What is a common daily Vegan diet?

I'm considering becoming a vegan, mainly for health.


I've been researching it like crazy and I'm curious from a vegan's standpoint what you're daily diet consists of. And how do you recommend starting becoming one?


I've heard once you start, you immediately feel more energy yes?|||There is no vegan for health or vegan for ethics or vegan for the environment, there is also no vegan diet.

This is why:

"The word 'veganism' denotes a philosophy and way of living which seeks to end the idea of animals as property and exclude all forms of intentional exploitation of, use of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing, research or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of animals, including people and the environment.

In dietary terms it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals."



However this should give you the info to help start off veganism a lot easier:



Here is a list of animal ingredients to avoid:

http://www.happycow.net/health-animal-in鈥?/a>



More things to avoid:



Animals as clothes:

Leather, skins, furs, wool, silk, down, feathers...



Animals as entertainment:

Circuses, rodeos, zoos, aquariums, animal fights, animal races, hunting...





Companies that DO NOT test on animals(however CHECK INGREDIENTS they only verify testing not ingredients):

http://www.leapingbunny.org/indexcus.php



Vegan products:

http://www.veganstore.com/ (I know them well and they aren't doing as well in this economy but they are a great source for awesome hard to find stuff and they are very friendly and giving even if they really don't have much if anything to give)



Vegan recipes:

http://vegweb.com/



More info on veganism:

http://animal-rights.com/

http://www.vegetus.org/honey/honey.htm (I get the honey question a lot)

http://www.youcanhelpstopthis.com/



Edit:

Veganism is not a diet has never been a diet and will never be just a diet. Bill Clinton is not vegan, the media has pushed him to say it and made him out to be something he is not. He knows he is not vegan and never said he was initially. He is just doing something for his own selfish reasons and that is fine and dandy but it isn't veganism.



Veganism has always been clearly defined as a lifestyle and more than just what you eat but encompasses the whole circle of compassion. People who aren't vegan like to attack veganism and make it weaker because they think the name is cool or something about it is cool but they just don't actually want to conform to it.

There is no exclusive club or club at all it is just a simple definition that you either fit or don't fit and their is no second definition or anything like that. There is one and it has always meant no animal use or exploitation in any part of our lives (in a basic form). It has always been a lifestyle and doesn't need to be changed to fit people. People should change to fit it!



This would accurately describe a dieter that doesn't eat animal products.

Healthetarian: a person who adopts a diet free of animal "products" for health purposes rather than for animals or true ethical reasons.



Edit: Thank you, Shelia (said like the announcer on The Final Rip Off by Monty Python!)|||I wouldn't really call it a diet, more of a lifestyle, as it isn't just cutting out meats from your diet, it is cutting out dead animals 100% from your life (as much as is possible). Which includes not eating them (including fish %26amp; honey - still an animal!!), not wearing them, not using products which test and have animal bits in (such as lactose (dairy) and bones - which can be found in your shampoos, conditioners, washing powders, shower gels, washing up liquid, cleaning products and so on) - best to find vegan alternatives asap, or until your current products run out (which is what you should do if you do not have the money to buy new as of yet). I've been researching veganism for a few months now and I am currently 90% vegan, will be 100% vegan on the 1st of November, I took the vegan pledge on the Vegan Society website :), and I have been wanting to do it for ages, so I set a date. :) I'm pretty much a vegan anyway :)





Being a vegan also includes not visiting zoos, aquariums, circuses etc. Basically not taking part in any type of animal cruelty.





Good luck!! :)|||Freeyourself is right. There is no such thing as a vegan for health reasons. The very word "vegan" has a meaning, and it is to do with animal exploitation.



The creator of the term "vegan", Donald Watson, and the Vegan Society, defined it as "..a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude - as far as is possible and practical - all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of humans, animals and the environment."



So people can argue till they're blue in the face, but the definition of the word does not encompass people who are just doing it for themselves and not the animals.



The dietary component of a vegan life is called "strict vegetarianism".



The daily diet of a strict vegetarian includes all plant foods - vegetables, fruit, grains, legumes, seeds. It's just a normal diet without any animal products. The internet is full of vegetarian recipes and meal plans - ironically, you'll have to google "vegan meals" to exclude those containing dairy, eggs and honey.|||There are going to be people coming in here and telling you that there is no such thing as a vegan diet, but a lifestyle choice to go by big rules. Honestly, these people need to get over it and there are people who cut out animals for health reasons only. I know Bill Clinton went vegan for health reasons.



Vegans don't eat any animal products. Just take out slaughtered animal byproducts, dairy, eggs, and even honey.



Go for plant-based milks, like soy, almond, hemp, sesame, etc.

You can make these at home so they don't have chemicals.

There are vegan cheeses, butters, ice creams, etc. Don't try to eat a bunch of these. If you want something sweet, then go ahead and make some ice "cream" at home.



Beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, tofu, and leafy greens offer protein and iron. Mix beans with corn or rice, and you'll have a complete protein. Include vitamin C with your meals to absorb iron from plant foods. Still to fresh vegetables and fruits.



EDIT: There are people who go raw VEGAN just to stop eating animal products. Some of them don't do it for ethical/animal reasons, or philosophy.|||if you want to be healthy, Don't eat soda, eat anything that comes in a wrapper(chips,candy), or eat from any place that is worldwide (burger king, McDonald's.) You don't have to go so far as to cut out dairy and meat. You actually need those food groups. Eat less fatty meat. Don't eat any animal that you wouldn't be able to lift (Cow). Cook your own food. Eat out less. WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T GO TO THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY!!! Eat more fruits and veggies. Eat smaller portion sizes. Snack often.

http://www.eatingwell.com/ (here are some Healthy! Non-vegan recipes)

http://vegweb.com/ (here are some vegan recipes)



Btw All these people are WRONG, my friend was vegan for the longest time (year or two) and she did to see how long she could go without dairy and meat products, and health as well. The term "Vegan" is usually associated with "saving the animals". Not all people necessarily GO vegan to save the animals though. If you want to go vegan for your health, Be my guest.|||you might want to try out being a vegetarian before you go vegan. its easier that way....|||I'm not coming off an American diet, I'm coming off an Indian lacto-veg diet, so I'm not really eating common vegan foods, but I'll just tell you what I usually eat. Sorry to not be that useful for you, but it's my experience.





Breakfast: mung beans, fruit, some nuts (walnuts)


Lunch: lentil soup, curried veggies, small raw 1-ingredient salad (because my super awesome salads usually take FOREVER to prepare...but they're epic...I've had strangers stop me to complement me on my salads...they're that good...true story)


Dinner: Curried beans, curried veggies, brown rice, 1-ingredient salad, fruit, coconut water (addicted!)


Snacks: when I feel hungry, fruit and nuts, sometimes flax seeds


^That's what I have 3-4 times a week (it's a modification of the typical thali I'm supposed to eat, but I found the whole grains excessive, when I could eat more veggies, which I don't think we get enough of, so I sub that)





Break it up with:


pasta, tofu, and tomato sauce


Burritos using pinto beans, salsa, avocado, in a whole wheat tortilla


Falafel sandwiches...I had to give up my yogurt dressing, it's not as good as with balsamic dressing, so I'm more hummus/pita with awesome salad as a replacement


Thai -style glass noodles, green beans, and mixed veggies


Vegan sushi (sushi refers to the rice, not the raw fish, so I'm legit using that word...according to my East Asian friends.)


Panori, toast, and salad (look it up, I love it...but I'm weird)


Banana, natural peanut butter, and a glass of alternative milk (it's filling!)


Whatever looks interesting in one of the many vegan blogs I subscribe to...main rule is that it HAS to have a bean or nut in every meal for protein.


Some websites:


http://www.vegweb.com


http://www.vegalicious.com


http://www.vegandad.blogspot.com


http://www.theppk.com


http://www.holycowvegan.net %26lt;--mostly Indian...because my parents were like, wah, how can you go vegan, milk is so important! (it's funny if you picture an indian accent when reading that)





You really should supplement. I have no idea why vegans are so opposed to this, non-vegans have to supplement on the same stuff also, so I don't see the point in being so defensive.


Calcium and vitamin D (recommended for all women)


Iron (only when menstruating...it's better than Midol for cramps...or eat a LOT of green leafy veggies with fruit)


DHA algal omega-3 supplements (non-vegans take fish oil or eat fish)


B-12 (or eat fortified cereals/alternative milks/multi-vitamins)





There's alternative faux-foods to help with the transition, such as daiya cheese (that stuff scares me), earth balance vegan margarine, and faux-meat (gardein chiken).





It's much easier to transition from vegetarian to vegan. But don't become reliant on cheese, because it'll be THAT much harder to go vegan afterward. (I kinda miss outside pizza).





When you're transitioning to new vegan products, easiest thing is to do a quick search "product vegan" to see if what you're using is already vegan. Bare minerals should be vegan, and V05 (the stuff that costs under a dollar at drug stores) are vegan, as well as proactiv and acnefree (if you're acne prone). Kiss My Face, dr Bronners, Trader Joe's, or your local Indian shop will all have vegan soap. For toothpaste, I've been using Colgate because the glycerin is vegetarian, but the main company does test on animals. Tom's of Maine didn't test on animals before being acquired by Colgate, so unless they start, I don't see the point in changing just because they were acquired by a large company.





As for more energy: no, I didn't feel anything. I ate lots of fresh foods before and after going vegan, the only difference is that I don't gag on milk for breakfast in the morning...although I do miss yogurt and haven't found soygurt in my area yet.