being veggie

want2bmortgage3

whats diet for a small planet sounds like a good book to read?

Fire_Fox

Doom_and_Gloom wrote: »

Fire Fox it is not as difficult as most people think it is to obtain all the needed nutrition from a vegan diet, unfortunatly a lot of poeple have your misconception about veganism. As it is I believe no matter what kind of foods you consume you should know about nutrition as I find many omnis have no idea where they get their vitamins and minerals as it is. I always wonder how they can even tell someone who is not omni that they are doing wrong when they have no idea about their own diet?

As for needing to take food with you everywhere this is also not true. At the moment I'm having to go to London every week for accupunture for pain treatment and all I take with me is water then go off to get food. There are many places that sell vegan sanwiches, there are places that do vegetarian as well as vegan food in many places as I don't always have food on me. You can take food with you if you want to if you doubt the place you are going to will cater but most places are able even if it's just a salad and jaket potato or chips (cooked on their own in vegetable oil).

Eating a balanced vegan diet requires research and planning which is many vegetarians and vegans downfall. I don't believe that's a misconception - it's based on my degree level knowledge of nutrition and several years experience of advising clients on healthy eating through my work in the fitness industry. I would agree that plenty of meat-eaters have no idea about nutrition either - they seem to learn a lot of their 'facts' from faddy weight loss diet clubs and books! :rolleyes:

In London I have no doubt it's easy to find vegan 'fast' food: however lots of Brits live and work in rather less cosmopolitan surroundings! A salad and jacket potato is hardly a balanced meal - where is the protein?

Doom_and_Gloom

Fire_Fox wrote: »

Eating a balanced vegan diet requires research and planning which is many vegetarians and vegans downfall. I don't believe that's a misconception - it's based on my degree level knowledge of nutrition and several years experience of advising clients on healthy eating through my work in the fitness industry. I would agree that plenty of meat-eaters have no idea about nutrition either - they seem to learn a lot of their 'facts' from faddy weight loss diet clubs and books! :rolleyes:

In London I have no doubt it's easy to find vegan 'fast' food: however lots of Brits live and work in rather less cosmopolitan surroundings! A salad and jacket potato is hardly a balanced meal - where is the protein?

Eating any kind of diet requires planning otherwise you will miss out on needed nutrients it's not just vegetarians and vegans that need to plan their meals :rolleyes:. Many people who eat meat are deficient in nutrients because they don't look at what they eat as they believe that eating meat and/or dairy is a safety net against being deficient when it's not!

I wasn't just on about London when I said you do not have to take food with you it was just an example. I have been all the way to York not knowing what would be around and still found food to eat.

Potatoes contain 2g of protien to every 100g which while not being a lot is fine as a meal out when it's all you can find. A woman only needs 45g over the day on average. Many places like shops sell almonds that you can eat which are 21g of protein per 100g and although contain a lot of fat it is essential fat.

As I said though if you believe you will be going somewhere that you doubt you can get food to eat you can take food with you but even a supermarket or corner shop should have seeds, nuts, dried fruits, fresh lose fruit/vegetables that you could eat so it's not all that difficult.

want2bmortgage3

i dont think a potato however big is a filliing meal you need at least baked beans and /or cheese to provide the protein a potato on its own is like a healthy bag of crisps i think

Doom_and_Gloom

want2bmortgage3 wrote: »

i dont think a potato however big is a filliing meal you need at least baked beans and /or cheese to provide the protein a potato on its own is like a healthy bag of crisps i think

Most baked beans are vegan so if the place offers them and they are that is an option yes, I forgot about that :rotfl:.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

want2bmortgage3 wrote: »

what is the point in being veggie?

if still consuming dairy and eggs means that you are contributing to an industry where male calves are shot at birth, and male chicks are gassed or shredded at birth, then surely its a bit hypocritical?

how many veggies realise this i wonder?

I suspect most vegetarians are more aware of the industry processes than non veggies. They don't all avoid meat on purely 'fluffy bunny' principles.

I eat meat sometimes. My choice. I wouldn't dream of picking holes in the veggie's credo, as it would sound as if I was trying to denigrate their ethical stance.

It's like saying, if you're a fat veggie, why bother as you still eat more than the average sub Saharan ten year old?

Good for you, veggies and vegans everywhere!

Magentasue

I don't eat meat and for a long time avoided fish, gelatine etc. None of my children eat meat or fish. My objection was always to factory farming and I couldn't afford ethical meat at the time. If I was making the same choice now, I think I would choose to eat meat from a source I was happy with. I don't like the idea that I am supporting the dairy industry and its practices but don't like alternatives to dairy products. We have chickens and if we do buy eggs, they're from a farm where the chickens are truly free range.

I know what I do isn't ideal and I could do better but, being blunt, I'm not prepared to make the sacrifices. Health wise, we all do fine and better than any other family I know personally. When my children were little, I did a lot of research but came to the conclusion protein was the least of my worries. As far as protein goes, most people in Britain are probably far from undernourished. For dinner, I aim for half a plate of veg or salad, a good portion of bread, potatoes, rice, pasta or other stodge and some cheese, eggs or pulses for protein.

Like so many other things, I think any attempt to tread lightly can only be good but that you have to go with what you're comfortable with. There's a lot to be said for keeping it simple too.

Ken68

want2bmortgage3 wrote: »

whats diet for a small planet sounds like a good book to read?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diet_for_a_Small_Planet

..about combining certain veg with protein to increase the overall protein, and the NPU (net protein utilisation) of such as beans and grain.
A great read.

Fire_Fox

Doom_and_Gloom wrote: »

Eating any kind of diet requires planning otherwise you will miss out on needed nutrients it's not just vegetarians and vegans that need to plan their meals :rolleyes:. Many people who eat meat are deficient in nutrients because they don't look at what they eat as they believe that eating meat and/or dairy is a safety net against being deficient when it's not!

I'm not sure there was any need for the sarcastic smilie - you will note I used it after my sentence on meat-eaters and faddy diets. You seem to be taking my comments as a personal criticism and not a healthy debate - I have nothing against vegetarians or vegans and believe it can be a very healthy way to live if you do your research.

It's not my experience that omnivores believe eating meat or dairy provides all the nutrients they need. I find the average person needs to believe they currently have a lifestyle health problem before they are willing to change their unhealthy behaviours (diet, smoking, exercise).

Doom_and_Gloom wrote: »

I wasn't just on about London when I said you do not have to take food with you it was just an example. I have been all the way to York not knowing what would be around and still found food to eat.

Potatoes contain 2g of protien to every 100g which while not being a lot is fine as a meal out when it's all you can find. A woman only needs 45g over the day on average. Many places like shops sell almonds that you can eat which are 21g of protein per 100g and although contain a lot of fat it is essential fat.

As I said though if you believe you will be going somewhere that you doubt you can get food to eat you can take food with you but even a supermarket or corner shop should have seeds, nuts, dried fruits, fresh lose fruit/vegetables that you could eat so it's not all that difficult.

Going to two different shops to purchase a meal constitutes planning in my book. York, like London, is a city and a rather 'smart' one at that - many people live and work in towns and villages or in deprived areas (food poverty). I'd like to think things have changed since the time a pharmaceutical rep arrived armed with chicken sandwiches for my vegetarian Asian colleagues! :eek:

That's not the average requirement of protein it's the minimum for a female, you will need more if you exercise or have an active job (1 to 2g per kg bodyweight). I would recommend vegans go for the mid to higher end unless they are combining proteins at each meal or snack. There is increasing evidence that the body cannot use protein which is not balanced unless it takes the limiting amino acid from elsewhere ... potentially the muscle tissue.

Please note that I frequently advise my female omnivore clients to eat more (regular) protein too as I find a cuppa for breakfast and a salad sandwich for lunch a common occurrence. I also often advise male clients that their dependence on meat, eggs and full fat dairy is a very expensive and unhealthy way to live. Perhaps Britain as a nation will eventually find a happy medium, do away with imported and battery meat, and become used to regular vegetarian/ vegan meals. We would be wealthier in every sense for it.

Fire_Fox

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

I suspect most vegetarians are more aware of the industry processes than non veggies. They don't all avoid meat on purely 'fluffy bunny' principles.

I eat meat sometimes. My choice. I wouldn't dream of picking holes in the veggie's credo, as it would sound as if I was trying to denigrate their ethical stance.

It's like saying, if you're a fat veggie, why bother as you still eat more than the average sub Saharan ten year old?

Good for you, veggies and vegans everywhere!

I used to work in primary research labs. I did not do any animal work, but other labs in my building did and there was an animal house in the building next door. Every time we had animal rights activists they would picket the Genetics department which was a five minute walk away - Genetics had no animal house and only did cell culture work. I always thought it a shame that the 'fluffy bunny brigade' didn't read the published research papers - it's the few that tarnish the reputation of the many.