Plant only eaters — how do you do it?

[Anonymous]

DP. I also do not consider plant-based to be vegetarian. I think it means predominantly plants eating and relying on plans for the main showcase in your diet.
As in Icaria cooking. You can eat on a plant-based diet, but it is usually in a small amount. The stars of these plant-based dishes are veggies. Such as beans, potatoes, tomatoes, peas, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We raised 3 teenage boys on a plant based diet. They are all D1 athletes now. We went plant based when the oldest was 12yo (his choice). I got tired of making two different dinners so we went all in. I still eat meat/cheese if we go out. I make a lot of vegetable curries - red Thai curry, masaman peanut curry, Indian korma, etc. , black beans and rice, tofu scrambles, pesto pasta, pizza, shepherds pie, lentil loaf with mashed potatoes, samosas, spring rolls, burritos, sweet potato black bean fajitas, hummus, falafel, avocado toasts, and so much more. There are so many recipe sites that have 1000s of plant based recipes. I always have several types of beans, a rainbow of vegetables (I try to serve 5-6 different colors a day), hashbrowns, nutritional yeast (tastes yummy and is high in b12), fruits (fresh and frozen), avocados, and rice on hand.

You don't eat an only plant based diet. You still eat meat.

The question was about cooking, meal planning and raising teenagers as plant based which I have. I have cooked thousands of plant based meals for our 3 teenage boys so I thought I was qualified to give my input. I only cook plant based in my home, but no as I stated I am not plant based myself.

NP I am finding your input very helpful! Please don't stop. I have a very difficult time coming up with meals that everyone will like, and yes the timing of fresh veggies in the fridge is one of those elusive things to me!

[Anonymous]

Plant-based is generally understood to mean a vegan diet.
And yes, there are vegan processed foods, but those are not part of the core vegan diet, which comprises fruits and vegetables, legumes, lentils, and nuts/seeds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We raised 3 teenage boys on a plant based diet. They are all D1 athletes now. We went plant based when the oldest was 12yo (his choice). I got tired of making two different dinners so we went all in. I still eat meat/cheese if we go out. I make a lot of vegetable curries - red Thai curry, masaman peanut curry, Indian korma, etc. , black beans and rice, tofu scrambles, pesto pasta, pizza, shepherds pie, lentil loaf with mashed potatoes, samosas, spring rolls, burritos, sweet potato black bean fajitas, hummus, falafel, avocado toasts, and so much more. There are so many recipe sites that have 1000s of plant based recipes. I always have several types of beans, a rainbow of vegetables (I try to serve 5-6 different colors a day), hashbrowns, nutritional yeast (tastes yummy and is high in b12), fruits (fresh and frozen), avocados, and rice on hand.

You don't eat an only plant based diet. You still eat meat.

The question was about cooking, meal planning and raising teenagers as plant based which I have. I have cooked thousands of plant based meals for our 3 teenage boys so I thought I was qualified to give my input. I only cook plant based in my home, but no as I stated I am not plant based myself.

NP I am finding your input very helpful! Please don't stop. I have a very difficult time coming up with meals that everyone will like, and yes the timing of fresh veggies in the fridge is one of those elusive things to me!

Np. I agree! One of the most helpful posts on this thread. I'd love to read more about lentil loaf. I can picture that being delicious if done well, but not so much if not using the right flavorings. Do you have a favorite recipe? I also forgot about peanut curry. I've never tried to make that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Plant-based is generally understood to mean a vegan diet.
And yes, there are vegan processed foods, but those are not part of the core vegan diet, which comprises fruits and vegetables, legumes, lentils, and nuts/seeds.

Hm. Not a native English speaker here.I watched many docs about the blue zones and they call it a plant-based diet, so I thought it means you can have some meat but veggies and fruit are the base of your diet.
Even for Linda Loma they call it plant-based and notice that must avoid eating meat, but not all. So, I assumed there is a difference between a plant-based and a vegan diet.

[Anonymous]

In the vegetarian/vegan world, “plant based” usually means mostly vegan but maybe not a strict vegan. So generally not eating eggs and dairy as a daily part of your diet.

I’ve been vegan since I was a teenager and now in my 30s. But I don’t do any of the no refined carbs, strict meal planning, or other things you mentioned. So I’m not sure how helpful I’ll be. It kind of seems to me like if you do strict planning it’s about the same, since you have everything planned but just plan vegan meals. If you fly by the seat of your pants like me, maybe it’s a little harder since most convenience stuff isn’t vegan.

If you have a pressure cooker like an Instant Pot, you can make a good amount of beans or dal in there. Can probably do it in a slow cooker as well. I personally prefer regular rice and despise quinoa, but I’m sure you can serve it with quinoa.

Adam Ragusea often suggests ways to make a lot of his recipes plant based or does plant based ones from time to time:

https://youtu.be/UOtE_mrV3SY

https://youtu.be/3oFk6d7XNJ8

https://youtu.be/iKMI1xkU_oo

https://youtu.be/RbDmrCloQK4

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We raised 3 teenage boys on a plant based diet. They are all D1 athletes now. We went plant based when the oldest was 12yo (his choice). I got tired of making two different dinners so we went all in. I still eat meat/cheese if we go out. I make a lot of vegetable curries - red Thai curry, masaman peanut curry, Indian korma, etc. , black beans and rice, tofu scrambles, pesto pasta, pizza, shepherds pie, lentil loaf with mashed potatoes, samosas, spring rolls, burritos, sweet potato black bean fajitas, hummus, falafel, avocado toasts, and so much more. There are so many recipe sites that have 1000s of plant based recipes. I always have several types of beans, a rainbow of vegetables (I try to serve 5-6 different colors a day), hashbrowns, nutritional yeast (tastes yummy and is high in b12), fruits (fresh and frozen), avocados, and rice on hand.

You don't eat an only plant based diet. You still eat meat.

The question was about cooking, meal planning and raising teenagers as plant based which I have. I have cooked thousands of plant based meals for our 3 teenage boys so I thought I was qualified to give my input. I only cook plant based in my home, but no as I stated I am not plant based myself.

NP I am finding your input very helpful! Please don't stop. I have a very difficult time coming up with meals that everyone will like, and yes the timing of fresh veggies in the fridge is one of those elusive things to me!

Np. I agree! One of the most helpful posts on this thread. I'd love to read more about lentil loaf. I can picture that being delicious if done well, but not so much if not using the right flavorings. Do you have a favorite recipe? I also forgot about peanut curry. I've never tried to make that.

Thank you for your comments. This is the lentil loaf that I make. For the mashed potatoes, I cook them in vegetable stock and then blend with soy milk, vegan butter, salt, pepper, and truffle oil. https://www.yummymummykitchen.com/2017/09/vegan-lentil-loaf.html

[Anonymous]

This is the recipe I use for the Massaman Peanut Curry. I have had great success with all of the minimalist baker recipes. https://minimalistbaker.com/easy-1-pot-massaman-curry/

[Anonymous]

I have made this whole roasted cauliflower several times and everyone loves it. https://www.latimes.com/recipe/whole-roast-cauliflower-with-charred-lemon-spicy-tahini-sauce

[Anonymous]

Our kids always needed a hearty snack after school before practice. Two of their favorites were chickpea salad sandwiches or grilled peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Chickpea salad is very easy, just mash a can with a fork and then add what you would if you were making tuna salad. I add sunflower seeds or slivered almonds for crunch, celery, vegan mayo, mustard, salt, pepper, dill and relish. It is good in a pita pocket with lettuce, tomato and avocado. https://minimalistbaker.com/chickpea-sunflower-sandwich/

[Anonymous]

Our youngest is 6’1” 220lbs. He played football in high school. He probably ate over 8000 calories a day. He would have a few smoothies a day with açaí, assorted fruits, peanut butter and dates. If I had to work late or he needed dinner out he would order a chipotle veggie burrito with 2 serving of guacamole. I also would make dozens of burritos at a time with Spanish rice, vegan refried beans, and sautéed veggies, wrap them individually in a paper towel and foil and freeze. The kids would heat them as a snack. Much cheaper and healthier than Amy’s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DP. I also do not consider plant-based to be vegetarian. I think it means predominantly plants eating and relying on plans for the main showcase in your diet.
As in Icaria cooking. You can eat on a plant-based diet, but it is usually in a small amount. The stars of these plant-based dishes are veggies. Such as beans, potatoes, tomatoes, peas, etc.

What do you think vegetarians eat mainly other than plants, seeds, nuts, legumes?

[Anonymous]

Can anyone recommend a particularly good website for plant recipes and meal planning?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can anyone recommend a particularly good website for plant recipes and meal planning?

All of these are good - https://spoonuniversity.com/lifestyle/14-vegan-food-blogs-you-need-to-follow

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DP. I also do not consider plant-based to be vegetarian. I think it means predominantly plants eating and relying on plans for the main showcase in your diet.
As in Icaria cooking. You can eat on a plant-based diet, but it is usually in a small amount. The stars of these plant-based dishes are veggies. Such as beans, potatoes, tomatoes, peas, etc.

What do you think vegetarians eat mainly other than plants, seeds, nuts, legumes?

Cheese and dairy products. All vegetarians I know eat a ton of dairy products.