen veg good for you or should it be avoided completely?


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## Bevo (Oct 12, 2012)

You sir have to become a label reader, it will answer all your questions!

Some frozen veggies have salt and sugar in them not to mention oils and crap. Reading the label will find you the best stuff.

Fresh is always best but nothing wrong with frozen, my freezer is full of it.
My fast favourite dinner is start to cook rice, veggies in the microwave, spices and curry powder plus some sort of hot stuff and eat..20 min normally to cook. 
I like 1/2 cup rice and 2 cups veggies and mix them together two min before the rice is done.

If you make extra its lunch!


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## slowro (Oct 12, 2012)

This is exactly what I need

I have never taken much notice of what was in the food I ate
I don't know much about this at all and its embarassing


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## jeremyb (Oct 12, 2012)

Just don't become one of those obese vegetarians who eat lots of cheese and bread and think they're doing themselves a favour, being nutritionally aware is the key


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## MastrXploder (Oct 12, 2012)

You godda be smart man. Ive been a veg for about 8 years now and if i let my diet slip I can still end up feeling like crap. Theres so many good options online for quick easy healthy recipes. Ill just throw a couple of my favorites.

Vegetarian chili - Easy cheap and you can make large quantities and keep in the fridge for the week!

Bananas - (Insert dancing banana icon)

Stir fry- keep the oils to a minimum and flavor with like a low sodium teriyaki sauce or glaze. Its just noodles, veggies, and sauce in a pan!

Oriental ramen and kimchi. Probably not the best for me but its delish.

And grilled cheese with whole wheat bread and tomato soup. Possibly the smartest/tastiest vegetarian combo in the world!

Breakfast is also easy. Cottage cheese with whole grain cereal and fruit. 

 Always nice to see people making the change. You'll see the benefits are worth the adjustments


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## renzoip (Oct 12, 2012)

This thread is great!


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## Bevo (Oct 12, 2012)

Chilli is easy and fast too!

Mine is chop up some onions with a bit of oil brown them then throw in chopped sweet peppers, tamatoes plus a bit of tamatoe paste, with black beans, ad some cumin and spices plus other veggies, cover and simmer and keep it wet for 20 min. I also make rice at the same time as the rice gets close let the chilli dry out to taste.

30 min from the start your eating plus lunch for the next day.

Another thing to keep in mind is the fibre, take it slow or you will be a bloated fart machine... No jokes!
Lots of water helps move things along.


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## slowro (Oct 13, 2012)

I am making a leek, potato and carrot soup later today!
I'll post up the receipe later and tell you guys how it went


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## Brill (Oct 13, 2012)

Vegan since 4th of july 2011.
I hardly eat.. But when i do i have crazy stuff.. Like curried fruit salad.. I have gotten heaps of awesome cook books with cool food. Like lentil caviar, tofetta, stuffed mushrooms.. 





This is an awesome pizza i made!


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## slowro (Oct 13, 2012)

jeremyb said:


> Just don't become one of those obese vegetarians who eat lots of cheese and bread and think they're doing themselves a favour, being nutritionally aware is the key


 
It would be so easy for me to eat cheese 24/7 I have always loved it too much!


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## slowro (Oct 13, 2012)

Soup turned out great
I realised I didn't have a blender but I mashed it up and it was great. 
next is lentil soup and brocolli soup


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## texshred777 (Oct 16, 2012)

I make a lot of stir fry. I am not a vegetarian(as I love some chicken and the occasional steak) but I eat more vegetables than most vegetarians(and vegans) I know. Veggies and some fruit are pretty much the staple of my diet. 

For my stir fry I use:

Napa Cabbage(sliced into thin strips)
Broccoli
Carrots
Snow Peas
and sometimes other veggies in addition. 

I'll sometimes add in some cashews or almonds with it too. For the sauce, I don't use a lot of anything sugary or glazy. Usually a small amount of extra virgin olive oil in the pan, add some minced garlic. Then a little soy sauce-possibly some teriyaki- and add the veggies. 2 minutes later it's done. 

I don't add rice or noodles to it. 

Since I've moved to making vegetables over 70% of my diet(and often raw) I've never felt better. I also enjoy juicing veggies as a supplement.


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## texshred777 (Oct 16, 2012)

jeremyb said:


> Just don't become one of those obese vegetarians who eat lots of cheese and bread and think they're doing themselves a favour, being nutritionally aware is the key


 
This. So much this. Don't be a vegetarian that still eats like shit but doesn't eat meat. 

I have a family member(and some friends) who are vegetarians(or vegans) and their diet is terrible. For vegetarians they don't eat many vegetables.


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## CharliePark (Oct 16, 2012)

FALAFELS. CHICK PEAS.


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## isispelican (Oct 16, 2012)

Vegeta?


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## Bevo (Oct 17, 2012)

texshred777 said:


> This. So much this. Don't be a vegetarian that still eats like shit but doesn't eat meat.
> 
> I have a family member(and some friends) who are vegetarians(or vegans) and their diet is terrible. For vegetarians they don't eat many vegetables.



This is so true, I also see it constantly but try not to preach the lifestyle. Had a conversation with a girl at work at a conference once that went like this.
Me; Cool your a veggie too, how long?
Just over 10 years and I love it.
Nice lets eat, I hope they have some food for us.
Yeah Im starving.
Look at this great salad and raw veggies but that dip looks like butter and oil.
No thanks, I don't eat salad and don't like raw veggies, they need to cooked soft with tons of butter!
Oh, they have lots of fruit.
I don't like fruit, its to many calories.
Enter dumb look..so you don't eat veggies, you don't eat fruit all you eat is carbs?
Yup pretty much!
So your a pastatarian then lol!
Your an asshole!

She never did speak to me again and last time I seen her she was huge and eating a massive plate of pasta and bread.


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## jon66 (Oct 17, 2012)

^ I lol'd.


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## jon66 (Oct 17, 2012)

There's this vegetarian lady at the office I work at. She's a pretty BIGGG lady. I was talking to a coworker one day and we got on the subject of vegetarians, and I mentioned that "Sue" was a vegetarian. 

"Really? I didn't know that, and I've worked with her for years" he says.

"Yeah" I reply.

"What kind of stuff do you think she eats mostly?" he asks.

"I dunno. Fruits and vegetables mainly, I'd guess" I reply.

He pauses and looks at me with a smirk and says "She must eat A LOT of fucking vegetables then" and we both erupted into laughter.



On point though, with any type of diet that restricts a particular food type, that doesn't, or shouldn't at least, just give one a free pass to super-compensate for other (especially less healthy) food choices.


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## blueeye (Oct 31, 2012)

I have been vegetarian since 2 years. For 6 months I have stopped eating eggs even. But my body got week because of that so I am planning to eat some fishes for weekends only. I dont know whether my diet is good or bad. But I need a change. There are so many restaurants out there for vegetarians. You can try them and learn from them about new receipts. Or else the best way is YouTube or Google.


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## Bevo (Oct 31, 2012)

If your getting weak you need to look at your food intake, calories and macros. What this means is how many carbs, calories and protein your taking in a day.

If your job or life is active or sitting at a desk or TV all day it takes a different requirement.

For me I notice I get like that if I don't eat enough protein, I get smaller lose muscle and my strength goes down.
I found using a whey protein really helps and keeps me strong.


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## Corrosion (Nov 8, 2012)

Ok, I've been a vegetarian for almost 2 years, and I am also a chef. I worked for a restaurant that served vegan/vegetarian health foods primarily, which caused me to change my diet. There are issues with being vegetarian, primarily protien/cholestrol which is necessary. Lentils, tofu, and various beans are all decent protien sources, but I absolutely recommend using whey protein shakes or a product called gardein(which taste great and is super high in protein, but is soy based, which you should only consume soy 3x weekly if you are male due to potential endocrine problems) to make sure you do get enough. One of the other issues is balance... For instance, lets say you eat a lot of dairy, and then a lot of beans/lentils on top of it... you will develop stones quickly as both are huge sources of calcium. Just be smart, research, and many of your favorite things can be made, just by subbing in some fake goodies. if you want help adjusting recipes for vegan/vegetarian, just pm me them and any other notices(veg, vegan, allergies etc.) and i can veg them for you.


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## slowro (Nov 9, 2012)

Corrosion said:


> Ok, I've been a vegetarian for almost 2 years, and I am also a chef. I worked for a restaurant that served vegan/vegetarian health foods primarily, which caused me to change my diet. There are issues with being vegetarian, primarily protien/cholestrol which is necessary. Lentils, tofu, and various beans are all decent protien sources, but I absolutely recommend using whey protein shakes or a product called gardein(which taste great and is super high in protein, but is soy based, which you should only consume soy 3x weekly if you are male due to potential endocrine problems) to make sure you do get enough. One of the other issues is balance... For instance, lets say you eat a lot of dairy, and then a lot of beans/lentils on top of it... you will develop stones quickly as both are huge sources of calcium. Just be smart, research, and many of your favorite things can be made, just by subbing in some fake goodies. if you want help adjusting recipes for vegan/vegetarian, just pm me them and any other notices(veg, vegan, allergies etc.) and i can veg them for you.


 
Thanks that is really cool of you to offer. I'll get my thinking cap on over the weekend for some recipes that i want to try and ask your opinion 

I haven't tried tofu yet! I am having a lot of vegetables just now but I KNOW i am having too much cheese  i have always loved it too much so I am looking into alternatives to it for quick lunch things to take to my work.


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## Bevo (Nov 9, 2012)

Really nice of you thanks!

There are not many things I miss from the meat world other than sausage and split pea soup with ham and probably lard...no thanks!

I watched a show and they took beats and used the same spices from Pastrami then cooked it into a burger, looked amazing!


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## slowro (Nov 9, 2012)

Bevo said:


> Really nice of you thanks!
> 
> There are not many things I miss from the meat world other than sausage and split pea soup with ham and probably lard...no thanks!
> 
> I watched a show and they took beats and used the same spices from Pastrami then cooked it into a burger, looked amazing!


 
I am the same. I feel like I've done meat all my life and I don't feel good about it. I want some new food that is healthier and obviously the compasionate part too 
there is so much food to experience and I feel like i've just crawled out from under a rock

I am having a baby boy in march and I don't want him to grow up eating rubbish


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## Bevo (Nov 10, 2012)

There is a ton of food to eat, the hard part is finding new staples. The decision of what to make for dinner can be hard if your not prepared with ingredients at home.

I try to keep the pantry full of beans, rice, lots of frozen veggies plus fresh. I also did some home work on spice and now have a nice rack to choose from, this can make or brake a meal.

Doing all my running I have a hard time with keeping up the protein, I find that 40-50 grams of Whey everyday keeps me strong and I don't lose arm muscle. My daily goal for Protein is 120 grams.


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## Corrosion (Nov 10, 2012)

Actually, texture Vegetable matter is the next big deal in veg cooking, as the fakes are not everything for all applications, a tofu/mushrooms are way too standard. Many people use beats, potatos, carrots(just to name a few) to create the textures and then add in lentils to up the protien content to create fake meats now.


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## renzoip (Nov 10, 2012)

Man, I am totally guilty of doing the all carbs diet from time to time. I need to go into full out true vegetarian mode. Thank you guys for reminding me how lame it is to be a carb-tarian. 


Today I had steamed veggies and humus, it's a start.


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## JoeyW (Nov 11, 2012)

Been a Vegetarian for a year and a bit now! Gonna attempt going Vegan in the next couple of months.


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## Bevo (Nov 11, 2012)

Corrosion said:


> Actually, texture Vegetable matter is the next big deal in veg cooking, as the fakes are not everything for all applications, a tofu/mushrooms are way too standard. Many people use beats, potatos, carrots(just to name a few) to create the textures and then add in lentils to up the protien content to create fake meats now.



Are you talking the TMP flakes of dehydrated soy?

I would like a new textured protein that is not soy..


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## Corrosion (Nov 11, 2012)

No, I am talking about various people who use vegetable pulp and supplement it with say whey, to create a nonsoy based replica of a tenderloin style food for example. The veg pulp can be altered in various ways to create different textures that the various larger companies that rely on soy haven't decided to produce. the flakes are used in some applications, but many people who have been doing this style of cooking prefer vegetable matter and grains to soy and tofu.


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## Bevo (Nov 12, 2012)

Interesting, I have seen that done with Soy but not Whey.

The Vegetable based protein is better I think, I like the flavour and texture of Hemp seeds but its pretty hard on my stomach for some reason.
Pea protein is pretty good, I can eat that all day.


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## renzoip (Nov 12, 2012)

Alright, so I've been making myself veggie juices at home since Friday, and I'm already beginning to feel better. I had a good workout at the gym and when I got back home, I made myself a juice with the following ingredients: Celery, parsley, avocado, carrot, cucumber, blueberries, and banana. I thought it was gonna taste like crap but it was actually pretty good!


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## Brill (Nov 13, 2012)

Im making a huge vegan birthday cake for my birthday... Its coffee and chocolate.
Ill post picz when its done.


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## SirMyghin (Nov 20, 2012)

Corrosion said:


> Ok, I've been a vegetarian for almost 2 years, and I am also a chef. I worked for a restaurant that served vegan/vegetarian health foods primarily, which caused me to change my diet. There are issues with being vegetarian, primarily protien/cholestrol which is necessary. Lentils, tofu, and various beans are all decent protien sources, but I absolutely recommend using whey protein shakes or a product called gardein(which taste great and is super high in protein, but is soy based, which you should only consume soy 3x weekly if you are male due to potential endocrine problems) to make sure you do get enough. One of the other issues is balance... For instance, lets say you eat a lot of dairy, and then a lot of beans/lentils on top of it... you will develop stones quickly as both are huge sources of calcium. Just be smart, research, and many of your favorite things can be made, just by subbing in some fake goodies. if you want help adjusting recipes for vegan/vegetarian, just pm me them and any other notices(veg, vegan, allergies etc.) and i can veg them for you.



Not a vegetarian but one bad piece of advice in there. There are no positive correlations between dietary calcium and calcium output as far as eating things high in calcium is concerned. Salt will make you pass equal parts calcium, as will vitamin C though. So if you are worried about stones, those are much more important to watch. 

If your stones are calcium based, they are calcium oxylate, and it is the oxylate which you moderate in your diet to control formation, not the calcium. And if you want to be a vegetarian you are going to have one hell of a time moderating your oxylate. 

Calcium will not aid or hinder formation of uric acid stones.


As far as credibility, trust me, I know this shit.


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## Bevo (Nov 21, 2012)

Can you please explain this Oxylate and how we can help ourselves to not get these stones? Of all the veggies I know I have not me one with any type of stones but maybe that was just my luck.

Nevermind I found a good explanation here http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=48


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## Alex_IBZ (Nov 24, 2012)

Eating vegan is probably the healthiest thing you can do for your body and the environment - I'm not going to name them all as I'm sure there is a shared meaning in this thread. I'm a vegan since summer 2011 and there are countless advantages to it (general as well as is in everday life).
Rethinking your whole diet makes you aware of how screwed up humanity is. That is probably why many people think vegans are smartasses who everything better. Well, the fact is, most of them don't just follow a diet, they analyze the world more critically. However, there are a bunch of know-it-alls out there who have a tendency to create negative stereotypes...


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## slowro (Nov 26, 2012)

I am looking for some sauces and replacements for gravy/mayonaise etc that I can make at home. 
Any ideas for something new?


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## Mordacain (Nov 26, 2012)

slowro said:


> I am looking for some sauces and replacements for gravy/mayonaise etc that I can make at home.
> Any ideas for something new?



Good luck on the mayonnaise, every single vegan-friendly replacement I've tried has been absolutely disgusting. Honestly, mayonnaise is one of the things that kept me from going full-on vegan during my last experiment with it. Even though I don't use it frequently, the lack of a good replacement for when I desired it really bothered me.

Standard brown gravy can be pretty easily made vegan-friendly.

If you're not already familiar with it, Welcome to VegWeb.com | The World's Largest Collection of Vegetarian Recipes is a great place for recipes.

They have a forum as well, but it is filled with some of the most pretentious, elitist vegan asshattery I've yet to encounter in life. Just a fair warning... /Edit - I'm pretty sure the vegan police from Scott Pilgrim were inspired by people from the vegweb forum (joke, but it should give you an idea of what goes on there).


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## Alex_IBZ (Dec 4, 2012)

Never tried making mayonnaise myself, I'm just not too much into that stuff. However, I bought a vegan mayo a while it was really good. I think I mixed it with some tomato paste and curry to create a sauce for kebab (seitan of course) or something


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## ZXIIIT (Dec 4, 2012)

Mordacain said:


> Good luck on the mayonnaise, every single vegan-friendly replacement I've tried has been absolutely disgusting. Honestly, mayonnaise is one of the things that kept me from going full-on vegan during my last experiment with it. Even though I don't use it frequently, the lack of a good replacement for when I desired it really bothered me.
> 
> Standard brown gravy can be pretty easily made vegan-friendly.
> 
> ...



Tried Veganaise?

I've been Vegan for almost 3 years, and I've considered shooting up vegetable juice/smoothies, as it's sooo good. 

Seitan 

My post did not provide any real info


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## slowro (Dec 4, 2012)

I think I will have to order most of my supplies online, my local shops are just not up to the task haha
Any good UK outlets?
However they just got tofu in so I need to try some. I am quite excited!


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## engage757 (Dec 27, 2012)

I have been a vegetarian for over five years. I agree, don't eat junk. I was engaged to a girl that was a vegetarian, but she ate a lot of junk and didn't like most of the foods she could eat! She attributed it being ok to the fact that she was a size 0-1! Needless to say, she got sick a LOT.


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## renzoip (Dec 27, 2012)

Hey guys, I have some sad news. As of Friday of 2 weeks ago, I am no longer a vegetarian  

This truly saddens me, since I was a happy vegetarian for 7 years. Unfortunately, I was a very unhealthy vegetarian. I was eating ridiculous amounts of rice/pasta/bread/sugars without any kind of veggies, fruits, or anything nutritious. I started getting very sick and had to go see a doctor recently; he concluded that the root of my poor health was my poor diet. And while I tried eating a little more veggies during my last days, it was too little too late. The doctors ordered that I stop my diet and start eating estrogen-free chicken, fish, fruits, and lots of vegetables. I've been doing just that for two weeks, and I have to be honest, I do feel a whole lot better, no more bloating/acid reflux/fatigue, and I lost a little excess weight. 

So, while it really sucks quitting my vegetarian diet, I do hope that eventually I will be healthy enough to go back to it and do it right this time around. What I can tell people looking into turning vegetarian is: Yes, do it. It's great. But it has to be done right. If you do not already enjoy eating lots of vegetables and fruits, then you should consider the risks of poor vegetarian diet; it's not a joke. That being set, I give major props to all of you guys who are still going strong with vegetarianism. Keep up the healthy lifestyle!


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