Vegan/Vegetarian Athletes? Anyone?

[Running Bishop]

So I am a Vegetarian. I am THIS CLOSE to being a Vegan but I find it hard to give up cheese. I sneak it every-so-often.

I was wondering if there were any other Vegan/Vegetarians on this site?

Just curious.

[ultraslacker]

there are quite a few, and I'm sure they will respond.

I'm not one of them but wanted to say welcome to RM!

[Running Bishop]

there are quite a few, and I'm sure they will respond.

I'm not one of them but wanted to say welcome to RM!

Thank you , Ultraslacker!

I am really happy there are a few. I was hoping there would be a couple to swap recipes with!

[abhainn]

Welcome to RM!

I'm lacto-ovo veg but I hate cooking so no recipes from me. I just steal them from other people

[VeloCarrie]

Vegetarian here. I know I have a few vegan recipes poking around in the Recipes section.

[ratherBrunning]

Welcome! We're in the same boat -- veggie looking to phase out dairy and eggs eventually. I think we'll start by having a couple of lacto/ovo-free days a week. Also, we're feeling a bit bored by our current menu rotation and are looking to shake things up a bit.

[treadlightly]

My husband and I are both vegan. Having some good vegan cookbooks helps a lot. I'm a fan of anything with well-tested recipes, like Veganomicon and other books by the same authors, and ethnic cuisine. It also depends on your cooking style. Do you like quick-throw together meals or do you have a penchant for gourmet? Do you lean more towards raw foods? I eat a lot of beans so I find a pressure cooker really helpful in making meal planning easier.

There are a number of very "authentic" vegan cheeses on the market now to satisfy any craving for pizza, lasagna, etc, but I have found that I don't want heavy foods very often. I like the light feeling I have eating foods that are fairly easily digested.

[Running Bishop]

I hear ya: I am a bit bored with my menu right now, too! I am in the process of trying to change it, but obviously I need it to meld well with my running schedule. I have a weakness for Indian cuisine in more than one way...

Here is a nice little recipe I actually just made the other day. It is quite delicious and filling:

Orange Couscous Curry

1 tsp. canola oil (necessary to temper the spices)
1 1/4 tsp. black mustard seeds
4 dried chilies, deseeded and cut into irregular strips (leave a few seeds in for added spiciness)
2-inch cinnamon stick
2 tbsp. minced onions
3 cloves garlic, pressed
1 tsp. ginger paste
1 ½ cups (12 oz.) orange juice
1 cup baby carrots, halved lengthwise
1 medium-large zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced into 1/2-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed somewhat
1 15-ounce can mandarin oranges, drained (use the kind that’s packed in juice)
1 cup cooked chickpeas
1 tsp. salt (optional)
1 1/2 cup uncooked couscous
1 1/4 cup hot water

Masala:

seeds of two green cardamom pods
1 ½ tbsp. coriander seeds
2 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
5 whole cloves
½ tsp. paprika
3/4 tsp turmeric

Grind the masala ingredients to a powder. (I use a coffee grinder for this, but a good blender will work, too.)

In large, non-stick wok or dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it sizzles when you drop in a mustard seed. Add the black mustard seeds, chilies, and cinnamon stick. Cover the skillet and wait until you hear the mustard seeds begin to pop. Add onions, garlic, ginger paste, and masala. Sauté until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes, but be careful not to burn it.

Add the orange juice and bring to a boil. Add the zucchini and carrots, cover, and cook for 4 minutes. Add the green peas and chickpeas, and cook until heated through, about 3 or 4 minutes.

Add the salt, couscous, mandarin oranges, and hot water. Stir well, cover, and remove from heat. Allow it to sit for at least five minutes before stirring. Serve hot or at room temperature or chill for a fantastic salad.

Taken from, fatfreevegan.com

Give it a shot and let me know what you think!

[bruyere]

Lacto-ovo veg here, for the past 21 years. 'Athlete' for the past 12 years (ultimate frisbee, and running for about the last 5.5).

I'm afraid you won't get much help from me on the cooking side, as I am preeeeetty basic on that front. But if you ever feel like popping over to North Vancouver to try your recipes on a volunteer, I'm here for ya!

ETA: I love the idea of going vegan, but I know I am just too lazy/uninspired right now to do it in a truly healthy way. Plus, I, too, like cheese way too much (and milk and yogurt).

[Running Bishop]

Yes, going Vegan is a challenge. Especially if you want to incorporate beyond food (clothing, etc).

Alicia Silverstone (of all people) apparently has a wonderful book called, "The Kind Diet". http://www.amazon.ca/Kind-Diet-Simple-Feeling-Losing/dp/1605296449 Although I would assume some stuff would need to be modified a bit for people like us that need more carbs or whatever on certain days. Either way - I hear it is a good place to start if you are at all interested in going Vegan. Or so I have been told.

I want a brick of cheese now.

[bruyere]

Yes, going Vegan is a challenge. Especially if you want to incorporate beyond food (clothing, etc).

Alicia Silverstone (of all people) apparently has a wonderful book called, "The Kind Diet". http://www.amazon.ca/Kind-Diet-Simple-Feeling-Losing/dp/1605296449 Although I would assume some stuff would need to be modified a bit for people like us that need more carbs or whatever on certain days. Either way - I hear it is a good place to start if you are at all interested in going Vegan. Or so I have been told.

This fits... RA and I sat next to her at a lovely, homey little veg resto in Halifax a few years ago!

Yeah, the clothing, etc. thing... I work at that. I buy almost no leather (only shoes, when I have to), and try to pay attention in other things too. Relatively few animal products in my world, but they are there... it was only last year, for example, that I discovered most wines are technically not vegan. Gah!

[Running Bishop]

Yeah, when I found out some wine and beer use gelatine in their products, I was horrified. Well, that is being over dramatic...but I was visibly upset, let me tell you!!!

This is a decent site to go to to fine out about booze: http://www.veggiewines.co.uk/index.htm

Unfortunately it looks like a 3 year old made it, but you will get the gist of it.

[Agent Provocateur]

dwayne_runs_far and I are vegans. Although we don't post much here, feel free to PM us if you have any questions. He is an ultra-distance runner and I mostly do other types of fitness activities these days... but I do occasionally still jog with my puppy!

[Running Bishop]

dwayne_runs_far and I are vegans. Although we don't post much here, feel free to PM us if you have any questions. He is an ultra-distance runner and I mostly do other types of fitness activities these days... but I do occasionally still jog with my puppy!

Thank you so much, Agent! I will for sure take advantage of that!

[Spirit Unleashed]

I am vegan and I never cook a thing. So I find life totally easy and happy! (I won't bore you with the details) If you read my journal, you'll see I have plenty of energy, don't need much sleep. I'm not young but I am a spring chicken!

Keep up the good work. Glad u are here. Bishop? Really?

[Spirit Unleashed]

I am vegan and I never cook a thing. So I find life totally easy and happy! (I won't bore you with the details) If you read my journal, you'll see I have plenty of energy, don't need much sleep and don't get injured (much). I'm not young but I am a spring chicken!

Keep up the good work. Glad u are here. Bishop? Really?

[Running Bishop]

Thank you Ultra Spirit. I look forward to reading your stuff!

As for the name, Bishop...no...my real name is Brett.

Bishop was an old nickname I had when I was younger. It has nothing to do with religion and everything to do with the android from Aliens.

I know: NERD ALERT!

[abhainn]

Thank you Ultra Spirit. I look forward to reading your stuff!

As for the name, Bishop...no...my real name is Brett.

Bishop was an old nickname I had when I was younger. It has nothing to do with religion and everything to do with the android from Aliens.

I know: NERD ALERT!

Excellent! Another one!

[Spirit Unleashed]

Thank you Ultra Spirit. I look forward to reading your stuff!

As for the name, Bishop...no...my real name is Brett.

Bishop was an old nickname I had when I was younger. It has nothing to do with religion and everything to do with the android from Aliens.

I know: NERD ALERT!

Nerds are

[ROW]

My mom is somewhat.

[Pat Menzies]

My mom is somewhat.

A Nerd?

[killerbeetle]

Ohhhhh I LOVE food hehehe

I'm both vegan and a nerd too I guess not completely because I'll eat a muffin at a friend's house without asking if they used an egg in it... Probably because I did this for health reasons and never did care about killing animals... (yep, I'm heartless and selfish). I only made this switch in May so maybe I'll get pickier as time passes.

Anyway, I eat a lot of raw foods (because they feel better in my tummy), but I do have a passion for cooking and baking. A couple of my recent favourites that I came up with are fresh salsa and pita chips, "granola bars" (raw goji berry almond bars), and... vegan rice pudding (kheer). Experimenting in the kitchen is one of my favourtie things...

Okay, I have a question for other vegans/vegetarians... do you find animal flesh gross to look at now that you've given it up? I never did have a problem with meat but all of a sudden one day after I'd given it up, it doesn't look like food anymore. Now it's just a piece of dead animal and I dislike walking through the meat section... Cheese and eggs gross me out too, but not quite as much.

[abhainn]

Okay, I have a question for other vegans/vegetarians... do you find animal flesh gross to look at now that you've given it up? I never did have a problem with meat but all of a sudden one day after I'd given it up, it doesn't look like food anymore. Now it's just a piece of dead animal and I dislike walking through the meat section... Cheese and eggs gross me out too, but not quite as much.

Simple answer yes - at least when it comes to dead animal. Eggs and cheese don't bother me, probably because they're not dead animal. But yeah, when I see "steak" I just see a poor dead not by natural causes cow. I can't stomach even the idea of my food touching or being anywhere dead animal has been.

[treadlightly]

Okay, I have a question for other vegans/vegetarians... do you find animal flesh gross to look at now that you've given it up? I never did have a problem with meat but all of a sudden one day after I'd given it up, it doesn't look like food anymore. Now it's just a piece of dead animal and I dislike walking through the meat section... Cheese and eggs gross me out too, but not quite as much.

Looking at meat really bothers me, especially watching someone tear into a chicken wing or something. Dairy bothers me because a calf was torn away from its mother to produce it, and in the case of a male calf, killed shortly thereafter. Eggs don't really bother me.

[bluemutt]

I am vegetarian for the most part and remove more animal products from my diet all the time.

I have never really been big on meat but grew up in a "meat and potato" household so I just went with the flow. My kids have never liked meat and to this day neither of them have ever touched a burger. I always feel better the less meat I eat...if I do it is always because I am lazy and eat what everyone else is eating....workin on it though