Hello.  I have been trying and thinking about becoming a vegan for sometime now.  I really want to transition to this lifestyle so I decided to finally join the Kind Life website.  One area that I have had some difficulty in is preparing the food. Some of the recipes I have tried seem time consuming, which makes it a little difficult with two children under 2. Any suggestions to help? Also, I am not a huge fan of soy products. What are some other products that I could use instead for "meat". Once I tried for a while, I was always feeling hungry. What will help with this? Any other tips to help me in this transition will be greatly appreciated.  Thank you for your assistance.  I am looking forward to what you all have to say.

hi Gretta!

I on the transition from vegetarian to veganism and found this site really helpful- it´s great to meet so many "kind lifers"! I think missing meat is more a habit than an actual craving, so just give it time.. and for feeling full there´s nothing better than a nice lentil dal or bean chilli..  I hope you´ll find the time and energy (what with your little ones!) to stick with us!:-)

Hi!

Bretzel gave great advice.  It can be time consuming in the beginning but after a while it becomes second nature.  Lentil loafs fill me up and freeze well so you can make a big batch and always have them on hand.  Seitan is another option too.  You can make some seitan stew in big batches then keep refrigerated throughout the week.  You can switch it up during the week and make some pot pies out of it as well.  I found that what really helps is creating a weekly menu where you have a plan for when to make big batches and when to eat its leftovers.  Try eating brown rice (whole grains really fills you up) with every meal.

(www.themacroveg.blogspot.com)

Hi Gretta!

I have two kids at home... a 1 yo and a 3 yo.

Beans are easy.... and they can cook in a crock pot. Try googling "vegan crock pot recipes" or pick up "Vegan on the Cheap". It has a section of recipes that are crock pot friendly (and every recipe is less than $2 a serving.)

Where is a good lentil load recipe? :)

A simple bean soup can give you a lot of energy and can be a great sub for meat.

Also for kids...freezing a big batch of a simple freshly made tomato and basil sauce for your fav pasta to which you can easily add all the veggies you like...it takes 10 minutes(time to cook the pasta) and it's ready to eat...me and my fiancee are uni students and this has been a lifesaver.

:) 

I just posted this elsewhere in the forums but since it's helped me, perhaps it can help you, too. 

To avoid feeling hungry, make sure to get enough whole grains and dark, leafy greens. I can totally tell the difference when I fall back on white rice (we had some left in the pantry) or regular pasta. My cravings and getting hungry between meals comes back with a vengeance! 

Field roast and beans.  Five-minute brown rice.  But also, don't worry about feeling hungry in terms of it leading to over eating.  Instead, try to eat lots of foods packed with micronutrients.  Your body will tell you it's hungry because its lacking something to function, i.e., a nutrient.  A great veg diet that is high in organic, fresh stuff should help you to avoid feeling hungry because you should be getting everything you need.  But to look further into it, Brenda Brazier's book Thrive or Thrive Foods discusses this and it makes total sense.  Good luck!