There are options; a shopping district is at a somewhat reasonable distance away, just saying I can't do anything too pricey.
There is also a market which is closer, so that could be an option too.
How available (and expensive) are fresh fruit and veggies?
A lot of food you are going to eat are normal things that your parents can continue to buy for you
As for plant milks, these are indeed pricy, however is an option at a shop for soy milk which is cheaper (which I have been using); same for tofu.
Soy milk and tofu are not "must Haves". but If you can get them it makes a vegan diet much easier.
Also, what kind of cereal should I buy, or what criteria should I apply to choose ?
Oatmeal. You don't have to be vegan to eat oatmeal. but most of the vegans I know do. Its also much cheaper and more healthy than other options. A lot of us VFers eat oatmeal almost everyday. We even have a thread that is just about oatmeal.
I have been buying musli that has mostly oatmeal, plus some cornflakes and dry fruit (bits) in it.
That sounds good too.
That sounds alright, it says as unprocessed as possible; are seeds, oils and nuts a must in a vegan diet ?
I still use small amounts of oil in my cooking but a good WFPB diet may go entirely oil -free.
Although nuts and seeds are part of a good diet, they are consumed in moderation. Maybe 2 tbsp of seeds and about the same as nuts.
Maybe also lowering salt, sugar and fats in general would help.
That is exactly what a WFPB diet does.
Also, what would be the best/healthiest macro [Protein, Carbs (Fiber, Starch), Fat ?] ratio (or does it depend on goal) ?
That is an excellent question. I don't think there is a clear answer.
One thing that is for sure is that your protein goal should be over 10%.
I think most of the community uses a number between 20 and 30%
Fats should be less than 30%. Some people can get as low as 20% but I find that almost impossible to do.
Despite what the mainstream press says - Carbs are good. 40 - 60% are good goals.
using a C/P/F format. I hear that 60/20/20 is really good for most vegans. Athletic vegans might go with a a 50/25/25.
Trying to drink more water, as per medic's advice, too.
That is excellent advice. One good trick is to find a water bottle that has a straw or a spout built in and just sip on it all day long. I found one that holds 24 ounces. I fill it up and finish it before dinner. The remainder I get thru drinking other beverages. Mixing some fruit juice or adding a lemon to your water is good, too.
Some people just chug 8 oz at certain times of a day. Like when they get up, right after breakfast, right after lunch, right after dinner, and before bed.
For calcium, I read that collard greens are a good source, and spinach too.
yes. Here is a good list
Vegetables high in calcium include turnip greens, kale, mustard greens, beet greens, bok choy, okra, swiss chard, and broccoli raab. The DV (daily value) for calcium is 1300mg.
www.myfooddata.com
And remember that tofu and soy milk have plenty of calcium.
For sodium, what should I look out for ?
I think the main source of sodium is
other people's cooking. If you don't add much salt to your food you tend to be ok. Prepared meals you buy in the store tend to be super salty.
Also for sugar, what should I look out for in general ?
Again, it is mostly
other people's cooking. When minimizing sugar keep in mind that the think you are minimizing is
added sugar. you can add raisins or other dried fruit to your oatmeal. but real fruit is best. A handful of berries is what I recommend.
For the most part. But moderation is usually a good idea. especially if you are trying to lose weight. Minimize dried fruit and fruit juices - but you probably don't have to totally avoid them. Two pieces of fruit per day is a good minimum goal.
I heard white stuff (rice, bread, sugar) is bad for this.
This is where we get into Whole Foods vs processed foods. When we talk about processed foods we are talking about foods that have had something removed, like fiber, or ones that have had something added, like sugar, salt and or oil.
Brown rice is less processed than white rice. Whole wheat is less processed than white bread.
For vitamin C, I recall the supplement having 225% the required dose, so perhaps I should be careful with that (not to mention I may already get enough from spinach)
You can't over do the C. its water soluble and you just pee it out. I find vitamin C supplements unnecessary . you get plenty if you are eating fruits and veggies. however C does help with iron absorption.
I've been eating a lot of tofu; for spinach & broccoli, I have been boiling it.
Tofu is great. There is some risk of over doing soy protein. I think I remember that you should keep your soy intake below 25 grams of soy protein a day. that would be less than 2 servings of tofu a day. or less than 3 -4 glasses of soy milk a day.
If you boil your veggies some of the vitamins just end up in the water. I guess there are ways to salvage the vitamins - like saving the water for broth. But most of us just use a steamer. you can probably find a metal steamer at a garage sale or thrift store. All my pots are non stick so I had to go out and buy a nylon steamer.
Steamed veggies are not only more nutritious - they are even tastier.
I read there is also "raw veganism", with uncooked food, which is healthier and can give more energy. What are your thoughts on that and how accessible would it be ?
I think raw is a fad diet. Although some food lose some nutrition when cooked. in some foods, cooking makes the nutrients more available. Plus its expensive. And... to get a minimum amount of protein without beans takes a huge amount of calorie intake. A raw diet is only something like 10% protein. Those raw vegans on YouTube eat huge numbers of calories a day. And then they are all athletes and exercise it off. Kristina is a yoga instructor. Freebie would bike like 25 miles to work and then instruct fitness classes.
a combination of cooked and raw is best. one popular diet is Raw till 4 (RT4). so dinner is cooked. Dr. Fuhrman is a big advocate of a Big Salad once a day.
Also, my weight tends to vary a lot and I tend to have a lot of gas. Any advice/thoughts on this, too ?
Gas seems to be a common complaint among new vegans. I think the gut has to get used to the increase in fiber. If you are eating black beans - rinse and soak them.
Try weighing yourself at the same time every day. and write it down.
But yeah, some daily fluctuations are inevitable.
Perhaps it would be better if I just post what supplements I have.
EDIT: Supradyn, Energy, Coenzyme Q10 and Vigantoletten D3 1000UI;
I don't know anything about Q10. But D is good idea especially if you live in the northern latitudes or its winter.
In general, if I were to analyze, I would probably have trouble getting Omega-3 fats (I don't know if I ever had any supplement for them).
I think vegans Have to supplement Omega 3. and with the different types it becomes complicated fast. We have some threads on it. I try to rely on ground flaxseed which I add to my oatmeal or flaxseed oil for my ALA. and I take a EPA/DHA supplement too.
B12 was in all the supplements so far, and for Vitamin D a medic gave me a supplement (had a deficiency a while ago on some older tests);
My soy mik is fortified and my tofu too. so I get most of the B12 and D I need from those. but those are good things to supplement too.
There might be others I lack like Iodine (?), Calcium, Iron, Zinc, Selenium, etc. but I am unsure as to which I might lack, exactly, nor as to what supplements I should buy (If they are vegan or not, plus costs, transport included)
Hey have you tried out Cronometer yet. Use CronOmeter for a week and look at the summary - the vitamins and mineral you need to supplement should jump out at you. Besides the omega 3, I found I need a multi and a Magnesium. I have no problems with calcium or iron. but do have issues with some others including Zinc and iodine - the multi takes care of both those. But everyone is different so using Cronometer eliminates most of the guess work.
Cronometer just evaluates what your eat. but absorption is different. A regular check up should reveal any issues before they become a problem.
