Would it be too challenging to do a PCOS healing diet (avoiding a lot of carbs and sugars) AND a vegan diet? I know some people are doing it.
And now that I'm making almost all my own meals all the time it seems like it wouldn't be too hard to switch in vegan recipes.
Low carb recipes are, of course, packed with things like cheese and pork rinds. High meat trades off for fewer carbs in things like the Atkins Diet. But I think it can still be done. To be healthy, low-carb (not zero carb, but focused on complex carbs), low sugar, and vegan.
But then I think about my very favorite meat dishes. Are there substitutes that would satisfy me? I feel like I'm unlikely to be able to stick with it long term if I think I can never again eat certain foods that I love.
I think it's worth trying out some substitutes and seeing what it's like.
My favorite meat and dairy dishes:
- mini meatloafs
- my husband's tuna fish salad sandwiches
- mac donald's big mac
- skillet lasagna
- bacon in my new soup and squash recipes
- everything salmon!
- fish tacos
- cheese
- blt
- pizza
- frozen yogurt/ice cream
- meatball sub
- sour cream
- mayonnaise
- deviled eggs
What are the solutions?
1) Here is a recipe for meatless meatloaf
2) Tuna fish salad can be made with mashed chick peas. Here are two recipes I'd like to try:
http://yeahthatveganshit.blogspot.com/2007/08/mock-tuna-salad.html
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/vegan-tuna-salad/
3) I know I like Boca burgers and once they have all the fixings on them I think they would be as satisfying as Big Macs (also, add some fennel seeds because that gives a real sausage flavor)
4) This is one of my go-to dishes that I haven't made since I stopped eating pasta. It could easily be made with Boca crumbles, though.
5) "BaconSalt" flavorings are vegan. Also, you can make coconut bacon flakes. For strips of bacon, apparently eggplant works (I've never eaten eggplant before but with this preparation I think I'd give it a try)
6) Apparently a thin slice of roasted red pepper can substitute for smoked salmon/lox. Might be able to season tofu for baked salmon effect. (As for the Omega-3s that people trying to get pregnant and are pregnant need, walnuts have it). WomanCode cautions against soy for women with estrogen issues like PCOS, though. It has a chemical makeup that can trick the body into thinking it is even more estrogen. Tofu would have to be a very rare part of my diet.
7) Here's a fish taco recipe using tofu
8) http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/10-vegan-cheeses-that-will-knock-your-socks-off
9) See number 5 for bacon alternatives and number 14 for mayo
10) See number 8 for cheeses
11) I already know I like coconut ice cream
12) Mushrooms and brown rice combine to make some fake meatballs Others use tempeh Would still need to work on making them lower carb because of the bread crumbs. This recipe was created specifically for meatball subs. (Apparently chia seeds are great to use instead of bread crumbs).
13) http://ohsheglows.com/2014/02/05/my-favourite-vegan-chili-with-homemade-sour-cream/
14) Apparently "Just Mayo" is quite a great alternative. I'm not crazy about it being made with canola oil, but then again it's not like regular mayo is at all good for me! There are also ways to make it yourself at home. Here is a version with cashews
15) I can't even believe there is a vegan alternative to this one. We live in an amazing time! The Internet has vegan versions of everything. Here's one that sounds good! I don't know what agar powder is, honestly. Here's another one.
Other things I would need:
Milk: I don't want too much soy and not sure about taste but I think nut milks would work for me (like Almond Milk)
Cream/whipped cream: cashew nuts can be whipped into cream
Cream cheese: cashews again! A simpler one and a more complex one
Shredded cheese: this recipe uses sweet potato for a casserole cheese topper and cashews once again
Yogurt: Coconut Cream Yogurt
Cottage cheese: Tofu based
Veggie stock: super easy to make from veggie bits that are going into my compost right now
Parmesan cheese: http://www.beardandbonnet.com/how-to-make-vegan-parmesan-cheese/
Egg substitutions for baking: http://chefinyou.com/egg-substitutes-cooking/
Breading: one friend recommended soaked chia seeds for breading things
Preparation is the big key here, I think. My husband was vegetarian for a while in college and then when he tried to take it to the next step and become vegan he was back to meat eating within days! He hasn't tried to go vegetarian since. I suspect/hope that it is because he didn't have the ingredients and knowledge on hand to create the foods he wanted.
Would also require carefully keeping an eye on getting all nutrients (which I've never been good at). Even when I was a vegetarian I was a very unhealthy eater, mostly eating simple carbs. But since I'm already working on carefully calibrating my meal plans, I don't think it will be hard to add vegan.
infants of vegan mothers risk permanent nerve damage and impaired growth from early vitamin B-12 deficiency. Vegan mothers who breast-feed fail to supply their babies with sufficient amounts of this essential vitamin.
...Omega-3 fatty acids, while prevalent in plant foods such as flaxseed, walnuts and pumpkin seeds, have to be converted to their active forms, EPA and DHA. Your body converts them with only 12 percent efficiency, requiring you to eat these foods in very high quantities, which may be impractical. By contrast, fish oil contains DHA already formed, so no conversion is required. This makes it challenging for vegans to obtain adequate levels of omega-3 fatty acids
...The form of iron in plants is less easily absorbed than that from animal foods. Components of plants, such as fiber, phytates and tannins, further decrease iron availability from plants. As a result, vegans need to take extra effort to plan their diets to include sufficient quantities of high-iron plant foods, such as soybeans, blackstrap molasses, lentils and spinach. Vegans are also at risk of zinc deficiency. Found in low quantities in plant foods, zinc is subject to the same absorption impediments as iron.
-http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/negative-effects-veganism-3304.htmlWomanCode has a lot of information on what nutrients we need to be getting so I can just look up vegan sources for them...
B-12: some nutritional yeast is fortified with it, there's more than the daily requirement in the vitamins that I take as pre-natals.
A: carrot, squash, sweet potato, pumpkin
C: bell peppers, oranges, strawberries
Sulforaphane: broccoli, cauliflower, kale, radishes
glutathione: garlic, onions, broccoli-family, many raw fruits and veggies (cumin helps support)
iron: quinoa, spinach, blackstrap molasses
amino acids methionine and lysine: soy, lentils, whole grains, nut butters
calcium: kale, broccoli, oranges
vitamin D: mushrooms (particularly sun dried)
Omega 3 fatty-acids: flax seeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, kidney beans, dark leafy greens (though not a lot), cabbages (cauliflower), winter squashes, seaweed. Olive oil and walnuts have it but are apparently skewed towards the wrong ratio of omega fats
Zinc:"And Zinc is critical for optimal fertility."
Reading up a bit more on soy and it looks like perhaps including a little bit of it at times could be fine for me. http://conqueryourpcosnaturally.com/_blog/Blog/post/soy-story-controversial-effects-soy-pcos/
I'm going to work on updating my master meal plan. We'll see if I can pull this off!
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