AIBU to ask what vegans actually eat?!

[Bearseatbeets]

A few of my friends have become vegan and keep evangelising to me about the health benefits. And I believe them. But whenever I ask what they actually eat for meals they get very defensive and won’t actually answer me. One of them answered with stir fry as an example and when I asked what protein they have in it, she told me ‘protein is a myth!’

I’m genuinely not trying to attack vegans, i’m interested and want to figure out what I could eat if I were to adopt it. I’m a bit of a foodie so I want exciting tasty food and it is just such a departure from how I eat now, I need some examples so I can work out if it’s feasible

Nothing sums up veganism better than "protein is a myth!"

It's a strange kind of arrogance that these people have to believe that we're more than omnivorous animals who can and should rise above our basic nature and needs.

They eat stir fries and other food (as we would but without the meat) and then a load of pills and supplements to make up for their diets which lack in basic nutrients.

I have friend who is vegan. She eats stir fries with tofu and enjoys vegan cake and scones! We've just been to an afternoon tea event together and vegan cheese was provided for her too.

Loads of things
Dahls, curry, chilli, pasta, lasagne, soups, rice bowls (rice, veg, protein, seeds, avocado or something, mebs a sauce), veggie sausage n mash, roast dinner without the meat.
Loads!!

You can get protein from chickpeas, lentils, beans, beans on toast... meat alternatives

It isnt always the healthiest tho. You can still eat lots of cake and biscuits if your vegan lol.

I had a vegan grilled cheese for lunch and not sure if that had any health benefits

I’ve been vegan since January. I like tofu in a stir fry. I eat a shit load of houmous. I’m having houmous and avocado wraps for lunch. Had lentil Bolognese for tea last night (everyone including meat eating dh likes). Probably having curry tonight (with loads of veg and chickpeas).
I wouldn’t claim my diet is perfect, I am still getting the hang of it and I’m a bit too fond of vegan junk food. But I think it’s pretty healthy, and I never struggle to find food to eat (although getting a bit sick of houmous..)

Utter bullshit.

I've been a vegan for 20 years - most people I know don't know this as I don't go around preaching about it (as some do to be fair).

They might not answer as they worry you're trying to be antagonistic maybe? Haven't a clue!

If you're genuinely interested I eat a huge variety of stuff, I love my food (and am quite greedy unfortunately..!). Lots of plant based foods have protein - I usually get mine from pulses or pulse derivatives like tofu and other soya products.

I eat what most others do I guess.... curries (of all varieties - very easy W/o meat), pizza (w/o cheese with avocado or something instead), chillies, pasta dishes, all varieties of "protein and two veg" meals with things like vegan burgers. For brekkie I have cereal with soya/oat milk and for lunch I have houmous and salad sandwiches or soup or jacket potato etc etc

It's easy once you get the hang of it.

I don't claim to be vegan but I do try to make the majority of my diet plant based. For breakfast this morning I had toast and peanut butter and a banana, lunch has just been a hummus and grated carrot sandwich, tea will be aubergine and chick pea curry and rice. Yesterday I had pasta with green veggies, mushrooms and pine nuts.

I read a really good tip on this board a couple of months ago for when you are thinking about going vegan - write down three lists, list one, three meals you already eat that are vegan (jacket potato and beans?), list two, three meals you already eat where you could make an easy substitution to make them vegan (meat chilli could be bean chilli), list three, three new recipes to try. That gives you nine main meals to start you off with.

I am vegan but not a super healthy one, about as healthy as before I think.

I eat: stir frys, beans, chilli, pasta dishes, jacket potatoes, nut roasts, veggie burgers and sausages, tofu (which took a bit of getting used to), salads, humous, falafal, pizza.

The same as before but without animals, it's O.k most of the time.

So, I'm not totally vegan, but my diet and meals are predominantly vegan. I'm a lifelong vegetarian, who just gets more and more vegan, if that makes sense. I cook meat and dairy for my daughter, so some dairy creeps into my diet because of waste and time issues. So if you really are asking in good faith and not just to start a vegan bashing thread :-) I'll tell you the meals I've had in the last week:

Peanut butter on toast
Lentil dahl and rice
Tofu quiche
cannalini bean burritos, guacamole
kidney bean chilli
bolognaise with quorn mince (quorn products are now vegan)
hot chocolate made with almond milk
beans on toast
baked potato with coleslaw and humus

There are load sof meat substitutes out there, but on the whole I prefer food that is 'naturally' vegan/vegetarian, if that makes sense. Like curries and chilli with beans and lentils and chickpeas etc.

They eat stir fries and other food (as we would but without the meat) and then a load of pills and supplements to make up for their diets which lack in basic nutrients.

That is complete bullshit.

B12 is really the only supplement you 'need' if you don't eat fortified foods.

Vegans eat plant based food. So everything except not fish, meat, eggs or dairy products.

whackamoleagain lots of peoples diets lack in nutrients.... eating meat doesnt mean you have a nutritious healthy balenced diet

Vegan protein sources will be pulses, tofu, soy products, nuts, and probably other things I have forgotten, so easy to include in a stir fry.

Other meals would be a mixed bean and vegetable curry, lentils and chick peas in curries, dhals etc, beans on toast, hummus, fafafel and salads, soups. Avocadoes seem pretty popular right now.

I think it helps if you like spice, meals with pulses might be pretty bland without spices.

Even mainstream restaurant menus generally have a few vegan options these days, so that would be a good source of ideas. There's also many vegan versions of cheese, other dairy products, burgers and other similar foods.

But if you're not wanting to be vegan for ethical reasons, there's no need to be 100% vegan. Just eat more meals based on pulses, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, fruit etc or choose the vegan option when eating out to get the benefit of a more plant based diet. After all, unless allergic, things like eggs are very healthy.

Im not a vegan and dont want to be a vegan but there's plenty of protein in vegetables, nuts, beans and pulses.

The vegans I know eat flans (eggless obv), stir fries, pasta and sauce, soups, roast veg and cous cous, salads, nut roasts, vegan burgers, lots of curries, lots of mushroom-based dishes, crisps, popcorn, biscuits, cake, ice-cream etc etc. (Except for the one that lived on chips and marmite toast but he was an idle fucker).

Plenty of good stuff (I just dont want to live on it)

I've been vegan for over ten years. I cook curries with lentils, beans, tofu, chilli, pasta with tomato based sauces and creamy sauces, lasagne, canelloni, pies, fritters, seasonal veg, any veg I've never seen or tried before gets bought and experimented with. Vegan food is tasty and satisfying. I do not supplement and recently had blood tests done as I wanted to see if I needed to and no I don't need to, my food fulfils my nutritional needs. I also bake cakes, make aquafaba meringue, chocolate mousse, shall I go on? My kids have grown up and chosen to remain vegan and they too like to experiment with cooking.

wellvegan.com/resources/sample-menu-and-meal-plan

Sunday

Breakfast
    Warm and nutty cinnamon quinoa
Lunch
    Graze for leftovers
Dinner
    Rosemary white bean soup, focaccia and salad
Snack
    Graze for leftovers
Prep
    Soak beans for #4

Monday

Breakfast
    Cinnamon oatmeal
Lunch
    Leftover soup and focaccia
Dinner
    Mediterranian chickpea wraps
Snack
    Hummus and carrots

Tuesday

Breakfast
    Warm and nutty cinnamon quinoa
Lunch
    Leftover wraps and blueberries
Dinner
    Couscous salad with roasted vegetables and chickpeas
Snack
    Apple slices and nut butter

Wednesday

Breakfast
    Cinnamon oatmeal
Lunch
    Leftover couscous salad
Dinner
    Graze for leftovers
Snack
    Hummus and carrots

Thursday

Breakfast
    Warm and nutty cinnamon quinoa
Lunch
    Veggie wraps: carrots, cucumber, avocado, tomato, spinach, hummus
Dinner
    Portobello and zucchini tacos (1/2 recipe) and black beans
Snack
    Apple slices and nut butter

Friday (Optional flex day)

Breakfast
    Cinnamon oatmeal
Lunch
    Graze for leftovers
Dinner
    Bean, corn and tortilla salad
Snack
    Hummus and carrots

Saturday

Breakfast
    Warm and nutty cinnamon quinoa
Lunch
    Graze for leftovers
Dinner
    Mushrooms and tofu in paprika cream over noodles and salad
Snack
    Graze for leftovers

There are so many fantastic vegan sites. Enjoy.

Dd isn't vegan (she loves her meat) but she sometimes eats vegan meals especially in restaurants becasue she enjoys them.

She will often eat meals based around things like quinoi, bulgar wheat, lentils, edame beans (soya beans) and adds chia seeds to things.

worked with a vegan once, for lunch he'd often have ratatouille and a loaf of bread- it was a very carb heavy existence

Also, I've never taken any supplements. I work out and my protein levels are fine and my iron levels are high. Vitamin B12 can be an issue for vegans (I found that out the hard way a long time ago when I was attempting to be a vegan in my teens!) but you need very small amounts and it's in lots of food like marmite and vegan spreads milks.

Well that's a completely ignorant answer.

I'm a vegan. Stir fry is one of the things I eat. With noodles or quinoa. Actual vegetable content depends on what I've got to hand. I also eat plenty of salad, spinach, couscous, pasta. Love pasta in a tomato based sauce. You can buy vegan 'mince' for want of a better description. So I'll do a spag bol with loads of chunky cut vegetables in it. You can buy vegan pizza, vegan sausages, so I have sausages and mash for example. I eat the same cereals as everyone else, I just use soya or almond milk. Same for yogurts. I have a recipe for pancakes and you can't tell the difference. I say this as a big fan of pancakes and it took a few attempts to perfect. I make my own chips from scratch, but most oven chips are also completely acceptable. I do roasted vegetables, including things like stuffed roasted aubergines and peppers. Sweet potato is very versatile. You can slice it and eat it as toast. Lots of fruit for snacks, but there are also vegan alternatives to biscuits and chocolate. I tend to steer clear of those as I have no self control.

Protein is also found in nuts, seeds and pulses. All of which I have in the cupboard and will often grab a handful as a snack. It is not a myth and you should probably talk to a few more vegans rather than generalising and lumping us all in with the few you have spoken to.

I never take any supplements, I never have.

Perhaps whackaMole should consider not weighing in on a topic they clearly know little about other than their own assumptions.

Plenty of vegan cookbooks in the shop if you wanted to actually see for yourself.

Oreos.

My DH was vegan (and now is veggie. I eat meat) and it was difficult. He’d eat lots of potatoes, vegan meat substitutes (which are not healthy), rice, pasta, salads etc. His argument was always ‘it’s vegan of course it’s healthy’ and that would drive me nuts, his diet was pretty bad - and just because something is vegan doesn’t make it healthy (an Oreo is vegan but no one would count it as a health food).
I think in principle veganism is fine, but in practice it’s very very difficult to get nutrients needed without being obsessed with food and spending a lot of time preparing and cooking.
His diet was not substantial and especially on the meals he ate the substitutes it’s was like he was eating nothing (example vegan cheese - the ingredients literally were coconut, water and flavouring). He’s is a lot healthier now he’s veggie and can eat eggs etc.
I was vegetarian from birth until 20’s and I truly believe it’s not healthy to live off purely plants - (let the roasting begin from the die hard vegans!...)

...I know a lot of vegans who call themselves 'junk food vegans.' They eat chips and beans and veggie burgers mainly. You can healthy or unhealthy as a vegan, like anything else.

That's my last post! (I do love a food related/vegan/veggie post though as it's been a life long experiment for me!)

You can get protein in a plant based meal. The best will involve more nuts and pulses and then protein rich things like chia and quinoa. You can even go along the tofu line.

The problem is there are a lot of vegetarians and vegans who actually don't have that great a diet and one that is not balanced (I know a vegetarian who ate a lot of cheese sandwiches and no vegetables!).

Have a look online at plant based diets as a lot can be adapted for veganism if they are not already - Deliciously Ella's site has some nice recipes and can easily be adapted to suit you if you are a foodie.

Right now I'm eating avocado with dressing which will be followed with pasta with a pesto plus veg (tbd) and then I'm highly likely to finish the extremely chocolate cake that was made for a celebration last weekend. A simple, quick lunch. There are lots of cookbooks available these days to give you an idea of what vegans can eat although obviously given what they are they don't cover veganism, just a plant based diet. The vegan society website is also a decent place to start.

I basically eat everything except meat, fish, eggs, dairy and honey. Oh, and celery because that shit is evil.

My protein levels are fine although my last blood tests did say my b12 was too high so I've dropped those supplements as I don't need them.

I do eat too many crisps though. I love crisps. Generally I'm also a foodie and love trying new stuff. If you keep the same foodie attitude going into veganism it will help, as it does in non-vegan diets, as otherwise you'll eat the same few meals in rotation.

Just like any other way of eating, there's healthy and non healthy ways to do it.

Of course there will be some vegans who live on toast and chips, but it's also possible to eat very healthily.

The site linked by Hector above clicks through to several options for breakfast/lunch/dinner mostly look like perfectly normal meals, that happen to be vegan.

I’m quite surprised you don’t know OP. Every vegan I know bangs on and on about what they eat ad nauseum.