Any vegans out there?

mamabear1114

I have been thinking about/wanting to become a vegan for a long time, but when I think about all the foods I love that I would have to eliminate, it seems overwhelming. I would like to hear from any beginner/professional (lol) vegans about your journey and how you began. Any advice would be appreciated. Oh, and recipes would be nice too! ))

mellowncalm

mamabear i suggest to start with one meal . how about lunch have a salad everyday A BIG SALAD drink a lot of water all day. you hear that all the time BUT you need it.
make me a friend plz

SomebodyWakeUpHIcks

Reach out to @abetterme9366

She helped me down the vegan path.

janejellyroll

I was convinced that it would be impossible for me to be vegan but at the same time, I felt like it was something that I needed to consider. So I decided to do it for two weeks. The real goal was to "prove" that it was impossible for me so that I wouldn't have to think about it anymore. However, it wound up being not that big of a deal, so I never went back. That was ten years ago.

If going vegan all at once seems overwhelming, why not challenge yourself to consistently have one meal a day that is free of animal products? That can be whatever meal seems easiest (many people find breakfast or lunch to be easier meals to begin with). You can find some recipes, experiment with new foods, and then when you're ready, add more meals. Other people have found success with making one day a week animal product free, or beginning with weekdays. Pick what works best for you. While you're doing this, you can also challenge yourself to replace health and beauty/household products/clothing with vegan replacements when you need to replace things.

Need a new candle? Make it a soy candle. Time to replace your shampoo? Get a vegan one. Time for new shoes? Get non-leather, etc.

mamabear1114

janejellyroll wrote: »

I was convinced that it would be impossible for me to be vegan but at the same time, I felt like it was something that I needed to consider. So I decided to do it for two weeks. The real goal was to "prove" that it was impossible for me so that I wouldn't have to think about it anymore. However, it wound up being not that big of a deal, so I never went back. That was ten years ago.

If going vegan all at once seems overwhelming, why not challenge yourself to consistently have one meal a day that is free of animal products? That can be whatever meal seems easiest (many people find breakfast or lunch to be easier meals to begin with). You can find some recipes, experiment with new foods, and then when you're ready, add more meals. Other people have found success with making one day a week animal product free, or beginning with weekdays. Pick what works best for you. While you're doing this, you can also challenge yourself to replace health and beauty/household products/clothing with vegan replacements when you need to replace things.

Need a new candle? Make it a soy candle. Time to replace your shampoo? Get a vegan one. Time for new shoes? Get non-leather, etc.

All great ideas! I was thinking of eliminating meat first. Meat isn't really my issue honestly, it's animal products. I love butter, sour cream, cheese, chocolate, etc. Do you know of any resources, websites, books, that could help me along the way? Thank you for your response!

mamabear1114

SomebodyWakeUpHIcks wrote: »

Reach out to @abetterme9366

She helped me down the vegan path.

Will do! Thank you!

mamabear1114

mellowncalm wrote: »

mamabear i suggest to start with one meal . how about lunch have a salad everyday A BIG SALAD drink a lot of water all day. you hear that all the time BUT you need it.
make me a friend plz

Good idea! Thank you!

janejellyroll

mamabear1114 wrote: »

janejellyroll wrote: »

I was convinced that it would be impossible for me to be vegan but at the same time, I felt like it was something that I needed to consider. So I decided to do it for two weeks. The real goal was to "prove" that it was impossible for me so that I wouldn't have to think about it anymore. However, it wound up being not that big of a deal, so I never went back. That was ten years ago.

If going vegan all at once seems overwhelming, why not challenge yourself to consistently have one meal a day that is free of animal products? That can be whatever meal seems easiest (many people find breakfast or lunch to be easier meals to begin with). You can find some recipes, experiment with new foods, and then when you're ready, add more meals. Other people have found success with making one day a week animal product free, or beginning with weekdays. Pick what works best for you. While you're doing this, you can also challenge yourself to replace health and beauty/household products/clothing with vegan replacements when you need to replace things.

Need a new candle? Make it a soy candle. Time to replace your shampoo? Get a vegan one. Time for new shoes? Get non-leather, etc.

All great ideas! I was thinking of eliminating meat first. Meat isn't really my issue honestly, it's animal products. I love butter, sour cream, cheese, chocolate, etc. Do you know of any resources, websites, books, that could help me along the way? Thank you for your response!

Eliminating meat first and then focusing on other stuff is also a good strategy!

I also really enjoyed dairy and I thought that would be the hardest thing for me. Depending on where you are in the world, there are some substitutes that are pretty good. I use Miyoko's Creamery cultured butter and find it to be really good. I also began making my own cheeses. If you can eat cashews, they make great cheeses and creams. Hummus is also a good stand-in for the creaminess of cheese in some foods (like sandwiches or even on pizza).

There are so many great vegan cookbooks now -- Isa Chandra Moskowitz is one of my favorite authors, I don't think you can go wrong with any of her books. If you're interested in a more formal mentorship, Vegan Outreach has a program where you can sign up to be paired with a vegan mentor. The pairing is based on your demographic information, so you can get someone who likely understands some of the specific challenges you're facing in making the transition: https://veganoutreach.org/vegan-mentorship-program/

Also, chocolate is completely vegan! It's just the milk chocolate that isn't. If you're buying dark chocolate, just to make sure to check the label for milk fat or things like that. If dark chocolate isn't your thing, they sell chocolate made with plant milk (Sjaak's is a great brand). Here is their website: http://www.sjaaks.com/ and you can also order their stuff on websites like Vegan Essentials if you don't have a place that sells it in your area. It does cost a little more, but I've found it to be worth it when I'm craving that milky chocolate taste. I also make a lot of my own chocolate stuff, as things like cocoa powder and many baking chocolates/chocolate chips are vegan. I've got some chocolate cake with buttercream frosting and some no-bake cookies in my freezer right now!

kazane1

Just take that final step at achieving what it is you want to achieve and don't look back, what's the worst that could happen?

StanShunpike

I'm new to plant-based eating, but so far it's been easier than I would've expected. The hardest thing for me to give up has been dairy, which was a HUGE part of my diet before.

I've found that the best approach for me is to stay away from the substitutes (which will never taste as good as the real thing, sadly) and stick to foods that taste amazing by themselves without needing to copy something else. My one exception to this is vegan butter. I love me some Earth Balance.

StanShunpike

StanShunpike wrote: »

I'm new to plant-based eating, but so far it's been easier than I would've expected. The hardest thing for me to give up has been dairy, which was a HUGE part of my diet before.

I've found that the best approach for me is to stay away from the substitutes (which will never taste as good as the real thing, sadly) and stick to foods that taste amazing by themselves without needing to copy something else. My one exception to this is vegan butter. I love me some Earth Balance.

I typed more here, but I guess it got cut off. :-/ Some examples of food that doesn't need subpar substitutes or fake meat:

Smoky chipotle bean soup with sourdough bread.

Roasted poblano and sweet potato tacos.

Pumpkin spice oatmeal breakfast cookies with fresh fruit and coffee.

Celeriac and potato soup.

Mashed potato casserole with garlic and caramelized onions.

Spaghetti with roasted garlic cream sauce and wilted spinach or kale.

Sky's the limit.

vegan4lyfe2012

You've made the first step - deciding this is what you'd like to do. Some people need time to transition from one style of eating to another. I'm one of those all-or-nothing people. I literally went from a cheese-bacon-fried chicken loving person one day to complete vegan the next. I started out doing it for Lent and a way to kind of cleanse my body. After Lent was over, I decided I felt so good, I wanted to continue that lifestyle. I starting looking more into the ethical side of veganism. The more I learned, the more steadfast I became in my decision. It's not a matter of "I CAN'T eat that", but instead "I WON'T eat that". Between my health and the animals, I will never go back to eating animal products. It's crazy how time flies - sometimes I can't believe over 5 years have passed...yet I still remember what cheese and bacon and fried chicken taste like. BUT, I don't miss it!

I knew immediately that this way of life was best for me and I have not had any regrets.

You are going to feel so good!

You are welcome to send me a friend request, if you like. I'm on here daily and love to give and get encouragement!

ck2307

I've been a vegetarian for nine years and went vegan about a year and two months ago. It's much easier than people seem to think that it is. I find that after a few weeks of abstaining from animal products, the cravings begin to subside and eventually, for me at least, disappear altogether. The casin in dairy products is addictive- which is why dairy products, like any other addictive substance, are hard to cut out cold turkey at first but become easier eventually.
There are also lots of great vegan products on the market (and the market is growing due to demand)! Some of them taste like real animal products and others have their own unique and nuanced taste. I highly recommend you explore these and keep trying new brands and types of substitutes until you find the ones you like!
As amazing as it is to be plant-based, it is not all or nothing. Start out slow if you need to. Any amount of animal products that you can cut out of your diet will make a difference for the planet and likely for you body as well.
If you decide to go vegan, it's easier to stick to if you can educate and commit yourself to the altruistic cause behind it. If you focus on the good that you can do for the planet and the sentient beings that we share it with, as well as the good that it does for humans and yourself by default, you'll be way more likely to stick to it. I highly recommend watching Earthlings if you're interested in the ethics of living a vegan lifestyle. For the health aspects of veganism, I have heard a lot of praise for What the Health, though I haven't seen it myself.
Hope this helps

janejellyroll

ck2307 wrote: »

I've been a vegetarian for nine years and went vegan about a year and two months ago. It's much easier than people seem to think that it is. I find that after a few weeks of abstaining from animal products, the cravings begin to subside and eventually, for me at least, disappear altogether. The casin in dairy products is addictive- which is why dairy products, like any other addictive substance, are hard to cut out cold turkey at first but become easier eventually.
There are also lots of great vegan products on the market (and the market is growing due to demand)! Some of them taste like real animal products and others have their own unique and nuanced taste. I highly recommend you explore these and keep trying new brands and types of substitutes until you find the ones you like!
As amazing as it is to be plant-based, it is not all or nothing. Start out slow if you need to. Any amount of animal products that you can cut out of your diet will make a difference for the planet and likely for you body as well.
If you decide to go vegan, it's easier to stick to if you can educate and commit yourself to the altruistic cause behind it. If you focus on the good that you can do for the planet and the sentient beings that we share it with, as well as the good that it does for humans and yourself by default, you'll be way more likely to stick to it. I highly recommend watching Earthlings if you're interested in the ethics of living a vegan lifestyle. For the health aspects of veganism, I have heard a lot of praise for What the Health, though I haven't seen it myself.
Hope this helps

"What the Health" contains so much misinformation, I wouldn't recommend it as a source of dietary information. A better guide is the book "Vegan for Life" by science-based RDs Jack Norris and Virginia Messina or the veganhealth.org website (run by Jack Norris).