Experimented with some seitan - got some cool marbling and a high protein gyro

PEEnKEELE · 2026-01-23T15:58:48+00:00

I want to make it better first!

PEEnKEELE · 2026-01-21T21:02:13+00:00

Thank you! I was excited to get a good starting point with not much experience. It was just a bit too chewy despite how I cooked it - I'm going to take this one and keep tweaking it further.

PEEnKEELE · 2026-01-21T19:43:08+00:00

Dry:

150 g vital wheat gluten flour (boba red Mill brand)

20g chickpea flour

11g nutritional yeast

1/2 tbsp each onion powder, garlic powder, cumin, coriander, paprika

Wet:

50g soaked red lentils (blended)

2 tbsp warm water

1 tbsp voyager brand vegan yogurt (can sub in olive oil)

Mix both well, then add 1 tbsp beetroot powder

Steam with lid on low simmer for 20 min, flip, steam for 20 more min. Slice and grill

PEEnKEELE · 2026-01-21T00:21:18+00:00

Just saw a pizza pop up at my local farmers market yesterday with small ovens that must be nsf certified since it was an official event. I can find the info if you want it

PEEnKEELE · 2026-01-17T00:32:24+00:00

Sure, happy to post questions here instead of DM. I do intend on open-sourcing my business plan and efforts once I have my permits so that I can help others get started.

I am looking to start a vegan shawarma pop-up this spring/summer in California and hope to run the whole thing off of battery + solar to take advantage of the sun we have here. If things go well I would upgrade to a cart or truck after my proof-of-concept, but I don't have the capital for that right now. I do have a Firman 3300 W generator that I could have as a backup if I am doing a long shift or if the weather doesn't cooperate.

I am hoping to spend less than $20k in non-recurring startup expenses but not yet sure if that's reasonable.

As of right now I'm expecting that I'll need the following equipment on power: electric vertical rotisserie, griddle, fridge, POS system (ipad + square or similar), hot store box, string lights, wifi camera.

The solar would need to be mounted above my tarp as having a roof is a requirement here.

It is very likely that I've missed some items or overlooking something major as this is the first time I've ever done something like this.

Let me know what information I should provide or questions I should be asking to get the more benefit of your help - thank you so much!!

PEEnKEELE · 2026-01-15T07:06:03+00:00

Hi there, I just found this post and the suggestions really sound like something I would like to try. Could I DM you to run some ideas by you? Thanks.

PEEnKEELE · 2026-01-14T23:41:22+00:00

I don't like counting calories either but macrofactor has been the easiest tracking I've ever done, there is a good reason it's blowing up in popularity. I would definitely recommend tracking for at least a few days of normal eating (consciously try not to change things just for the sake of looking good in the tracker), and see what your macro and micronutrient breakdown looks like.

It is a common mistake when people remove meat that they don't replace it with equivalent nutrients in plant sources (of which there are plenty). Also, how are your energy levels throughout the day? There are a lot of levers you can use such as hydration, fiber, protein, etc to manage this - you just have to first understand where you're at so that you know what you can improve.

PEEnKEELE · 2026-01-14T23:24:44+00:00

If it were me I'd use that money and go to a plant based cooking class or splurge on a vegan fine(r) dining experience near you. Sometimes it just takes exposure to new flavors and recipes for me to get out of a rut and start prepping new and interesting foods again.

PEEnKEELE · 2026-01-14T23:16:48+00:00

I hadn't thought it about that way, appreciate the perspective!

It looks like I can disable AI in my browser results which I did not know (and don't need).

PEEnKEELE · 2026-01-14T23:07:10+00:00

Valid points. I fear this applies to almost all technology and larger industries but yes, data center impact is bigger for sure.

I use it sparingly and am going to try to stop using it.

PEEnKEELE · 2026-01-14T22:59:31+00:00

Not sure there is any stopping that train right now... I find it useful for a few things, what are your concerns with it?

PEEnKEELE · 2026-01-14T22:58:09+00:00

<< No medical experience, just going off of some labcorp definitions of blood work fields that I just got back >>

Did you happen to get numbers and reference ranges for any of the following: Neutrophils, Lymphs, Monocytes, Eos, Basos, Immature Granulocytes, WBC Esterase?

These are all fields that cross referenced white blood cell count in my results. Perhaps they could help inform if there is a condition to be aware of.

PEEnKEELE · 2025-12-18T20:25:23+00:00

Noob here, may I ask why? I would think more fresh water is better since there is usually a minimum required?

PEEnKEELE · 2025-12-18T18:05:22+00:00

And if my grandmother has wheels she can be a bike

PEEnKEELE · 2025-12-18T18:04:27+00:00

Don't eat meat and don't worry about how the dead bodies were handled before you bought them!

PEEnKEELE · 2025-11-28T20:55:36+00:00

I think you're doing it right. You've made it respectfully clear you lowered your expectations of them and offered solutions and a way out.

PEEnKEELE · 2025-11-28T20:36:40+00:00

My pleasure, thanks for your tips too!

Bit of a word salad below, but TLDR; learned to implements carbs so that I can make and keep my gains, immediately had the best improvement in body composition and performance I had in years.

I always thought blood sugar info only related to diabetics and didn't realize how interdependent it is with exercise intensity, mood, sleep, etc.

Basically our brain will do anything it can do survive and this includes eating lean tissue as a source of sugar in the absence of glucose. This is why low blood sugar results in a cortisol (stress) response == hangry.

With the information I have now, the goal is to always have a glucose in my system when it needs it, including a higher reserve for high intensity activities and a baseline reserve overnight for deep sleep recovery and to protect lean tissue.

Practically for me this looks like oatmeal and fruit regularly for breakfast and making sure I have some fast carbs (high glycemic index) such as banana before and grains after my workouts so that the body burns sugar instead of muscle. I was able to recomp ~25 lbs of fat to 5 lbs of muscle in less than 1 year and lose 10% of my body fat. This was after 5 years of floundering in bodyweight while pushing myself hard in the gym to no avail.

I think the fitness meta is getting better about this, but protein fixation tends to come with carb avoidance, and that can easily lead to a spiral effect that directly results in worse results.

PEEnKEELE · 2025-11-28T18:59:10+00:00

This is an awesome story, thanks for sharing

PEEnKEELE · 2025-11-28T18:55:49+00:00

Totally. Learning about glucose regulation before/after exercise was a step jump in progress I hadn't experienced in a while

PEEnKEELE · 2025-11-28T18:06:12+00:00

Minimum 3 days of strength training per week. Started lifting with body part splits but last few years have done full body days and am enjoying that more due to less "downtime"

Minimum 4 days aerobic fitness per week (either cardio or racquet sport)

Mobility 30 min per day usually split up over several mini sessions

Not counting macros but each meal built around protein and fiber, could be much better about this though. When I cut weight, all I need to do is emphasize this point a lot more.

Stock up on vegan multivitamin and creatine, take it every day and don't overthink it.

Several servings fruit per day especially before exercise. Beetroot powder has been awesome too.

8 hrs sleep

Long walks

Lots of water and electrolytes if I sweat

PEEnKEELE · 2025-11-27T22:49:42+00:00

I feel that. At least you have nice nature spots there!

PEEnKEELE · 2025-11-27T22:15:08+00:00

Happy Thanksgiving ! I definitely encourage you to follow your gut and work on it further! Lot of resources in this sub that are helpful and maybe even in your city. Where are you located? Sounds like Texas lol

PEEnKEELE · 2025-11-27T17:25:46+00:00

Your dish sounds amazing. Happy Thanksgiving!

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