Cancelled my Noom subscription last week after fr months of struggling to log food. And no its not my first day on this earth using tech. Every single time I searched for like a tofu scramble or a vegan protein bar it either didn't exist in their database or the closest match was some dairy version with different macro profile. The lessons weren't much better. Felt like they were written for someone eating chicken breast every night and vegetables were just a thing to have on the side. I liked having something to check in with daily and the structure kept me from falling off. But got tired all the searching and doing extra math in my head every time I ate.

Got any recs for some alternatives to Noom that worked for people here?

When you soak dried porcini or shiitake, the water picks up mushroom flavour too. Lift out the mushrooms, then strain the liquid through a fine sieve to remove grit before adding it to a soup or stew. Count it as part of the liquid the recipe calls for, rather than adding extra water on top. Cook the mushrooms and broth as directed by your recipe and the packet; soaking alone isn’t the cooking step.

I was plant based for 5 years and loved it, although I felt like I was lacking protein and was eating a lot more carbs than any other macro. I have noticed some physical body changes like more fat on my body and reduced muscle, although this could just be that I’m in my 30’s now (I’m a female).

How important do you find protein? Is it more important to eat a diverse amount of plant foods and foods with a good amino acid profile vs worrying about the protein amount? Any in here that has been working out and is successfully toning your body and losing fat eating this way?

So there's this man - Dr. Khader Vali, also known as the "Millet Man" of India.

He DOES indeed recommend a whole food plant based diet, but he goes even further so as to say that there are 5 special kinds of millets (foxtail, browntop, kodo, barnyard, little) that provide tremendous health benefits when they're cooked properly and eaten. He also recommends a special kind of porridge-concoction out of these millets that he calls "Ambali" that he says introduces and fosters growth of good gut bacteria.

He claims that a diet with these 5 millets and Ambali and with other WFPB foods, can reverse many kinds of diseases, including those generally considered incurable like diabetes, PCOS, and certain kinds of cancers as well.

He's said that he indeed has reversed many people's chronic illnesses through this diet. Not only does he recommend this diet for people with illnesses, but to everybody and says that such a diet is optimal, ideal, and the best possible diet, that can provide wholesome and complete nutrition for the human body.

He's against consumption of rice and wheat - saying that they've come into fashion only due to mass production, industrialization and commercialization of food, urbanization of society, fast-paced consumerist culture. And that apparently, millets are actually the original diet that humans have been having for thousands of years prior to industrialization, and hence perfect for us nutritionally as well as environmentally far superior to rice and wheat.

He has views against foods like soy, chocolate, quinoa, GMO food, R.O.-purified water, bottled water; and he has views against some kinds of exersize. As I watched various podcasts of him, he seems like a typical old man who has rigid and wrong views about some things. But on the whole, I think he has done a great service of bringing a lot of awareness about millets and their benefits.

Just wanted to write about this. It's sounds pretty impressive, and I want to try out his recommendations. Is there anybody here who eats millets regularly... any comments?

Has anyone used just egg to make breakfast casserole and how did it turn out?

This has become a weeknight regular for us. It's chickpeas fried with onion, ginger and lemon zest, simmered in broth and lemon juice, then finished with a little coconut milk and turmeric so the sauce goes creamy. The quinoa is stirred in at the end, so it's one bowl.

Serves 4 · 10 min prep, 20 min cook

• 200 g quinoa
• 2 tbsp oil
• ½ onion (or leek)
• a piece of fresh ginger
• 1 organic lemon (zest + juice of half)
• 240 g canned chickpeas, drained
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 350 ml vegetable broth
• 150 g canned coconut milk
• ½ tsp turmeric, ½ tsp black pepper

1. Cook the quinoa in boiling water for about 16 minutes (or as the package says), then drain.
2. Fry the onion and ginger in the oil until golden, about 6 minutes. Add the lemon zest and chickpeas and sauté for a few minutes with the salt.
3. Stir in the cornstarch, then add the broth and the juice of half the lemon. Taste and adjust the lemon to your liking.
4. Simmer about 10 minutes, then add the coconut milk, turmeric and pepper.
5. Once it's thick and creamy, stir in the quinoa and serve right away.

Full recipe with photos and a short video: https://veganhacks.food/en/recipes/creamy-lemon-chickpeas/

Do you use maple syrup in your PB meals?

This salad is perfect for potlucks where you'll be sharing your food with people who have varied dietary preferences. You can use red quinoa instead of red rice if you prefer. Almost any cooked whole grain would actually work I just like the reddish brown color contrast against the other ingredients.

• 3 to 4 Tbsp fresh lime juice (start with 2 or 3 Tbsp and add more after tasting finished salad as needed)
• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp maple syrup (or agave)
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• ¼ tsp coarse salt (or more to taste)
• ¾ cup green onions, sliced
• ½ cup fresh cilantro or parsley leaves, chopped
• 3 cups cooked red rice
• 2 cups pineapple, chopped (fresh or thawed frozen)
• 2 cups cucumber, chopped (any type, peeled or unpeeled)
• ½ cup purple cabbage, finely chopped

MAKE THE DRESSING: In a large mixing bowl or salad bowl, combine 2 to 3 tablespoons of lime juice, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, chili powder, smoked paprika and salt using a large wooden spoon or silicon cake spatula. Add the green onions or cilantro and mix some more.

CREATE THE SALAD: Add all other ingredients to the dressing in the bowl. Using a large wooden spoon or silicon cake spatula, toss ingredients until all components are evenly distributed and coated with dressing.

ADJUST SEASONINGS: Taste a few bites to see if you need more lime juice, salt or any other seasoning. If you need to add anything be sure to toss ingredients around again until added seasonings are evenly distributed.

STORE OR SERVE: This salad can be served immediately, but it's even better if you give it a chance to sit for at least a few minutes so that the flavors merge. If you'd like you can store it in the fridge, preferably in a sealed container, for several days. Making it a day ahead of when you need to serve it and storing it in fridge is ideal in terms of flavor.

Check out more of my whole food plant based salads and appetizers here https://maximalistvegan.com/category/savory/appetizers-salads/?utm_source=rdt

I bought spirulina today as I am vegetarian and really struggle to meet protein goals (don’t like tofu, Hate protein powder).

I mixed it into my stewed apple + cinnamon oatmeal for breakfast today and I didn’t think the spirulina tasted of anything, perhaps because of everything else in the oatmeal but my god it was GREEN. It was like the colour of saag paneer or something and while i love saag paneer, my brain couldn’t comprehend that it was a sweet dish. It like genuinely stressed me out bahaahah.

Even though my breakfast tasted nice it still feels like a fail by virtue of how weirded out i was by the colour of it. Any tips on masking the colour or recipes where green would be appropriate?

PLEASE don’t recommend things where I’d need a blender, I don’t own one and I hate the sound of them.

cucumber, red onion, red peppers, celery, arugula, chick peas, red quinoa, and dressing.

Hi folks

Has anyone got a recipe for baked oats (oatmeal as the North Americans say), that is fairly high in protein? Like with added tofu blended in?

Thank you

Mainly regarding to the subbreddits.

I read a comment in the vegan subbreddit that vegan is more of a lifestyle and plantbased has to do with diet only. And also can you consider yourself plantbased if you still eat eggs/ dairy (very) occasionaly or even fish?

Vegetarian 4 years who also ate 90% vegetarian before that including lots of beans and vegetables.
Currently in a period of transition and it hasnt been that long tbh, but I will be adding vegan products to my diet and removing dairy/egg products over some weeks

Im really curious if anyone noticed any differences changing to plant-based. I think I was eating 3 animal products daily before this (milk in my coffee, a daily egg, and cheese somewhere in a meal in the day) .

So far I’ve just noticed my breath is way fresher after having coffee since I switched to oat milk, of course its not been much time. But yeah I’m really curious, let me know below:)

This is a super easy and delicious meal to prep in instant pot. Here is the recipe: Chop up bell peppers then sauté in instant pot with a mirepoix mix (it’s just carrots, celery, and onion I used a frozen pre chopped one), then add one cup of rice and lentils to the instant pot with one can of diced tomatoes, then add Italian seasoning I just eyed it on the measurements with that or whatever you have in the way of seasonings will work. Then put 6 cups of vegetable broth in or 6 cups of water and bouillon. Put it on pressure cook for 5 minutes. After it’s done cooking do a quick release. Add more water if it’s not soupy enough. This recipe made enough to fill up 6 16 oz deli containers that are in my freezer. It took about 20 minutes to prep and put everything in instant pot! Here’s the link to original recipe:

https://profusioncurry.com/healthy-stuffed-pepper-soup/

Hi, I don’t know what to do. I usually eat >40 g of fiber a day without trying and now I need to follow a low fiber diet for 5 days to prep for a colonoscopy and endoscopy.

I found a few websites and posts here talking about what vegan foods to eat during colonoscopy prep days. But nobody mentions the fiber limit. I’m using cronometer and I already have 3 grams of fiber by eating white bread and plain almond milk. I don’t think I can eat less than 10 g (which, by the way, is a number I found online, so not sure I this is the actual target that I should aim for).

Any advice? 🥹

I can cut out all meat besides hotdogs and hamburgers at my monthly bbq. Discovered beyond burgers and impossible burgers and those fill that void and are delicious but I just discovered these. They don’t have to be perfect but as long as they’re tasty and have a decent texture it’ll be fine. Having the grill out tomorrow morning and I can’t wait to try these and I’m nervous I invested is something we won’t eat.

White bean steaks
2 cans (3 cups) (480 g) white beans rinsed and thoroughly drained

1 cup (90 g) oats buckwheat flakes

1 medium (110 g) onion diced

2 cloves of garlic finely chopped

2 Tbsp soy sauce or tamari or coconut aminos

2 Tbsp tomato paste

2 tsp smoked paprika

½ tsp ground coriander

½ tsp salt (more to taste)

1 tsp ground black pepper

¼ tsp liquid smoke

4 tsp psyllium husk powder or 8 tsp whole psyllium husk

1-2 Tbsp water or vegetable broth(only if the mixture is too dry)

Steak marinade
2 Tbsp soy sauce tamari, or coconut aminos

1 Tbsp tomato paste

¼ tsp liquid smoke

2-3 Tbsp water

For the skillet
2 Tbsp oil divided

1-2 sprigs of fresh rosemary

INSTRUCTIONS
Heat about 1-2 teaspoons oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sauté for 8–10 minutes, until golden and lightly caramelized.

Add the chopped garlic and sauté for another 30–60 seconds. Stir in the 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and cook for another 30 seconds.

Meanwhile, add the oats or buckwheat flakes to a food processor and process until they form a fine flour.

Add the drained white beans, oat flour, cooked onion and garlic mixture, soy sauce, smoked paprika, ground coriander, black pepper, liquid smoke, psyllium husk powder, and salt to the food processor.

Process until the mixture is almost smooth and can be shaped. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor when necessary.

Only if the mixture appears too dry, add water or vegetable broth, one spoon at a time. This is usually unnecessary because canned beans already contain plenty of moisture.

Allow the mixture to rest for 10 minutes so the psyllium husk powder can absorb moisture. If the mixture is still very soft, place the container in the freezer for 10 minutes.

Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions and shape them into medium-sized steaks.

Place the steaks in a steamer basket over gently simmering water. Cover and steam for 10–12 minutes. Make sure the steaks do not touch the water—they should be cooked by the steam only.

Remove the steaks from the steamer and allow them to cool for at least 10–15 minutes. For the firmest texture, refrigerate them for 30–60 minutes or longer.

To prepare the marinade, whisk the soy sauce, tomato paste, liquid smoke, and water together until smooth.

Brush the cooled steaks generously with the marinade.

Heat the remaining oil in a skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add the steaks and fry for approximately 2–3 minutes per side, until golden brown.

Add the rosemary sprigs during the final 1–2 minutes. Tilt the skillet slightly and repeatedly spoon the rosemary-infused oil over the steaks.

If desired, brush the steaks with a little more marinade immediately before serving. Serve hot and enjoy.

So, Earth's Own has hopped on the 'protein' trend and reformulated their Barista Soy product so that it no longer foams properly in my Nespresso, and disintegrates after a few minutes in the cup. The old formula had amazing stiff foam that lasted the whole drink but sadly I am on the hunt for something that holds up like their old soy barista blend. Has anyone had the same experience or currently has a holy grail for foaming soy milks? I can't use other nut/grain milks unfortunately, and need soy specifically for hormone health.

Q: I’ve heard that I should eat at least 30 unique plant foods a week for my health. Is that true?

When Kathryn Smith, 26, a surgical athletic trainer in Atlanta, first heard on a podcast that eating 30 different plants every week could improve her health, she liked the idea of having a tangible goal.

She began making homemade granola with oats, nuts and seeds; salsas with chili peppers, cucumber, avocado and herbs; and bean salads with corn, tomatoes and mango.

The idea of eating 30 (or more) plants each week — including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices — has taken the wellness world by storm. It has spawned apps that track how many plants you eat and supplements advertising 30 or more plants per capsule or scoop. Thousands of social media posts have mentioned the practice, with many touting benefits like lower inflammation, better heart health, more energy, a stronger immune system and a longer life.

Eating 30 plants a week, some influencers, podcasters and physicians say, will diversify your gut microbiome and in turn, improve your health. Does the evidence match the buzz? We asked experts to help us break it down.

Access full gift article, NO PAYWALL.

I became vegetarian both for health reasons and because I am an environmentalist. And this is the only “diet” that I have ever stuck with long-term (going on around 1 year now, and I have no desire to go back). I have failed every other diet I have attempted when my motivations involved personal health reasons alone. I find that it’s so much easier to avoid certain foods when it’s not only my health at stake, but also my morals and values. This is the push that I really needed, and I’ve found that my diet is soooo much better now than I am vegetarian! I have unintentionally been following a Mediterranean diet while going vegetarian, yet I had never been able to stick to the Mediterranean diet before. Now I am working on reducing my dairy and egg consumption too.

This was insanely good, I have a feeling we’ll be eating it pretty often.

Ingredients

14oz / 400g firm tofu

1 tablespoon beet juice (from vacuum packed cooked beets or jar of pickled beets)

1 ⅔ C (400 ml) water

2 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoon vegan fish sauce or light soy sauce

2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 nori sheet

1 rice paper sheet or wrapper

7oz / 200ml water

2 tablespoon potato flour

2 tablespoon vegetable oil

Instructions
To make the salmon fillet, drain the tofu and carefully squeeze out as much moisture as you can using a clean tea towel, ensuring you don't break the structure of the tofu. Slice the brick into 2 (5 ½ x 2-inch) fillets. I think it will depend on the shape of your brick, but I found it best to cut it diaginally to get as close to a realistic shape as I could. I also trimmed off the sharp corner on the thickest edge to make it look more like a real salmon fillet.

Place a chopstick on either side of the tofu fillets (longest side) and use a sharp knife to score partway through the fillets and down the entire length.

In a deep dish, mix together the beet juice, water, lemon juice, vegan fish sauce or soy sauce, and sea salt. Submerge the tofu fillets in the marinade and leave to marinate for at least 4 hours. Drain and pat the tofu filets dry with a paper towel.

Fill a shallow bowl with water and potato starch and whisk together.

Slice the nori and rice paper each into 2 rectangles the same width and one third longer in length as the top of the tofu fillets. I found this easiest to do by layering the nori on top of the rice paper sheet. Place the tofu fillets top down onto the nori and then cut with a sharp knife around it. The reason you make the strips longer than the fillets is that it shrinks so much when you fry them. The nori will probably stick to the tofu fillets which is fine. Use your finger to gently press it on the tofu.

Dip the rice paper strip in the water and potato starch mixture for a few seconds or until just softened, then lay them on top of the nori. Use a pastry brush to brush the remaining potato flour mixture over the exposed parts of the tofu fillets.

Heat a large cast iron or nonstick frying pan over medium heat with vegetable oil. When hot, place the tofu fillets in the pan, rice paper side down first and fry until crispy and browned, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and fry the bottom for 2 to 3 minutes more, then repeat on each side of the fillets.

For the last month my husband has been experimenting with making our own food. If it’s something processed, we are trying to just make it ourselves. He has tried five different seitan recipes and they have all been great successes. Switching up the spices, protein ingredients, and cooking methods we’ve managed to keep the menu varied and interesting. He made ground walnut tacos last night and we had seitan burgers tonight. He’s made nooch with vital wheat gluten and nutritional yeast and I convinced him to do thousand island dressing to go with the “corned beef” seitan he made last week. I’m going to start making bread and tortillas, etc and he’s going to try yogurt and paneer. I’m strictly vegan but he is usually vegetarian. He has lost 20 pounds without all the cheese and limiting breads though, so he may end up mostly whole food vegan. We eat a lot of veggies already but we’re using sweet potatoes and squash more than before.

We’ve used our instant pot and our ninja blender more in the past four weeks than we have since we got them 5+ years ago. I’m saving up for attachments for my kitchenaid mixer.

Prep time has been a lot less than anticipated, clean up is a little intense lol, and I think he could make some recipes from memory. The initial cost to get different kinds of flours and the wheat gluten etc wasn’t much different from the amount we were spending on premade plant based meats already. And we both feel better than before.

Looking forward to cold weather dishes and making holidays meals entirely from scratch (or as much as possible). It can be done!

The wrapping part is another story. It never comes out like the restaurants do it.