I'm making the transition to vegan

[boyjenius]

So I've been a vegetarian on and off for a few years, having my little splurts of being a vegetarian from, anywhere from 1 month to 3 months at a time (while still eating eggs and fish with other times just cutting out red meat) and I usually choose vegan alternatives when offered cause I like the taste better. (Other than Morning Star - holy crap that tastes bad)

Now I'm off to make the transition for GOOD. I recently bought the book The China Study which was recommended by Tony Robbins when I went to his seminar back last October at UPW

I have a freezer full of ground turkey and chicken (about $150 worth) and today I decided I'd give up dairy and red meat. When I run out of meat in the freezer I won't be stocking up on that either!

i do have 2 objections/limiting belief i need handling

1) alternative foods when I go out with family and friends ? Fast foods etc. And please don't say salad cause I hate romaine lettuce salads

2) I have a limiting belief that going vegan is expensive as hell and the food doesn't last as long

Thanks for the help and look forward to being on the forum more often

[EquALLity]

Great, and welcome to the forum! Looking forward to seeing some of your posts!

You should make an intro.

1) alternative foods when I go out with family and friends ? Fast foods etc. And please don't say salad cause I hate romaine lettuce salads

You could call beforehand and ask if the restaurant has vegan options, or if they are willing to prepare any.

2) I have a limiting belief that going vegan is expensive as hell and the food doesn't last as long

http://www.yourdailyvegan.com/2013/01/y ... expensive/

As for it not lasting as long, which foods specifically, and why do you think that?

[brimstoneSalad]

Welcome boyjenius, that's great, we'll help however we can.

When you go out, you can check to see if the restaurant is veg. friendly.
Happy cow is a great place to check: http://www.happycow.net/
Wherever you live, there should be listings for veg. restaurants if friends and family will go for it, or otherwise for those that are known to be veg friendly.

In terms of fast food and stuff at typical restaurants:
A baked potato is usually safe, if it's a steak house or something. Just ask that they don't cut it open, otherwise they're liable to fill it with pork or something, and ask specifically only for the toppings you actually want (on the side), and for them to please not bring others.
Taco bell is also pretty good. They'll make things with just the beans, tomato, or whatever you like, and that's usually pretty filling. That's pretty much the #1 most popular veganizable fast food restaurant.

http://www.peta2.com/lifestyle/vegan-taco-bell/

If you figure out what you like and how to order at taco bell, you'll never be without a quick filling food option (as long as you're in the region where they operate, of course).

I'm with you on not liking most typical salads. BUT if you're in a pretty upscale place, you can get a more high class salad with better greens like spinach and kale, and have them load it up with nuts and even beans to the point the leaves become more of a garnish.

#2: Definitely not expensive, but you may need to learn a couple tricks.

I need to know the following:

What's your ideal daily food budget?
What region do you live in? (availability of some foods vary by country, and sometimes state)
Is there anything else that you really don't like, or can't stomach that comes to mind? Any allergies?

[boyjenius]

I need to know the following:

What's your ideal daily food budget?
What region do you live in? (availability of some foods vary by country, and sometimes state)
Is there anything else that you really don't like, or can't stomach that comes to mind? Any allergies?

hmmm i dont really put a budget on my food - guess i should look into that some more

i live in Las Vegas Nevada

i dont like Morning Star burgers (at least the kind i had, i couldnt even finish it) and i dont like lettuce are really the 2 things i stay away from. Boca burgers are amazing!

i dont mind lettuce on things but just a lettuce salad and a tomato at Mcdonalds is really annoying and dry. i guess i could ask for a vegan dressing but lettuce itself doesnt have that much nutritional value to it, and hardly any calories so its not something i really want to live off of.

[boyjenius]

2) I have a limiting belief that going vegan is expensive as hell and the food doesn't last as long

http://www.yourdailyvegan.com/2013/01/y ... expensive/

As for it not lasting as long, which foods specifically, and why do you think that?

after some wondering around on this site's resource pages i saw that there is some things i already buy, i guess i just dont know all the things that are vegan yet. but what i was referring to was cut up veggies in my fridge. id like to have 3 types of peppers and avocados in a wrap - and by the time i get back around to the left over peppers (cause i live alone) they are soggy and aren't so fresh and the avocados turn brown pretty quick.

also, freezing veggies and then un thawing them just causes them to be soggy and gross...

i keep seeing memes of "life hacks" of lettuce in mason jars saying they will last longer but i dont know how true that is.

[TheVeganAtheist]

Welcome boyjenius, thats awesome news.

[brimstoneSalad]

hmmm i dont really put a budget on my food - guess i should look into that some more

Definitely. Also, if you have disposable income to buy kitchen stuff, or what you already have.
I'm a big advocate of food processors as time/money savers (in the long run).

i dont mind lettuce on things but just a lettuce salad and a tomato at Mcdonalds is really annoying and dry. i guess i could ask for a vegan dressing but lettuce itself doesnt have that much nutritional value to it, and hardly any calories so its not something i really want to live off of.

I agree, lettuce is not really a food so much as a condiment. It's a decent beverage if you're thirsty, but the nutritional value is next to nil.

Spinach, Kale, Broccoli -- these are more food. You have to eat quite a bit of them, though.

Regarding things going bad:
For cost savings and convenience, I recommend buying most veggies already frozen in big bags from Walmart.

Buying fresh then freezing is less useful (and actually less fresh, since veggies are frozen when they're actually fresh, not after several weeks in transit and sitting in the produce aisle).

The only things I usually buy fresh are garlic and carrots, sometimes onions, and potatoes -- stuff that doesn't go bad fast.
I rarely buy cilantro, but that does go bad fast. For fresh herbs, it's better to grow your own, so you can cut it as you need it, and only the amount you need. Cilantro is a pain to grow, though, since it has a short life cycle. Not a very useful window herb.

[boyjenius]

hmmm i dont really put a budget on my food - guess i should look into that some more

Definitely. Also, if you have disposable income to buy kitchen stuff, or what you already have.
I'm a big advocate of food processors as time/money savers (in the long run).

i dont mind lettuce on things but just a lettuce salad and a tomato at Mcdonalds is really annoying and dry. i guess i could ask for a vegan dressing but lettuce itself doesnt have that much nutritional value to it, and hardly any calories so its not something i really want to live off of.

I agree, lettuce is not really a food so much as a condiment. It's a decent beverage if you're thirsty, but the nutritional value is next to nil.

Spinach, Kale, Broccoli -- these are more food. You have to eat quite a bit of them, though.

Regarding things going bad:
For cost savings and convenience, I recommend buying most veggies already frozen in big bags from Walmart.

Buying fresh then freezing is less useful (and actually less fresh, since veggies are frozen when they're actually fresh, not after several weeks in transit and sitting in the produce aisle).

The only things I usually buy fresh are garlic and carrots, sometimes onions, and potatoes -- stuff that doesn't go bad fast.
I rarely buy cilantro, but that does go bad fast. For fresh herbs, it's better to grow your own, so you can cut it as you need it, and only the amount you need. Cilantro is a pain to grow, though, since it has a short life cycle. Not a very useful window herb.

Outstanding help! thank you very much. This info will go a long way for me

[brimstoneSalad]

Outstanding help! thank you very much. This info will go a long way for me

No problem. Do you have a food processor? I could recommend some good tricks.

With frozen veggies, this is a great video discussing a trick of adding a little mustard powder to cruciferous veggies to make them more healthy:
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/second- ... -broccoli/

[boyjenius]

No problem. Do you have a food processor? I could recommend some good tricks.

With frozen veggies, this is a great video discussing a trick of adding a little mustard powder to cruciferous veggies to make them more healthy:
http://nutritionfacts.org/video/second- ... -broccoli/

I don't have a processor - I have a juicer though. these things might be faster to cut/juice things but they are a pain in the ass to clean. if I don't clean every little cravis then it starts to stink. I've had it for a few years now.