best cruising grounds for vegans?

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I think Vegan is a first world issue, best stay there if you expect anyone to even know what your talking about.
I heard one or two complaining in the Bahamas about it. I was just happy if we could get any produce other than onions.

I don't really think this is true -- poorer countries generally eat less meat, except in high latitudes where not much grows and hunting is the basis of existence (like Greenland).



As others have said, if you can get fresh produce, you'll be fine.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

4. Vegan food bloody tastes better. Meat is monotonous and diets with meat main courses every meal are monotonous. Vegan food has tremendous variety of tastes and textures.

WHen you can come up with a vegan alternative that tastes as good as bacon, I'll believe you

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

4. Vegan food bloody tastes better. Meat is monotonous and diets with meat main courses every meal are monotonous. Vegan food has tremendous variety of tastes and textures.
.

But then Vegan food must also get boring and monotonous else why would Chimpanzees and Baboons go on hunting expeditions..

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Vegans are motivated by different reasons, sometimes in different combinations. The main ones are:


1. Moral -- it's just not right to torture and kill animals for our food. If you look into what animals go through in the process of factory farming -- it will curl your hair. When I was eating meat I was vaguely aware of this but tried not to think about it.
2. Environmental -- production of meat and dairy does vast ecological damage, not just carbon emissions, but land use and fresh water. Giving up meat and dairy saves more carbon than entirely giving up motorized transportation would.
3. Health -- much better for your heart; you feel much better and have more energy, especially after giving up dairy.


and lastly, the little cited and for me unexpected one:


4. Vegan food bloody tastes better. Meat is monotonous and diets with meat main courses every meal are monotonous. Vegan food has tremendous variety of tastes and textures.


Downside is it can be harder when cruising and on long ocean passages.

I disagree with the last sentence though .
Apart from fresh fruit and veg that are not really substitutes for animal sourced food anyway, most non animal sourced food is absolutely ideal for cruisers. It often costs peanuts, is lightweight and stores well for months and up to years without refrigeration.

Take, for example, the major protein source of dried legumes (eg chickpeas, lentils, beans).

Same goes for flour and dried yeast. The fragrance of freshly baked bread or a cinnamon loaf is impossible to beat .



To the list of provisions add dried fruit and nuts, pine nuts, desiccated coconut, toasted seeds, rice, some types of pasta, quinoa, grains such as whole wheat, barley, buckwheat etc.

Season meals with herbs and spice and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil (the high grade stuff is food of the gods) or walnut oil or avocado oil ....

Then there is a host of vinegar types such as balsamic and red & white wine. I think my boat made raspberry vinegar is to die for, but I am biased .
Other condiments that keep well for years are chutneys, mustard, horseradish, wasabi etc.

Coconut cream imparts richness and flavour and comes packages in convenient small quantities or even dried.

Oatmeal is wonderful in muesli and granola (I could munch all day on the home made stuff) and cookies. Porridge can be made in a wide mouth thermos and when the weather is wet, cold and miserable, a warm bowl drizzled with maple syrup and sprinkled with dried fruit and nuts is unbeatable comfort food that can be made easily and safely in rough seas.

In addition, some fruit and vegetables etc do keep well for weeks: potatoes, pumpkin, cabbage, apples, garlic, ginger, onions, lemons ....

Then there are the pleasures of sipping coffee and tea and even alcoholic beverages .

Scrumptious food can still be eaten as a vegan even if you have been weeks without contacting civilisation and even without any refrigeration.



I think any diet would suffer without fresh fruit and veg that can at times be difficult to source, but this applies to meat eaters just as it does to vegans.


If anyone is looking for inspiration, I started this thread nearly 6 years ago:
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ed-113368.html

SWL

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by StuM

WHen you can come up with a vegan alternative that tastes as good as bacon, I'll believe you

Bacon is actually the only food I miss. That and stinky French cheese.


I do not take diet as a religion, so I have been known to take a mouthful of one or the other on occasion . . . .


That being said, there actually ARE some decent vegan substitutes for bacon:


https://www.vegan.com/bacon/


I like it on salads.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Seaworthy Lass

. . . I think any diet would suffer without fresh fruit and veg that can at times be difficult to source, but this applies to meat eaters just as it does to vegans. Generally vegetables are not really substitutes for animal sourced food.. .

Did you mean "generally animal-sourced food is not really a substitute for vegetables"?


I can only speak for my own experience, but when I was still eating animal-sourced food, I didn't suffer that much without fresh veg -- canned stuff was ok in a pinch. Perhaps I've become more sensitive to it, and perhaps it's just me, but now I really suffer without fresh veg. Beans and lentils and so forth just don't cut it for me without fresh vegetables, even if there are canned vegetables around.

[Seaworthy Lass]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Did you mean "generally animal-sourced food is not really a substitute for vegetables"?

I meant one is not a replacement for the other from a nutritional point of view.

This thread seems to be focussing on the availability of fresh veggies as only being important if you follow a vegan diet.

The ideal diet for our bodies is hotly debated (understatement), but there are few than deny a decent dose of vegetables is required for optimal health. I don’t think you can function well just on animal products. So in cruising grounds without fresh fruit and veg, everyone suffers.

I hope I am not opening a can of worms here .

Originally Posted by Dockhead

I can only speak for my own experience, but when I was still eating animal-sourced food, I didn't suffer that much without fresh veg -- canned stuff was ok in a pinch. Perhaps I've become more sensitive to it, and perhaps it's just me, but now I really suffer without fresh veg. Beans and lentils and so forth just don't cut it for me without fresh vegetables, even if there are canned vegetables around.

I think we all vary tremendously regarding our food preferences.

I have always loved fruit and veg and missed it awfully when unavailable, even if animal sourced food has been abundant.

When fresh fruit and veg are likely to run out, learning how to provision and what to prepare that is still a pleasure to eat has been a real challenge for me. I am slowly improving. At the tail end of last winter we had 6 weeks without any access to a store. I felt we were eating almost as well at the end of this time, as we were at the beginning, with very limited animal sourced products or fresh fruit and veg left on board.

Almost, but not quite . I must admit I did overdose on fresh greens and blueberries and a host of other items when we hit civilisation .

SWL

[Mike OReilly]

Interesting thread. Not a vegan, nor a vegetarian. Neither do I consider myself a carnivore. I’m an equal opportunity eater ; IOW, an omnivore, just like all homo sapiens (evolutionarily speaking).

We tend to be off the dock for months at a time, so we naturally drift into a vegetarian diet pretty easily. We do carry a stock of dried and cured, canned meat and sausage, but mostly its veg, legumes and fruits.

I actually LOVE beans, so find it easy to shift into a vegetarian diet. I do need to expand my cooking repertoire though. My bean meals all turn into some sort of one-pot goulash .

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Ecos

... Oh yeah, they havn't got around to BPA free cans yet either.

8 Companies That Use BPA-Free Lining In Canned Foods
None of which are familiar to me:
Amy’s
Bionaturae
Crown Prince Seafood
Eden Foods (Eden foods still uses BPA in highly acidic foods like canned tomatoes.)
Farmer’s Market
Muir Glen
Westbrae Natural
Wild Planet Foods

Apparently, there’s more
These Brands Use BPA Free Cans
➥ https://insteading.com/blog/bpa-free-cans/

However:
Be Wary of 'BPA-Free' Cans
BPA-free cans sometimes include PVC copolymer and other unsafe bisphenol A (BPA) replacements. If you’re concerned about the chemicals in the linings of canned foods, opt for fresh, frozen, or home-canned foods, or look for products canned in glass jars instead of the metal cans with questionable linings.
➥ https://www.motherearthnews.com/natu...s-zm0z16aszkin

[zboss]

Originally Posted by ArmyDaveNY

When you say you can bring your own food and help with the cooking, do you require that even the cooking utensils need to be separate? I ask due to an experience with a co-worker. She insisted that the grill be cleaned and that we use a separate spatula, tongs, etc. She refused to allow anything to be used that had touched meats or animal products. She was a real PITA.

You just described my college girlfriend. "What do you MEAN I can't get pepperoni on one-half?"

[ArmyDaveNY]

Originally Posted by GordMay

However:
Be Wary of 'BPA-Free' Cans
BPA-free cans sometimes include PVC copolymer and other unsafe bisphenol A (BPA) replacements. If you’re concerned about the chemicals in the linings of canned foods, opt for fresh, frozen, or home-canned foods, or look for products canned in glass jars instead of the metal cans with questionable linings.
➥ https://www.motherearthnews.com/natu...s-zm0z16aszkin

Indeed! One of the BPA replacements is BPS. Whlie BPS is more stable to heat and light, it is more readily absorbed by people than BPS. There are some concerns that it is more dangerous than BPA due to it being more easily absorbed. BPS may have estrogen mimicking properties similar to BPA. BPS is not environmentally degradable either.

[hamburking]

You will do well on any long passage, as its the animal products that spoil fastest. When I crossed the Atlantic, it was not long before the meat, eggs and dairy were gone (about a week). We had beans, rice, and potatoes for far too long. I lost a lot of weight on that trip.

[ArmyDaveNY]

Originally Posted by hamburking

You will do well on any long passage, as its the animal products that spoil fastest. When I crossed the Atlantic, it was not long before the meat, eggs and dairy were gone (about a week). We had beans, rice, and potatoes for far too long. I lost a lot of weight on that trip.

Eggs will last up to six weeks without refrigeration if you take care of them. In order to get them to last that long, coat them with Vaseline or other petroleum jelly to keep the air out of them. Rotating them every day will also help. This greatly delays air getting in through the shells.



I'm guessing that you know how to test them, but for those who don.t, place them is a container filled with water. If they float they are bad. If one end touches the bottom but the other end floats, they are good but don't have a lot of time left. You'd better start make a lot of omelets!

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by ArmyDaveNY

Eggs will last up to six weeks without refrigeration if you take care of them. In order to get them to last that long, coat them with Vaseline or other petroleum jelly to keep the air out of them. Rotating them every day will also help. This greatly delays air getting in through the shells.

I'm guessing that you know how to test them, but for those who don.t, place them is a container filled with water. If they float they are bad. If one end touches the bottom but the other end floats, they are good but don't have a lot of time left. You'd better start make a lot of omelets!

If you can get non-commercial eggs that haven’t been scrubbed clean they will last fine without the need to coat them. The natural residues on the egg will keep them sealed, so you don’t have to coat or refrigerate them.

Here in North American (Canada & USA anyway), our supermarket eggs have to be refrigerated because they’re washed clean of any hint of where they came from. So buying them directly from the farmer is best.

[Shrew]

Originally Posted by RainDog

I would think the opposite is true. People in poverty seem to eat mostly veggies and grains.

Anyone can cook vegan in their own galley. I mistakenly interpreted the request to be about restaurants and markets that sell vegetarian and vegan alternatives.

It was a bit tongue in cheek. But only a bit. I find there is little "vegetarian by choice" amongst the starving. In fact, the further down the poverty scale you go, the more you find people eating everything from the 'rooter' to the 'tooter', and few passing on a meal for morality's sake.

Not often will you find organs and eyeballs on the menu in Beverly Hills.

I personally could care less what someone chooses to eat or why. There are things that I love that other people are disgusted by....and vice versa.

My only objection is when one person forces another to adopt their lifestyle choices.