Veganism

CardiacLioness

I work full-time and go to school full-time, I also volunteer every week, take care of my working dog (who needs at least 2 hours of exercise a day) and also ride my horse. I am a vegan. I also spend no more than $40/month on food. Being vegan is NOT an expense to either your time or your money. If you truly do care (or have enough logic and sense to see the reasons to) then it will be easy.

I don't miss cheese/bacon/etc. because I know, if I desired, I could get the dairy/meat free version of it.
Also I find my tastebud's desires to be irrelevant to the environmental & ethical impact that the exploitations of animals have.

My family is not supportive but I am literally the only family member who does not have diabetes, gout, or cancer.
As for social situations, I just tend to not eat, or find something vegan if I DO feel hungry enough. Again, I care more about sentient beings (the Earth included) than my tastebuds.

That's awful.......Wouldn't know what do do if all my family had diabetes, gout and cancer...........incredible really. Not to mention the 40.00 a month..........that's also incredible.......just incredible.

not sure if there's any sarcasm in this post?? Probably just my social anxiety speaking @_@ If there's not, super sorry. If there is... I'm really not trying to come off as condescending, I am not that type of person. My family is very, very, very unhealthy. Physically and mentally. I am too but more so on the mental side than physical, but turning to a plant based diet has improved a lot of my physical and mental issues (including allergies, acne, insomnia, etc.)
And 40/month: lots of beans, lentils, rice, soup, frozen veggies. I'm really not into specifically-made-for-vegan foods.

CardiacLioness

I am not vegan anymore, but was for 3 years and definitely feel that there are benefits to the lifestyle (I still buy vegan beauty products- they're the best!) No one can tell you what diet works best for your body so if people are trying, ignore them and find out for yourself what works for you.

Here are my beginners steps to being vegan:

The first thing you're going to need is a cookbook called "Vegan on the Cheap". Also you'll need basic cookware and tupperware. Cooking at home, packing lunch, and carrying snacks is the BEST way to eat affordably and not be tempted by non-vegan convenience food. Find what you like, and load up! Love kale chips? Put them in your purse so that you don't feel deprived when someone busts out group nachos as a snack. The goal is to feel as normal as possible while being true to your self.

The second thing you'll need is support and motivation. Being vegan is hard when everyone else is drinking non-vegan beer and eating chicken wings! You need to focus on and remember why you're choosing not to partake. Follow vegan blogs- Alicia Silverstone's "The Kind Life" is a good one, also "A life less bullsh!t" from a vegan runner, "Nutritionfacts.org" is a great video blogger with study-based info on eating plant foods, "VegNews" is also great from VegNews magazine. Subscribe to VegNews magazine! Buy or check out at your library books from all the vegan greats. "Skinny *****" is a sassy classic, "The Kind Diet" was a good read with great recipes, "Diet for a new America" is a classic, and "Eating Animals" was a wonderfully thoughtful piece. Start following vegan role models on social media: Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, Alicia Silverstone's, Kris Carr, Ellen Degeneres... Soon you'll have created a world where you're constantly surrounded by vegans and vegan news and activism. You won't feel like such an oddball because in your world, lots of people are vegan (and hey they really are- Bill Clinton? Brad Pitt? Usher? Yep yep yep!)

Hope this helps and good luck on your journey!

In all honesty I would not label some of these people on the list as vegan. Vegan = lifestyle based out of ethical/environmental concerns, plant based diet = ....well a diet.
Beyonce is an example. Does she eat similarly to a vegan? Yes. (Well at least for 30 days? Not sure if she is doing it anymore.)
However she still wears and probably buys alligator skin shoes/shirts/I don't know what. She does have alligator skin accessories. This is not vegan.
(Still think Bey is fab, though.)

jiminybingo

Best books when I started out: "Vegan on the Cheap" and "Becoming Vegan." But... there is a catch I think all would-be vegans out to look at and be ok with when they first start out, otherwise they get fed up and go back to eating tasty but unethical food.

I honestly believe one can eat great food as a vegan, given enough time and experience. However, experience takes time to develop, one recipe at a time, and it is a luxury, not a necessity, when it comes to eating ethically (vegan.) Until you learn those recipes, habits, tastes - it is best to be realistic and change your focus from seamlessly fitting in at social events and eating tasty but healthy vegan foods often to just being ok with eating cheaper, easier to make food, and not worrying too much if you go out to dinner and order french fries and a salad. Your friends will dislike your new veganism more if you act like being vegan is a big deal. The reality is your tastes will change given time and you will learn tricks to fit in better.

For those of us who dont have alot of money or cooking experience (I have a fair amount of the latter but not much money) and want to be vegan we need to realize that it's easy to eat tasty food as an omnivore and harder to do so as a vegan because thats they way our grocery stores are set up and that is how we were raised and we can be ok with this without investing too much emotion or indulging in too much self-pitty (not that I am saying you do this, it is easy to do though and causes many people deprived and then they give up.) Because of this, I decided to be ok with simple cheap staple foods that I can eat often like sauteed potatoes, garlic, and spinach, mixed up with some Earth Balance and pepper, and a protein shake. Or pasta with marinara sauce. Or bread with almond butter and some tofu marinated in BBQ sauce (or A1 sauce is good too, or teryaki) baked and mixed with some steamed (or microwaved) frozen broccoli. Fruit as a snack.

Cheese is a hard food to replicate in vegan form, I have never found a great substitute but after a few months it stopped being a big deal (and I loveddddd cheese.) Tastes change, sometimes doing the right thing means some hardship, at least for a few months.

As long as I am getting my macro and micro nutrients and the food tastes ok (not great because great =extra time and money) then I am fueled for life and focus not on food but other aspirations and interests. I try not to act picky around other people so they dont resent me and veganism. This helps the cause. I started off acting like it was no big deal to eat food that seems a little blander to omnivorous and to my surprise, it really did stop being a big deal. And then, to my surprise I found that with some experience trying recipes I found in vegan cookbooks and enough time set aside I could make great vegan food (just try out some vegan restaurants to see what is possible) but I dont allow myself to eat so much of that food that I break the bank.

In the beginning, instead of focusing on the tastes you feel deprived of, focus on the good your doing for animals and live life - eating great vegan food then becomes a special event, once a week maybe, when you have the time to cook that semi-complicated recipe for the first time, put it on an index card, note on it what you will do differently after tasting it, and save it for next month when you can try again and perfect it a little more. After a few years, you will get pretty good at cooking tasty foods that other omnivores will love when you come to their potlucks. My fave is tofu mashed up with Daiya cheese, some turmeric, (only for color, not too much,) little extra salt and pepper maybe, as the filling for little 2 inch diameter pies made with a vegan puff pastry as a crust and bake. Cook the filling first in a saute pan on low or as much fire as needed to make it gently bubble for 15-20 min to get rid of some of the moisture - cook slow, stir as often as needed so it doesnt burn. Tastes like awesome queach, omnivorous love it thought not the most healthy food (use alot of Daiya cheese - mozzarella flavor) but way healthier then regular queach and tastes as good.

veganbaum

OP - the only thing I'm going to say here is regarding your choice of words which demonstrate your mindset. Vegan threads on the main boards often derail into flame throwing in both directions.

If you think you are depriving yourself, more than likely you will fail, sooner or later, at whatever it is. "I can't" is a dangerous frame of mind, whether it's referring to something you think you "can't" have or something you think you "can't" do. I "can't" exercise, I "can't" lose weight, I "can't" eat that cupcake, I "can't" go out to eat because I "can't" eat anything on the menu.

Get rid of that mindset. A much better one is I "CHOOSE" not to eat [insert whatever food here], I "WILL" fit exercise into my schedule, I "WILL" go out with my friends even if it means I have to plan a bit ahead of time, I "CHOOSE" TO eat [insert whatever food here].

And, you can always join and ask questions in the Happy Herbivore group here on the site.

jiminybingo

I totally agree Good advice!

illuvatree

It really doesn't cost that much to be vegan, especially if you buy in bulk. If you do it wisely, I'm pretty sure it might be cheaper, because you're cutting out buying meat and cheese. That's not to say you wouldn't buy vegan meat and vegan cheese (daiya cheese is awesome), but it's fine (and cheaper) if you don't. It doesn't take that much. Usually when I cook, because I'm not really an elaborate cook either, I cook some type of grain or quinoa, and then stir fry a variety of veggies and mix it together. Sometimes I'll add a sweet potato in there. I try to look at the nutrition of whatever I'm using and make sure everything is balanced. But yeah, stir fries are pretty quick and easy and you can change up what you use each time!

And, I mean, if you have something non vegan once in awhile, don't guilt yourself. Going out to eat can be an issue sometimes. I go to a lot of diners, and look at their options and a lot of the time, there's no vegan options or you'll think something's vegan and it turns out it has butter. If that happens, it happens. What I do is try to avoid animal products, ask for no cheese on that salad or whatever, but sometimes there's still something that sneaks by. I try to be chill if it happens.

But yeah, it's not like you need to label yourself vegan either. I think if your heart's in the right place, just doing what you can is pretty cool.

illuvatree

My family is not supportive but I am literally the only family member who does not have diabetes, gout, or cancer.

Sorry your family's not supportive! Mine isn't much help, but on occasion they try to understand. But I kind of wish my dad would go vegan. His cholesterol has to be through the roof by now and I'm worried about him. (I know I can't change him though).

jiminybingo

It really doesn't cost that much to be vegan, especially if you buy in bulk. If you do it wisely, I'm pretty sure it might be cheaper, because you're cutting out buying meat and cheese. That's not to say you wouldn't buy vegan meat and vegan cheese (daiya cheese is awesome), but it's fine (and cheaper) if you don't. It doesn't take that much. Usually when I cook, because I'm not really an elaborate cook either, I cook some type of grain or quinoa, and then stir fry a variety of veggies and mix it together. Sometimes I'll add a sweet potato in there. I try to look at the nutrition of whatever I'm using and make sure everything is balanced. But yeah, stir fries are pretty quick and easy and you can change up what you use each time!

And, I mean, if you have something non vegan once in awhile, don't guilt yourself. Going out to eat can be an issue sometimes. I go to a lot of diners, and look at their options and a lot of the time, there's no vegan options or you'll think something's vegan and it turns out it has butter. If that happens, it happens. What I do is try to avoid animal products, ask for no cheese on that salad or whatever, but sometimes there's still something that sneaks by. I try to be chill if it happens.

But yeah, it's not like you need to label yourself vegan either. I think if your heart's in the right place, just doing what you can is pretty cool.

I very much agree with you on the "who cares if there was a little egg in the pasta" attitude, as long as a little effort goes into avoiding it most of the time its really not a big deal. I think many vegans feel social pressure to be or claim to be 100% pure vegans. Many are not, they just dont come out with that fact. I think it is important for new-vegans to realize purity isnt as important as effort and overall consistency.

03428

Hiya,
I'm a fulltime student and I work fulltime and I went vegan for ethical reasons five years ago.
Where are you located? It's easy to eat out as a vegan, but you do have to check before - in the UK, even fast-food places with McDonalds do have vegan options (veggie meals without mayo, chips, salads etc).
Vegan food is not more expensive, this is a myth. A lot of what you eat can be easily made vegan, or probably already is. Fruit and veg from local shops are cheaper, or frozen veg can be good. In the UK, Linda Mccartney Veggie sausages retail for between £1-£2 for 6, as do sausage rolls and pies by her. I don't eat many meat replacements, but base my diet around chickpeas, grains etc, and live incredibly cheaply as a student.

jiminybingo

Hiya,
I'm a fulltime student and I work fulltime and I went vegan for ethical reasons five years ago.
Where are you located? It's easy to eat out as a vegan, but you do have to check before - in the UK, even fast-food places with McDonalds do have vegan options (veggie meals without mayo, chips, salads etc).
Vegan food is not more expensive, this is a myth. A lot of what you eat can be easily made vegan, or probably already is. Fruit and veg from local shops are cheaper, or frozen veg can be good. In the UK, Linda Mccartney Veggie sausages retail for between £1-£2 for 6, as do sausage rolls and pies by her. I don't eat many meat replacements, but base my diet around chickpeas, grains etc, and live incredibly cheaply as a student.

I would just like to make the point that many new-vegans rely on meat and cheese analogs to make the transition and these are more expensive then then the real thing, at least in the average suburban US grocery store. The pennies per calorie really are less when you eat a standard american, high fat, milk meat and cheese heavy diet, compared with the pennies per calorie that similar tasting vegan food (at least until you are more experienced but that takes time) costs. I think being realistic about this with new-vegans is a good idea. Maybe its not true in the UK though.

In the US the agriculture industry gets huge subsidies making our meat, cheese, and milk much cheaper then the freemarket would allow for under normal conditions. See http://meatonomics.com/ the book has tons of info about this - some very backwards crazy programs exist in the US. Because of this, non-vegans can get a days worth of calories for a few dollars that tastes great (to the average american) using the McDonalds dollar menu, grill inexpensive chicken on the BBQ, mac and cheese, cheap eggs to make omelets etc. Meat and dairy has tons of flavor and can taste good with very little skill in cooking. Its only when you havent had meat, dairy, and cheese for a while (a few months or less) that you start tasting the complex flavors veggies and grains and beans have. In the beginning, though, it can be hard if you want the same or as strong flavors. At least that was my experience.

To make equally great tasting meals (from the perspective of a non-vegan or a new-vegan) takes some skill or a little extra money to buy tofurkey, veganaise, and soy ice cream. Rich people can easily make the transition to veganism because they dont have as much to miss, they can buy all the rich meaty and cheesy tasting stuff, go to vegan restaurants often etc. Poor people like me cant afford that so I had to change my perspective in the beginning and not invest so much emotion into needing things to taste rich and creamy and meaty.

So my point is just that the easiest and tastiest (to the average american) way to transition to veganism (which often means using substitutes) is more expensive so just be ok with food that tastes a little blander dont get caught up in feeling deprived and with a little time you wont feel deprived anymore. And then in social situations, eventually you can get good enough at cooking vegan food to make non-vegans jealous but that takes some time. Most non-vegans are not impressed with my basic beans and rice/ pasta with marinara/ basic stir fries etc. To make them feel like nothing is missing from a meal takes some experience which new-vegans dont have or some expensive meat analogues. One exception is Trader Joe's vegan meatballs that taste just like regular meatballs, and they cost the same

LovingLifeInCalifornia

bump. want to read this later, but i'm heading out. :P

littlelite2

Something that might be nice to try if you're looking to loose weight and "try out" a vegetarian with some vegan aspects is the dean ornish diet. My mom lost 15 pounds with this, however as others are saying if you are not totally behind it morally it will be hard to stick to after a while is you''ll have to splurge on essentials now and then

raven_ous

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/45-happy-herbivores

There are plenty of vegan websites on the internet with recipes and sites dedicated to how to maintain a nutritionally balanced diet.

I recommend the group I provided a link for as many members will be happy to give you recipe ideas etc

http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/articles/plant-food-protein-chart.pdf

http://www.22daysnutrition.com/blog/2013/05/01/15-vegan-sources-of-protein-soy-free-and-gluten-free-too/

RaspberryKeytoneBoondoggle

How about just eating whatever you want? Ie. eat mostly plant based foods with yogurt and cheese wheels when you feel like it, venison and buffalo sometimes and sushi whenever. We don't have to follow a prescribed way of eating, especially when there can be so much hoopla and judgement associated with it. Just eat how you want and don't feel you have to explain yourself to anybody.