Eating healthy

[vegan_angel411]

Hello! I am a bit new to this still. Well, I was vegan for a few months, and then I started eating a meat again because I wasn't eating healthy. I am back to vegan now, but I am still having the same issue and I don't want to sway from the path again. Does anyone have any advice as to how to eat healthy vegan foods (I am also trying to lose weight, already having lost nearly 90, although I gained a little over 10 pounds now...I want to lose 50 or 55 more pounds). I found often when I become vegan I fill up on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, or vegan foods that just aren't the healthiest to be eating all day. I would like to eat more fruits and vegetables. Does anyone know ways of making them a bit more dressed up until I get used to eating them all of the time again. I am just really struggling with this right now......
Thanks!
~v_a411~

[Chris in WC]

Beans! I'm new too, and not a vegan. Beans are more than a bowl of protien rich veggies. You can mash them up and use them as a sandwich spread or a taco/burrito filler. They are healthy and very filling. Like most vegies, they are low cal til you add stuff to 'em. BTW, to get your healthy fats, add a little olive oil to 'em. AFAIK, dried beans are totaly vegan.

[BoredVegan]

I sent you an email with a good link, check it out! I'm new so I can't post them on the boards yet. Anywase good luck! Oh and dried fruit is great for those sweet craving instead of pb&J.

[RunsWithFoxes]

I would like to eat more fruits and vegetables. Does anyone know ways of making them a bit more dressed up until I get used to eating them all of the time again.

Learning how to create satisfying, healthy vegan meals takes time and effort. It's a life-long process of continual experimentation. However, the results are well worth it! For me, condiments are the key to making enjoyable plant-based meals. Condiments include: nuts, seeds, oils, herbs, spices, olives, pickles, etc. Good luck! :D

[ingenting]

Ehm I'm not sure if this is what you mean...but to dress up veggies
..you can make soups out of vegetables (e.g. chunky veg. style soup or pureed in a blender), throw some finely chopped stuff in tomato sauce (to make lasagna or any type pasta)..
You could try searching for some yummy recipes in Indian/Chinese/Japanese cookbooks...like stirfries and curries. Both very simple to prepare.
Salads..there's tons of combinations and different dressings there..

Fruit..I dunno..I like to eat fruit just plain..
But you can always make smoothies, or ice cream type stuff (e.g. blending frozen bananas - PEEL and chop before freezing;-), a non-frozen banana + about 1/2-1 cup frozen raspberries mixed with a splash or so of OJ untill you reach an ice cream-ish texture), fruit salads, pies hehe, granny smith apples go really well in salads...

that's all I've got so far.

As for the rest...what I basically did in the end...was just ditch almost every heavily processed food. And focused more on getting well fruit, vegetables, beans/pulses/seitan (pretty much a staple in my diet except seitan) and grains in me than anything else.

This doesn't mean I absolutely deprive myself of convencience foods though.
Every now and then I will pick up some veggiedogs etc. or bake myself a batch of cookies usw.


Two cookbooks that've helped me were:
Lorna Sass' complete vegetarian kitchen, though it will ask for unusual ingredients sometimes..but you could just leave them out or substitute them.

and Vegan Planet, I don't remember the author's name..but if you do a search on google/amazon you'll find it:)

Other than that...vegweb.com has TONS of recipes to choose from..
and I'm sure if you google 'vegan recipes' you'll find lots of inspiration:)

[Black Heart]

I've been making a gorgeous sugar-free dessert with fruit. You need veggie gelatine, which they sell in supermarkets here, grape juice and mixed berries - strawberries, blueberries, raspberries.... Put the fruit in a bowl, make grape juice jelly (jello for Americans?) according to pack instuctions and pour it over the fruit. Leave to set in the fridge.

[*Star*Lass*]

I've been making a gorgeous sugar-free dessert with fruit. You need veggie gelatine, which they sell in supermarkets here, grape juice and mixed berries - strawberries, blueberries, raspberries.... Put the fruit in a bowl, make grape juice jelly (jello for Americans?) according to pack instuctions and pour it over the fruit. Leave to set in the fridge.

That sounds really nice, i think i'll try it! :)

[Gita]

I like spices. I try to stay away from sugary foods. I have a rice cooker and keep some ready made rice in the fridge. When I want a meal, I simmer some veggies, add spices and make a cheap, healthy meal. You can make and freeze beans and rice, put them in single serving containers (about 1/2 to 1 cup per) and nuke them when you are ready to eat. My favorite Pilaf would be: Basmati rice spiced with mild indian curry paste, some sunflower seeds, rasins, and onions sauteed in a little evoo. This is really good and you can add other ingredients.

[DelicGrape]

I can't stand eating plain veggies...I honestly don't know how people do it. I find it easiest to get lots of veggies by adding them to my salads or other meals. Example, the other night I had a veggie burger with lettuce, cucumber, tomato and onions. I had a small side salad made with a bunch of veggies too. As snacks try dipping them into low fat dressings or making your own low fat dressing. Also, in a post of mine someone told me making smoothies is a great way to get lots of fruits and you can even add a little spinach. I think the thread was called Not getting enough fruits or Need more fruits (something along those lines) if you cant find it PM Michael and he can give you the recipe.