So i recently became a vegan. I feel so much better already! But the process is expensive, as i've been buying all different products, types of veggie burgers and fake meats, amy's frozen dinners, etc. Trying to find what i like the most-- some of the food is amazing, while some of it really disgusts me. So i was just wondering what everyones favorite products, snacks, meals, etc are in the vegan and vegetarian realm?

My faves so far:

Amy's Texas (bbq) style veggie burger <-- better than any hamburger i've ever had

smart one's "turkey"

rice milk (i hate soy milk)

There are a few and we even have a forum for all forms of vegetarians and vegans.

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=121

As for products, I don't eat many products. I do like almond milk and I'll occasionally eat soy yogurt but I really stay away from the processed products for the most part.

Veganism is a lot cheaper if you stick to whole foods and rely on things like beans, grains, veggies, fruit, etc.

i agree. it is much more cost effective to eat whole foods and not rely too much on the processed stuff. being a vegan is a healthy choice but it is possible to do it in an unhealthy way by eating ONLY processed foods. (i'm guilty of that myself) i am not vegan anymore, just vegetarian. and i'm actually just starting that lifestyle again after about a 2 year hiatus.

i recommend any of sara kramer's cook books. how it all vegan and la dolce vegan are both really good!

congrats on your new healthy lifestyle.

thanks! yeah most of the day i eat fruits, salads, beans, nuts, etc, but every once in a while i like to have something meat-like. i only do the processed foods like maybe once every three days, but i like the extra protein and easy-meal it affords.

nutrition junkie
Great to have another vegan on board here.

I try not to over do it on the processed convenience foods, but once in a while when I don't have time, energy, or want to cook at all it's nice to just pull something out of the freezer. I love the Gardenburger BBQ riblets and the Amy's non-dairy pot pies. I usually have a box of Tofutti Cutie mini ice cream sandwiches in my freezer as well.

toffuti cutie, i will keep that in mind. I saw these ice cream sandwiches with chocolate soy ice cream at whole foods the other day, only 90 calories per sandwich. I have hardcore pms right now and wanted to get them sooooo badly. The only problem is, i live 2 miles from whole foods and i walk there and back...so they wouldn't have made it home with me. silly lack of a portable freezer. almost makes me want to be lazy enough to drive...

I second Sara Kramer's books, Gardenburger's Riblets and Blue Diamond Almond milk (unsweetened even). I used to help manage a health food store and part of my job was to test new products, but I honestly prefer a whole foods approach. A few things that I love though are -

Fruitein - You can find it in the supplement section. It's a whole food protein shake with almost 100% of vitamins and minerals, and it's all vegan sourced. I like the red berry flavor.

Vegenaise - This stuff is essential for recipes, but it has just as much fat as real mayo so be careful.

Morningstar Meal Starters Chicken - One of the few Morningstar products that are vegan. It has 23g of protein and only 140 calories.

Smart Ground Sausage - You have to cook it really well or it stays mushy, but it has a nice flavor.

Soy Dream Butter Pecan ice cream - Ok, this is definitely not healthy for you, but it keeps me from feeling deprived.

Congrats on going vegan!

I'm pretty sure they're vegetarian, not sure that they're vegan, but:

Gardenburgers: all varieties

I love them, because they're tasty & although they call them "burgers" they're all veggies & goodness. It's like... they're not trying to be meat. They're happy as vegetables that happen to be in a burger shape. I don't like meat imitations so much as I like veggie subsitutes... if that makes sense...

I love vegeterian foods made from whole foods. Only occasionally do I eat prepared items liek Amy's veggie pot pies.

As for veggie burgers, there are GREAT recipes out there for making cost effective and amazingly tastey veggie burgers. There's one that I love to use with black beans, you can make them ahead and freeze them yourself. They taste even better than the packaged stuff and are wickedly cheap to make!!!!

I'm not vegetarian or vegan, but I use TVP quite frequently. I buy it at a health food store and it's really inexpensive. It's the same stuff they use to make boca burgers and a lot of veggie items. You can use it just like ground beef and make soups, stews and chilis with it. Also those 'bacon bits' are tvp too and they taste just like bacon to me, but more protein, less fat and also fiber. =) Some other favorite things are freeze dried fruits and Zen bakery fiber cakes (from Trader joes).

One of my favourite meals is dead simple to make (I dont like cooking) - grate a carrot and fry it in a tiny bit of oil together with some spices, I like cumin but anything you like really. The oil releases the flavour of the spices. Then add a little water so it doesnt burn. After a min or so add rice and red lentils. Choose whatever amount you want, and add +2 measures of water for the rice, and +3 for the lentils. Just let it cook on slow heat till the water is all absorbed. You can add more veg of course.

I wouldnt look too much to the ready made stuff. In their pure form vegan foods are dead cheap and nutritious.

If you are looking for texturized soy ("meat") you should have a look in asian food stores, they usually have a lot of nice products that work as meat replacements

veggielover...I would LOVE that recipie for the veggie burgers with black beans.

This is my go-to recipe for burgers. Not exactly health food, but not too bad either. Especially if you use whole wheat bread crumbs. They are sooo tasty. The mix tastes good even before you cook them.

I also love my protein when I'm on a vegan fast! These are some of the things i eat for protein:

~ tofu spread with herbs - I lobe 365 firm tofu from Whole foods. which I crush with a fork, mix with 3 finely chopped green onions, a lot of dill and/or parsley, 1-2 tablespoons Vegenaise (the one with purple label at WF, made of grape seed oil)
~ tofu spread with red peppers - tofu, Vegenaise, finely chopped red bell peppers (if you don't feel like onion)
~ hummus (homemade) - this is THE comfort food for me If I have one thing in the pantry, it's cans and cans of chickpeas; put them in the blender and add grated garlic, tahini, olive oil and lemon juice and add things until i get my favourite taste; I also add a lot of parsley, because I love it

not protein, but I love them - the veggie burgers from Costco. But they are kind of fatty, especially after I cook them in the oven

Note!

The tofu spreads last for at least 3-4 days in the fridge! So you can make a batch and you're good for some time.