Vegan and nut free - is it doable?

[sandytowel]

Hi all, I've thought about veganism for a long time and have decided to give it a try in January. I'm a student, so try and cook cheaply and a lot of the meals I have regularly are already vegan- dhal, bean chilli, curry, etc.

The only thing that is worrying me is that I'm allergic to nuts, namely cashews (anaphylactic). I can get away with a handful of roasted peanuts, but for some reason natural peanut butters cause a reaction (can scoff a bag of Reece's Pieces though!) So all nut milks, butters, and a lot of the shop bought snacks like Naked bars are out, which is annoying as they're obviously a great source of protein, and are in a lot of meal plans/recipes. Just wondered if anyone had any experience with this problem (or can tell me if I'm mad for thinking of trying!) Thanks in advance!

It can be done, a bit tricky because there's coconut in EVERYTHING nowadays ( I don't eat it or cashews they are highly acid forming). I use tofu products, the yoghurt and cream is lovely.
Remember that greens are a good source of protein too.

How are you with seeds? I love tahini and linseeds (ground in my smoothie) .

You can quite easily with Indian , Thai and Malay food (just leave out the nuts in any recipe and substitute milk for coconut milk). This is why it always shocks me when vegans and people with nut allergies aren’t catered to in Asian restaurants - at home we rarely have dairy and nuts in our diet. It’s often only as part of a treat.

Definitely possible. My dd has nut/pulses anaphylaxis and 2 years into veganism is entirely health!
As with any restrictive diet it takes thinking and planning.
We found Ocado best for sourcing vegan products as it’s so much quicker to sort by categories but you can get the same goods elsewhere.

Totally doable but you’ll need to think about healthy fat sources carefully. How are you with seeds and seed butters? Avocado? Is it all ‘nuts’ you need to avoid or just cashews and peanuts? (Quote marks as peanuts not real nuts)

Vegan products tend to cheapest from Indian cash and carrys. Dried beans and pulses, seeds, fresh veg, rice, etc etc. Even avocadoes.

Raving Coconut is a nut?

Wow Butter is also a great option. So yummy and nut and dairy free. It's a soy based nut butter substitute

Where can you get that Loraline ?

Coconut isn’t a true nut. It’s a fruit and coconut allergies, even amongst people who have tree nut allergies are uncommon. GP’s will often offer to monitor a taste test for coconut if you have an existing tree nut allergy - just request it

Most people who are allergic to nuts aren't allergic to coconut, as it's not botanically a nut, although coconut allergies do exist. I have a friend who went vegan who has a nut allergy - she found herself getting very ill due to the lack of protein so has reintroduced eggs and feels much better for it. I'm sure it can be done, but I think it will take up a lot of time and headspace planning meals, eating out, etc.

I do know that Coconut is the only natural source of saturated fat. It is very high in calories.

In India where most daily diets are effectively dairy, egg, and nut free, people will often suffer the effects of excess protein in their diets. Someone who is vegan, who doesn’t get enough protein and has to turn to egg, clearly isn’t doing it properly. Pulses, lentils, wholewheat flour, is all packed with a lot of protein.

@ppeat - not all of it is bioavailable though like it is in butter. So of the 30g of sat fat per 100 our body can probably only breakdown 20ish with the rest being excreted (some is in the skin or other inedible parts etc). While the 50 odd grams of sat fat in butter is nearly all bioavailable and so is worse for you.

Similarly millet flour might seem higher in calcium than milk, but due to it’s phosphorus content, pretty much most of it is unavailable to our bodies. Hence why in India millet rotis are served with lashings of butter and milk when given to kids.

Millet is a tasteless health food! I prefer quinoa!

Really, Raving Roo? I didn't know that. I probably won't mention it to my friend, I doubt she'd thank me

Disclaimer: I may have got completely the wrong end of the stick, and protein wasn't the issue, but something else entirely...

Quinoa is high in protein. !

It's funny since I've been on my demi vegan health kick, my nails, hair skin etc. have improved a lot!

Millet is traditional Indian food (one of our peasant foods). I make rotis from it. It needs skill to cook - needs to be grinded with the base of your hand in salt water to ensure it sticks together and then patted out (rather than rolled). Can add spices and herbs to them too.

@giveme - I doubt you got the wrong end of the stick lol. A lot of People who follow vegan diets here don’t do it properly, or don’t like pulses / beans or even veg. It always surprises me the number of people who go vegan when they don’t like to eat a balanced diet.

That's true Raving . I suppose you can live on white rice and doughnuts and call yourself a vegan.

Raving Roo, my experience of Indian food is definitely different to yours. We have found that nut allergy is rare and so is ignored. Our paediatrician said nut allergy is rare because children are fed nuts from a young age.
We have definitely had food cooked in peanut oil and in one restaurant the chef just randomly decided to add nuts to a cookie despite the menu saying it was nut free.

I've realised I didn't make it clear this is based on experience of living in Mumbai.

marcoprint It's improving now but 10 years ago the french chefs felt sooo sorry for people who ordered "No meat" salads that they sprinkled ham all over the top!

@marco - this is why I specified home vs restaurant food. Home Indian food is a different beast to restaurant food and very healthy - to the point where many resident Indians will even refuse to eat out.

ppeatfruit Holland and Barrett have annoyingly stopped stocking it but you can get it on Amazon.