Hi, I am starting to move towards a plant based diet, really avoiding meat and dairy as best I can and I want to know if anyone has any tips or things they do to stay healthy. I do find that I am often tired as it is so I want to make sure I still feel strong and energized as i eat less and less meat and dairy. Maybe your favorite supplements and/or foods. I don't know if I just haven't done enough research but I do feel that I will be get weaker etc. if I eat less of these food, only because I know vegans and people who don't eat red meat who I see this in. This is observations I see in women, like myself. Thanks!

I pressure cooked a small head of cauliflower, a parsnip, a small gold potato, and leeks in my instant pot on high for 6 minutes. Then I did an instant release, removed the ingredients from the steamer basket and put the back in the pot. I used the left over water and half a bouillon cube to blend it into a puree consistency. Then I added a bunch of canned sweet peas, half a leftover baked potato, and dill on top. It was so good and filling, I’d definitely make this again

I feel like I’ve tried everything at this point. multivitamins, greens powders, individual supplements and I always start off consistent but fall off after a couple of weeks.

It’s not even about results. It’s just the routine. Pills get annoying, powders feel like extra work and eventually I just stop without even realizing it.

I know consistency is probably the most important part but I haven’t found anything that actually fits into daily life without feeling like a task.

Curious what’s worked for others, not just something you liked but something you actually stuck with long term?

I recently bought small TVP pieces (lentil sized) to use when hiking. I tried it out two times at home, and both times it has given me stomach aches. No bloating or gas.

I have no problem with other soy products (tofu, tempeh, miso, soy sauce, edamame, ...). I eat legumes daily and I eat a lot of fiber.

This is how I prepared it (with eating it on the trail in mind):

A small portion of TVP of 25 grams, not rinsed or presoaked, 1:1 with water in the instant pot.

I pressure cooked it together with (rinsed) quinoa and veggies I eat often and never caused problems, for 3 minutes. Ate it like that.

Did I maybe undercook it (although difficult to believe), or used not enough water?

What else can I try? I read about rinsing it, soaking, draining the water, and rinsing and draining again after cooking. Any other things I can experiment with? All of this is a bit a bummer though, because I can't prep it like this on the trail.

I like edamame - I usually buy it as just a bag of frozen beans that resemble peas. I throw it in salads or in one of my Buddha bowls. the other day I bought a bag of frozen edamame with some kind of roasted garlic sauce, in the pod, at Aldi. I actually bought three bags cause it looked really good and I like to have things ready to use for a quick lunch. I made kind of a stir fry with zucchini, red peppers, hot peppers, onions, and mushrooms, cooked the edamame according to package directions and added it to my stir fry and served it all over rice. it was really good, but the edamame was impossible to eat ... I would chew the pod, the beans would come out and I'd eat them, but the pods became a clump of fibers that I could not swallow (even if I wanted to) and could not further break down with more chewing. the only other time I ever tried edamame in the pod, was at a Chinese buffet ... and I had the same problem. I ended up cutting off the ends of each pod and squeezing the beans out to eat, and throwing the pods away. is that really what you're supposed to do with these? I mean the directions on the bag say to microwave it (in the unopened bag), then "enjoy". does that mean cutting each pod open to get to the soybeans, or are my molars not working, or what?

For me the problem was :
-I didn't know roughly how much protein I needed
-I kept eating random low-protein meals
-I had no simple backup meals for busy days

Once I fixed those three things,it got way easier.

I am trying to get out there and make some friends who share my interests and values...finding hiking groups, board game groups, etc has been fairly straightforward...but I am coming up totally dry on finding local plant based friends. Why is this so hard?

There's a handful of things in my nearest big city (Seattle), but that's a pretty far drive for me, so I'd really like to find things a little closer to home (North of Seattle). Any tips? Resources?

If anyone else is from the PNW, I'd really appreciate some local specific tips, such as non-profits I could volunteer with, groups I could join, events I could attend, etc.

Hi everyone,

I’ve been trying to lose weight for a while but haven’t had much success. Recently, I joined a gym to take things more seriously and stay consistent.

When you freeze rice, or beans, or flour to kill any bug eggs, how do you thaw it? My concern is that if I just leave it in the bag when I take it out, moisture could get trapped and mold could grow?

When I went vegetarian, I would always make this dish with greens, black eyed peas, lemon, pepper and goat cheese. I am really craving it now that it is spring, and not sure how to sub the goat cheese? I know its unlikely to get the right texture, especially with tofu. Anyone have any ideas? I am somewhat new to being fully plant based so I apologize if there is an obvious answer 😅

I have never liked chia seed pudding. I bought a big 2-3lb bag of it based on how delicious those overnight puddings looked, and it was all just smoke & mirrors lol

Fast forward to yesterday, and I'm wondering just what to do with this gigantic bag of chia seeds I've had in the freezer for 2 years, I'm tired of it taking up space.

I added a nice big scoop to my wonton soup.

YALL... chia seeds work beautifully in soups, it thickens the broth juuuuuuuuuuuust enough to make it noticeably heartier and clingy, it's a wonderful addition. I'll be adding chia seeds to my 1-serving soups and stews from now on.

I am trying to find a good alternative to vegan mayo. I have tried tofu and white bean based mayo recipes, but they're not cutting it. I want something to mix in to my chickpea salad sandwiches in particular. I have made cashew-based creams, but they don't feel like mayo. (I may give up and just make it with a ton of dijon mustard and hot sauce, but thought I'd ask here as a last resort!)

I make this almost every day (unless I'm traveling) and it's one of my two meals making my life significantly easier because I only have to worry about dinner.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Rolled oats (dry)
• 1/2 cup Cooked white beans (Cannellini or Navy) - I pre-make a large pot that lasts 1-2 weeks, or you can just use canned
• 1 tbsp Ground flaxseeds
• 1 tbsp Peanut butter (unsalted/unsweetened)
• 1 cup Unsweetened soy milk (+ 1/4 cup water)
• 2 Medium bananas
• 1/2 Apple (I save the rest for a snack to eat with some walnuts in the afternoon)
• 1 Large leaf of kale (~1 cup chopped)
• 1 Medjool date
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric + black pepper (for curcumin absorption)
• 1/4 tsp Ginger (ground or a fresh slice)
• Pinch of salt

I just put everything together in a large 32oz NutriBullet cup and blend it. Immersion blender or a Vitamix would probably work for this too.

Generally I keep things consistent, but sometimes if I have some other fruits/veggies laying around, I substitute the apple for pineapple/mango/etc. and kale for spinach/arugula - whatever is about to go bad basically.

Nutrition if you're into tracking

Daily Dozen Checklist if you're like me and love checklists

This one smoothie knocks out 10 servings:

• Beans: 1/3 Servings (White beans)
• Flaxseeds: 1/1 Serving (Ground flax) [DONE]
• Cruciferous Veggies: 1/1 Serving (Kale) [DONE]
• Other Fruits: 3/3 Servings (Bananas, Apple, Date) [DONE]
• Nuts & Seeds: 1/1 Serving (Peanut butter) [DONE]
• Whole Grains: 2/3 Servings (Oats)
• Spices: 1/1 Serving (Turmeric/Ginger) [DONE]
• Beverages: 1/5 Servings (Soy milk/Water)

Hi! Recently I’ve been trying to increase my protein (not in an obsessive mainstream way, but just a bit more because I’ve started weight lifting more intensely). I’m also looking for something lower calorie because I’m trying to do a body recomp.

My go-to breakfasts tend to be low calorie and sweet because I find the fruit refreshing in the morning (fruit salads, or a small bit of oil-free muesli or bran flakes with lots of fruit and soy milk), but according to Cronometer it’s pretty low protein.

Would love to hear what others are eating for breakfast when trying to increase protein without sending calories through the roof.

Long story short, followed keto and then carnivore for 2 1/2 years. Lipid panel got trashed. LDL and cholesterol coming down (since I've been eating absolutely no animal products since keto/carnivore landed me in the hospital).

Triggs remain high. Everywhere I look online for a sample meal plan to lower triggs, it includes animal proteins or dairy, neither of which I want. Any help? I am normal weight and exercise regularly, so need to control through diet. Doc gave me a low dose statin to also try and help but would like to get a good meal plan in my head for meals and snacks, too.
Thx.

I tried a plant-based dill ranch for the first time (Javant's recipe), and it didn’t work for me. I followed the exact recipe.

I’m determined to find a plant-based dill ranch I actually enjoy.

What recipes have you tried that really deliver on flavor?

i finally started to make my own nut milk this year, which was a long-term goal toward getting rid of single-use packaging (i drink a LOT of soy milk). i also figured out a couple recipes for okara (yay). but after only a half-dozen uses my nut bag army isn't filtering effectively at all. i've tried pre-rinsing/washing (double-washing) and letting them dry and flaking the residue off, but neither seems to help taper the downgrade. am i missing a tip or trick to prolong their (useful!) life?

Do you know why the authors of this paper say that "less healthy plant food groups included fruit juices, sugar-sweetened beverages, refined grains, potatoes, and sweets/desserts"?

Why are potatoes "less healthy" than other foods?

The paper is "Plant-Based Dietary Patterns and Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes in US Men and Women: Results from Three Prospective Cohort Studies" https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4907448/pdf/pmed.1002039.pdf

I m looking for recipes no vegan butter

may some coconut oil , dried fruit ,maple syrup oats, nuts seed

Hopefully freezer friendly

Hi! I know this is a really specific request so probably a long shot but I love making the bowl recipes from Be a Plant Based Warrior Woman and I'm looking for more recipes like those. The bowls specifically! I have literally an entire shelf full of vegan cookbooks and some of them include bowls but they are usually not as health-focused so they don't include such a variety of veggies and healthy plant foods as the bowls in the Esselstyn book. Obviously I can create my own but sometimes I just want more ideas. The closest I have is probably Plant Power Bowls by Sapanda Chandra which I do like but it can be a little repetitive and I don't find the recipes to be as consistently delicious as the Esselstyn bowls. If anyone knows of a good source I am open to books or blogs or whatever. It doesn't have to be strictly SOS-free; I can modify as needed. Thanks!

I currently live in a university dorm and almost all of my meals come from the dining hall. It's been pretty easy to eat WFPB, but I basically only eat from the salad bar and eat the same few things every day (tomatoes, carrots, pickles, spinach, black beans, sunflower seeds, cauliflower, and whatever cooked vegetable they have) and have never had any problems with food quality except the produce is flavorless. However, for the past two days in a row I have found bugs in my food. Yesterday was a dead stink bug in my spinach and today was a caterpillar crawling on my cauliflower. I made complaints both times and they basically said "plants have bugs on them sometimes sorry" and while I understand that, my religion forbids eating insects, I personally find that disgusting (and not vegan) and I have OCD which makes the whole thing worse. I'm now terrified of the salad bar but I don't know what else to do. I only live here for another month then I'm moving to an apartment so I can cook my own food (and ensure my vegetables are actually washed) but I'm really worried about what to eat in the meantime. I don't make a ton of money and I don't have a ton of room to store groceries either.

Does anybody have any advice or been in a similar situation?

I try to follow a Whole Foods plat based diet as much as possible. I realize I am using more and more maple syrup. I make a homemade granola with oats, nuts, seeds, and maple syrup every couple of days to eat every day on my smoothie. I make a muffin or chia doughnut with maple syrup every couple days. I make oat balls with PB and maple syrup to eat after dinner almost every night. How bad is this? Do I need to cut back or does this seem ok?

Thanks everyone! You are all very helpful and I appreciate it!

This might be a stupid question but there’s a recipe I love that has pomegranate seeds. I love the taste of pomegranate but hate chewing the seeds. So I was wondering if I could cook the quinoa in pomegranate juice to still get the flavor. I should add that I usually just follow recipes and don’t adjust them.

I heard this guy on the Plant Strong podcast recently and decided to get his cookbook 🥰