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How do you keep their carb intake from exploding out of control? They can't include eggs and dairy for their protein obviously. I am speaking of my sister...and I think she has the wrong approach. The hardest part of vegan is adequate protein consumption without eating 4000 calories of carbs along with it (in my opinion). So is it wrong for me to say she should include more beans/nuts into her diet and less potatoes/breads? She eats a lot of low carb veggies like spinach and broccoli and eats plenty of fruit but I think she has the wrong idea for protein. Any thoughts?

I've never really known a vegan who needed to watch their weight, besides Prince Fielder haha.. but honestly when I tried to go 2 weeks with a vegetarian style diet, I was eating TONS of almonds and pumpkin seeds and whey protein... being vegan I would suggest that she buys some soy protein to help with the intake, and carbs aren't horrible, just have to watch what kind of carbs they are -- vegetables in general are fine, most of those carbs are in the form of fiber, and stick to multigrain options for breads/noodles. I think peanut butters a safe bet too for protein. That's all I can come up with for now.

I just think that vegans getting adequate protein is an impossible task. Ya has ta pay yer money and takes yer choice.

In order to be a healthy vegan, she has to be really careful that what she eats is optimal. You're right that she needs beans and nuts more than potatoes and breads. Beans have more protein/calorie than any other vegan food, except spinach. (there is also something called seitan that is a concentrated protein from wheat) Tempah and tofu are good sources of protein and they're fermented so they're easier to digest.

Nuts aren't much better than potatoes, rice and whole grain breads in protein/calorie but they're lower in carbs.

Meat is still a better alternative but that may not be an option.

Nuts aren't much better than potatoes? I always thought they were a good protein source from plant foods. I realize they are very fatty, but the fact most other plant foods are so low in fat, I figured it would be good for her to load up on them in the abscence of animal fats...

They are a good fat source and relatively low in carbs but protein/calorie, they're in the same ballpark as potatoes.

http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.htm

I see. That link was pretty damn helpful. While I disagree with a lot about what he writes about, the protein table on the bottom is pretty helpful. She probably won't take my advice, but I'm also really worried because she is a hardcore runner, and most runners don't realize they need an extra boost of protein just as an other athlete does...not an extra 100g in carbs.

It is a lost cause. Especially if it has to do with animal rights.

Yea pretty much. Although, I respect compassion (whether or not we agree its misplaced) more than people who are doing it for "health reasons". She at least acknowledges its not the best thing to do for her health, I guess she just chooses not to care though.

That's the problem when a predator evolves the ability to have those sort of feelings. They might feel like that about the prey. Until we perfect growing animal parts in labs out of stem cells, we will have to live with it.

Perhaps the geneticists could engineer uglier animals. Maybe people wouldn't feel as bad about eating them if they weren't cute and furry.

Ha ha

Have you ever been up close next to a cow? I'm pretty intimiadated by them, and have no problem with eating them because they scare me. (Word to the wise, don't pelt them with BB guns for hours on end, it starts to irk them.)

Chicken & fish, both ugly and tasty too.

Swine? Just gross, I don't eat a lot of pork, the animal thrives in it's own fecal matter. (Only outlyer I can think of in this study of mine.)

But deer... Man it tastes so good, but I don't think I could shoot one unless I was starving.

Rabbits? Come on...

I think you have a good point doc.

I don't believe 'cute and furry' is a primal reaction/feeling. I believe society implants these compassionate feelings into our mind primarily via the media - Think of all the films/books with animals in them made out to have personalities like humans. Plus Zoo's and such where animals are, as cruel as it is, on display for humans to ogle over. Ironically that cruel treatment helps us care about eating things that have legs and joints and stuff that makes us think of ourselves and therefore feel bad about it.

Case in point - Eat your dam meat

KPj

p.s Thinking about all those cute little animals is making me hungry.

p.p.s BBQ season is here...mmmm.... Lot's of flesh...Lot's of fat... Fire...and beer.... Is there anymore a guy could ask for?

p.p.p.s Dogs don't count. They're cleary our companions in life, and I don't care if I just contradicted myself

KPj

Same reason we don't eat our children. We feel an emotional attachment to dogs (usually) moreso than any other animal. It serves a practical purpose too- they can protect us and sometimes will die to defend us. I guess it is kind of hypocritical but hey...at least we can admit it.

I do have my doubts about the meat and dairy industry. What they are feeding the animals, if they are slaughtering them humanely (which I see no reason not too), what drugs they inject, etc. Do I hate the system of factory farming? Of course I do. Is there anything I can really do about it? Not really. I'd love to find a source of meat where it comes from a babe-type farm, because not only would it be more trustworthy, it would probably be healthier too. And I do not have an unlimited budget to go seek out this sort of setting either. This is why I can't believe anyone could really be against hunting, including animal rights activists. It's unreal to think we could go back to that of course, but it's what happens in nature...