Trying to Become Vegan

[los angeles]

^ Glad to hear you are doing well with everything! Congrats! As posted above, I am having some bad days and some good days. I heard the same about vegan/vegetarian dogs also by the way. I actually met my mom to help take one of her dogs to the vet in LA this afternoon and I meant to ask the vet about the vegan/vegetarian diet while we were there but I totally forgot. I'll ask next time we go. I think it would be reassuring to hear from a vet that it's nutritionally sound and everything. Thanks for the links and podcast reminder also!! 

One of my Indian friends recently gave me a veg patty that made me want to become a vegetarian on the spot it was so good! She makes it by boiling some vegetables (peas, whatever else you like), boiling potatoes, mashing it all together, adding spices, making them into patties and lightly browning them on both sides and serving them with buns! SOOOOO good!  I haven't attempted to make them yet, it is all in the spices, I'm convince.  So I asked her to pick up some spices for me and then tell me exactly what she puts in.  I love spicy food and this was amazing! 

^ That sounds awesome! I think I might be having an easier time with this vegan transition if I liked to cook but unfortunately I do not seem to be the kitchen-type so far.

[LinKarish]

One of my Indian friends recently gave me a veg patty that made me want to become a vegetarian on the spot it was so good! She makes it by boiling some vegetables (peas, whatever else you like), boiling potatoes, mashing it all together, adding spices, making them into patties and lightly browning them on both sides and serving them with buns! SOOOOO good!  I haven't attempted to make them yet, it is all in the spices, I'm convince.  So I asked her to pick up some spices for me and then tell me exactly what she puts in.  I love spicy food and this was amazing! 

If she and you both don't mind, you gotta share it.  I have a few stubborn young men in the family who refuse  to eat meals (other than breakfast and snacks) w/o meat.  The few times they have to make do with perfectly good and delicious meals with no non-veg item (meat, fish, eggs), they do so with loud and insistent complaining.

[amit]

^ That sounds awesome! I think I might be having an easier time with this vegan transition if I liked to cook but unfortunately I do not seem to be the kitchen-type so far.

A Punjabi girl who doesn't know how to cook? 
I'm shocked!! 

[amit]

If she and you both don't mind, you gotta share it.  I have a few stubborn young men in the family who refuse  to eat meals (other than breakfast and snacks) w/o meat.  The few times they have to make do with perfectly good and delicious meals with no non-veg item (meat, fish, eggs), they do so with loud and insistent complaining.

Try Sunshine Burgers if available. The best tasting and healthy burger I've ever had, and it doesn't try to replicate the taste of meat, as some other burgers do. (Not that there's anything wrong with replicating the taste of meat.)

[filmifan]

one of the best burgers i've ever had was a lentil patty w/ avocado, red onion, and a curry "mayonnaise." i'm non-veg and would easily choose it again anyday over a beef burger. i now regret not bum rushing the chef for the recipe.

[los angeles]

A Punjabi girl who doesn't know how to cook? 
I'm shocked!! 

I make up for it with my dancing ability I swear 

[LinKarish]

Try Sunshine Burgers if available. The best tasting and healthy burger I've ever had, and it doesn't try to replicate the taste of meat, as some other burgers do. (Not that there's anything wrong with replicating the taste of meat.)

Thanks.  Will give it a go.  The falafal burgers look tempting, especially.

[corbie]

Where do you get lentil burgers and falafel burgers? I am not vegetarian, got sick trying it but I loved veggie burgers. And have not found any that are not made from soy which I will not touch.

[someone]

Where do you get lentil burgers and falafel burgers? I am not vegetarian, got sick trying it but I loved veggie burgers. And have not found any that are not made from soy which I will not touch.

About veggie burgers, I had the most amazing vegetarian patty burger yesterday at a dinner party. The patty was like your Indian-style potato-based vegetable cutlet. Apparently, they stock these at Trader Joe's these days and they're unsurprisingly a HUGE hit with Indians here. The patty was YUM! You should try it sometime… I sure am planning to stock up.

BTW, same opinion on soy here - avoid like the plague. Helps that I'm not vegan and don;t ever plan to be .

[corbie]

I WANT A TRADER JOES IN DENVER! I talked with them when we were in Vegas and they are thinking of coming here in a few years as soon as Colorado fixes our antiquated stupid blue laws! They finally can sell liquor on Sundays, passed that just before the Democratic convention, but still not in grocery stores.

[kmemphis]

Question - I don't like milk unless it's got some sugary children's cereal in it, or chocolate, or ice cream... Plain milk makes me sick to my stomach. In one high school class (some weird mish-mash of home ec and who knows) we were studying the food groups () and had to drink a little bit of milk with different levels of fat. The full fat milk was so thick!


So I don't like milk. When I lived with my uncle, I tried soy milk and hated it. (I think it was Silk.)


Question - if you like the taste of milk, do you like the taste of soy milk?


My aunt has chickens on her property and those eggs were amazing! Unfortunately, she's in Nebraska. (The chickens have a very happy life, except for the 2 Dixie killed. Well one she didn't kill as much as chase it into some fencing and it died. Whoops. We were visiting for a few weeks, and my aunt kept her dogs tied to stakes when outside, and ours roam the yard, so the chickens were evicted into the smaller (but connected) chicken yard while the dogs had the big one. The first chicken Dixie got escaped into the big yard... and the second, both dog and fowl were out of the yards.)

ETA: Another stupid question - are most Hindus vegetarian?


And when my sister went vegetarian we had the biggest argument - she refused to believe that someone could rely on meat for food. (I'm thinking of MAD's PETA parody, where they showed an African family that had been convinced to go vegetarian - emaciated people, fat cow.)

[amit]

Question - if you like the taste of milk, do you like the taste of soy milk?

For me, soy milk was an acquired taste. I do like the taste of rice and almond milk a lot more.

ETA: Another stupid question - are most Hindus vegetarian?

IIRC there were some posts on this subject in the "Hinduism" thread. Short answer is: depends on the Hindu, and there's no one answer that will be applicable to all Hindus. So, while Kashmiri Pandits eat meat, many other Pandits/Brahmins in other parts of the country are strict vegetarians. I think it'd be safe to say that for majority of those Hindus who do eat meat, their diet is not meat-centric, though that may be changing as popularity of fast food joints increases in India.

[chinchinchu]

I WANT A TRADER JOES IN DENVER! I talked with them when we were in Vegas and they are thinking of coming here in a few years as soon as Colorado fixes our antiquated stupid blue laws! They finally can sell liquor on Sundays, passed that just before the Democratic convention, but still not in grocery stores.

In Maryland we still have blue laws, and we do not tend to have alcohol in grocery stores. But Trader Joe's is here (and does not sell alcohol.) Perhaps there are other market/business considerations delaying their expansion to Colorado. If it makes sense for them they will go there, regardless of whether the blue laws are changed or not. So hopefully they will be in CO soon!

[Parallel_Worlds]

What is it about Soy that's bad?
I've been on a vegetarian diet for quite a while now thanks to my sister who is a vegetarian. So soy, paneer, tofu is part of our daily food. Soy is definitely my least favorite, but  I never heard/read that it was bad.

[corbie]

It is being linked to cancer, infertility and thyroid problems. I have known this for 4 years, my husband has thyroid problems and his endocrinologist (who know Madhuri!)  told him. I know  more than one cancer survivor who's doctor told them do not touch soy.

It has the estrogen stimulator stuff in it. It puts too much estrogen into the system. It is also now a GMO product, heavily processed and roundup laden.

These are just two I pulled off the net. I have better ones on my other computer if you are interested.  (see below)

There was even a news story on our ten o'clock news last month about the link to cancer and thyroid.

They are still singing its praises while starting to realize they have goofed' But it is like the corn. It would collapse a whole industry if it became well known.

http://envirocancer.cornell.edu/FactSheet/Diet/fs1.phyto.cfm

http://www.thyroid-info.com/articles/soydangers.htm

I also have a lot of clients and a husband who's thyroids has been destroyed. 99% are vegetarian or eat a lot of soy.

As most know, I research all the crap in the food supply and it's link to the modern health problems.

I think vegetarian would be better to eat a real vegetarian diet, Indian food is a great great balanced one. Some people can't do it even if done correctly. I couldn't. I suppose it is because all my ancestors are major meat eaters. But I still love the concept and wish I could.

I know nothing about vegan and how it might be different than vegetarian. I do know that if the body doesn't get what it needs or too much of the wrong stuff, we get sick. 

[corbie]

http://www.transworldnews.com/NewsStory.aspx?id=24227&cat=10

Another one.

[kragey]

I know the animals/children argument is pretty much over, but I just wanted to add my two cents: I would never change an animal's diet to match my own. I want what's best for my animal, and they can't very well speak up and tell me what they want. If my vet says the best thing for my cat is the indoor catfood she eats now, that's what she eats, no matter what.

The same for my kids. Obviously, children are our offspring, so they're a little different, but the rule is still "they get what's best for them, not what I like." Again, I don't really like milk, but I think it's a good source of nutrients for the youngins, so I'll buy it anyway. (Besides, need it to bake.

If you do eat animal products, truly organic foods are always the best. Like I said, my mom's best friend has a farm, and the stuff that comes out of that place is like mana in the wilderness! No preservatives, no growth horomones, nada. And unlike most red meat, packaged bread, and other heavy foods, it doesn't make me feel sick after I eat it. (Some scientists suggest that the growth horomones in milk and meat are often what give people acne. O_O) I also had a friend who kept ducks, and I loved getting duck eggs from her.

Question - if you like the taste of milk, do you like the taste of soy milk?

Not necessarily. Contrary to what the commercials say, they really do taste very different. I don't really drink milk, but I like a small cup of skim with some Oreos or a slice of cake every now and then. By contrast, I hate the way soy milk (and most soy products, for that matter,) tastes. The only time I ever use soy milk is when I make pancakes with vanilla soy milk for a slightly fluffier texture.

Two of my friends who absolutely love cow's milk hate soy milk. And when I was growing up, I had a vegetarian friend who loved the taste of soy milk, but thought cow's milk tasted "funny."

[LinKarish]

Where do you get lentil burgers and falafel burgers? I am not vegetarian, got sick trying it but I loved veggie burgers. And have not found any that are not made from soy which I will not touch.

The Sunshine burgers balle balle linked to have no soy.  And they include falfafal burgers.  But if you don't have Whole Foods or Trader Joe's, you're probably out of luck.

ETA: Another stupid question - are most Hindus vegetarian?

I would probably say no.  But I don't have the stats to back me up.  Many would eat non-veg, but not beef.  But then, there are Hindus that eat beef (Kerala, and other parts of the South, and other areas--not even going into caste).  

[amit]

What is it about Soy that's bad?
I've been on a vegetarian diet for quite a while now thanks to my sister who is a vegetarian. So soy, paneer, tofu is part of our daily food. Soy is definitely my least favorite, but  I never heard/read that it was bad.

Based on what I've read, the research is somewhat inconclusive. I doubt that soy is a worse culprit than the meat-centric diet that most Americans eat. It is quite possible that if one eats soy products a lot (b'fast, lunch, and dinner), it could have some negative health effects; but eating soy or soy products as part of an overall balanced, healthy diet which includes a wide variety of grains, fruits, vegetables etc. - I'd think it's not a problem. Unfortunately, there's a fair bit of hype and fear-mongering associated with foods, as well are research influenced by food industries to really know what the truth is.

[los angeles]

^ I agree BB. Plus there's a ton of vegan dishes that don't include soy also, there's many more options than people realize. And I kind of have no right to be arguing for a vegan diet because I am having so much trouble transitioning to this diet myself. I am finding it challenging. I'm trying not to give up no matter how much I mess up though. I agree with Shukriya's quote about "don't give up trying anything just because you can't do everything." (That is paraphrased, her actual quote is somewhere upthread.)

So many posts later and I still haven't made it over to any of the vegan restaurants in Burbank/Studio City/Santa Monica. By next month or latest October, I'll drive out to a couple of those places for sure, and then I'll come back and post pics in this thread.

ETA: Kings of Leon are on Conan's show right now, Los Angeles time. I mean, West-Coast time. They are playing Use Somebody, gorgeous song. But why are they all wearing very tight skinny jeans? Like denim chuuridaar leggings or something. Nooooo.

[Parallel_Worlds]

Thanks for posting those articles, Corbie. They paint quite a scary picture.

And thanks for providing some context, BB. I eat very little meat, and hardly ever red meat so hopefully that balances things out.
Soy milk was once recommended to me by a Ayurvedic doctor as it would be good for people with a Vata constitution or something. Don't remember exactly why. That's how I started drinking soy milk and I liked it. But maybe I should cut down on it just to be safe. It's a pitty, cause I like it better than cow milk, which I really find  .  

[chinchinchu]

Thanks for posting those articles, Corbie. They paint quite a scary picture.

And thanks for providing some context, BB. I eat very little meat, and hardly ever red meat so hopefully that balances things out.
Soy milk was once recommended to me by a Ayurvedic doctor as it would be good for people with a Vata constitution or something. Don't remember exactly why. That's how I started drinking soy milk and I liked it. But maybe I should cut down on it just to be safe. It's a pitty, cause I like it better than cow milk, which I really find  .  

Almond milk and rice milk should also be calming to vata, though I am no expert.

[corbie]

How is Vegan different from Vegetarian? Or is vegan just short for Vegetarian. When I was vegetarian in the 80's, I had never heard of Vegan. I was looking on the net and all I found was conflicting information or stuff hard to read.

I would still love to be vegetarian, but not possible. I balanced everything, I was so careful and ended up very ill. There was no soy back then, thank goodness, I did beans and rice type stuff.  I read it may have something to do with blood types.

[blue]

How is Vegan different from Vegetarian? Or is vegan just short for Vegetarian. When I was vegetarian in the 80's, I had never heard of Vegan. I was looking on the net and all I found was conflicting information or stuff hard to read.

Vegans do not eat any any animal products at all. That includes dairy products. Vegetarians do not eat meat but can eat eggs, drink milk etc.

I concur with few posters above that Soya milk is an aquired taste and tastes completely different to cow milk. Also there seems to be a difference in taste with the variety of brands, at least to me.

[corbie]

Would being Vegan be for health reasons or for the mistreatment of animals or both? Since about half the vegetarians I know are not healthy, I am not sure of reasons for it besides not wanting to kill animals.