@faith11238206 I've found
Cronometer.com to be very helpful in making sure I get all my nutritional goals, despite having immunity issues that prevent me from eating otherwise-healthy foods such as wheat and soy, in addition to "restrictions" of a plant-based diet. The app is free, easy to use, and lets you put in your own settings, recipes, custom foods, and weight-related goals. Throughout the day I add my foods and activities. It helps me keep a casual eye on what I need to add to hit my basic goals - nutritional yeast (or marmite if you
can safely eat wheat/barley products) for B-vitamins; seaweed or an iodine drop to make up from what I'm not getting from wheat or animals; protein if I'm on the road and have only found salads and chips to eat for example.
I try not to fuss about getting 100% of everything every day. I generally (with very little effort) get around 130% of my daily protein, and probably go below 100% about once a year if I'm
really off my game. Keeping your protein up is important for brain function, and for maintaining or improving muscle mass, which is why I'm more strict with myself on this one. B12 is another nutrient that is easy to get, but flushes very quickly from your system when you sweat plus it is used when you think, so you need to get a little at least 1-2 times a day, otherwise doctors have found brain scaring occurs after just short deficiencies in B12. Things like zinc, vitamin E, and selenium will sometimes drop below 100% for my weekly average, and I'll use that to remind me to take a supplement every few days, to keep my average intake somewhat level about the 100% mark. It's my understanding that they can linger in our body tissues for longer than B vitamins.
I actually try to use Cronometer to help me cut back on supplement use by noting what nutrient(s) I might be low on, and then cross checking what vegan foods have those nutrients, then try to learn to cook more of whatever will help balance my diet better. This trick alone has got me really into playing around with foods I didn't even know existed before I went vegan, and much more confident in the kitchen
There's a lot of great advise in here, but don't drive yourself crazy trying to change everything at once or trying to be perfect immediately! I've been doing this for 2 years with amazing health results, but I'm still eating too much fat/sugar/junk food (according to official guidelines) with only a vague adherence to a proper work out program. Focus on having fun exploring and learning what works for you! Treat this as an adventure, and it'll start to feel like one, even if it doesn't already.
"Fork Over Knives" is both a documentary that you might be interested in watching since you were moved by the Game Changers, and a fantastic source for a whole food, plant-based diet. The
"Minimalist Baker" is another really easy, fun source where you can use the selector system on the right to specify vegan recipes in the "special diet" section, and even search by specific ingredients you have on hand or would like to learn to cook with.
I guess someone should also warn you about beans. After going vegan I realized I should
definitely be adding more beans to my diet. I went from having terrible/constant gas from dairy, to having a whole different kind of gas from beans. This passes over time as you develop new gut bacteria who are better able to handle the sudden influx of fiber. To help your body along, consider picking up dry beans (they're more eco-friendly anyway!), soak or even start sprouting them (there are instructions online, but sprouting will only work if they are fresh enough, otherwise they start fermenting which is also edible and good for you gut, but I personally don't like the flavor). Rinse and bring your beans to a simmer/boil for about 3 minutes, allow to cool for an hour with the lid on, then rinse, flavor/boil your beans for your recipe! When it comes to actually eating them start with a small dose of beans/lentils/legumes if you aren't used to consuming them. Start with a palm-full per meal or day at first, then slowly work your way up over maybe a week or so to however much you want/need to meet your nutritional goals, and your body will have less of a shock from the change
Oh, and before I forget! Check out
HappyCow.net if you want to eat out. It's free, easy to use, and gives you an idea of what you can eat nearby, even if you're visiting a strange new country. Definitely quicker than sifting through non-vegan posts to find out how "safe" a place is to eat as, or get a preview of what they offer that omnivore sites might not mention.
