r/vegan • u/Willowtree27 • Mar 03 '15

Soy- and Gluten-Free Vegans, What Do You Eat?

So due to some stomach issues, my doc wants me to stop eating gluten, soy, and possibly all grains in general (even gluten-free ones like quinoa). Even though I've been vegan for 6.5 years, I have never really been able to adjust to food without a "meaty" component. Usually that is tofu or faux meats. I'm having a really hard time adjusting to my new diet, and can't seem to get enough calories. (Also have to watch my sugar intake, so I can't do a lot of fruit).

I'd love any suggestions from people who have been eating this way longer. I've never thought of veganism as hard in the slightest but this way of eating is a huge struggle.

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u/bewareofduck Mar 03 '15 edited Mar 03 '15

I eat GF at home because my boyfriend has celiac. I use rice cakes instead of sandwich bread, corn pasta, popcorn, and rice, quinoa, or chia occasionally. But I honestly just don't eat many grains. Most GF commercial breads use egg or gelatin so those are out. You could use potatoes or other starchy vegetables as a base for dishes. You can't go wrong with beans, peas, and lentils. Half the time I serve stir fry over steamed cabbage, so I'm not real fixated on carbs.

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u/Willowtree27 Mar 03 '15

I really wish I could be satisfied with a veggie-only stir fry, whenever I eat one I always feel hungry afterwards.

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u/bewareofduck Mar 03 '15

I usually use tofu, but I've also made stir fry and included half a can of chick peas instead. Are you able to eat it over rice?

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u/AliceIn2Chainz Mar 03 '15

GF due to celiac but I don't eat much soy just because i've never loved it. For breakfast this morning, I had rice and beans with some avocado, snacked on almonds all morning, and then a nice salad for lunch. To thicken up my lunch, I dipped cut up veggies in hummus. For dinner, I'm thinking about making some quinoa salad, which i'll probably eat with roasted whatever I have in the fridge. One of my favorite high calorie meals is a rice and "cheese" casserole with a bunch of veggies.

You'll get used to it pretty quickly- just plan on packing more lunches. I do a lot of big, casserole style dishes that I can freeze. Props to you for staying vegan though :)

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u/Willowtree27 Mar 03 '15

What do you use for cheese in your casseroles?

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u/eyelidglue Mar 03 '15

For me, the most satisfying "meaty" components are beans and lentils. They're awesome in chili, dhal, curry, veggie stews, etc. Can you eat nuts? Those are pretty filling and calorie-dense. Also this is a gluten-free, soy-free, pea-based vegan protein powder I like on days where I don't have a lot of time to prepare proper food. It doesn't taste too bad (it doesn't taste like peas, promise), and I'm full for hours after a serving of it.

I also really like breakfast potatoes as somewhat of an indulgence. Cut 2-4 potatoes into cubes and bake at 420F for 20 minutes, then pan sear with some oil of choice and chopped garlic and parsley. Very satisfying imo

Have you found that your new diet is helping with the stomach issue? I never thought that even gluten-free grains could cause health problems...

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u/Willowtree27 Mar 03 '15

I've just started it about a week or two ago, so we'll see. I can eat some nuts but no peanuts, almonds are definitely a staple for me. Potatoes are one of my favorite foods in the world but I may have to avoid those as well (one of the diet options basically outlaws all starches, even veggie starches).

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u/Willowtree27 Mar 04 '15

Thank you for all the suggestions, hopefully I can adjust to life without gardein!

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u/av1984 Mar 03 '15

Maybe look into a vegan Fodmap diet. It eliminates complex sugars which include gluten and wheat among other things. http://www.thepaleomom.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/FODMAP-Table-409x1024.jpg

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u/Willowtree27 Mar 03 '15

That's funny, someone had just mentioned that to me today at work. There's so many different diets out there, trying to figure out which will help is making my head spin, hoping the doc I'm seeing soon can help me figure it all out.

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u/Seeking_Strategies Mar 03 '15

While I eat soy and gluten foods, I also eat plenty of foods that are relatively quick and involve neither.

One of my favorites is roasted potatoes which can be easily expanded to other vegetables like squash, sweet potatoes, onions, peppers, tomatoes, etc. I do it by feel, so to speak, but here is a google search for recipes that you can use for ideas.

I also enjoy Lima beans, black eyed peas, etc that can be boiled and eaten as is or with a little bit of salt. Lentils with onion and garlic are another favorite. I will also boil swiss chard which is a green that seems to last well into colder weather.

Beets are a great plant because you can roast the beet and saute the leaves for a delicious meal.

Of course, I always recommend that people speak with a professional dietician if they are having trouble with their diet.

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u/Omnibeneviolent Mar 03 '15

You can make faux meats out of pea protein. Use it in recipes similar to soy protein or vital wheat gluten. I generally will include some when making seitan so that I'm varying my proteins and not eating 100% wheat gluten.

If you search for it, you'll find all sorts of bodybuilding supplements, but look for the most plain one where the only ingredient is pea protein.

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u/av1984 Mar 03 '15

Well good luck, I'm trying the Fodmap for a few weeks to see how it goes.

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u/[deleted] Mar 03 '15

This blogger follows a strict FODMAP diet, which sounds similar to what you're needing. My understanding with the FODMAP diet is that you usually have to be really strict at first, but with time you'll find out which specific foods are problematic for you.

If you're craving something 'meaty' try mushrooms. I've also made this recipe with cooked orange lentils instead of seitan.

You said you can eat navy beans but you don't like them - have you tried blending them into sauces? I like to add blended navy beans (obviously cooked) into both cheeze and tomato sauces.

Another way to ease into bean-eating is with things like chili, which is also very hearty and filling.

Obviously this diet seems really restrictive, but veganism probably seemed really restrictive until you got used to it. Over time you'll probably get used to the restriction, and you'll probably be able to loosen the restriction once you find out your trigger foods.

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u/SuchAGoodTalker Mar 03 '15

If it is fodmaps, beware mushrooms. They are one of my huge triggers. Beyond Meat however works like a charm for me and tastes delicious.

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u/jetaketa Mar 03 '15

Here's a good and easy soy-free tofu option that I really enjoy :)

http://www.mynewroots.org/site/2014/04/genius-chickpea-tofu/

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u/Fallom_TO Mar 03 '15

I second this for anyone interested (although OP might not be able to have chickpea flour). This recipe has you leaving the mixture out overnight and using a ton of water which isn't necessary. You can make it like polenta and it works fine, so no need to spend days on it.

Here's a simpler recipe:

http://www.girlcooksworld.com/2013/03/burmese-chickpea-tofu.html

It doesn't grill like tofu, but I like it raw in salads and baked.

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u/blanky1 Mar 04 '15

Ooooh here's a good meaty texture - abalone mushrooms. Got 5 packets of them for free at the weekend and have eaten almost all of them. Nomnomnom.

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u/molecularmachine Mar 04 '15

One of my G-F and no soy meals that I love as of late is green-beans, broccoli, mushrooms, e.t.c with a salad of leafy greens, a small sprinkle of balsamic and olive oil. To up calories I would add some roasted sunflower seeds and avocado. Freaking scrumptious.

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u/OryctolagusRex Mar 04 '15

Check out raw HCLF veganism - not everybody's cup of tea but I believe there are many raw vegan recipes that you could enjoy - such as giant fruit smoothies for breakfast, date-based "cakes", raw cheesecakes (made with cashews), salads, etc. obviously you could just cook things too but I believe the diet has similar restrictions - no soy, no grains, no potatoes, etc. They do lots of clever things with avocados. Many many bloggers put up raw recipes! They seem to be thriving. Give "raw vegan" a google and you'll find tonnes of things you can eat.

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u/dtgal Mar 04 '15

I don't eat soy either, so beans and legumes are really important in my diet. I've never been a fan of the faux meats either - they're too processed and I haven't found any that taste like anything near the real thing (which by now would probably make me feel ill). Beans and nuts can be used in so many recipes that are delicious - I make tacos out of lentils and walnuts for example. There's a great website called Oh She Glows - a lot of the ideas on there can be made gluten and soy free, and all are vegan.

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u/GableTron Mar 03 '15

Check out ohsheglows.com ... she has nearly all gluten-free/soy-free and there's a lot of nut-free too.

I eat: Soup, pho, mac n' cheese, chips and guac, lots of Indian food with rice, veggie burgers, roasted veggies, tacos, salads, smoothies, anything with cashew cheese, steamed veggies, potatoes in many forms, etc.

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u/SuchAGoodTalker Mar 03 '15

This is one of my favorite sites. Also check out Allyson Kramer's- the Gluten Free Vegan cookbooks and website.