I get this question a lot. It is easier to say what vegans DON'T eat, but being able to answer this question is important.
The simple answer is: Vegans eat Fruits, Vegetables, Grains, Legumes, Nuts, Seeds, and Fungi. They don't eat Animal Products of any kind: Meat, Dairy, Fish, Shellfish, Eggs, Gelatin, Honey.
This is a lot of food. More choices than most people consider eating, in fact. Most of the vegans I know eat twice as many different kinds of food than people who eat a Standard American Diet. I know that I eat more vegetables than I used to eat, not because I love them more, but because I have more space on my plate now that I'm not eating meat or dairy products.
A sample of foods that I always keep in my pantry and refrigerator:
Tofu (extra firm and silken. Extra firm for tofu scrambles, stir-fry, lettuce wraps, pasta sauces, et cetera. Silken for miso soup pasta.)
Veganaise (not the healthiest thing in the world, but wonderful on sandwiches and for convincing my dad that I can have "normal" sandwiches even if they consist of tomatoes and lettuce.)
Hummus (original, red bell pepper, spicy pepper, black bean, garlic, white bean, red lentil, artichoke)
Apples, carrots, celery (for eating and juicing)
Bananas, oranges, satsumas (we get these from a friend who has several Satsuma trees in his yard. They are so much better than store bought satsumas)
Lemons (for adding to sauces, tofu scramble, herbal tea, et cetera)
Lettuce (romaine, spinach, arugula, kale, herbal mixes, et cetera)
Tomatoes, mushrooms, zucchinis, squash, green onions, yellow onions, garlic, ginger.
Canned tomatoes, canned mushrooms, canned beans (black beans, red beans, cannellini beans, pinto beans, garbanzo beans, lima beans, navy beans, lentils, black eyed peas, et cetera), kalamata olives, capers, brown mustard, sun dried tomatoes, olive oil, sesame oil, coconut oil, red wine vinegar, soy sauce, miso
Pasta (angel hair, linguini, gnocchi, rotini, fusilli, udon, soba, lo mein, Chinese curly noodles (like ramen, but without the fat). made of wheat, rice, corn, chia seeds, and potatoes.)
White and brown rice, kale chips, muti-grain chips, flax seeds, bread
In the freezer: Gardein beefless tips, orange chicken, dairy free black bean burritos.
Spices- Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, oregano, basil, pepper, salt, cumin, cayenne pepper, onion powder, rosemary, dill
I'm not the healthiest of people, and I eat far to much pasta, but I do eat lots of yummy foods now that I would not have tried had I not become vegan. For example: Gardein beefless and chickenless meats, chia seeds, nutritional yeast, tempeh tacos, silken tofu, "fake" meats like hot dogs and sausages.
I hope this helps explain what vegans eat!
No comments:
Post a Comment