The Desi Fitness Forum - Rejuvenate yourself!

I was vegan for a long time-most of my life basically, but not since being in the US. I can't get the foods I'm used to here so am starting on a clean slate, having little idea of what I'm doing.

When I look around, it seems that everything has milk in it! Soups, even some breads-I was shocked when I looked at the ingredients lists on the shelves.

Does veganism (in the US) basically mean that you have no choice but to cook every single thing you eat from scratch, from basic raw ingredients?

You might try some specialty health stores. Veganism is on the rise in the United States so there should be things available for you. Unfortunately, most of that type of thing won't be found in the standard grocery store.

I dont drink too much milk as it gives me pimples. So I am almost vegan in that regard (no milk and its products). In India its easier to be a vegetarian/vegan than USA.

Good luck, just make sure you keep up with your protein needs.

I am not a big meat eater but I do like the other things like dairy, eggs and fish. Isn't it hard to get everything you need nutritionally from being a strict vegan? If I remember my science correctly, there are no plant sources for a complete protein without using a combination.

@allnatural, as a matter of fact it is difficult. But definitely manageable.

The hardest thing is getting vitamin B12 I believe it is. I tend to take a liquid supplement for that, to make sure that I don't run short.

Drumsticks (or phalli or murungakaka) is a rich source of Vitamin B12. We used to grow drumsticks in out vegetable garden. In California its a bit difficult to grow drum stick as the weather is cooler. But you can find it in the frozen section of Indian grocery stores. Its yummy and healthy as well.

Its a little difficult but with the right combination of foods, getting vegetarian protein is not difficult. Amaranth (also called Rajgira and eaten a lot in Western/Southern India), spirulina are powerhouses of proteins. Another option is to combine food sources - eg: Hummus with pita bread (Chhole with whole wheat rotis or brown rice), rajmah (kidney beans) and oatmeal, etc. However I do agree that getting Vit B12m creatine and protein is easier from diets containing lean meat and dairy products. I still don't advocate a lot of dairy but 1% fat milk is OK and so is Greek yogurt.