Going vegan? Help please!?

green smoothie recipes during pregnancy image

Jenna

Im a teenager so I still live with my parents and siblings, who all eat meat. We obviously dont have all the proper foods I need, and my dad is completely against it because he says I wouldnt grow enough and get the nutrition I need. I feel very strongly about this though!

My questions are:

What are some websites that describe some common vegan food we could buy to replace other items and how to start?

What are some ways to convince my parents to let me start?

Does anyone have any tips?

Thanks everyone :)

Answer
Your parents likely wonât take issue with the world's largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. The Academy of Nutrition and Dieteticsâformerly the American Dietetic Associationâsays that âappropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. Well-planned vegetarian diets are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence, and for athletes.â

Iâm sure your parents will be proud of you for making such a healthy, humane decision once they have more information. If they express concern about certain nutrients, assure them that you can get plenty of protein, calcium, iron, vitamins, and other nutrients from a balanced vegan diet. For example, soy foods are packed with protein; broccoli, spinach, and other leafy greens are rich iron and calcium; andâunlike meat, eggs, and dairy productsâfruits, vegetables, and whole grains have lots of vitamins, fiber, and complex carbohydrates.

Remind them that vegan foods are cholesterol-free and low in saturated fat and that vegans are much less likely to suffer from heart disease, strokes, diabetes, cancer, and many other ailments.

A healthy diet should be based around fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains. Enjoy soy or almond milk on your cereal instead of cowâs milk. Try vegetable curries, bean curd (tofu) and broccoli, falafel, hummus and veggie wraps, vegetarian sushi, and other tasty vegan dishes. If youâre not crazy about the first one you try, just try another.

Make vegan meals for them. They'll feel included in your decision, they'll get to enjoy vegan foods, and they won't worry that they'll have to prepare separate meals, either.

It's easy to make tasty vegan meals that even longtime meat-eaters can enjoy. Many of the meals you already enjoy can likely be made vegan with just minor changes. For example, you can make spaghetti with marina sauce, vegetable fajitas, black bean and corn chili, and pizza with Daiya non-dairy cheese and veggies. Try mock meats from Gardein, Tofurky, Boca, and other vegan-friendly companies. Just be sure to enjoy lots of veggies, too! If thereâs a Tropical Smoothie Café near you, you can order salads and wraps with Beyond Meat vegetarian chicken instead of chicken flesh.

PETA has lots of recipes, tips, and product-suggestions. You might find these âhow to go veganâ tips especially useful: http://features.peta.org/how-to-go-vegan/. But these pages are also helpful:

http://www.peta.org/living/vegetarian-living/recipes-food.aspx

http://www.peta.org/living/vegetarian-living/making-the-transition-vegetarian.aspx

http://www.peta.org/living/vegetarian-living/free-vegetarian-starter-kit.aspx

http://www.peta.org/living/vegetarian-living/happy-cow.aspx

Since you mentioned that youâre a teenager, you might also be interested in the info on www.peta2.com, PETAâs site for high school and college students.

Congrats on making a healthy, humane decision. Stick with it. I wouldnât be surprised if your parents eventually come around and try to eat more vegan foods, too.

summer and gestational diabetes...?

purple but

summer and gestational diabetes?
"So I have gestational diabetes. I already had it in my first pregnancy so I was kinda prepared for this"... or so I thought. My problem now is that all the recipes I used during my first pregnancy had to be prepared by either grilling, cooking or baking and lets be honest who wants that kind of work when they are 30 weeks pregnant and the general temperature is about 95 degrees outside and its kinda hard to keep the house cool. So does anyone have any good summer recipes for salads or some no cook food that wont drive my blood-sugar into the sky. Maybe some low carb smoothies or something similar.
My first pregnancy was during the winter so it didn't bother me as much to cook.
Please only serious answers and be nice :)

Answer
This is a side and it cooks fast too:

Color full veggie sauté:

2 med red peppers julienned
2 med green peppers julienned
2 med zucchini julienned
4 med carrots julienned
1 tsp olive oil
4 cups thinly sliced cabbage
1/4 tsp salt
4 tsp cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp sesame seeds.

In a large skillet, sauté the peppers, zucchini, and carrots in olive oil, for 5 min. Add the cabbage, salt and pepper, sauté 1 min longer.

In small bowl combine vin and water, pour over veggies. Cook and stir for 2-3 min or until heated thru. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

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This one is pushing it on the carbs with the fruit, but double the spinach.

Fruit or Spinach Salad:
I know this sounds a little odd but it adds a nice light zip and tang for fruit:
¼ cup buttermilk
2 tbsp sour cream
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

8 oz baby spinach
Red apples, thinly sliced
1 cup red grapes cut in ½

Or leave out the spinach and just add other fruits such as
Raspberries or black berries, strawberries, watermelon etcâ¦.


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Raspberry Vinaigrette & Orange Salad








1 pkg (10oz) salad greens
1 can (11oz) mandarin oranges drained
1 cup julienne/match stick jicama
¾ cup Light Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds (buy them toasted or toast your own)

Toss everything but the sesame seeds in a bowl and then sprinkle with seseme seeds.

***Add chicken strips to round it out.

Or use sliced onions instead of the jicama

Nutrition Information: Calories 80, Fat 4g (sat fat 0g), Sodium 210mg, Carbs 11g, Fiber 6g, Protien 1g, Cholesterol 0g, Sugar 6g

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Turkey Corn Salsa Tortilla Wraps

4 corn tortillas (6 inch)
1/4 cup Thick 'N Chunky Mild Salsa
2 Tbsp. drained canned corn
1/4 tsp. chopped cilantro
4-2% Milk Pepperjack Singles
4 lettuce leaves
16 slices deli Turkey Meat
Heat tortillas as directed on package.
Meanwhile, combine salsa, corn and cilantro.
Top tortillas evenly with 2% Milk Singles, lettuce, turkey and salsa mixture; roll up.
Kraft Kitchens Tips
Variation - Turkey Corn Salsa Tostadas
Prepare as directed, except do not roll tortillas up. Serve open faced.

Nutrition Information Calories 150, Total fat 4.5 g (Saturated fat 2.5 g), Cholesterol 25 mg, Sodium 790 mg, Carbs 16g, Dietary fiber 2 g, Sugars 2 g, Protein 11 g

Nutrition Bonus
These flavorful wraps are both rich in calcium from the 2% Milk Singles and a good source of vitamin A from lettuce.

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Raw Broccoli Salad-6 servings:

4 cups broccoli florets (or broccolini)
¼ cup red onion minced
2 tbsp splenda
2 tbsp cider vinegar
2 tbsp light mayo
2 tbsp sunflower seeds-roasted and salted
3 tbsp seedless raisens.

Save the broccoli stems for another use (I like them sautéed with carrots), and cut the florets into small pieces. Set aside.
Place remaining ingrediants into a medium bowl and mix well. Add broccoli florets, toss until well coated.
Cover and chill a good couple of hours.

Per Serving: Calories 60 (15 from fat), protein 3g, fat 2g (sat 0g), carbs 10g, fiber 2g, cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 85mg, sugar 6g

*****Look in the grocery stores for a low carb tortilla called "Carb Chopper" there is a whole wheat and white version with only 7 net grams of carbs per tortilla.

Also there is a low carb pasta called Dreamfield Wheat pasta, it is only 5 grams of carbs per serving. I think the website www.dreamfieldwheat.com but google it to make sure.

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