My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Join Mumsnet's vegan community and discuss everything related to the vegan diet.

Vegan

A few newbie vegan questions

16 replies

snowblight · 23/01/2020 18:05

My diet is mostly vegetarian but I'm considering going vegan. I thought it might be useful to lump all the things I'm not sure about in one post rather than asking lots of different questions. Any advice will be much appreciated.

1, What's the best type of milk alternative to add to tea or coffee and can you add it straight to a boiling drink? I'm sure I read somewhere about some things curdling.

2, What's good to pour on your bowl of cereal in the morning? Is there one thing that will work for that and also for adding to hot drinks to avoiding buying two separate products all the time? Would obviously buy two things if one doesn't work for both.

3, I tried a vegan burger the other day and when I looked at a review online it said it didn't contain soy protein as if that was a good thing. Is there something negative about soy I should be aware of?

4, Is there something you should be eating to ensure sufficient calcium intake if you're cutting out milk but worried about bone and teeth health?

5, Is it a good idea not to eat too much quorn, tofu and other meat alternatives? I don't know if there are any negatives about any of them.

OP posts:
Report
cricketmum84 · 23/01/2020 19:59

Hey :) I've been meat and dairy free for about a year now with the exception of cheese however I'm doing veganuary to see if it's sustainable for me.

  1. Try a few different ones as everyone's tastes are different. My favourite is probably oat milk, I add the water just before it boils otherwise yes it does split!


  1. I like soya yoghurt on cereal :) alpro plain is the nicest I've tried although almond milk and coconut milk are good too.


  1. Soya... I believe there is a link between soya products and women at high risk of breast cancer? Probably worth a google though. A lot of people are allergic to it too.


  1. Lots of green veg like broccoli and kale have calcium. Also tofu, fortified milks. Good list here for you: www.healthline.com/nutrition/vegan-calcium-sources


  1. I don't think it's a good idea in any diet to eat too much highly processed foods. I like a whole food plant based diet and only occasionally have meat substitutes. I'd rather have roasted squash than a veggie sausage :)


Hope that helps!
Report
snowblight · 23/01/2020 23:05

Thanks. I thought coconut milk would probably taste nice on cereal. I have to admit being a bit fussy with vegetables so things like the veggie sausages will probably be making the occasional appearance. The Cauldron ones are my favourite. Interesting you mentioned cheese. I was watching this episode of the Dirty Vegan on the iplayer last night and they have a segment about vegan cheeses in it. www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000dfwv/dirty-vegan-series-2-episode-3

OP posts:
Report
Craftycorvid · 23/01/2020 23:12

I love Sojade soya milk which also has added calcium - lovely creamy taste and doesn’t curdle in coffee.

High calcium vegan options include: figs, sesame seeds, dark green leafy veggies (not spinach though - bags of calcium but not very available to metabolise).

Soya can be contentious due to de-forestation to grow crops. Try and get organic soy products.

Personally, I’m not the biggest fan of meat analogues, but I don’t sweat it too much and am as partial to a soy mince ‘chilli non’ as anyone. Tofu-based ‘burgers’ feel a bit more natural and beware the fat content in some meat substitutes -they aren’t always that healthy.

Good luck!

Report
Jonb6 · 23/01/2020 23:16

B12 and calcium are an issue, especially for women. Love oat milk on cereal and in coffee, but I now drink lemon tea as I couldn't find any vegan milk that worked in tea.

Report
cricketmum84 · 23/01/2020 23:52

I must admit I'm really missing cheese this month. Vegan cheeses just aren't the same!

Report
EdHelpPls · 24/01/2020 00:13

You can make your own vegan milks pretty cheaply. I’ve been making oat milk for dd 3 who can’t drink cows milk or soya and I like it if I add a few soaked cashews to add a creaminess. Haven’t found an off the shelf one I like but she likes the oatly barista.

Report
LeGrandBleu · 24/01/2020 04:17

Well done for being smart about nutrition, so I am going to answer your questions first and then add a couple more of nutrients you haven't considered.

1, What's the best type of milk alternative to add to tea or coffee and can you add it straight to a boiling drink? I'm sure I read somewhere about some things curdling.

There is so much choice, it really comes down to a matter of taste. Personally I use unsweetened soy milk for teas and coffees, but almond milk for golden latte and matcha latte

2, What's good to pour on your bowl of cereal in the morning? Is there one thing that will work for that and also for adding to hot drinks to avoiding buying two separate products all the time? Would obviously buy two things if one doesn't work for both.

No need to have anything different.

3, I tried a vegan burger the other day and when I looked at a review online it said it didn't contain soy protein as if that was a good thing. Is there something negative about soy I should be aware of?

There isn't anything wrong with soy unless you are taking thyroxine. Soy is actually protective for women with a genetic predisposition to cancer. However there is a big difference between soy and ultra-processed soy based product. I eat tofu and tempeh, but not a single of the soy protein or other industrial franken-food

4, Is there something you should be eating to ensure sufficient calcium intake if you're cutting out milk but worried about bone and teeth health?

Tofu, especially the hard one, is a great source of calcium and dark green vegetables. A PP is right about spinach being a bad source despite a high calcium content as the oxalate content inhibits absorption. Many vegetables milks are enriched, with added calcium so there isn't much difference to you taking a calcium supplements BUT if you don't take vitamin K2 at the same time of your calcium supplements, the calcium will end up in your arteries and not your bones and will actually harm you.

5, Is it a good idea not to eat too much quorn, tofu and other meat alternatives? I don't know if there are any negatives about any of them.

Don't put quorn, an industrial edible mould (the soil mould Fusarium venenatum strain PTA-2684 if you really want to know) and tofu, a food that has existed for more than 1000 years in the same bag.

I don't eat it, never have tried and have no intention to. I eat vegan to improve my health not to eat ultra processed food. I eat tofu, but also beans, lentils, chickpeas and you can make great burgers with chickpea and chickpea flour.

Aim at real food, not some funky invention.

Now to the nutrients.
As already said B12 is a must.

You also need to consider iodine unless you are eating a lot of seaweed. I take iodine drops nonetheless .

A big forgotten one is omega 3. Plant based omega 3 exists, mainly flaxseed, chia seeds and so on . However the conversion from ALA to EPA and DHA is poor in most case, inexistent in some. I tested my omega 3 index, and despite eating more than 800% of plant based omega 3, my levels were 3.8. At 3.5 you have cognitive disorder and dementia. You want to be above 12. So now, I take algae-sourced EPA DHA supplement.

iron is a tricky one, as the plant based iron is a bit harder to keep as having tea or coffee will nullify your iron absorption but vitamin c will boost it.

zinc is hard to reach unless you mindfully go for seeds or even tempeh.

Selenium is another forgotten micronutrients but a single brazil nuts will have you covered.

I use this free website to keep track of my nutrients. cronometer.com Use it for a week or so to understand how to correct your diet.

I would also recommend a vitamin D supplement.

When I first became a vegan, I was very against supplements with the exception of b12. I bought vegan nutrition books, did online courses and I believed to have the perfect diet . Yet blood tests proved me wrong and I was becoming malnourished. Be nutrition conscious but have regular blood test including the omega 3 index.

Report
cricketmum84 · 24/01/2020 04:33

Brilliant advice @LeGrandBleu I'm downloading chronometer now!

Report
LeGrandBleu · 24/01/2020 04:45

I can't stress enough how important omega 3 are. For brain health mainly. So far I have always done the private lab blood test, but I will do a home kit for my next one try omegaquant.com which is a drop of blood on a piece of paper you do at home. It is cheaper and also it saves the time you lose going to the GP first, then queuing at a lab.

Have look at this old video of Dr. Greger (so young then!!) talking about nutrition and vegan.
If you don't know DR Greger I recommend his website nutritionfacts.org plenty of articles and medical papers on soy and health.



I have slowly gone up on omega 3, but I aim to reach 12.

Report
Ricekrispie22 · 24/01/2020 06:53

Most of the alternative milks have added calcium and B vitamins. Alpro almond and coconut have the same amount of calcium per 100ml as semi skimmed milk. Dairy alternative yogurts usually have good amounts too.

Report
snowblight · 24/01/2020 19:36

Thanks for all the replies, some great advice there.

OP posts:
Report
soundsystem · 28/01/2020 02:08

1, What's the best type of milk alternative to add to tea or coffee and can you add it straight to a boiling drink? I'm sure I read somewhere about some things curdling.

It's really personal preference. I like oat milk (Oatly) and don't find it curdles.

2, What's good to pour on your bowl of cereal in the morning? Is there one thing that will work for that and also for adding to hot drinks to avoiding buying two separate products all the time? Would obviously buy two things if one doesn't work for both.

Oat milk again here!

3, I tried a vegan burger the other day and when I looked at a review online it said it didn't contain soy protein as if that was a good thing. Is there something negative about soy I should be aware of?

It's a common allergy and a lot of people who are dairy-intolerant are also allergic to soy.

4, Is there something you should be eating to ensure sufficient calcium intake if you're cutting out milk but worried about bone and teeth health?

Fortified cereal and plant milks are good for calcium.

5, Is it a good idea not to eat too much quorn, tofu and other meat alternatives? I don't know if there are any negatives about any of them.

It's best to eat food as close to its naturals state as possible generally whether vegan or otherwise) but Quorn, etc is fine as part of a balanced diet. I don't really eat meat replacement stuff at home, but I am partial to a Greggs sausage roll! My kids like vegan hotdogs, Quorn fishless fingers and Linda McCartney pies on occasion, though!

Report
Alez · 03/02/2020 07:36

I like unsweetened soya milk for all my milk uses because it's the only one that has a simply protein content as dairy milk. Some brands don't taste as good though. I like alpro (I know that many vegans don't because it's owned by Danone). If I didn't have that I'd have oatly as it's the best for the environment.

Lots of people are allergic to soy. Some people also believe it's bad for you because of the oestregen. I haven't looked this up for a while but last time I did, my fairly unscientific research suggested it was fine. Given how much soy is eaten in East Asian countries I don't worry too much.

Plant milks are often (not always though so do check) fortified with calcium and B12. Calcium can come from greens etc too. I take a veg 1 supplement from the vegan society for all the other stuff it's hard to get in a vegan diet. I also make sure to eat a variety of nuts and grains e.g. walnuts are good for omega 3.

I don't really hold with some of the trad vegan views that wholefoods = good, processed = bad thing. I think it totally depends on what the food actually is. The problem with processed stuff normally is the added salt and other chemicals, preservatives etc but those things are not in all processed food e.g. tofu, tempeh are fine (though obviously if you're eating fried tofu puffs then maybe that's not so good for you!). I find that I don't like lots of the fake meat stuff, and that my gut doesn't either, but generally I get on ok with Linda McCartney sausages.

Report
bradprat · 05/03/2020 22:48

This page has a detailed description of potential deficiencies if you are following veganism

fromgreens.com/about/veganism

Report
CecileLoves · 07/07/2020 15:42

1, What's the best type of milk alternative to add to tea or coffee and can you add it straight to a boiling drink? I'm sure I read somewhere about some things curdling. Oatly barista, without doubt.

2, What's good to pour on your bowl of cereal in the morning? Is there one thing that will work for that and also for adding to hot drinks to avoiding buying two separate products all the time? Would obviously buy two things if one doesn't work for both. same as Qu1

3, I tried a vegan burger the other day and when I looked at a review online it said it didn't contain soy protein as if that was a good thing. Is there something negative about soy I should be aware of? Some people are allergic - soy is great for you and can protect against breast cancer

4, Is there something you should be eating to ensure sufficient calcium intake if you're cutting out milk but worried about bone and teeth health? dark green leafy veg, legumes, soy. You can also have a supplement but don't usually need to worry until you're menopausal!

5, Is it a good idea not to eat too much quorn, tofu and other meat alternatives? I don't know if there are any negatives about any of them. Quorn is not always vegan - some has egg white. Most meat alternatives have no bad effects. Some people in China for example eat tofu every day!

I've also seen a new vegan wenaing book so you can feed babies safely - it's called Plant Based Baby. Look on Amazon.

Report
JiniGoh · 09/03/2022 10:52

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.