Anybody here on a plant-based diet?

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sudsy9977

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So I watched a few things recently on plant based diets. Has anybody ever tried anything like that ...did you miss eating meat? Any opinions. Ryan
 
I encourage everyone to go on one. More bacon for me :biggrin:.

In all seriousness I tried it for awhile in my 20's. Missed meat too much BUT it did get me to cut back on meat a lot and try different cuisines.
 
Basically how I cook at home. Doing low oils as opposed to no added oils atm. In it for health reasons predominantly as opposed to ethical reasons.
Your body adjusts to how you eat over time so it can literally rock your system to go back and eat a richer meal
Grew up with frugal home cooking that had meat as an accent in meals, not meat-centric meals, so not a giant adjustment

What videos did you find? :)
 
I watched two on Netflix...one was called"what the health" and the other was called "food choices" I think....just seemed to make a lot of sense....ive lost aloof weight over the past two years or so and became a lot healthier....I do eat a lot of processed foods, meat and eggs though....I probably should at least add a lot more veggies and some whole grains for some if not most of that meat....ryan
 
Good for your heart; as a recent visitor to the white light, I am being encouraged to go plant-based (by my dog's vet....). I didn't think there was much harmful in my diet but I guess there is always room for improvement. There are a couple of cardiologists who wrote books on this stuff - after I read them I will post anything significant I discover.
Thanks,
The Totally Stress-free Seth
 
Nice, try forks over knives as well
On the cardiologists/doctors- Dean Ornish, Caldwell Esselstyn, John McDougall
Read The China Study as my first exposure to the plant based eating
 
I am on a plant based diet. But I dont miss eating meat because my diet is plant based but not exclusively vegetarian i.e. I do eat meat, but not as much and not as often as I used to / liked to. But now days I am far more picky. If Im going to have meat I would rather it be organic or better yet, game + I try to keep it under 5% animal based protein throughout my diet. This means no dairy products and no eggs. No refined sugars or complex carbs either - In the beginning I missed those more than I missed meat. But the upside is that I am forced to constantly re-invent what I am doing with the food materials that I do consume. I have discovered some very surprising taste combinations while eating raw food such as vegetables, leafs, nuts, and berries.
 
I haven't eaten meat for nigh on 3 decades. Not a vegan - I have dairy, honey and occasionally eggs. However that doesn't mean I'm healthy. There's plenty of non-meat junk food to enjoy. Then there's consuming too much and expending too little. 😉

I don't miss the taste of meat at all but texture is another matter. I enjoy charring foods like seitan (wheat gluten) just to get tough & chewy textures. Strangely, I sometimes find the smell of smallgoods alluring or at least evoking pleasant memories.

I quite often hear people who've recently stopped eating meat, that they miss the smell and taste of bacon. Seems to be a very prevalent desire.
 
I was a pretty strict vegetarian for over five years--vegan for about a year. Gave it all up for pork.

Felt healthier than any other time in my life.
 
I was a vegetarian for a decade and vegan for last 6 of those years. I don't remember ever getting sick in that time period but it was also really hard to make gains at the gym. The first meat I ate after my 10 year drought was a ribeye mid rare. The first dairy product after the 6 years of veganism was a pizza loaded with ricotta, mozzarella, pesto and vegetables. It was easy being vegetarian and vegan once my taste buds had forgotten what those foods tasted like. But once I had them again I could never go back.
 
@laboroflove haha I'm a little envious about the dairy. After 1-2 months going fully plant based that kicked off my latent genetic/ethnic lactose sensitivity... Which is now pretty full blown lactose intolerance
 
The sentiment I seem hear more of from others is an unwillingness to give up dairy - cheese, ice cream, etc.

I wonder if this unwillingness would remain unwavering if the actual amount of veterinary care byproducts and feed related toxins that make their way into the milk would become a clear and advertised quantity.
 
I wonder if this unwillingness would remain unwavering if the actual amount of veterinary care byproducts and feed related toxins that make their way into the milk would become a clear and advertised quantity.

In the past few years we've had several listeria outbreaks tied to a well-loved ice cream brand here and folks I was hearing from seemed less scared about the outbreaks and more annoyed or 'in-withdrawal' from not being able to purchase it in stores
 
I wonder if this unwillingness would remain unwavering if the actual amount of veterinary care byproducts and feed related toxins that make their way into the milk would become a clear and advertised quantity.

I have an idea of a lot of chemicals that make it into the milk, some of the more tasty meats as well as fish and seafood in general, none of that makes me want to give up the pleasure of eating them (although if money wasn't an issue I would go with the healthiest pick). I also know I'm exposed to far greater levels of radiation every time I take a plane and it will never stop me from wanting to travel...
 
I feel like the concentrated amount of sodium found in cheese(also steak, cured meats, etc etc) is a real contributing factor for why it's difficult to give up. This stuff is calorie/flavor/sodium bombs.
@foodie overtime you will lose the cravings for cheese, the palate is very trainable.
 
@Labor - Right on on the salt. And well, the whole digestive issues with lactose certainly helps deter that. But when I'm in an area for a while that just is saturated with the smell of good pizza or something...it sucks.

Not really having huge cravings for most meat or cheese - or feeling like I would just want to have a few bites then I'm good.
 
Actually went vegan for a while. Not really hard to give up milk, cheese & eggs. My downfall was my love of pizza. Perhaps I didn't experiment enough but it just wasnt right. There's a name for pizza without cheese... It's called bread.
 
Cheese is indeed hard to replace texture wise, especially molten cheese as used in italian cuisine ... there's a temperature-vs-texture play going on* .... don't remind me I gave that up :) Almost all other dairy stuff replaces well, but takes trying several recipes to find something good - custards, mayonnaises, ice cream you can all make plant based and with great quality; but many recipes abound that elicit a "respect and thank you for the research but this doesn't come close..." and/or that have the problem recipes have when we amateurs/enthusiasts write them: They work, if a precondition that the writer took for granted and didn't mention is satisfied.

"I wonder if this unwillingness would remain unwavering if the actual amount of veterinary care byproducts and feed related toxins that make their way into the milk would become a clear and advertised quantity."

It would certainly steer people towards "less and of higher quality (care standards wise)".... oh wait, it probably wouldn't, misanthropically speaking.


*I guess we europeans expect cooked cheese to somewhat separate, crisp at the edges, get stringy, and harden/get chewy when it cools. Heard americans sometimes consider such behaviours as a defect?
 
"I wonder if this unwillingness would remain unwavering if the actual amount of veterinary care byproducts and feed related toxins that make their way into the milk would become a clear and advertised quantity."

It would certainly steer people towards "less and of higher quality (care standards wise)".... oh wait, it probably wouldn't, misanthropically speaking.

I was not counting on misanthropy....I was counting on a self preservation instincts. It seems a great number of people simply do not realize just how much **** is put into our food - especially at the raw material level. In fact, If you look at the "recommended dairy consumption" in the 1950's you will find we where not being told to consume so much dairy. So what happened? Did modern science suddenly realize alot more milk is good for us? or perhaps they discovered that a lot more milk is good for THEM. You cant make money on dead people or on healthy people - well - not as much money anyhow. You need to keep people in that sweet spot where they continue to consume large unwarranted servings of contaminated food, become sick, and start to consume medications for their respective sickness. That is how you maximize profits. Meanwhile, as you note, Animals are mistreated, products are mislabeled, and so it goes.
 
Clarification please...
You felt healthier without meat or when you returned to eating it?

Ha, definitely felt healthier while a veg...

I actually feel a bit like a sloth right now but that's more due to caloric intake and not enough exercise.
 
@tsuriru I'm not sure if the self-preservation instincts would be compelling because effects tend to be more displaced on a time scale relative to causes, and it's hard to isolate singular causes.
Agree that it's worth searching out the money motivations of all involved

@Marek oh god, and a normal pizza just missing the cheese is the saddest thing ever. And so lacking in calories you have to eat half a pizza to get anywhere close to full
 
i have actually worked with and for quite a few plant based restaurants, and even though im not veg have accidentally fallen into being a specialist in this area. there really is no question plant based is healthier, more sustainable, etc. part of my mission as a chef is to help plant based become a valid cuisine that can stand alongside "real food". it has historically been the realm of amateurs, and thankfully there are more and more real chefs taking it on and elevating it by offering it on their menus. as a creative i actually really enjoy having the restrictions of "you need to make this delicious, but no butter, cream, cheese, meat stock etc." it really puts your flavor development skills to the test. i am also blessed to live in california, and with our produce it isnt hard to do.

Cheese is indeed hard to replace texture wise, especially molten cheese as used in italian cuisine ... there's a temperature-vs-texture play going on* .... don't remind me I gave that up :) Almost all other dairy stuff replaces well, but takes trying several recipes to find something good - custards, mayonnaises, ice cream you can all make plant based and with great quality; but many recipes abound that elicit a "respect and thank you for the research but this doesn't come close..."

this. somebody will get there eventually and make a plant based stringy, gooey, chewy sub for parm and mozz, but until then, just forget about trying to replicate it or you will be disappointed. there have been some great breakthroughs in replicating some of the softer cheeses however. there is a great cashew brie recipe developed a few years ago that would knock your socks off.
 
"it has historically been the realm of amateurs, and thankfully there are more and more real chefs taking it on and elevating it by offering it on their menus."

This however, sounds arrogant. But then, I am an amateur, who never understood why fine dining types say "elevate" instead of "make a really good version or variation of".

..

The cashew brie, a Schinner recipe I assume? Even I lack the patience to try her recipes... but I certainly respect her serious approach. Books and recipes that say "let's make great food" and not "lets substitute great food" :)

..

Usually, I think a good approach is "change the sources, try not to change the nutritional makeup" - eg if you are aiming for a protein texture and umami, well then USE protein of whatever source - I always had the suspicion that the whole "MSG problem" was about telling your body there was a rich source of well split up amino acids (as a soy sauce, a cheese, other fermented stuff, even hydrolized wheat protein would be)... to make very low protein foods (eg a noodle dish with very little meat or other protein in it) palatable - and completely confusing your system. Exception: I find long slices of fried plantain (cooking banana) just work too well in some dishes that would normally have big pieces of fish in it (tried it in caldinho. the result don't pretend to be a fish curry, but wow it worked...).

...

I'd never accuse people that want a piece of beef or a glass of milk of being the problem. There's always enough for those that care. Problem is with those that couldn't care less if it was real beef or milk and go for it out of habit... Because there's never enough for those that don't care.

...

Secret tip for those that want a plant based strong blue-cheesy taste and are adventurous: Pickled Tofu/Sufu/Doufu Rou. I am still unsure if that stuff is really safe to feed people not accustomed to it, though.
 
apologies for coming off like that, not my intent at all. really intended more as reporting than a personal opinion. it HAS been the realm of amateurs, thats not an insult on amateurs at all, only praise for what dedicated professionals can accomplish. a lot of chefs and food scientists etc. with deep professional knowledge bases just recently started turning their attention to the subject and there have been some great strides made based on that.

as for elevate, i think its a fine word and it seems more efficient and descriptive than "make a really good version or variation of".
 
Dunno... "elevate" always strikes me as... implying that it is the chef, and not what the chef does, that makes it great. And now I am probably sounding arrogant :(

...

To make a vegetarian version of a traditionally meat based dish, it is IMHO often best to use a traditional recipe as your starting point, look at all kinds of vegetarian adaptations people have done for inspiration, then think :)

And as always, dish that defines the aroma of the animal protein used (many thai and szichuan dishes for example) by plant based seasonings? Possible to reinvent to great results, if you can find a matching texture. Dish where the animal protein defines the aroma (ironically, those dishes look the most vegetarian friendly on the surface - my fight with cantonese dishes, and any light soup or braised dish that is mostly defined by its stock!) - omg, you're in for a hard ride ("what's the problem?" ..."it says chicken stock here, and there is no seasoning structure evident in the recipe that builds over it...")
 
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