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| Forums: September 2011 Kickstart Forum: Anybody NOT following the Kickstart Menus? | |||
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| djunamod
Joined: 01/02/11 Posts: 55 |
Anybody NOT following the Kickstart Menus? Posted Saturday, September 3, 2011 at 2:43 AM Hi all, The menu I have for myself is just much simpler than the menus that the website offers, so I'm going with that. I'm just curious to see how many people will be coming up with their own menus this time around Djuna |
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cch22
 Location: New York State Posts: 999 |
RE: Anybody NOT following the Kickstart Menus? Posted Saturday, September 3, 2011 at 7:53 AM Hi some of the recipes are staples around the house anyway... confetti couscous is delish, i just made it Wednesday. But I will be watching the fat and junk food. No muffins with canola oil, applesauce only. No chips-instead watermelon. Then i will make few more of the recipes from the kickstart. We do love the soups & salads. cynthia |
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Wild4Stars
 Location: Florida Posts: 832 |
RE: Anybody NOT following the Kickstart Menus? Posted Saturday, September 3, 2011 at 8:13 AM I have done the kickstart multiple times, don't really know how many. I use the menu as a guide. Most of the recipes are great and create enough leftovers that the next day's menu must be altered, at least at my house. I have frequent business luncheons so that throws a wrench in the menu plan. It's a great menu plan, but you have to make it work for you. Or just use it as a guide. Vikki ~ Wild4Stars@gmail.com |
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| Bugsmom
Joined: 09/13/10 Posts: 2068 |
RE: Anybody NOT following the Kickstart Menus? Posted Saturday, September 3, 2011 at 8:27 AM We'll be following the spirit but not the letter. Some of the recipes are staples (like the roasted pepper hummus) and some we love to incorporate as the days get chillier (like the pepper carrot soup). But we also add our own favorite vegan meals as well (like hubby's chili - beans, corn, peppers, tomato, spices). Midway through, we'll be preparing a "community meal" of sorts at church - we'll be doing a mushroom corn chowder that uses no dairy, little fat, no meat. Served with tossed salad and fresh bread (folks can butter or margarine their bread and add salad dressings as they choose). --Deb R |
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gryphonpro
 Location: Cape Breton, NS, Canada Posts: 239 |
RE: Anybody NOT following the Kickstart Menus? Posted Saturday, September 3, 2011 at 9:48 AM What a difficult question. Short answer, no. Longer answer follows. I would like to encourage newbies to follow the meal plan as closely as possible. I think there is a lot of planning behind the menu, even science. Some of that science is biochemistry, some is human behaviour. and there is probably a lot there I don't notice. I really enjoy half of the new meals I learned from my first Kickstart in April. I found the other half to be not to my liking. I didn't actually dislike them, I just found them boring. I did the April Kickstart with a friend, and she had the same experience, but really enjoyed (or found to be bland) almost the exact opposite of what I found. Some of the recipes each of us now make regularly include ingredients we had not used before, ever... so it is a good idea for newbies to give as much of it a serious try as possible, so they will discover what works for them. I also learned new cooking techniques, and I must say that I have been a seasoned and much appreciated cook for a long time. It would never have occurred to me that i didn't have to start every frying pan recipe with a quarter cup of olive oil! It didn't occur to me to steam saute things. I do it all the time now and honestly do not miss the oil. This diet has several "hidden" agendas like teaching new techniques, or intentionally providing a wide range of flavours and textures to help you find your niche, so it is worth it to give it a close follow the first time around. That said, I will not follow the menu exactly this time. Since April I have found several recipes on Nutritionmd.com that I also really like. I have also altered some of the Kickstart meals. I really enjoy the zucchini tofu scramble, but make it with some bell pepper added, and using my "scrambled egg" spices rather than what the recipe calls for. Yummy. I wasn't familiar with the McDougall diet, so I googled it. Most of the recipes are great, and could easily replace Kickstart options. There were some though... I doubt that there is a packaged pre-prepared potato hash brown which you would eat after you read the ingredients, and the same goes for the commercial sauces, even ketsup, that pop up all over the plan. Low fat is good. Vegan is good. Whole food is also good, and I would add Real food to the list. Small or gradual changes don't seem to work for most people. A big change is necessary. One has to kickstart new tastes. It takes the body a certain amount of time to kick the processed food additives hold on what your brain thinks is delicious. It takes the person a certain number of new recipes and new techniques to stick with the new habits. And it takes a variety of new options to discover what you actually like. NutritionMD.com is a great source for alternative recipes, once you know what you like and what you don't. ENJOY. - madeline madeline yakimchuk
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mollyhorn
 Location: Fort Worth, TX Posts: 582 |
RE: Anybody NOT following the Kickstart Menus? Posted Saturday, September 3, 2011 at 10:37 AM I've done the Kickstart almost as many times as Wild4Stars, but this is the first time I'll be trying to actually follow many of the recipes! The other times, I've just hung around the forum, read the emails, and gotten into the spirit of it, without actually following it. However, the Kickstart *is* what got me to go vegan. I have some health problems that necessitate a low-fat diet, so I really should follow the Kickstart spirit all the time, but I don't, resulting in more health problems! Haha... Old dog, new tricks and all. Anyhow... I'll be trying to follow along, as much as I can between a busy job, boyfriend-who-eats-meat, his kids-who-eat-some-meat, and the rest of life! Molly Horn |
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| Wild4Stars
Location: Florida Posts: 832 |
RE: Anybody NOT following the Kickstart Menus? Posted Saturday, September 3, 2011 at 10:49 AM gryphonpro wrote: Small or gradual changes don't seem to work for most people. A big change is necessary. One has to kickstart new tastes. It takes the body a certain amount of time to kick the processed food additives hold on what your brain thinks is delicious. It takes the person a certain number of new recipes and new techniques to stick with the new habits. And it takes a variety of new options to discover what you actually like. NutritionMD.com is a great source for alternative recipes, once you know what you like and what you don't. ENJOY. - madeline I think the reason small, gradual changes don't seem to work is because you are still feeding those addictions. If you're new, you may not realize that some of the foods you eat are truly addictive. I've had many people tell me they could never give up cheese because they LOVE it. Truth is, they are addicted to it. I would encourage newbies to go full out. It's only 21 days, but you are going to break some of those addictions and you'll feel so good, you won't want to go back. Three weeks, full out, make the commitment and make your commitment SACRED. Vikki ~ Wild4Stars@gmail.com |
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| Wild4Stars
Location: Florida Posts: 832 |
RE: Anybody NOT following the Kickstart Menus? Posted Saturday, September 3, 2011 at 11:10 AM Not sure why this posted twice. Vikki ~ Wild4Stars@gmail.com |
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| Dobby
Joined: 09/04/10 Posts: 113 |
RE: Anybody NOT following the Kickstart Menus? Posted Saturday, September 3, 2011 at 6:01 PM I've done Kickstart several times as well. I dont think of myself as a fussy eater, but I wasnt really crazy about many of the recipes I tried from here. The rest of the family does not eat vegan and they did NOT like any of the recipes I tried before. I will do my own vegan recipes...with my vegetable soup and lentil soups as lunch mainstays. I am trying the recipe for Fresh corn and tomato salad cch22 posted (sounds wonderful!!) and do use several recipes posted in the past by fellow Kickstarters. I also had a chopped salad at a restaurant recently that I will recreate without the goat cheese or oily dressing. I will use the Kickstart to get myself back on track. I learned long ago that it does not work for me to try to make myself eat something I dont want to eat! Pam |
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| kiwi
Joined: 01/03/11 Location: New Zealand Posts: 405 |
RE: Anybody NOT following the Kickstart Menus? Posted Sunday, September 4, 2011 at 1:37 AM djunamod wrote: Hi all, I was just curious to see how many of us will be following the Kickstart principles but not necessarily the exact menus. While I love the menus, my schedule (part-time work plus grad school) simply doesn't allow for me to do all the cooking required for the menus. Also, I've been on McDougall since the end of May and have been doing well with it and love the plan, so I'll be focusing more on whole grains and veggies and not including stuff like soy products (except for a little soy milk in my oatmeal). The menu I have for myself is just much simpler than the menus that the website offers, so I'm going with that. I'm just curious to see how many people will be coming up with their own menus this time around Djuna We seem to have some things in common. I work, go to school, keep an eye on my elderly Mom and have 2 dogs that help me get exercise. In other words, like you (and a lot of other people), I have a pretty full schedule. I have also been following the McDougall plan for the past 2 months and plan to continue through this kickstart so I will keep to the principles if not the menu. I find the two are quite complementary as the kickstart reminds me about why I changed to being vegan and I love the forums. McDougall recipes keep me on the low fat, no added fat track. Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food - Hippocrates. |
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| aleta
Joined: 01/07/10 Location: Claremont, CA Posts: 153 |
RE: Anybody NOT following the Kickstart Menus? Posted Sunday, September 4, 2011 at 2:23 AM I've done the 21 day a few times. Didn't follow the plan but did my own vegan meals. Then tried a few of the recipes in between the 21 Day's. And I have been using them. I kinda like the menu plan but sorta tweak it when I am running crazy. aleta |
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| christiebelle
Joined: 09/04/11 Posts: 2 |
RE: Anybody NOT following the Kickstart Menus? Posted Sunday, September 4, 2011 at 9:37 AM This is the first time I have done the kickstart. I have been eating vegan for about two weeks now. I have looked through the menu and there is no possible way I can prepare all of that food (it is just me eating this way what would I do with it),I can't afford all of that food, and I would never eat that much. I will probably go through the recipes and see what I can add into my own eating habits. Quite frankly if I can not prepare it in advance and zap it in the microwave it is not going to happen. I find myself eating a ridiculous amount of beans |
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| Pamela7762
Joined: 09/04/11 Posts: 3 |
RE: Anybody NOT following the Kickstart Menus? Posted Sunday, September 4, 2011 at 3:58 PM This is my first time going vegan, but not the first time eating vegetarian. Like some of you, I cannot "cook" breakfast every day. Lunch will be leftovers from dinners. My BF will be eating sandwiches. So breakfast and lunch will be pretty repetitious. Dinners are for expirementing, and even then some nights I work late, until 9:30 or after 10, so things I make need to make it for 2 nights so the guys can just re-heat. I have McDougall & Ornish cookbooks I bought 18 years ago, as well as a few new cookbooks to leaf through and make vegan dishes. I like "Vegan Cooking on $4 a Day" and "The Meat Lover's Meatless Cookbook: Vegetarian Recipes Carnivores Will Devour"... it is vegetarian, as well as vegan, but I found the vegetarain recipes can usually be adapted. One of my own recipes is "Broccoli Beef-less", which is essentially Chinese food with tofu or portabello mushrooms instead of the meat. Kinda high in sodium, but delicious! One thing I pointed out to my BF about the actual Kick-Start Meal Plan was that the meals were often accompanied by whole fruits, so we will inorporate that into our own plan. I will also try to make some of the desserts & smoothies as the big guy has a voracious sweet tooth. Looking at the plan there is a lot of food to eat, which would make the BF happy for sure. I am thankful I ate vegetarian in the past so I have some experience cooking with new and different foods. The BF has never ever eaten some of these foods, so it's all new to him. I think that following the plan as closely as possible is very useful for a newbie or someone without a lot of cooking skills. I will let you know at the end of this if it worked for us. My take is the menu plan is GOOD! I agree, it is even scientific. But if it isn't do-able with your circumstances, then you must do it the best you can while still following a truly vegan diet. Here's to us and good luck to us all! Pamela |
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| vegangirl65
Joined: 08/31/11 Posts: 110 |
RE: Anybody NOT following the Kickstart Menus? Posted Sunday, September 4, 2011 at 7:46 PM Last time I tried following the kickstart to the letter, but that was hard. I did make a lot of the meals but some I cut down in size as I'm the only vegan in the house. I made the confetti salad, makes a LOT so you might want to cut it in half but you can eat it all week. the pepper carrot soup was good too. I try to do some extra cooking on Sundays so I'm ready for the week. I usually make a pot of oatmeal for the week (steel cuts). This time my goal is to eat whole and not to slip into anything processed/convenient. Hoping for a successful kickstart!! Kathy |
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| Bucky
Joined: 09/04/11 Posts: 5 |
RE: Anybody NOT following the Kickstart Menus? Posted Sunday, September 4, 2011 at 9:21 PM I will not be following the meal plan mostly because of time and money. Plus, this summer I've been eating more raw foods. I'd like to wait until winter to see if I'm feeling better because of the increase in raw food or the decrease in processed foods. What are the percentages of calories that should come from carbs/protein/fat? is it 60/30/10? |
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BlondRenee
 Location: California Posts: 97 |
RE: Anybody NOT following the Kickstart Menus? Posted Monday, September 5, 2011 at 12:47 AM I have done Kickstart a number of times. I have been vegan over a year and a half I think. I did not follow and do not follow it. It is guide for me. I have to be gluten free so I eat the things I can eat. For example I eat gluten free grains, breads, when it calls for those items. I like some of the recipes. I have been making those over and over. Enjoy the vegan lifestyle. Good question. |
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dollgirl
 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 131 |
RE: Anybody NOT following the Kickstart Menus? Posted Monday, September 5, 2011 at 6:14 AM In the past I have not followed the meal plans exactly, because of time etc., but this time I am going to try to follow it to a T and see what difference it makes compared to my regular vegan eating.
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| Bugsmom
Joined: 09/13/10 Posts: 2068 |
RE: Anybody NOT following the Kickstart Menus? Posted Monday, September 5, 2011 at 8:20 AM One of the things we've found (this is our one year aniiversary of kickstart) is that we can balance the costs and time to keep things about the same as they were "before". For example, if we buy seasonal produce, it's less expensive than buying specific items (if the menu plan calls for chard but kale is cheaper this week, we get kale, and vice versa). Buying dry beans is way cheaper, less sodium, but it does take planning. We've now got a pressure cooker/canner so we can soak the beans (that's the planning ahead part - takes no real "work" just time - beans, water, large pot, set it aside when we head off to bed or first thing in the morning, depending on the bean and the application) and then cook them in just a few minutes instead of hours. When making beans, as someone else said, we'll make a LOT of beans, then portion them out (into cleaned out PB jars often) and pop them in the fridge for a week's worth of uses. Often hubby will soak a couple types of beans (separate pots), then cook them one after the other so we can have hummus, not-tuna salad (also chickpeas), and black beans for wraps and burritos and chili. Leftovers are my lunches for work since that makes getting out of the house easier in the mornings. I just grab a container from the fridge, pack up some fruit and maybe toss together a salad, and I'm out the door. It's also nice for our 13 yr old who is often on a late nights schedule (sleeping late into the day and staying up to the wee hours) to be able to just grab pre-made vegan meals and pop them in the microwave (if needed) for healthy nutrition at whatever hour. When it's just as easy to microwave a bowl of vegan chili as it is to grab cheese or cold cuts, he's even more likely to grab the chili (fresh, warm, tasty, homemade) or some not-tuna salad. He still has the choice but generally opts for the omnivore foods as a fall back if there's not much else already prepared. So we make sure to have some good stuff available at all times. That said, we don't so much follow the exact menus. We will incorporate the recipes/foods just not always on the same day or in the same preparation. So, this week, we might have the carrot red pepper soup on Tuesday for dinner instead of two lunches but instead of the curried lentil soup (that's 3 soups in 3 days), we'll probably have lentil, brown rice, kale and diced mango with some garam masala type seasoning (unless hubby chooses a different seasoning profile on the spot). I rarely do the breakfasts - I have the same cereal and plant milk every morning. Yes, it's boring somewhat but I don't want to think - the less time involved, the less thinking involved as the sun rises, the better. I barely need my eyes open to prep that breakfast. Dealing with the blender to make a smoothie for breakfast is no way. But, we'll often take a smoothie idea and have that as our evening snack if a snack is desired. Also, we don't 'do' most soy - the occasional splash of soy sauce in a recipe (it's nice to put a dash of that with the water to steam saute sometimes) is about it - no tofu, tempeh, etc. since the soy just doesn't agree with my system. So that affects some of the meal choices as well. We stopped using faux meats during the first kickstart we did last year - the sodium level and the cost were just prohibitive. We'll probably be doing the pasta marinara with veggies this week, just not necessarily on Friday. Depending on whether a gardener friend has more tomatoes, we'll either sauce them down or use canned (no sodium added) diced tomatoes with our own dried herbs for the sauce and I picked up some nice summer squash (on special this week) to chop up into it. Gee that got longwinded all to say that yes, we'll be using the kickstart menus but no, not following it precisely (and we'll be adding in our own favs like hubby's chili and other yummy soups - we just found a recipe for vegan potato broccoli soup that is awesome!) --Deb R |
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| vegangirl65
Joined: 08/31/11 Posts: 110 |
RE: Anybody NOT following the Kickstart Menus? Posted Monday, September 5, 2011 at 8:28 AM Tip for the beans. Lots of times I put them in the crock pot and they cook during the day, or I will start them at night right before I go to bed. I don't soak at all. In the morning they are done. Low at night, high during the day unless I'm not going to be around for a long time. Kathy |
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| kdub34
Joined: 09/05/11 Posts: 7 |
RE: Anybody NOT following the Kickstart Menus? Posted Monday, September 5, 2011 at 8:43 AM I will use it as a guide...but not follow the recipes exactly. |
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. Also I get all of my food delivered from a local organic delivery service so if I want something in particular midstream it is not happening. I am going vegan definitely but I am not going to spend hours every week cooking.| New Topic Reply Subscription Options |
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