New born Vegan that is craving a whopper desperately!!!!

[angel_nieves]

I recently became a vegan after watching the movie “Meet your Meat”

and a lot of deep thought. My hubby is also tiring to be a Vegetarian but just to lose some extra baggage. Before we would normally eat a lot of fish, chicken, turkey, whole grains, and veggies.
However I love junk food (my mother never let me eat it as a kid). Lots of hamburgers, cheesy fries, bacon, brownies, pizza, fried anything

. Just typing this is making my mouth water. I am 5’6 and 120 pounds so I always thought junk food wouldn’t be that bad for me. Also if I go Vegan will I lose any weight? I would like to keep to my current weight.

Well now we have cleaned out our kitchen of most animal products and by-products. Our four year old son will still be eating meat, but he loves soy milk and soy cheese. We have bought Boca burgers, soy ‘chicken’ patties, tofu, soy milk, soy cheese, tons of green veggies, and lots of legumes. However even though I am full after eating my taste buds simply want more of a savory meat taste

.

Can any one give me recipes or secrets to cooking Vegan? Help please

 

[surfgirl]

Try the Garden Burger "All American Burger" veggie burgers. I just tried them recently and they are more like a real burger than anything else out there. Also, I highly recommend Garden Burger''s Riblets (taste just like real BBQ ribs), chicken cutlets (I like the spicy but they have regular too), grilled chicken patties (delish with salsa on top)...You have to experiment to find stuff that you like but it''s not difficult to make good food.

I dont think you''ll lose weight being vegan but can I ask WHY you decided to not eat milk products? They''re not animal meats so why deprive yourself that much, especially when you''re just trying this whole thing out for the first time? We eat milk products - I cant live without real cheese! I believe it''s called Lacto-Veg when you dont eat animal meats but you eat milk products. Soy cheese? Sorry, but it just does nothing for me. Unless you have some deep seeded reason for going Vegan as opposed to Vegetarian, I''d suggest keeping the dairy in! It''ll make you life a lot happier, IMO of course, and no disrespect to any Vegans here.

Oh, also, the MorningStar Farms sausage patties are to die for! As well as their veggie corn dogs...

 

[Independent Gal]

Of all the veggie burgers I have ever tried the absolute super best are the ones made by 'Yves Veggie'. It's kind of hard to find, but they just completely blow 'Boca Burgers' out of the water. I mean, they are just way, way, way , way better, and my meat-chompin' FI says they are juuuust about indistinguishable from a delicious juicy beef burger.

They also make great Veggie Dogs and Veg pepperoni and stuff.

You must try Yves Veggie!!! It saved my vegetarian life. (When I first went veg, at 16, I used to crave burgers so much too!... these days I'm eating chicken and fish occasionally, but never at home.)

 

[Independent Gal]

BTW, if you're new to this, make sure you figure out how you're going to get enough of each vitamin, especially iron and calcium. It might be worth hiring a nutritionist for a session or two.

It takes a LOT of concentration to eat right if you're getting rid of eggs and milk as well as meat. It can be done, but you should make sure you know how since a lot of vegans end up not getting what their bodies need through lack of knowledge or vigilance.

And you won't lose weight if you eat enough candy.

Actually, try to incorporate some extra 'good fats' to balance things out... so, plenty of nuts, olive oil, stuff like that. Otherwise you may well lose weight.

 

[chrono]

I know nothing about non-meat substitutes, so please enlighten me on the following:

1. Is it true that a lot of vege burgers (fake chicken, for example) contain chemical & colouring (to emulate the look and taste of real meat) that are not good for the health?

2. Personally, I love unsweetened soy milk. My mom makes them from scratch. I wonder why the manufacturers feel the need to add a thickening agent? I''ve heard that this thickener is known to cause cancer or something bad in the long run. Anyone heard of this?
Quote:
Most soy milk products include a thickener derived from red seaweed known as carrageenan. This water-soluble polymer or gum often serves as a fat substitute. For years it was assumed to be safe, but recently researchers discovered that it caused ulcerations and malignancies in the gastrointestinal tract of animals.28 (Carrageenan is also added to all ready-mix baby formulas.)
End Quote

3. I''ve also read some recent studies that soy contains a lot of natural hormones that could affect males and their fertility.

What is your take on this?

 

[door knob solitaire]

Awe....I am so sorry you have a craving and can't figure out how to fill it.

I had been there before, so if it makes you feel any better I offer my commiseration to you!!

I am an American kid on the inside...I was raised with all meat. So comfort to me is like your whopper. I like to make something, and then taste it and say, Wow...it tastes just like...etc. There are many, my husband included that don't want anything that looks like meat, feels like meat, or tastes like it. So you will find all levels of imitation on the market to satisfy all anti meat eaters. We don't meat...but I do milk cheese and free range eggs, so I offer also my hat to you-that must be very difficult.

Have you tried to grill a Portabella mushroom and build a burger with it instead of meat substitute? Marinate it in a marinate used for beef...add some olive oil...and grill until you see black marks...It is juicy and smokey and many say delightful.

I am glad boca is on the market, but they seem to miss the spot for me. Moringstar Farms (soy and some gluten) is in my grocers freezer. They offer many forms of hamburger replacements. My favorite is the American grill...however it contains cows milk cheese in it. This would have been my recommendation to you to try to knock out that craving. They offer others like prime something...anyway you can build a WHOPPER of an sandwich and use your almond, soy, or subsitute cheese. I also use a Worcestershire sprinkle on my burger and grill them. I really think it is all in the way your prepare them. They offer a bacon, which I find must be fried in a skillet with olive oil and then placed in a way to cool that enables curling up like bacon does. If you cook it the way they recommend, in a micro, it will not feel like bacon. I pepper it and add smoked flavoring too.

They offer steak and chicken strips in a bag. Again...it is what you do with them that will satisfy your craving. I sliver the strips thinner and cook then with outside flavorings or dust them with flour and seasoning. Arby's has this incredible red sauce that makes a sliced beef sandwich incredible. I use this strip to imitate that flavor. Skillet browned and then sauced...steamed whole wheat bun...viola! This product will give you the sensation of biting into steak.

For your chicken craving, Please try Quorn brand. (oh shoot, I just realized the turkey roast is 58% egg white as a vegan...you can't do that) For the rest of you reading this...It is offered at whole foods, akins, Wild Oats. This is an incredible product that I feel meat eaters so also incorporate into their diet. It is a most recognizable source of protein...more than a egg. Take my word for it...it is a great product. It is Mycoprotein...turkey roast sliced thin and seasoned...you would swear you were eating a gobble gobble. Oh they offer chicken patties, strips, naked cutlets...all things chicken flavor too...Not just turkey as I mentioned before.

All of this transition is what you are willing to put into it. I find. Try new ways of cooking your substitute. Season it just as you would the real meat. Technically, meat has no flavor...doubt me? Boil or stem meat with no seasoning and see what you get. The blood in animal flesh is normally where the distinct flavor comes from. Meat is seasoned...and then you get flavor. Just as in these products.

Work on a burger...keep trying...don't give up...or just come over tonight and I will help satisfy your WHOPPER OF A WHOOPER craving!!

DKS

Again I totally respect all Vegans...have no idea how you guys do it. Funny, most meat eaters say the same to me...

 

[Independent Gal]

I've never heard of soy affecting male fertility. But soy does raise estrogen levels. So the question is, does THAT have any affect on male fertility? If raised estrogen does affect male fertility, then it would make sense.

However, some UK researchers recently did a HUGE study of correlates of vegetarianism in pregnancy. They found that women who got MOST of their protein from soy (like, say, 2-3 servings of soy per day) had some weird effects from the heightened estrogen levels. First, statistically, more boys are born than girls int eh general population. Boys then die off at a faster rate at every age than girls, which evens out the numbers. But let's say that usually, there are 51 boys and 49 girls per hundred births. Well, women who eat LOTS of soy have those numbers reversed. They have more girls than boys. (Isnt' that INTERESTING!!! estrogen seems to affect gender, not just chromosomes).

So, that's not a big deal.

BUt, the other thing they found is that boy babies born of ladies who ate LOTS of soy were more prone to have a birth defect affecting the genitals involving a split in teh skin (sorry to any men reading / cringing). That's not serious and fairly easy to fix surgically, but you don't really want to have to have your baby undergoing surgery.

WHich is all to say what my grandma says: EVERYTHING IN MODERATION! Try to get lots of your protein from beans and nuts, and only some from soy.

As for the chemicals. Holy shmoly I bet those meat substitutes are full of crazy chemical crud. Again, everything in moderation. I wouldn't eat that stuff every day. But once or twice a week won't hurt ya! And just think of all the crud that mass produced meat and fish has in it. 6 of one, half a dozen of the other.

EVerything in moderation.

 

[door knob solitaire]

I was busy writing my post when others were responding.

Surfgirl, the cow is subject to all sorts of pain and discomfort ...many with a compassion of their treatment can not use any form of product that is derived from a cow. They are injected with hormones that make them begin production of milk at a preteen stage which makes them non productive by the 3rd year...the actual year they should begin to be milked.

The egg is the same way. Most chickens are stuffed in cages and overcrowded bins and it is inhuman the way they are treated. I choose free range...which enables them to have freedom. But the free range doesn't' fix the problem.

Over all, a Vegan is the most compassionate consumer making sure that nothing sustains them that caused pain or discomfort or anguish to another living creature.

Noble...and yes they can miss nutrients...it is a price they pay for kindness.

I fall short of their kindness...but respect them immensely.

DKS

EDITED: I didn't mean this post to sound condesending...just wanted to point out the reasons for most Vegans decisions to stop all animal food source. I do apologize it does sound disrespectful...it is not what this author intended.

 

[angel_nieves]

No disrespect here Surfgirl I don’t really like milk due to a cultural thing and have never really liked eggs. Indy girl thanks for the info and I will be trying those brands as soon as I find them. I have seen a nutritionist in the past for my Hyperglycemia so no candy for me. Also I am currently taking calcium supplements and a good multi vitamin. I am using olive oil and almond butter for my good fats and love cooking with them. Also I will eat fish.

 

[DMBsGirl]

I have been a vegetarian since I was 14 (i''m 27 now). I can''t really remember what a real burger tasted like but I loooooooove flame grilled boca burgers! They are super yummy! Being a vegan is much harder, and if you are just starting out, I would suggest maybe doing the vegetarian thing for a while and then moving on to vegan.

 

[door knob solitaire]

Macie...try Flax oil. It is the most incredible suppliment. Odos choice brand will provide you with great research of why...Do a google.

DKS

 

[DMBsGirl]

Just read that you will eat fish. Tuna steaks are the best! When I make them, my carnivore ff thinks that i''m cooking meat. Very non-fishy tasting fish. I cook it with a marinade of olive oil, basil, salt, lime and minced garlic (delish!)

 

[angel_nieves]

Wow Indygirl that’s some interesting info you put up. I can not have any more kids so the soy thing really doesn’t bother me. How ever I am going to do more intensive research on the effects on males. Also I do like the taste portabella mushrooms I made a burger out of whole wheat bread and soy cheese and a thick slice of portabella mushroom and it was fab. I guess and this is gross, I miss the greasy goodness of a whopper and fried chicken. However I when though the same type of detox and cravings, when I took out all sugar and processed starch when I was diagnosed Hyperglycemia.

 

[angel_nieves]

Dmbs girl I have no problem giving up cow milk, eggs, or cheese so Vegan I not a problem for me I just miss the meat. I am part Native American and none of my grand fathers family drinks milk is it just seen a disgusting to them.
Also my 4 year old son likes soy milk and cheese better than real milk (he hates real milk and its a challenge to get him to drink it) and cheese do you think this can harm him, being that it can elevate estrogen levels. I think I better ask his doctor on this one.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 8/9/2007 11:44:26 AM
Author: Chrono
I know nothing about non-meat substitutes, so please enlighten me on the following:

1. Is it true that a lot of vege burgers (fake chicken, for example) contain chemical & colouring (to emulate the look and taste of real meat) that are not good for the health?

Chrono -

I prefer to feed my kids/family organic foods and I've attempted, in the past, to include meatless items in my kids' diet, but thus far haven't found any meatless items that are close to "whole foods." Most have loads of chemicals along side the protein substitutes. My husband's cousin is a hard-core vegan and she doesn't eat ANY Gardenburgers/Boca burgers, but instead has learned to be creative in incorporating spices into her tofu.

Here is a list of ingredients for the Orginal Boca Burger:

Ingredients: WATER, SOY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, WHEAT GLUTEN, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF METHYLCELLULOSE, SALT, DRIED ONIONS, YEAST EXTRACT, SESAME OIL, HYDROLYZED WHEAT PROTEIN, CARAMEL COLOR, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR (NON-MEAT), DISODIUM GUANYLATE, DISODIUM INOSINATE.

This doesn't really sounds like food to me. lol! I did a search on Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein and almost all the google results were for beauty products, NOT food

!

I think it takes a lot of work and research to be a vegan, but it can be done in a healthy manner.

 

[Independent Gal]

Hey MC, that does sound nasty! I try to keep my processed soy products to once or twice a week. It's easy to get lots of protein from all the marvellous variety of beans (lima! and fava! and navy! oh my!), lentils, chickpeas... Milk and eggs are loaded with protein. And nuts! So there's really no need to RELY on the delicious yet heavily processed soy fake-meat products to get your meat-free nutrition.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Here is a morningstar product ingredient item:

TEXTURED VEGETABLE PROTEIN (SOY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE, WHEAT GLUTEN, WATER FOR HYDRATION), WATER, ENRICHED WHEAT FLOUR (FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMIN MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), CORN OIL, EGG WHITES, WHEAT STARCH, CORNSTARCH, CONTAINS TWO PERCENT OR LESS OF SALT, MODIFIED TAPIOCA STARCH, MODIFIED CELLULOSE, SOY PROTEIN ISOLATE, SOY FIBER, SUGAR, ARTIFICIAL VINEGAR FLAVOR (MALIC ACID, SODIUM ACETATE, LACTOSE, FUMARIC ACID), DRIED GARLIC, DEXTROSE, SPICES, POTASSIUM CHLORIDE, DRIED YEAST, CARAMEL COLOR, SOYBEAN OIL, XANTHAN GUM, SODIUM ALGINATE, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS FROM NON-MEAT SOURCES, TAPIOCA DEXTRIN, MALTODEXTRIN, CELLULOSE GUM, DISODIUM INOSINATE, HYDROLYZED SOY PROTEIN, MODIFIED CORN STARCH, PAPRIKA EXTRACT, YELLOW CORN FLOUR, GUAR GUM, CARRAGEENAN, SODIUM ACETATE, DEHYDRATED BUTTER (CREAM, NONFAT MILK, SALT, ANNATTO), NONFAT DRY MILK, MALIC ACID, PAPRIKA, ONION POWDER, BAKING SODA, ANNATTO AND TURMERIC COLOR, WHEAT FIBER, CELERY EXTRACT, LACTIC ACID, NIACINAMIDE, IRON (FERROUS SULFATE), THIAMIN MONONITRATE (VITAMIN B1), PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B6), RIBOFLAVIN (VITAMIN B2), VITAMIN B12.

There are sure a lot of items I''d be concerned about, especially the "modified corn starch."

I''m I missing something? I know you all are trying to avoid meat, but seems like these ingredients aren''t that healthy as they''re not natural???

 

[angel_nieves]

Mc I do agree that the garden burgers and so forth have allot of chemicals, but after I am use to the Vegan diet (I have only been doing this a month) I will cut out the chemicals. However it does seem to me that most people who eat meat don’t seem to know about all the antibiotics, hormones and drugs given to beef, chickens, turkeys and pigs. Also I have read the ingredient list on the food I use to eat and wow all the chemicals make you wonder.

 

[WorkingHardforSmallRewards]

I am just curious, not taking any positions for or against, but what exactly about the movie made you want to stop drinking milk?

Also, I stopped eating whoppers because they are dirty and disgusting in my opinion. Though the taste nice, its just a really nasty food in general....

and while I am not a vegetarian, take it from a guy that is always telling himself he needs to lose weight. It looks delicious now, but just really contemplate the moment when it is done and you have finished it. Suddenly you remember...this is crap. It was def not worth me being weak and fighting yourself over. Believe me, I have had many a moment wondering why I ate it and wishing I could back track in time on remembering how silly I was being. but this is also failed diets...maybe don't take my advice to much to heart...lol

 

[angel_nieves]

Also I am getting alot of my protien from tofu. I am making spicy noddle soup with tofu as I type.

 

[angel_nieves]

Also Indy do you have some good recipes for different beans and so forth I like chick peas and lentils but they become a bit boring the same way over and over. I would like any different recipes for any legume.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 8/9/2007 12:44:23 PM
Author: Macie
. However it does seem to me that most people who eat meat don’t seem to know about all the antibiotics, hormones and drugs given to beef, chickens, turkeys and pigs.

Yep, I know most aren''t aware of the anti-biotics. A few weeks back, I was in the organic section of the grocery store and an older lady walked by and was appauled to see that milk was $4.99 a gallon and I tried to explain to her that she was in the organic section and she could find the ''regular'' milk on the other side of the store and she had NO idea what I was talking about! She didn''t even realize that you could chose between buying milk with or with antibiotics. She said it made sense, though!

FWIW, I DO eat meat daily but only buy organic/free-range products. Luckily, here in Seattle, there are loads of grocery stores which sell organic foods so it''s easy to shop for a variety of healthy foods.

 

[angel_nieves]

Working hard the movie I saw was "Meet your Meat" is was quite disturbing, you can find it on youtube or myspace. Also as I have said before I never really liked milk (unless in ice cream)

.

 

[chrono]

MC,
Thanks for typing out the long list of ingredients. I''m used to eating free range chicken from small family farms and they taste so different from commercially sold chicken. The meat is a lot leanner and tastier.

For others,
What are your other protein options if one HATES beans? I refuse to touch beans unless I''m starving and there is nothing else to eat.

 

[angel_nieves]

Mc you’re lucky. I am in South Florida an hour away from Palm Beach. The town I live in is small town and you’re lucky to find organic anything. I go heath food shopping every two weeks in Palm Beach.

 

[baby monster]

Macie, there are a lot of websites with vegan and vegetarian recipes and information. I like vegweb.com, vegsoc.org and veganchef.com.

As far as satisfying the cravings for meat. I buy tofu crumbles and TVP (texturized vegetable protein). They both have the texture of meat (that certain chewiness) and are very tasty. My Pathmark has the tofu crumbles in the vegetable section together with other soy products. I buy TVP in health food store - try to look for the organic kind. It comes dried and I use it in stews so it absorbs the flavor of whatever I''m cooking it in.

Also, you need to pay attention to how much protein you''re consuming. Your meat cravings could be your body''s way of telling you to eat more protein.

 

[neatfreak]

Just a mention, but Macie, you are NOT a vegan if you plan on eating fish...

If the title is important to you, this is something you should know. If it''s just something for your own good, then of course it doesn''t matter. But vegans eat NO animal products including fish. And there are animal products in a LOT of weird place like marshmallows and gelatin. So be sure to read up on it...

 

[angel_nieves]

Mc I do eat fish but will give that up later. I have so far given allot of starchy food, and all sweets for heath reasons and meat (excluding fish), and by-products due to moral reasons. When I get use to the diet I then will cut out the fish (especially due to over fishing pollution). I knew there was animal by- products in gelatin but I did not know about the marshmallows thanks for the heads up.

 

[surfgirl]

macie, no worries about the milk products. I just didn''t know if you were choosing to be vegan (as opposed to including milk products) because you thought that was your only option. You obviously know your options so do what''s right for you!

 

[Independent Gal]

Hey Macie, keep in mind that tofu is made from soy! Just less processed soy. Same thing with miso (also good for a tasty, salty, protein + snack). It''s fine to eat soy, probably every day. You just probably don''t want to be having a glass of soy milk for breakfast, a soy cheese sandwich, then tofu for dinner and soy ice cream for desert, know what I mean?

In terms of recipes, I''m pretty sure there was a recent ''vegetarian recipe'' thread on here.

The best veg cookbooks in my humble opinion are the Moosewood series ... I absolutely LOVE the ''low fat favourites'' one. Why not go on amazon and get a bunch of veg cookbooks? That''s a great way to start out!

Also, have you discovered epicurious.com? If you type in ''lima'' ''fava'' or whatever you should get some good options coming up.

I love my fresh lima beans, steamed in salt water, then chilled, then sprinkled in a salad.

But always make sure to cook lima beans and fava beans until they are soft (not TOO soft of course) because they contain cyanide which disapates when you cook them well.

See MC? Sometimes nature is even MORE (and more immediately) poisonous! And a little processing, in this case cooking, is a good thing.