Going VEGAN, please help!
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How would honey be vegan?4
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RuNaRoUnDaFiEld wrote: »How would honey be vegan?
Traditional Kimchi is also not vegan - although it would be simple to make a vegan version.2 -
JustRobby1 wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »JustRobby1 wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »JustRobby1 wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »JustRobby1 wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »JustRobby1 wrote: »JustRobby1 wrote: »Changing your diet for legitimate health reasons is a great and positive transition, but deciding to do so based upon a propaganda piece is, in a word, naive. Not trying to be too critical, but there is little other way to describe it.
So many people are criticizing the OP without reading her comments. She has a right to her feelings.
She clearly said this: "I didn't buy into many things in the documentary. It was the animals that bothered me. BTW, I am from the hog plant area in North Carolina so I grew up smelling pigs and watching chickens head to the slaughter (all my friends work at those plants). I can't change how it made me feel."
Fair point, though I suppose I should I admit I tend to avoid reading long vegan related threads for the most part. For that matter, I tend to avoid Vegans in general. Past experience has taught me that far too high of a percentage tend to be political zealots who are about like the Taliban of the dietary world.
Curious as to why you are in this thread then. Wouldn't you expect vegans to be present in a thread about going vegan?
Why not just let vegans and those interested in veganism give OP advice?
Those who prefer to ascribe zealotry to those they don't even know can find threads that are more to their interest.
I said "generally" not "never". I did not think that would be too difficult to understand. I have certianly met some Vegan folks who aren't annoying ideologues. I have a few friends here actually that I have become close with over the last year that have been a delight to interact with, but sadly they are a slim minority in my experience. I am not sure what it is about that dietary regimen that attracts fanatics in such large numbers, I just know it does. I suspect the reason for this is because it has a sociopolitical type of tie in, not just health. Few other subjects out there (except perhaps religion) have the power to make otherwise normal people unreasonable.
I understood what you meant by "in general," you meant that generally you try to avoid vegans. I was simply pointing out that hanging out in a vegan thread is a strange way to avoid us "in general."
I try to avoid judging entire groups just by the individuals in that group that I happen to encounter. It's just my policy, I understand it isn't everyone's.
But you are right. Veganism isn't a health thing, it does have sociopolitical elements. But almost everyone on earth has some sort of sociopolitical opinion, it isn't limited to vegans. Some of them are nice people, some of them aren't. This is a human thing, not really a vegan thing.
I still judge everyone on a case by case basis of course, but I would be a fool at this point if I did not recognize the overwhelming historical trend. They just tend to suck far more often than the average human in my experience. As you aptly point out, fanaticism comes in many forms, and is hardly limited to Vegans. Most people find Ideologues intolerable after all, with the possible exception of other ideologues who share the same view.
I will still give anyone the benefit of the doubt, and give them enough rope to hang themselves, so to speak. If they run their mouth at me or preach to me is when they go on permanent ignore. I respect anyone's passion, however misguided I might find it to be, provided they respect my desire to want no part of it.
Do you not see the riskiness of saying that a member of a particular group is likely to "suck more" than the average person just because of your own past personal experiences? Your own personal experiences don't make up a cohesive "historical trend," it's heavily influenced by where you are, the circles you move in, and the type of people you have tended to encounter over the course of your life.
When you say that you tend to avoid members of a certain group in general due to your past experiences, that's not compatible with your claim that you also give members of that group the benefit of the doubt. I can believe that you mean one of those statements, but it's illogical to accept that you mean both of them.
Of course my view is influenced by my personal situation and experiences. I would not think that would be difficult to ascertain given my previous statements on the subject. It's not "risky" at all, when 9 times out of ten people who claim such an affiliation I would not choose to be in the same room with for longer than 5 min based upon this previous experience.
Look, provided they don't preach to me, we will get along just fine. I am not a particularly difficult person to get along with, If they do preach, they are done. Simple. My generalized avoidance is due to the fact that most can't seem to contain themselves from preaching their version of the "gospel". They apparently suffer from the self righteous notion that other people should care about their views. Guess what? By and large, nobody cares, except other Vegans.
Most vegans I know don't assume other people care about their views on the subject. I think this is an issue with the vegans you have personally encountered, maybe not vegans as a whole.
Think about this: you're the one who came into a thread about veganism, assuming that your views (opposing veganism, wanting to avoid vegans) would be of interest. Should I make conclusions about non-vegans based on your behavior here?
You are free to make any associations you so choose based upon your experience, as this is what has shaped my view
Practical experience tends to be the best educator on social matters
Actually, if we're going by personal experience, I've found most non-vegans to be very accepting and relaxed about veganism. It's only a small minority who seem to hold animosity towards vegans or attribute negative things to them as a group before getting to know them.2 -
One rarely-discussed vegan cooking tip: get some umami flavor in your food! This really helped me stick with veganism the first time I did it: think fermented food like kimchi or soy sauce. Tomato paste works too. Mushrooms.
Soy sauce + honey = a great marinade for tofu or tempeh. Cook with some sesame oil for some hearty delicious vegan meat substitute with plenty of umami.
Honey isn't vegan, but this would work well with agave nectar.0 -
jseams1234 wrote: »RuNaRoUnDaFiEld wrote: »How would honey be vegan?
Traditional Kimchi is also not vegan - although it would be simple to make a vegan version.
For those who aren't quite ready to make their own: Mother-in-Law (distributed nationally in the US) makes a vegan version. Farmhouse Culture makes another. There is also a regional brand in my area (midwest) that is vegan.1 -
I'm just commenting so I can find this discussion again in the future. Hopefully the bashers can cut it out so those of us who would like the advice can find it.
I'd like to go veg, but I'm struggling with figuring out how to. I can't see myself going vegan, but instead focusing on animal products that are humane.
I'm using eggs from local hens who I know have really awesome lives (I eat eggs from my mother in laws hens, those hens have an amazing life, and I know they will get broody if I don't eat their eggs) and I've switched to non-dairy milk...but struggling with getting rid of the actual meat, even though I don't want to eat it. I also don't want to give up honey. I go to Cuba twice a year to pick up my honey supplies, and those bees are really happy and they don't seem to mind me taking their honey. So really, I'd like to be ethical, but I'm deciding what is ethical instead of letting someone else decide for me.
I'm thinking of getting an indian cookbook or something. They seem to do vegan without shoveling tofu into their face for every meal quite well. I hate tofu.2 -
LiveLoveFitFab wrote: »I'm just commenting so I can find this discussion again in the future. Hopefully the bashers can cut it out so those of us who would like the advice can find it.
I'd like to go veg, but I'm struggling with figuring out how to. I can't see myself going vegan, but instead focusing on animal products that are humane.
I'm using eggs from local hens who I know have really awesome lives (I eat eggs from my mother in laws hens, those hens have an amazing life, and I know they will get broody if I don't eat their eggs) and I've switched to non-dairy milk...but struggling with getting rid of the actual meat, even though I don't want to eat it. I also don't want to give up honey. I go to Cuba twice a year to pick up my honey supplies, and those bees are really happy and they don't seem to mind me taking their honey. So really, I'd like to be ethical, but I'm deciding what is ethical instead of letting someone else decide for me.
I'm thinking of getting an indian cookbook or something. They seem to do vegan without shoveling tofu into their face for every meal quite well. I hate tofu.
What do you find challenging about giving up meat?
Indian food is a great place to start exploring meatfree cooking. If you're interested, "Homestyle Vegan" is a recently published cookbook that has tofu-free recipes.1 -
I am not fully vegan (I eat a very limited amount of dairy and will eat or use eggs from hens I know), but when I'm cooking for myself at home, I consume little to no animal products. I eat tons of beans (black beans are my fave), keep a huge supply of frozen veggies (I'm a freak for peas), and keep a lot of dark leafy greens around (I'm not big on salads, but I know it's important to get a lot of greens, so they go into a lot of smoothies and I like spinach lightly cooked, so I eat it almost every meal), and I try to keep big batches of lentils and brown rice cooked up in the fridge. I also always have a container of vegan protein powder (my current favorite is Orgain) because I'm not great about breakfast, but having a shake with some unsweetened almond milk is easy for me, and sometimes I'll toss a smoothie together (I emotional ate nothing but carbs yesterday, so I'm currently sucking down a smoothie with TONS of spinach and a couple of bananas as a form of apology to my body
).
My favorite resources for recipes are Thug Kitchen, Plant Based on a Budget, Happy Herbivore, and Chocolate Covered Kate. Buuuuut, I also take plenty of recipes and either omit the meat or animal products or find substitutes (I'm lucky that my brother is a vegan and a chef, so he's a good source for ideas on substitutes).
I also just tend to make what I refer to as "garbage bowls." Basically I pick a carb, a protein, a veggie or two, and some greens and mix it all together, season to taste (hot sauce, soy sauce, vinegars, BBQ sauce occasionally I'd theres no honey, etc).0 -
janejellyroll wrote: »LiveLoveFitFab wrote: »I'm just commenting so I can find this discussion again in the future. Hopefully the bashers can cut it out so those of us who would like the advice can find it.
I'd like to go veg, but I'm struggling with figuring out how to. I can't see myself going vegan, but instead focusing on animal products that are humane.
I'm using eggs from local hens who I know have really awesome lives (I eat eggs from my mother in laws hens, those hens have an amazing life, and I know they will get broody if I don't eat their eggs) and I've switched to non-dairy milk...but struggling with getting rid of the actual meat, even though I don't want to eat it. I also don't want to give up honey. I go to Cuba twice a year to pick up my honey supplies, and those bees are really happy and they don't seem to mind me taking their honey. So really, I'd like to be ethical, but I'm deciding what is ethical instead of letting someone else decide for me.
I'm thinking of getting an indian cookbook or something. They seem to do vegan without shoveling tofu into their face for every meal quite well. I hate tofu.
What do you find challenging about giving up meat?
Indian food is a great place to start exploring meatfree cooking. If you're interested, "Homestyle Vegan" is a recently published cookbook that has tofu-free recipes.
The part that is challenging is that I cook for my family, and they don't want to give up meat and I really love the taste of it, I just don't want to eat it because of the environmental impacts. It's not really because I'm a bleeding heart for animals as individuals, but more for the earth as a whole.
I also grew up on a beef farm, so I have the mindset that these animals are for eating which I am working to get past. For me, it comes down to concern for global warming, how we could be using our farmlands to feed more people if we ate less meat...and so on.
I want to be ethical, but I have my own ideas of what is ethical. For me, eating less meat and consuming less dairy is ethical for the whole world. Cows are one of the major contributors to methane emissions. It's not just meat, I try to consume less of everything, whether it's buying less clothing but better quality to last longer or using bulk purchases with my own containers. Eating less meat fall into those goals.
I'm also part Aboriginal, and meat is part of my traditional diet, there is no denying that. So there are many sides to the coin.
So far I've cut out dairy and I've cut red meat down to one serving a month. I don't eat seafood that isn't farmed, because it isn't sustainable. I'm an avid Scuba diver and ocean lover so I am very concerned with the states of our oceans.
Anyways, good for OP for finding something she cares about and making changes in her life to reflect that. I wish more people would. If each of us meat eaters just had one or two meatless days a week the environment as a whole would be better off.0 -
Hi, I faced some of the same roadblocks during my switch to vegan. I kind of jumped headfirst and tried to feel my way through. I didn't have to cook for anyone else, but there are many meat substitutes that are pretty tasty that can help smooth the transition. I wish I had some advice in terms of cooking for your family. The only thing I can think of is that there are a bunch of fun vegan recipes online that you could try to offer them along the way. Wishing you the best. Good luck!1
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LiveLoveFitFab wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »LiveLoveFitFab wrote: »I'm just commenting so I can find this discussion again in the future. Hopefully the bashers can cut it out so those of us who would like the advice can find it.
I'd like to go veg, but I'm struggling with figuring out how to. I can't see myself going vegan, but instead focusing on animal products that are humane.
I'm using eggs from local hens who I know have really awesome lives (I eat eggs from my mother in laws hens, those hens have an amazing life, and I know they will get broody if I don't eat their eggs) and I've switched to non-dairy milk...but struggling with getting rid of the actual meat, even though I don't want to eat it. I also don't want to give up honey. I go to Cuba twice a year to pick up my honey supplies, and those bees are really happy and they don't seem to mind me taking their honey. So really, I'd like to be ethical, but I'm deciding what is ethical instead of letting someone else decide for me.
I'm thinking of getting an indian cookbook or something. They seem to do vegan without shoveling tofu into their face for every meal quite well. I hate tofu.
What do you find challenging about giving up meat?
Indian food is a great place to start exploring meatfree cooking. If you're interested, "Homestyle Vegan" is a recently published cookbook that has tofu-free recipes.
The part that is challenging is that I cook for my family, and they don't want to give up meat and I really love the taste of it, I just don't want to eat it because of the environmental impacts. It's not really because I'm a bleeding heart for animals as individuals, but more for the earth as a whole.
I also grew up on a beef farm, so I have the mindset that these animals are for eating which I am working to get past. For me, it comes down to concern for global warming, how we could be using our farmlands to feed more people if we ate less meat...and so on.
I want to be ethical, but I have my own ideas of what is ethical. For me, eating less meat and consuming less dairy is ethical for the whole world. Cows are one of the major contributors to methane emissions. It's not just meat, I try to consume less of everything, whether it's buying less clothing but better quality to last longer or using bulk purchases with my own containers. Eating less meat fall into those goals.
I'm also part Aboriginal, and meat is part of my traditional diet, there is no denying that. So there are many sides to the coin.
So far I've cut out dairy and I've cut red meat down to one serving a month. I don't eat seafood that isn't farmed, because it isn't sustainable. I'm an avid Scuba diver and ocean lover so I am very concerned with the states of our oceans.
Anyways, good for OP for finding something she cares about and making changes in her life to reflect that. I wish more people would. If each of us meat eaters just had one or two meatless days a week the environment as a whole would be better off.
It's absolutely challenging when cooking for other people is involved. I wish I had an easy solution for you there.
I think it's awesome that you're actively think about your goals and what you consider to be ethical behavior that aligns with those goals. It's something that I think almost everyone should do more of and I agree that all our consumption (not just that of animal products) is something we should think about more.1 -
LiveLoveFitFab wrote: »I'm just commenting so I can find this discussion again in the future. Hopefully the bashers can cut it out so those of us who would like the advice can find it.
I'd like to go veg, but I'm struggling with figuring out how to. I can't see myself going vegan, but instead focusing on animal products that are humane.
I'm using eggs from local hens who I know have really awesome lives (I eat eggs from my mother in laws hens, those hens have an amazing life, and I know they will get broody if I don't eat their eggs) and I've switched to non-dairy milk...but struggling with getting rid of the actual meat, even though I don't want to eat it. I also don't want to give up honey. I go to Cuba twice a year to pick up my honey supplies, and those bees are really happy and they don't seem to mind me taking their honey. So really, I'd like to be ethical, but I'm deciding what is ethical instead of letting someone else decide for me.
I'm thinking of getting an indian cookbook or something. They seem to do vegan without shoveling tofu into their face for every meal quite well. I hate tofu.
It's great that you're giving vegetarian cooking a shot and seeking ethical options. You do you!
Indian is fantastic, I recommend starting with yellow dal (it's the only Indian dish I can kinda make). I'm also a big fan of Mexican rice and beans with fajita veggies and maybe some avo. Middle eastern cooking has plenty to offer too; chickpea fritters (falafel) and sabich are two sandwich options I'm a fan of. Sometimes I just add canned beans to pasta and sauce of choice. There are lots of easy ways to try beans if you're not into tofu.
Re my previous entry using honey: yes you can use other sweeteners. That recipe is more vegetarian than vegan... I'm still learning/transitioning/figuring out what I'm comfortable with.1
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