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Sunday, January 6, 2019

Plant Based Diet - How to get Started

WHY
Hopefully you are reading this because you have decided to adopt a plant based diet. But just in case you have no idea WHY you would do that - here are some references.
Carl's Blog Entry - why I eat this diet - I have a few blocked cardiac arteries!
Forbes Article - how to get started. This is a nice summary of the research and suggestions on how to ease into it.
Dr. Esselstyn Website - the source!
https://www.eatingwell.com/article/7913932/7-things-i-wish-i-knew-before-i-went-vegan/ I found this the best expression of what I have discovered. Hopefully better than what I wrote in all of this. 

If you are still hesitant about the plant based business look at this article:   
      https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5466936/
It is a short overview of many of the studies. The only criticism of these has been done by journalists who say they are not peer-reviewed, not controlled studies, etc. AND they are generally supportive of meat and dairy industry. Ignore them. Trust me on this. 

NO OIL
Just to be clear, this is the NO OIL approach recommended by the good doctor. Many plant based diet websites do not adhere to this rule. To quote from the source:
NO OIL! Not even olive oil, which goes against a lot of other advice out there about so-called good fats. The reality is that oils are extremely low in terms of nutritive value. They contain no fiber, no minerals and are 100% fat calories. Both the mono unsaturated and saturated fat contained in oils is harmful to the endothelium, the innermost lining of the artery, and that injury is the gateway to vascular disease. It doesn’t matter whether it’s olive oil, corn oil, coconut oil, canola oil, or any other kind. Avoid ALL oil.
If you want to remove the plaque, you have to get your oil intake down to the point that you are no longer damaging the arteries, and your body can start healing.

Intermittent Fasting as an Entry Path
I had stumbled on the idea of intermittent fasting as a way to prolong life. For a few months, I would not eat between 10 PM and noon the next day. It taught me that I am rarely if ever actually hungry. I eat more by the clock than my stomach. So going to WFPB, vegan with a vengeance, was somewhat easier. There is now excellent evidence that fasting can extend our lifespan. Look at the book Lifespan: Why We Age—and Why We Don't Have To, by Dr. David Sinclair and Matthew D. LaPlante. I am currently trying to do it consistently from 6:00 pm to noon. 

The Problem
The problem we face is that the world is meat and dairy and oil based. Most products in the market contain some form of meat or dairy. And most are highly processed. The "organic" and "healthy" ones advertise how much "good" oil they contain. The market is slowly adapting, and "no oil" may someday be as common as "gluten free" is today. Whole Food versus processed may take a bit longer.

Quick Start
If you are anxious to just get with it, I suggest you skip ahead to the shopping list heading, where I make some recommendations on your first foray into the retail food world to replenish your pantry. It took me several months to locate all of these goodies. The good news is that my list of edibles grows almost daily.

Read the Books Again
To maintain this diet, you need a real sense of purpose and commitment, so read the books again. You need to ignore all those comments about "moderation", and the "Mediterranean Diet". Go back to the sources:
a. Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, 2007, by Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., MD.
b. The China Study, 2005, by T. Colin Campbell, PhD.
c. How Not To Die, 2015, by Michael Greger, MD. One of the scariest books I have ever read.

This latter book has a very different approach to how to start this diet. I will summarize it here. Most people have only about 6 recipes that they use over and over. So:
  1. First identify 3 recipes you make that do not include meat or fish: minestrone, etc.
  2. Then identify 3 that have meat, but that you could easily make with no meat or fish: chili, spaghetti primavera, etc.
  3. Now you need 3 new recipes - not a terrible task.There are thousands on the WWW.
For the latest formal medical study published in 2014, download the PDF at the Esselstyn website: http://dresselstyn.com/JFP_06307_Article1.pdf

Adopt a Diet "World View"
A "world view" is a kind of coloring or flavor of how the world works. We all have one, and it affects almost everything we do. I have adopted a "that is poison" mantra towards foods that are not part of my diet. As Dr. Esselstyn puts it, just imagine that your arteries are literally on fire because of fatty acids you eat. You are tempted, just this once, to ingest something with that same oil. Now imagine throwing gasoline on that fire - that is what you are doing when you ingest another fatty acid. It will not kill you, but it certainly will slow down your recovery. And if you ingest that "gasoline" just a little bit, every day, your arteries will never have time to recover. To actually repair the damage, we need a NO OIL diet - NONE. 
My other mental exercise is to pay more attention to the people around me. Many of them are suffering from health problems that could be helped by this diet. I try my best to empathize with them - to wish them well, and to think about how much better off they would be if they could also adopt this diet plan. It keeps me from being envious of the foods they are ingesting with such gusto. You do have to be careful not to annoy them too much by always pushing the "diet thing."

Pay Attention
Adopt a meditative eating style. Pay attention to the taste and texture. Much of the food we eat have is highly flavored. A lot of the plant kingdom has wonderful flavors, but they are more subtle. Take time to really taste them as you eat. You will never be hungry on this diet, and it is very hard to eat too much - but you can get bored. Pay attention!

Start Slow or ALL IN
You need to decide how you best operate. I am a kind of all in person. Once I have formed a conviction, why would I not just do that? Most people do not operate that way. This article from Forbes covers the basics on how to easily transition into this diet.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/nomanazish/2018/11/30/how-to-smoothly-transition-to-a-plant-based-diet/#25fb507e50dc

A brief summary: 
Start Slow - eat those foods which are already in your diet but which are primarily plant based, and without the meat - chili, veggie stir fry, pasta primavera, etc.
Cut Back - Eat less meat and processed foods, more fruits and vegetables. STOP buying them and think about giving away that stock in your freezer. As long as they are there, you are at risk - this is assuming that your significant other is in agreement.
Start with Breakfast - Oatmeal, fruit and cereals are an easy entrĂ©e.
Stock Up - Explore the vegetarian aisles at your local market. Whole Foods is a great resource if you have one nearby. Get the recommended starter list below. CUB has a whole aisle dedicated to this as well.
Make a Meal Plan - Once weekly, do a tentative plan to make the recipes you already have on hand. Stock up on the ingredients.

HOW
OK, now to the business at hand. I have been on this diet for a couple of years now, so I have a pretty good handle on it. If you have better ideas, add something to the comment section below. As is my custom, here is a shorthand list, and then a longer explanation. There is a grocery shopping list at the end.
  1. Start with Breakfast. Non dairy milk, oatmeal, many name brand cereals are just fine - see the list below. Add a banana or fruit, a bagel, English muffin, with a soy based spread. There are simple recipes for pancakes, muffins - I could eat breakfast all day. Berries are amazing in what they do to our gut.
  2. Expand to Lunch. Fruit - slice up an apple, handful of grapes, a pineapple, orange, add a cup of flavorful soup, and a whole wheat bread, whole wheat crackers. 
  3. Keep Dinner Simple. Make a salad, with an oil free dressing. Add some off the shelf items to make spaghetti, stir fry, chili, potatoes of all sorts. Rice bowls and soups are great. Potatoes - any way at all really fill you up, and there are lots of flavors. Sweet potatoes are amazing.
  4. Snacks. I cannot end the day without something salty and / or sweet. I have some off the shelf and a few simple recipes. There are roasted soybeans or edamame, roasted peas with wasabi, some pretzel brands and salsa, a fruit-sicle or popsicle.
  5. Dining Out - plan ahead. I usually carry my own salad dressing and some crackers. Order fruit, oatmeal, salad with NO dressing or cheese, a stir fry without oil, refried beans and lettuce, veggie fajita with NO oil and cheese, etc. Most chefs will do their best if you ask. Chinese or Mexican are the easiest to adapt. Look at "HappyCow" for a list of vegan friendly offerings nearby.
    https://www.happycow.net/
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HOW TO - the longer version
One very important thing - try not to obsess about food and eating. It takes up a very small part of your day and your life. Enjoy time with friends and family, get a job, volunteer somewhere. The last thing you want people to remember about you is your diet! Get on with the program of life. 
That said, here are some practical steps, meal by meal.

Make a Menu Plan 
It is always a good idea to plan ahead, and to make sure you the ingredients at hand for an interesting, enjoyable meal. For this to work, you must sit down once a week and loosely plan the next 7 days. Do it NOW! Then build your shopping list and make sure you have things on hand. Making the menu will also give you a chance to try out those recipes that are now showing up regularly in your email feed.

BREAKFAST
Non dairy "milk" is a must for me with cereal. I have found very little difference between soy and almond based "milk". Oat is good too. I am afraid of the coconut one. I generally shop by price. Everyone carries it, from the big box store to Whole Foods. Aldi's is generally cheapest. 
Cereals. There are all kinds of cereals that have no fat. Bring your reading glasses along - the print is usually tiny. Cheerios, Wheaties, Shredded Wheat in many shapes and sizes, most raisin brans, Rice Krispies, and of course, oatmeal - the king of breakfast. I like the flavored oatmeals, but you can make your own with "rolled" oats, a bit of brown sugar and some raisins. Don't worry about the calories from the sugar - I have NOT been able to gain a pound no matter what I eat. Technically most of packaged cereals are processed foods. They do not give you enough fiber for your gut.
Breads. Almost any whole grain brown bread works, but some brands are dairy and oil free: Village Hearth Whole Wheat Bagels, Thomas Whole Wheat English muffins. Aldi's has one brand of bagels that works. Read the ingredients. Hopefully manufacturers will start putting "oil free" on the label. 
Muffins. Krusteaz used to make a wonderful Blueberry Muffin that was oil free - it said that right on the label. They were great, flavorful and moist, but used refined sugar and flour. They used to make a corn bread and 2 other oil free types, but they stopped because they did not sell well. 
Spreads. Use any kind of jam or apple butter. There is a based 'cream cheese' spread - Kite Hill - at Whole Foods. They offer a plain one and one with chives - which also works on baked potatoes. Buy two. You can freeze it one. Freezing changes the texture but not the flavor.
Pancakes. There is a really simple pancake recipe, using some egg replacer (see shopping list), banana, whole wheat flour and maple syrup. Maple syrup is plant based! I miss the butter, but I just remind myself that it is like pouring gasoline on my arteries. And, when you have enough pancakes, stir in some raisins and pop the leftover mix into some muffin tins. Silicon muffin tins! No oil.

LUNCH
Fruit - I often slice up an apple - it seems more palatable than gnawing on the core. That and some grapes, or an orange - whatever we have. It is handy to have some fresh melon in the fridge at all times. One small watermelon lasts a long time.
Soup - There is a wonderful "cup of soup" by  Dr. McDougall. Whole Foods has the best price, even better than Cub. There are many varieties and they taste great. There are other soups too - look in the "organic" aisle. Campbell's has a new line of 'vegan' soups, but they all seem to contain milk and oil. There are lentil soups, and lentil vegan soups, ready to heat up. 
Crackers - Whole Foods 365 brand Woven Wheat cracker has no oil. Other crackers in this same brand have oil. Mary's Gone Crackers are crispy and tasty. Target's Market Pantry also has a woven wheat but with oil. Read the ingredients! Aldi's carries a great pumpernickel bread that is oil and diary free. Aldi's also has a brand of bagels that has no oil. 

DINNER
This is the challenge every day, so plan ahead. On my "other" diet, we just had things sitting around that could be pulled together in minutes to make a meal.
Salad - We almost always have a salad. Get a good supply of fresh greens, spinach, kale, lettuce, good tomatoes, peppers, red onion, cucumber, mushrooms, green onions, radishes, etc. An oil free dressing is critical here. Wishbone makes an oil free Italian dressing. Whole Foods has some oil free ones in a refrigerated case in their produce section. Cub has some in their organic or vegan aisle. Read the ingredients. Worst case, a little vinegar and mustard makes a quick salad dressing.
Pasta - I am a nut for a quick dish of spaghetti or other noodle. Get the wheat pasta, but the white one is not terrible. Walmart has a house brand "no egg" egg noodle for a little variety.
Spaghetti sauce. There are several oil free spaghetti sauces. Trader Joe's mushroom sauce is oil free. Whole Foods has a 365 brand marinara that has no oil. Aldi's sells a basil and marinara. The other flavors in those brands do have oil. Worst case, get a can of tomato sauce and add some good Italian seasoning.
Spaghetti Primavera. Get a bag of frozen Italian vegetables. Put them in your microwave steamer, and mix with a good sauce as above, and serve over spaghetti. I miss the cheese, but it is quick and easy and tastes good.
Veggie Stir Fry.  Get a bag of frozen oriental vegetables. Steam it, stir fry it in a bit of vegetable broth, add your favorite asian spice - there are many in the store - most have no oil in them. If you fry the onions first, they generate enough liquid to cook other things. Mushrooms also have a lot of moisture, and add flavor and texture.
Asian Soup Pho. Get some Chinese noodles, an Asian sauce, a bag of frozen asian vegetables use a vegetable broth and you have a spicy soup. I like the noodles! There is a Japanese Miso flavored broth that I love. A bit of rice or rice noodles in there and some veggies works great.
Chili. You do not need meat for a good chili. Chef's Cupboard makes a 3 bean chili mix that works perfectly - just add some tomato sauce, can of tomatoes, more beans, etc. We usually dice up a few onions and green peppers. If need a bit of a "meaty" grit in there, get a package of Lightlife, Smart Ground original crumbles, and put in about 1/4 of the package. You can find that at Whole Foods in the produce / meat alternative aisle. They also have a "Mexican" flavored one, if you are dying for the taco salad experience. 
Minestrone. There is nothing but veggies in minestrone normally. Add some chickpeas and other beans to give it more substance. This usually works for more than one meal.
Burger. I have found one brand of vegan burger that has no oil - Engine 2. This brand was created by Dr. Esselstyn's son, and it never has any oil. Most soy burgers in the market have some added oil. Some even have eggs. Keep some whole wheat sandwich buns in the freezer - Village Hearth makes some with no egg and no oil. You can cook the burger in the microwave or in a skillet. You are really just warming up the beans! I find it works best with a lot of condiments - lettuce, tomato, pickle, ketchup. You get the picture. Add vegetarian baked beans - almost like a picnic.
AND a portabella mushroom on the grill or the Forman, is great. Full of flavor, chewy. Put a little barbecue sauce on it - and a pickle!
Potato Fries. You can do fries in the oven, quick and easy. You need a silicon baking tray, or cover your regular tray with parchment paper. Slice up a potato. Pre-cook them a bit in the microwave or a steamer, and then "fry" them in the oven. Toss them first with a bit of water or soy replacement and a salt substitute. It's all about the salt and the ketchup.
Ravioli. Engine 2 makes a variety of vegan ravioli that are good. Use one of the above spaghetti sauces, and add a salad. Whole Foods has a couple of Kite Hill vegan pastas - ravioli and tortellini. 
Pizza. Trader Joe's has a sprouted whole wheat pizza crust that is great. Spread a little of one of the spaghetti sauces on it, or just tomato sauce with spices. Saute some fresh veggies - or pop them in your microwave steamer for a few minutes. I really like this mix: mushrooms, olives, spinach, tomato slices, peppers, red onion slices. It's hardly pizza without the cheese, but it tastes good for a change.
Meat Replacement. Lightlife makes a whole line of meat-like things from soy, but most of their products have oil, so  . . . read the label. Tempeh is a soy product that is formulated to resemble the texture of a small piece of beef. Whole Foods and Trader Joe's carries several. There are multiple brands of this, but watch for the oil. Lightlife's is oil free. We used it to make a Beef Bourguignon recipe - turned out pretty well.  Quorn makes a chicken like thing that we use in a goulash recipe to replace the pork.

SNACKS
This is just a list of brand name products which I have found that work. There are many more out there If you find a new one, let me know.
Nabisco Fig Newtons "Fat Free". The original one is still oil free.
Rice Cakes- there are many of these - we find the Rice Rollers from Costco to be pretty good. These are something like eating flavored air!
Pretzels. Some brands of pretzels are fat and egg free. There is a flat variety that can also be used for hummus and salsa dipping. The Aldi's Clancy brand is the cheapest of these, but you can find the same product at Cub and CostCo. 
Edamame. I have seen dried soy beans, or edamame, sold as a snack - but now I cannot find them,
Raisins, craisins - always good for a snack.
Dried Fruit - any kind - some are very sweet, some very chewy!
Popsicles - there are the normal ice ones, and there are some fruit ones that are much healthier.
Ice Cream - Walgreens sells a couple of milk free frozen sorbets - raspberry and mango - they are wonderful. Aldi's has a brand of fruitsicles. 
Rice Pudding - for that leftover rice, some of the non-milk milk, a little brown sugar, raisins, and some tapioca flour - mix it and heat in the microwave.
Oven Baked Pretzels - these are great. You'll find them in Aldi's frozen foods. 6 in a box.
Vegan Chocolate Cake - Whole Foods. Not there all the time - and there is oil in it, but  . . .  a killer when everyone else is doing pies and such. This is NOT a Whole Food! But . . . 
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RETAIL STORES Overview
You need to navigate the retail stores a few times to find out where they have these "specialty" or "vegetarian" items. But do read the ingredients. MOST vegetarian items have added oils. The new meat substitutes like Beyond Meat and Impossible Meat are full of oils. In a pinch, eating out, they are infinitely better for you than the real meat.

CUB - for the Twin Cities, Cub has an excellent vegetarian aisle. If you are looking for tofu, it is tucked in the corner of the produce department, often with refrigerated things.

Aldi's - no special place, but some of the same things that are found in other retailers are here under different brand names. Clancy's Pretzels are one example of a flat, no oil pretzel "chip" that goes good with salsa. Their bagel brand is oil free, and a couple of their spaghetti sauces.

Whole Foods - excellent source of vegan options. Right at the end of the produce section, there is a whole row of "meat substitutes" and the "cream cheese", right with the butter. Things only found here: Fire Station #2 brand - vegan ravioli, bean burger. Get their APP and search on 'vegan.'

Trader Joe's - the vegan options are tucked in the back next to the office. Sometimes the pizza crust that I like is with the vegan options nearer the produce section.


Shopping List - Retail Stores Detail 
  1. Large Grocery Store Organic Aisle. These days, most large stores will have at least one aisle dedicated to organic, vegan and gluten free products. Look for these items in that aisle - you will need them. Whole Foods will also carry these, but at an inflated price.
    • Egg Replacer. Bob's Red Mill makes a lot of these products. This one is very helpful for baking recipes where the eggs provide the glutenous mass that holds things together.
    • Flaxseed Meal. Something similar that helps give baked goods their substance.
    • Nutritional Yeast. A magic ingredient in some combinations with ground almonds.
    • Almonds - non baked, raw, non salted. Buy a package or a pound. These are very handy for many recipes.
  2. Large Grocery Store - Other
    • Fruit - get some fruit for breakfast, for your cereal, for snacks. Fruits are wonderful, full of flavor and nutrients.
    • Bananas - these are essential to breakfast, and they are very useful for making pancakes or muffins.
    • Mushrooms - get some. Very handy for salads and other recipes.
    • Portabella mushroom - for a very meaty texture in anything.
    • Onions - have a bunch on hand - they add lots of texture and flavor.
    • Potatoes - it is a vegetable, just don't actually FRY them.
    • Tofu - it is generally in the produce section, and there are varieties. Check out the recipes first. It is pretty tasteless, but it provides a nice base for spices for spreads and things.
    • Half gallon of "other" milk. Get Soy or Almond milk. Buy the cheapest - they all taste the same. You will use this in baking and for breakfast cereals.
    • Great Harvest Bread - many of their breads are dairy and oil free - check the ingredients. Get a loaf for toast.
    • Village Hearth whole wheat sandwich buns. These are for the "hamburgers".
    • Village Hearth whole wheat bagels. Wonderful with "cream cheese".
    • Thomas English Muffins - 100% whole wheat. Good with jam. The ingredient list says "butter flavor" - I am assuming that is NOT any butter fat to worry about.
    • Jam - it's fruit - get a few jars to put on your bagel and toast.
    • Applesauce - another universal ingredient that is very handy for baking and other things.
    • Nabisco Fig Newtons Fat Free. Nabisco has added other fig newtons - they all have some oil. Look for this original formulation. They are just nice to have for a small treat. I have only found these at Walmart so far.
    • Wish Bone fat free Italian dressing. Essential to life in our household. There are now many fat free salad dressings.
    • Bragg Organic Vinaigrette. Bragg makes some fat free dressings. I have found these in our local Cub and other SuperValu outlets.
    • Bragg Organic Hawaiian Dressing.
    • Bragg Liquid Aminos - this is often used to augment ingredients in cooking. 
    • Whole wheat pasta - whatever kind you like. It is handy for a quick meal.
    • Spaghetti Sauce. It is hard to find oil free in the regular grocery shelves. Trader Joe's mushroom sauce and Whole Foods 365 brand marinara and some Aldis' have no oil.
    • Brown Rice - get some - any kind, instant or regular. 
    • Raisin Bran cereal. Almost every brand works, but check the ingredients. 
    • Whole Wheat cereal. The large ones or the small ones. I am partial to those with the sugar coating for a few extra calories.
    • Cans of beans and chickpeas and kidney beans. Soups and chilis are good.
    • Baked Beans - vegetarian - the one with the green top.
    • 2 Bean Chili spice. You will find this one in the soup section - nothing but spices and beans, and it makes up a fine chili. You can add the vegan crumbles for more texture.
    • Swiss Miss Dark Hot Chocolate - this is only chocolate, no milk, so you can mix it with a milk substitute for a nice hot drink with lots of flavor.
  3. Whole Foods Make Whole Foods your next stop. 
    • No Oil salad dressings. These are Whole Foods brands - they are in the refrigerated section of the produce department.
    • Kite Hill - cream cheese spread, made from soy. Whole Foods has a vegan shelf at the end of the produce aisle. Not everything there is oil free.
    • Kite Hill spread with chives. This is great on a baked potato. 
    • Upton Seitan - soy bean based meat like product. You will find this in the refrigerated vegan section. You can use it in stews and the like.
    • Engine 2 Black Bean burgers - all Engine 2 stuff is generally ok. Most meat substitutes have eggs or oil in them. You will find this in the vegan freezer section of Whole Foods.
    • Whole Foods’ 365 Organic Pasta Sauce.
    • Muir Glen mushroom marinara and portobello mushroom pasta sauces. Not all varieties of this brand are oil free.
    • Wheat Weavers Crackers 365 brand - like Triscuits, only no oil. 
  4. Trader Joe's Most of their products are not oil free, but here are a few I have found. 
    • Trader Joe’s whole wheat pasta (fusilli and penne). I really prefer spaghetti, and any whole what version will do.
    • Trader Joe’s organic spaghetti sauce with mushrooms. Other varieties may have oil.
    • Trader Joe's whole grain pizza crust.
  5. Aldi's 
    Don't ignore Aldi's. You may need to eat the fruits and vegetables a bit more quickly, but their prices are great, and some of their in-house brands are perfect for your diet, with considerable savings.
SHOPPING LIST
Put these items on your first shopping list - it should get you up and running. This is a bit repetitive of above, but . . . 
  • Salad Greens - lots. Cucumbers, peppers, zucchini, spinach, mushrooms etc. Mushrooms are very handy for many recipes. 
  • Bananas - gotta have for many reasons.
  • Fruits - lots. Any berries, oranges, melons, whatever is in season and available. 
  • Non Dairy Milk - soy or almond.
  • Wishbone fat free Italian salad dressing.
  • Figs - these are handy for all kind of things, besides snacks. Costco sells a large bag of figs at about half the price that they want for a small container elsewhere. They get chopped into many baking recipes to hold some of the moisture.
  • Egg Replacer - this is really a ground flax seed that gives baked goods some of the texture that an egg adds. The most common brand is Bob's Red Hat.
  • Parchment Paper - use this on your baking sheets to keep the oil free recipes from sticking - really handy for fries. 
  • Red Silicone Baking Utensils. Get one of the those red silicon sheets for baking.
  • Silicone muffin cups and bread pan. These are handy for oil free baking. If you can't find them locally, check at Amazon.
  • Jam - get a couple of varieties for your breakfast spread.
  • Apple Butter - nice change of pace.
  • Applesauce - important for other cooking.
  • Bagels - Village Hearth Whole Wheat Bagels, some of Aldi's brand.
  • English Muffins - Thomas Whole Wheat English muffins.
  • Nabisco fat free fig newtons - not the new version. 
  • Raisins - nice for snacking.
  • Spaghetti Sauce - one of the no oil brands above: Whole Foods 365 marinara, Trader Joe's mushroom, two Aldi's.
  • Pasta - whole wheat variety.
  • Soups - McDougall's oil free varieties in the organic aisle. Lintel, bean soup in boxes.
  • Asian Rice Noodles - almost any brand. Gives nice texture to a stir fry.
  • Frozen mixed vegetables - get an Italian mix and an Asian one. Goes well with sauce and noodles.
  • Pizza Crust - a whole wheat one, preferably with no oil.
  • Cereals - oats, oatmeal, cheerios, wheaties, raisin bran, shredded wheat. Get a couple.
  • Pretzels - make sure they have no added oil.
  • Brown Bread - there are many varieties that work - Village Hearth is a good one.
Dining Out
Dining out can be a serious challenge. Even real vegetarian restaurants do not yet understand the NO OIL mantra, or NO CHEESE. I generally carry a small container of my favorite oil free salad dressing with me when going to a restaurant or even visiting friends. You can get some small plastic containers at Target that are leak proof. With a bit of notice, most places can generate some form of green salad. 
An Asian restaurant can generally produce a vegetarian stir fry. Just make sure they understand that you want the "frying" done with broth - not oil. Mexican or Hispanic establishments can always assemble refried beans, lettuce, tomatoes and salsa in some form. Ask them to hold the cheese they always sprinkle about.  Veggie fajitas on corn tortillas are generally good - but NO OIL for the cooking. Their tortilla chips are most likely fried in oil, so avoid those.
And, of course, there are REAL vegan restaurants out there. Check in YELP. Look at Happy Cow. 

Dining with Friends 
I have found it is generally a good idea to alert a friend that my diet has changed. I assure them that I will be just fine, and that I will eat whatever I can of what they offer - and they should not worry about it. But it is often easier to do small things up front - like separating out a few potatoes before they go in the mixer with butter and sour cream, or setting aside a small portion of the vegetable mix without the butter based dressing, etc. 

Recipes
Here are some good references for recipes that generally are no oil based. I have collected a couple of hundred recipes from these, but have not tried very many as yet. And there's an APP for that. 
Conclusion
A lot longer than I had hoped, but  . . . see what you think. If you have figured out a better way, send me a note, or drop a comment here. Whatever works. We really are all in this together, and I am pulling for you.

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