Vegan Post: Foods I Love/Should Give Up and Mainstream Restaurants vs Vegan Restaurants

I know that there are many vegans out there who practice the vegan lifestyle in different ways. I'll admit that recently, I haven't been as good of a vegan as I'd want to be. I have a friend who is a better vegan than I am. In a way, I am a little jealous of him, because I've been vegan longer and yet he knows to eat healthier foods. It is not too late to be a "better" vegan.

Foods I love to eat:

Hummus                                      Avocado
Vegan Burgers                             Smoothies
Potatoes                                      Rice (white and brown)
Oatmeal                                      Chinese Broccoli
Nuts                                            Soy/Rice/Almond Milk
Kale                                            Agave Nectar
Beans                                          Tea
Seitan                                          Olive Oil
Tempeh/Tofu                               Pita Chips
Salads                                         Bagels
Fruit
Italian Food
Indian Food
Southern Food (Made Vegan)
Mideastern Food
Mexican Food
Thai Food
Spinach
Squash
Eggplant
Bread
Junkfood (if Vegan)
Flaxseed
French Fries

Foods I need to give up

Sweet Drinks                Processed Foods
Sugar                            Packaged Drinks
Potato Chips                 Fried Foods
White Starches              Pasta
Chain Restaurants        


This brainstorm of what I like and the foods I need to give up will be used to create a meal plan when I go shopping and when I cook. I love the convenience of pasta and the flavor and the creative ways of using pasta. However, there are vegetable substitutes for pasta such as spaghetti squash and zucchini. I also love soy products. There are studies that say that soy can be good and bad. The studies about soy can be confusing, considering that there is a bias in favor of the meat and dairy industries. I will continue to eat soy, because it can't be any worse than eating dairy, meat and poultry products. I think that the standard american diet filled with red meats, simple sugars, bleached starches and sometimes hydrogenated oils is the reason why there is a high obesity rate and other health problems.

Fried foods will be a bit difficult to give up. I think that if I don't overcook the food in the pan filled with oil, then it won't be as bad. The hydrogenation process in frying food starts at a certain tempurature. I love to make tempura tofu and I'll be trying tempura tempeh, also. I learned that to properly fry tempura without it being greasy or bad, the tenpura should be slightly lighter than golden brown, almost an ivory, because frying draws out the moisture from food and if it's over done, then it will be considered as burnt.

Sugar will also be another food item that is difficult to give up. I usually use raw sugar, because it's not processed with charbone. The white sugar I do use is usually beet sugar. I read somewhere that processed sugar is one of the causes of colon cancer and that it actually depletes the ability for the body to absorb protein and calcium. For some reason, perhaps it's because I haven't given up all my non-vegan ways yet, but I just love sweets. If it's cakes, cookies, pies, sweet alcoholic/non-alcoholic beverage, or anyother dessert, then I love eating it. Eversince I became vegan six years ago, I started to give up those items, too and I found alternatives to sweets. I have a vegan friend who is a better vegan than I am. He uses agave nectar in place of sugar and honey. He doesn't eat anything with mono or diglycerides. I am a very competitive person and I inspire to be the best at everything, so I am a little embarassed and jealous that he puts me to shame. Because of this, I plan on being a better vegan and incorporating healthy alternatives to my diet. I don't want to be a raw vegan, because of the distance of the grocery stores here.Also, I find that at times, I'm irresponsible when it comes to my eating patterns. I plan on trying a sort of "half raw" and half regular vegan diet, meaning less cooked veggies and more raw ones. Because I eat like once a day, due in part to laziness of not wanting to cook, I plan on making protein mean shakes in different fruit flavors. While I was at home, I made a peach pina colada smoothie with all healthy ingredients. I think I'll replace the honey with agave nectar. I know that most vegans don't eat honey, but some do. I only eat it on a need only basis.

I am also willing to start eating at vegan restaurants exclusively or Asian restaurants that serve vegan food. During my two week stay in my home city, I was able to eat at a vegan restaurant that is a few blocks from my grandmother's house. I also ate at TGI Friday's, Chili's and Sizzlers, which I really do not plan on eating there anymore. The service at Friday's and Sizzlers was abysmal at best. The options at these restaurants for vegans were very narrow and the few meatless meals they offer had cheese or egg in them. Sizzler's, all the franchises are horrible because the endless salad bar takes forever to get plates and the options for vegans are very slim. The food at Friday's and Chili's is cooked in the same oil as the meat products, so I don't think that I'll be eating at a mainstream restaurant anymore. I find it to be somewhat of a pet peeve that the population of people who give up meat is increasing and at American restaurants and the only thing they have that is remotely vegan is a simple side salad with italian or balsamic dressing.

Avoiding restaurants overall will not only save money, but will make you or anyone else love the food that is being created in the kitchen. I don't believe that food should be intricate for it to be good. I do think that food should be healthy and taste good overall. If the American culture started treating food as something that can be good for the body, instead of something that has to taste good and consist of poisons, then we as a nation will have a more trimmed waistline.