The Struggle is Meal

[Strugglepuss]

New here, don't mind the name, it's what came to mind when pressed to come up with one (if you're old enough, you'll remember a bit of a hedonistic cartoon cougar named snagglepuss). It fits my dilemma of continuously trying and failing to stay high on plants, mostly, I think, for two reasons: One, I struggle with limitations, aka discipline. I want to consume everything.

I know a vegan diet isn't limited (or doesn't have to be), but, frankly, I'm a ridiculously incompetent cook who struggles to say no when out on the town, or just out of the house (any vegan psychologists in the house? If so, put me on your couch and go to work). Two, probably due to those hedonistic issues, my innards are about as healthy as a war-ravaged town. Thus, whether I like it or not, I have limitations.

For instance, I recently whipped up a loaf of zucchini bread and two loaves of banana bread, made with maple syrup, sans oil, and all whole foods. My last attempt at banana bread resulted in banana soup, but this time all three loaves miraculously popped out as models of perfection. So I ate them - no, not all 3 at once - but I probably ate too much, and felt like hell, as if I'd swallowed a large bag of cement.

This is what confounds me. Had I eaten a greasy burger with cheese and fries instead, I would not have felt as close to death as I did after that bread (they would probably just kill me prematurely later on when least expected). So this is what limits me. I don't know if it's the flour (I've tried gluten containing and gluten free) or maple syrup or combination of both, but I can't eat such things. I'm not sure I should eat any bread at all. But I can eat meat without any such immediate consequences. Still, I've had enough experience to know that if I stick to a whole foods PBD, I will feel better than on any other diet, as long as I avoid those sweet breads (same with pancakes, my all time favorite food). These limitations are what make me fall off the wagon (usually into a deli sandwich or some other such disaster).

Anyway, I figured I'd join this forum for motivation. I used to live in Chicago, so going out for healthy food was easy, but now I'm in a vegan desert, surrounded by hunters and fisherman. The closest vegan restaurant is more than an hour away. So if you're going to visit me (on this forum), bring food (or an easy recipe), of your favorite, easy to make concoctions (so easy even a cooking moron can make them).

 

[Lou]

I would like to take a shot at your underlying issue sometime but for now...
You've come to the right place. Not a week goes by with our a similar discussion.

so for now check this out.

Looking for everday meals | Vegan Forum

 

[Mufflon]

I know a vegan diet isn't limited

A vegan diet is limited. No animal products.

I wish vegans would stop trying to convince people that the vegan diet is "not limited".

 

[Second Summer]

Welcome to the forum!

It sounds like one of your issues could be portion sizes, i.e. avoiding to overeat?

My personal number one motivation for staying vegan has to do with ethics - right and wrong, principle of least harm etcetera.

As for recipes and cooking, I'm not very good at it. Luckily, my wife does most of the cooking! I do make my own breakfast which tends to be oatmeal, which is my favourite, and so very easy to make. You can of course add a lot of extra condiments to it, but I feel this is not what I want. I really enjoy the simplicity of it. Put organic oats, water, sometimes raisins, in a mug or bowl, microwave it for 1min to 1min30s or sometimes just stir with boiling hot water from the kettle, then let it stew for several minutes afterwards. Then serve with soya milk and maybe a banana. The Zen of breakfast, perfect start to the day!

I'll let someone else suggest easy-to-makes dinner recipes ...

 

[Chryssie]

 

[Lou]

Sounds like your main problem is bread.

Most of us are motivated by ethics, health or environmental concerns.

Lets put "baking at home" in the "to do later" bucket. Baking is a great skill and from what I've heard there is a lot of people who learned during the pandemic. Personally I an not a baker. But I can make banana bread, and muffins and cookies. Its mostly just following directions - and I'll be the first to admit that following directions is harder than it sounds.

I didn't follow your description of your issues with bread. Are you gluten sensitive? Do you know? Maybe you should figure it out. In fact that should be the first thing you do. There are tests available at the Doctor's office. I think there are even home kits. But I would see a doctor about it. At the same time maybe he can check you for other common food sensitivities.

I hear this all the time about a lack of vegan options at restaurants. But you can eat vegan at almost every restaurant. A couple a days ago I ended up at a Deli/sandwich place without a vegetarian option. but you could customize any sandwich they had. So I had the ham and cheese - without ham and cheese. I still had to pay for the ham and cheese which made it an expensive option but not out of line of what a veggie sandwich costs at another deli.

Asian restaurants are the best - they always have vegetarian things and they never invented cheese. Usually there is some tofu options too.

Mecican restaurants are also good. they usually have some things without meat and then you just have to have them leave off the cheese.

I haven't had this happen but just once, but if they don't have anything on the menu ask them to make up something special. But generally speaking don't be afraid to talk to the wait staff. they are usually happy to help.

 

[Strugglepuss]

Thanks all. What I really need is a live-in chef. Any volunteers That would solve all of my problems. When a tasty vegan dish is put in front of me, I'm happy, no wandering eyes at what other dishes might be close by. I appreciate the recipes. Will try my best.

I do struggle with portion sizes. If I make something good, watch out. It's going down. And oatmeal is my go to breakfast. I started a couple of days with that banana bread recently and that got me into trouble. Maybe it's the maple syrup. I am a sugar junkie, but if I put maple syrup on my oatmeal, as I sometimes do, it doesn't seem to bother me (except lunch usually needs to come faster - obvious blood sugar issues).

Figuring out sensitivity issues has been a struggle. I avoided gluten for awhile, but eventually realized gluten free wasn't any better. I've had tests and found them to be useless. One test would say to avoid a certain food, the next test would say that food was fine. Others would tell me to avoid foods that I had never had a problem with. One told me to avoid blueberries. I can eat a lot of blueberries without any issue. Sometimes I eat bread without issue, except that once I have bread, I want more, and more, and more.

I think I just have a weak digestive system. I once had chronic fatigue and severe acid reflux. The fatigue lasted for 3 years, then I did a 30 day vegan raw foods class and that solved the issue.

Staying motivated is what I struggle with. I respect and appreciate the ethical reasons, but I'm more focused on health and environmental issues. No doubt that gets me into trouble. If I go out to eat and the restaurant has a vegan dish, around here, it's the worst prepared dish on the menu, because no one ever orders it, and my hedonistic tendencies start salivating over what others are eating.

Minus the live in chef, and no other plant based eaters close by, as far as I know (I'm sure they're out there), I'll have to check in here and hope it helps to keep me motivated.

 

[Emma JC]

welcome to the forum

Wishing you all the best in your struggle. We tend to eat way too much at times also and some of that has to do with boredom.

Dr Greger has a new series out to do with variety in foods and how our body naturally knows what to eat if we let it.

Only the first video is out yet and I am waiting to see what the rest of the series brings. We have been flirting with the idea of doing a potato only couple of weeks. Not sure yet if we will. A lot of people find it very helpful to limit their choices in order to get things under control.

Emma JC
Find your vegan soulmate or just a friend. www.spiritualmatchmaking.com

200-Pound Weight Loss Without Hunger

 

[silva]

A vegan diet is limited. No animal products.

I wish vegans would stop trying to convince people that the vegan diet is "not limited".

When you say 'limited', every one 'limits' their diet.
The only foods that aren't vegan are those that are from animals--that's it.
Most people who eat animal products don't eat many beans, lentils, whole grains, the variety of produce, nuts, seeds, tofu tempeh seitan............
Sure, technically they can eat everything---but how many actually do?
It was a struggle when I went vegan--but I transitioned into a diet that truly is more varied than what I ate as an omni

I wish people would stop trying to say a vegan diet is "limited"
I mean, omnivores can eat all types of insects, and every part of an animal, but how many do? Everyone limits their diet

 

[silva]

Ok, heres an example---
Meateaters eat steaks, burgers, roasts, pieces of cooked flesh.....
I eat seitan roasts, steaks, bean burgers, seitan burgers, veggie burgers, tofu, tempeh, soy curls.....
Omnis eat cheese---vegan 'cheese' may not be the same, but as far as I feel, it's become even better than when I ate dairy cheese, even if not the same ingredients. I eat more yogurt made of soy milk than when I did as omni cause I make it myself
Non dairy milks (or beverages) are every bit as good (to me they've always been better so...)
Ice creams--vegan. sorbets-vegan, fruit ices-vegan
Pudding-vegan
Quiches-tofu


Of course they'res a struggle when buying premade products, but if you're buying premade products you're already limiting what you eat

 

[Strugglepuss]

welcome to the forum

Wishing you all the best in your struggle. We tend to eat way too much at times also and some of that has to do with boredom.

Dr Greger has a new series out to do with variety in foods and how our body naturally knows what to eat if we let it.

Only the first video is out yet and I am waiting to see what the rest of the series brings. We have been flirting with the idea of doing a potato only couple of weeks. Not sure yet if we will. A lot of people find it very helpful to limit their choices in order to get things under control.

Emma JC
Find your vegan soulmate or just a friend. www.spiritualmatchmaking.com

200-Pound Weight Loss Without Hunger

Fascinating video. Surely that gets to the heart of the problem. Thanks for posting that. I'm also tempted to try the potato only thing for a bit to see if that leads to a good reset, though maybe the fall would be a better time to start.

 

[Strugglepuss]

Ok, heres an example---
Meateaters eat steaks, burgers, roasts, pieces of cooked flesh.....
I eat seitan roasts, steaks, bean burgers, seitan burgers, veggie burgers, tofu, tempeh, soy curls.....
Omnis eat cheese---vegan 'cheese' may not be the same, but as far as I feel, it's become even better than when I ate dairy cheese, even if not the same ingredients. I eat more yogurt made of soy milk than when I did as omni cause I make it myself
Non dairy milks (or beverages) are every bit as good (to me they've always been better so...)
Ice creams--vegan. sorbets-vegan, fruit ices-vegan
Pudding-vegan
Quiches-tofu


Of course they'res a struggle when buying premade products, but if you're buying premade products you're already limiting what you eat

You're not by chance looking for an opportunity to be a live-in chef, are you?

 

[Mufflon]

I wish people would stop trying to say a vegan diet is "limited"

To each their own. I personally think it's limited - "no animal products" puts a clear line there right?

I also hate "being creative" at restaurants or cafeterias (it usually ends up with a meal I find neither good tasting nor satisfying in any kind of way and I'm not willing to pay for something like that so I usually bring my own food to work and don't go to the local restaurants). I'm sure this is very different in big cities though.

And no, I don't like spending time on shopping and preparing food - I wish online shopping for fresh groceries would take like a big leap here.

 

[silva]

When someone asks me

You're not by chance looking for an opportunity to be a live-in chef, are you?

No, but I do like to cook, so I guess that does factor in to how I feel about food....
I found being vegetarian, with dairy and egg ingredients, was very easy, but I found vegan to be a huge challenge! So many foods I loved BECAUSE of cheese! For maybe 6 months or more I had a complete mental block on what to eat, or how to make things I liked. I wasn't trying to be all healthy foods, but it did seem as if that was all I was finding. Vegan cheeses were not good then, IMO! I distinctly recall that day I came home from shopping and started making dinner thinking----"OMG, I'm not thinking about food anymore!" It felt so liberating to have a new normal
Now, I am NOT saying it's always easy, it's not. Animal products are everywhere, and I'm NOT the strictest vegan. I absolutely intend to watch out for dairy and honey and gelatine, but I have eaten products where it was caught too late. I simply carry on.

I so agree on eating out--I am very rarely at the mercy of having to be at a restaurant that isn't planned! and I love playing in the kitchen
Yes, it's different for everyone. I just hope more and more people think about what is possible for them, and regardless of how committed they get, do find other foods to replace the animal products they depend on
For many, being omnivores is whats limited them because of the cultural bias

I don't mean to make it sound like it's easy for everyone

 

[Lou]

if I go out to eat and the restaurant has a vegan dish, around here, it's the worst prepared dish on the menu, because no one ever orders it, and my hedonistic tendencies start salivating over what others are eating.

Not sure you are getting it. You don't need to buy the dish on the menu labeled vegan. you can just get the one that IS vegan.
Asian restaurants are the best for this. they don't even have to hold the cheese. And many of them serve tofu dishes.

Mexican resautants are great too. Just have them hold the meat and cheese. I just did that the other day with a burrito. It was mostly beans and rice but I think instead of meat and cheese it had extra veggies.

A vegetarian pizza can be ordered without cheese.


Finally short of the live in chef and maybe can also help you with learning is to use YouTube.

for a few years I would cook with a my iPad or LapTop perched on the microwave. And learn how to cook a dish with a chef. As a guy I would mostly watch the videos done by cute young women. there are plenty of men to choose from but it seems like there are way more female vegan chefs on YouTube.

we have serveral threads devoted to this. but my favorite is Sarah's Vegan Kitchen. Cheap Lazy Vegan is also pretty good.

 

[silva]

Not sure you are getting it. You don't need to buy the dish on the menu labeled vegan. you can just get the one that IS vegan.
Asian restaurants are the best for this. they don't even have to hold the cheese. And many of them serve tofu dishes.

Mexican resautants are great too. Just have them hold the meat and cheese. I just did that the other day with a burrito. It was mostly beans and rice but I think instead of meat and cheese it had extra veggies.

A vegetarian pizza can be ordered without cheese.


Finally short of the live in chef and maybe can also help you with learning is to use YouTube.

for a few years I would cook with a my iPad or LapTop perched on the microwave. And learn how to cook a dish with a chef. As a guy I would mostly watch the videos done by cute young women. there are plenty of men to choose from but it seems like there are way more female vegan chefs on YouTube.

we have serveral threads devoted to this. but my favorite is Sarah's Vegan Kitchen. Cheap Lazy Vegan is also pretty good.

I'm surprised by how much I disagree on this post

I completely agree with strugglepuss and Mufflon about restaurants! The vegan meal usually is the worst, and trying to make reg ones without animal products is a true struggle, and so often, just a big waste of money! I think you suffer from Cali syndrome maybe?
Ordering a pizza without cheese --most places here cheese is a freebie and each veg topping is quite pricey. For me, that ruined that pizza experience because it's so easy to get cheap good pizza if you order they way they intend. To this day I can't really enjoy Mexican restaurants because cheese was what made it how I liked! I can do it at home because I have vegan cheeses I like

My favorite vegan chefs are men, cute or not. Like Gaz Oakley, Saucestache, Chef Michael Skye, Bryant Terry, and a bunch I can't think of off hand

 

[silva]

Vegan is only limited because so much of the world revolves around being able to take and use animals as they want without any repercussions--but instead, encouragement. In the US our government makes using animals profitable even if their products go to waste.
Things are somewhat changing-like you now get double the value of food stamps at farmers markets

 

[Strugglepuss]

Oh I get it. I've been fluctuating in and out of a plant based diet for more than a decade. I got spoiled by all the easy choices in Chicago. The one Asian restaurant where I live is awful. The Mexican restaurant is not much better. I wouldn't trust them to make anything worth eating. There's a coffee shop with a veggie sandwich that's pretty decent, but she keeps odd hours. You can never trust she'll be open when you need her to be, the downside of living in a small country village.

My issue is psychological, trying to get over the meat and potatoes diet I was raised on while surrounded by people who are on that meat and potatoes diet and think I'm nuts, especially when eating vegan banana bread makes me ill and meat doesn't (my sister is a nutritionist and was recently harping on me about the health benefits of eating lamb).

I work from a home office, traveling to a job site about once a week. When I'm home, my nose is plastered to a computer. I'm not thinking about food. Next thing I know I'm hungry, and if I haven't prepared anything in advance, I'm in trouble. When I was in Chicago, I could easily run out and find something healthy, now I have to stay home and prepare everything. If I go out, it's because I need something fast. I often work long hours, so trying to find time to prepare food is a challenge. Oatmeal in the mornings is easy. I try to throw some rice in a cooker shortly after breakfast, so I have that ready. That helps to keep me from getting into too much trouble. I just have too many days when I lose my motivation.

Joining this forum has already helped. Got on my bicycle this morning and rode to some woods for a nature walk. Best exercise I've had in a while, and I know the motivation for that came from connecting to others trying to live a similar healthy lifestyle.

 

[Mufflon]

I found being vegetarian, with dairy and egg ingredients, was very easy, but I found vegan to be a huge challenge! So many foods I loved BECAUSE of cheese!

Ah yes, same here. Being vegetarian was a breeze, lol. Also usually no problems at restaurants.

*still hoping for a vegan cheese that I don't want to scrape off pizza and casseroles*

 

[Mufflon]

I completely agree with strugglepuss and Mufflon about restaurants! The vegan meal usually is the worst, and trying to make reg ones without animal products is a true struggle, and so often, just a big waste of money!

I remember visiting a vegan restaurant in Hamburg when being at a congress twice - it was awesome food!

Unfortunately at least in Germany (I doubt other countries are different yet) it all usually depends on whether you live in a big city or not, be it the issue of grocery stores (e. g. Asian food markets or the availability of e. g. vital wheat gluten and other vegan goodies at the usual supermarket chains) or restaurants.