New Vegan Questions?

[GraceMarie]

So, I'm a vegetarian who's in the process of going vegan. I'm a Les Mills instructor for RPM, I run, and I lift weight five times a week. I'm looking to lose 2% body fat and I'm having a hard time finding a clear Vegan diet to follow or read into. So, I guess I'm looking for some reliable sites that give meal plans and specific supplements I should or shouldn't take? Posts about your own diet would be good too.

[hsorlando]

What do you teach, Body Pump? That's a killer workout I don't care what anyone says. Have you looked into different forms of protein, like hemp, pea, rice, quinoa, soy, seitan, and spirulina which is an algae. A lot of people on here like Vega which you can practically find in every discussion. They have lots of nutritional items, including bars, protein powders, meal replacements, etc.

[vegimator]

http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/?page=menu_nutrition

 

Personally, I think eating a low grain, moderately low carb, high protein diet is the best way to get to your goal. I recommend salads with tempeh, seeds (especially pumpkin, hemp, chia and ground flax as they're complete proteins and rich in omega 3s) , nuts (pistachios are a complete protein, others are lysine deficient. Walnuts are good for omega 3s though) and pea/rice protein shakes for after your workouts(check out trueprotein.com for that).

 

Low oxalate greens like kale and especially collards, sesame seeds and poppy seeds are great sources of calcium. A mere two tablespoons of poppy seeds will give you 250 mg of calcium and they're a complete protein as well.

 

Make sure you're getting enough B-12, D and calcium.

 

When you do eat grains, I recommend relatively high protein, mineral and amino acid rich options such as quinoa, amaranth and buckwheat.

Edited December 10, 2010 by vegimator

[botherich]

^^ That seems like a good idea to read.

 

A lot of your protein is going to come from legumes and grains. The main ones I eat are Dark Red Kidney Beans, Black Beans, Lentils, Brown Rice, White Rice, Tempeh, Garbanzo Beans, "Meat Substitutes" (Can be very Protein dense). Except for Tempeh (Unless you make it yourself), and the Meat substitutes (I hate that phrase), these foods can be bought for very cheap in bulk, and are always easy to find. The legumes are very high in protein, albeit not complete protein, how you deal with that is sort of a personal choice I guess.

 

As for supplements, the only one I currently take is a B-Complex vitamin, and in a couple of days I'll start taking a One a day, and a Calcium / vitamin D. The last two are from the company Deva, and they are pretty cheap. Finding vegan versions of all supplements can be as easy as googling it, if you want some help with any of this feel free to ask me.

 

If you are looking for protein powders, I recommend creating one on Trueprotein.com. You can find info on the best combinations in another thread in the health and nutrition forum? on this site.

 

It's hard to really give an idea of a diet since everyone eats so differently at different times, etc. I say you take those "important", nutrient dense foods I listed, combined with a variety of raw fruits and vegetables, and you'll end up with a pretty balanced diet. Beyond that it's just a matter of eating an amount that meets your needs.

 

Hope this was helpful. Good luck with your transition.

[GraceMarie]

Thanks for the help! I teach RPM, that's a spin class as in stationary bikes. My gym is sending me to get certified for BodyPump this spring though. I'm excited.

 

Thanks for the suggestions! I do have another issue though, I live in a small town in the deep South. So, we have one shabby health food store. Are things like poppy seed sold at Wal-Mart or GNC? I can check with my health food store, but I'm guessing I'm probably going to have to order off the internet. I had to do that with my vegan friendly protein I just bought.

[vegimator]

Poppy seeds would be sold at any grocery store in the spice section. If you do plan on incorporating them into your diet as a regular calcium source, it may be cheaper to order them in bulk online though.