Newly vegetarian....debating on vegan

Meganalva

I just officially made the vegetarian decision at the end of last week....had meat on Sunday though with my mother because she made a nice meal and I didn't want to make her feel bad. She knows now that I am going veggie. I watched Forks Over Knives last night and can't help but debate going vegan now. It just sounds so hard for me....am I wrong? I have 3 little boys I have to take care of so is it really a lot of extra work to watch ever label for milk related products? I plan on still feeding my boys the same as they have been for hte most part but I did give my red meat & pork products away (frozen meat) so now all I have in the freezer is turkey, chicken & fish for the kids sometimes. There's no way they'll just eat veggies all the time, they hardly like them as it is.

Anyway, sorry to ramble. Can I have some idea of how hard/simple it is from other vegans please? Thanks!

sanjoparolas

Like you, I am not trying to convert my family. My guys prefer meals with animal products. I am hoping to show them how a strict vegetarian diet works for me through example, not lecture. I agree with what I saw on the film Hunger For Change that it makes sense to add premium plant-based foods that are healthy and delicious rather than to take away foods that people enjoy. If people are satisfied and have good experiences with plant-based foods then they may find themselves choosing them over animal products themselves. So far, everyone in my family is enjoying our new juicer - it's a power tool after all!

aldousmom

I was vegetarian and after reading a bunch of stuff and watching FOK, it really seems just as dangerous to be vegetarian as it is to be omni (health-wise), so we switched. I don't have to watch many labels because I cook most of our food, though. I have two little boys at home, ages 5 and 3. They go to preschool 3 days a week and i pack their lunches (everyone has to bring their own lunch there). I have found that there are great recipes for stuff kids love out there! My two most used cookbooks are Happy Herbivore Cookbook and Everyday Happy Herbivore. Both have very easy and fast recipes, for everyday-type food. Not a lot of weird or fancy ingredients. I highly recommend them! The author avoids added fats, sugars and refined flours, so they're healthy, too!

I don't recommend trying to make your usual baked goods with vegan substitute ingredients; instead, find a vegan recipe for something similar. I swear Happy Herbivore's cornbread is EXACTLY like mine in taste and texture but it has no white flour, fat or eggs! it's fantastic, and my kids wolf it down!

I haven't found a vegan cheese I like at all (I think Daiya tastes like dirt, but other people seem to like it), but I've not really missed it. My tastes have changed so much! I think there are a lot of studies out there about how addicting dairy is, so I think once you get past the cravings, it's not so hard.

Once I switched to fat-free, whole foods vegan I lost 15lbs! that was kind of exciting! also, all of my medical health check up tests (cholesterol, weight, blood sugar, etc) have been REALLY great! Not just barely passing but WAY better! I'm an endurance athlete and having my weight reduce had a positive impact on my performance. and of course, by being whole foods vegan you're reducing your impact on the environment, saving animals, and all that other stuff you already know about.

Good luck with whatever you choose! It was much easier than I anticipated!

Meganalva

Wow that's great aldousmom! Thank you for your response.

What do you send in their lunches, may I ask?

darkling_glory

We're always happy to answer questions, but please do a little research. I like to recommend the "30-day Vegan Challenge" as it addresses all of your concerns (cheese, labels, etc). The author, Colleen Patrick-Godreau also has a podcast that talks about raising children vegan and it is very informative.

It sounds to me like you're curious, but not quite there yet. Enjoy your vegetarianism for a while. Switch your kids to vegetarian and then ease into vegan. Kids are much more adaptable than we think they are and they really internalize empathy for animals. If you explain it to them why you no longer eat meat in ways they understand then they will be on board with it.

Good luck!

alicenadams

I started on a plant based journey two years ago. My youngest son, now 2, is allergic to dairy, eggs, and nuts. I was SO overwhelmed by this at first so I started doing research. I am a stay at home Mom to a 6 year old girl and two boys (3 & 2). I also babysit my nephew and will have his sister when she's born later this summer. It was a little overwhelming at first to switch, but I believe we're all better for it. There are no products in my house that contain milk or eggs.

Now, I do sometimes feed my kids chicken nuggets and my husband sometimes wants me to cook him meat, and I do. I will very rarely also eat shrimp/fish outside of my home. I'm not about imposing what I believe on other people but I will educate when the opportunity presents itself.

I'd suggest joining one of the 21 day challenges. That's how I started and when I did my husband joined me and it really opened his eyes too. HIs biggest issue was feeling like food on a plate is not a "meal." We've come a long way with that though and I've only cooked meat for him at home once in the last eight months.

I am a huge fan of Happy Herbivore and her two cookbooks. Also google, Peas & Thank You. She has two young girls and it's given me a lot of ideas for my children and she is very focused on nutrition. Her cookbook and website are great. There is a resources section (either in Team Vegan or the Happy Herbivore board) and that's a great place to start. Start following a few blogs that are of interest to you (some focus on family, some on working out, some just on yummy food!). That should help with the inspiration.

I'm also a fan of daiya. I can only use a little of it though. Too much seems way to rich for me to deal with. A little goes a long way.

Good luck! Feel free to friend me if you need support. I'm not a perfect vegan, but I am way better than what I use to be!

aldousmom

kid lunches...I pack them in cute little metal bento boxes with two sections, then put 2 silicone muffin liners in each section. stuff they like: edamame (shelled), nut butter sushi (flattened bread spread w/ nut butter, rolled up and sliced), sliced fruit of any kind, tiny oranges, raisins, sometimes mini cliff bars, fruit leathers, homemade "meat" balls, celery, carrots, chocolate chips, homemade mini muffins, apple sauce, pretzels, some times crackers if I have any good ones. I'm working on getting them to enjoy cold beans or a pasta salad, but we're not there yet. They are 5 and 3, so both at the height of kid pickiness, altho the 3 y/o is not as horrible as the 5 y/o..ha ha!

hellokittyhorror

I was vegetarian for 7 years and became vegan as of late February. I saw the movie Forks over Knives about 1 year ago and that probably was a catalyst in planting some vegan seeds. I also started examining how I always said, "I can't give up cheese" and then reframed that to "it would be really hard for me to give up cheese". A major catalyst was for sure this report done by an organization I really respect called the Environmental Working Group (ewg.org). They found that after lamb and beef, cheese production causes the largest amount of greenhouse emissions! I found out about this report about 4 months ago and it really start to eat away at my conscience. Finally, one of my best friends became vegan after seeing the movie "Fat, sick and nearly Dead". That was the final straw and led me to ask myself what's stopping me? So it's been over a month now and I don't really miss cheese. I've had a lot of good cheese in my life so I already know what it tastes like. Being vegan also helps you stay slim because you don't eat a lot of the fattening stuff that's out there (in restaurants, etc.) or at parties. I feel great and have a cleaner conscience to boot!

hellokittyhorror

Oh, here's the link to that report about cheese:

http://www.ewg.org/meateatersguide/a-meat-eaters-guide-to-climate-change-health-what-you-eat-matters/climate-and-environmental-impacts/

If you choose to do it, becoming vegan would be great for you, your boys, and the planet!

justplainoleanne

I was never a vegetarian, but I am now a vegan. I was told by my doctor to do it for a "sick" pancreas (not diabetes). I decided if I was ever going to find out if it worked, I need to just "do it". No gradual weaning from meat and dairy. I planned it out on Saturday and started it on Sunday. BOOM. It has been two and a half weeks. I don't know what it has done for my pancreas, but I have to say that my arthritis that I have suffered with for over 30 years is gone. Gone completely. No joint pain, no joint stiffness, no swelling. Gone. Will I go back to meat and dairy? Nope. Only on rare occasions when I need to be nice to a hostess and eat what is in front of me, and that will only be once in a great while. For me, vegan is the only route to take.

Meganalva

We're always happy to answer questions, but please do a little research. I like to recommend the "30-day Vegan Challenge" as it addresses all of your concerns (cheese, labels, etc). The author, Colleen Patrick-Godreau also has a podcast that talks about raising children vegan and it is very informative.

It sounds to me like you're curious, but not quite there yet. Enjoy your vegetarianism for a while. Switch your kids to vegetarian and then ease into vegan. Kids are much more adaptable than we think they are and they really internalize empathy for animals. If you explain it to them why you no longer eat meat in ways they understand then they will be on board with it.

Good luck!

Thank you for your suggestions! I have been researching a TON, I'm a little obsessive about it at this point, lol!!

Meganalva

I started on a plant based journey two years ago. My youngest son, now 2, is allergic to dairy, eggs, and nuts. I was SO overwhelmed by this at first so I started doing research. I am a stay at home Mom to a 6 year old girl and two boys (3 & 2). I also babysit my nephew and will have his sister when she's born later this summer. It was a little overwhelming at first to switch, but I believe we're all better for it. There are no products in my house that contain milk or eggs.

Now, I do sometimes feed my kids chicken nuggets and my husband sometimes wants me to cook him meat, and I do. I will very rarely also eat shrimp/fish outside of my home. I'm not about imposing what I believe on other people but I will educate when the opportunity presents itself.

I'd suggest joining one of the 21 day challenges. That's how I started and when I did my husband joined me and it really opened his eyes too. HIs biggest issue was feeling like food on a plate is not a "meal." We've come a long way with that though and I've only cooked meat for him at home once in the last eight months.

I am a huge fan of Happy Herbivore and her two cookbooks. Also google, Peas & Thank You. She has two young girls and it's given me a lot of ideas for my children and she is very focused on nutrition. Her cookbook and website are great. There is a resources section (either in Team Vegan or the Happy Herbivore board) and that's a great place to start. Start following a few blogs that are of interest to you (some focus on family, some on working out, some just on yummy food!). That should help with the inspiration.

I'm also a fan of daiya. I can only use a little of it though. Too much seems way to rich for me to deal with. A little goes a long way.

Good luck! Feel free to friend me if you need support. I'm not a perfect vegan, but I am way better than what I use to be!

Where is this 21 day challenge? Do you mean here on the site? Thank you also for the great suggestions.

Meganalva

kid lunches...I pack them in cute little metal bento boxes with two sections, then put 2 silicone muffin liners in each section. stuff they like: edamame (shelled), nut butter sushi (flattened bread spread w/ nut butter, rolled up and sliced), sliced fruit of any kind, tiny oranges, raisins, sometimes mini cliff bars, fruit leathers, homemade "meat" balls, celery, carrots, chocolate chips, homemade mini muffins, apple sauce, pretzels, some times crackers if I have any good ones. I'm working on getting them to enjoy cold beans or a pasta salad, but we're not there yet. They are 5 and 3, so both at the height of kid pickiness, altho the 3 y/o is not as horrible as the 5 y/o..ha ha!

Awesome lunch ideas, thanks! My two oldest are also 5 & 3, so I totally get ya! And yes, my 3 year old is LESS picky as well :P haha

Meganalva

I was vegetarian for 7 years and became vegan as of late February. I saw the movie Forks over Knives about 1 year ago and that probably was a catalyst in planting some vegan seeds. I also started examining how I always said, "I can't give up cheese" and then reframed that to "it would be really hard for me to give up cheese". A major catalyst was for sure this report done by an organization I really respect called the Environmental Working Group (ewg.org). They found that after lamb and beef, cheese production causes the largest amount of greenhouse emissions! I found out about this report about 4 months ago and it really start to eat away at my conscience. Finally, one of my best friends became vegan after seeing the movie "Fat, sick and nearly Dead". That was the final straw and led me to ask myself what's stopping me? So it's been over a month now and I don't really miss cheese. I've had a lot of good cheese in my life so I already know what it tastes like. Being vegan also helps you stay slim because you don't eat a lot of the fattening stuff that's out there (in restaurants, etc.) or at parties. I feel great and have a cleaner conscience to boot!

I've also seen Forks Over Knives & just watched Food Inc yesterday. I plan to watch many others, this has become a huge deal to me. I've always been nutrition conscious, fairly slim but this is a new adventure for me. LIke you said, it will really help to deny a lot of the fatty foods if I simply "can't" because I'm vegan. In my mind, that would make it easier to say no than to just resist a craving. The animal treatment is also quite horrific and really makes me feel guilty to eat animal products

Meganalva

I was never a vegetarian, but I am now a vegan. I was told by my doctor to do it for a "sick" pancreas (not diabetes). I decided if I was ever going to find out if it worked, I need to just "do it". No gradual weaning from meat and dairy. I planned it out on Saturday and started it on Sunday. BOOM. It has been two and a half weeks. I don't know what it has done for my pancreas, but I have to say that my arthritis that I have suffered with for over 30 years is gone. Gone completely. No joint pain, no joint stiffness, no swelling. Gone. Will I go back to meat and dairy? Nope. Only on rare occasions when I need to be nice to a hostess and eat what is in front of me, and that will only be once in a great while. For me, vegan is the only route to take.

A friend of mine did the same thing last November, went vegan cold turkey, her rheumatoid arthritis is gone! SHe said it's the first time in 8 years that she's been pain free. She also lost 48 lbs in conjunction with my fitness pal. Awesome

jackattackk

It's really not too hard, just get a good B12 supplement, buy a carton of almond milk, and google recipes. I am a really busy student, which means 40 hours a week of school, 30 hours a week of debate tournaments, 20 hours a week of tournament preparation, and countless hours of homework, which means I don't have much time to think about food. My family is all omnivorous, so that doesn't make it any easier. What saves me?

VEGAN CROCKPOT RECIPES. Really, they are the savior in my life. Crockpot recipes where you can throw all the ingredients in a ziplock and into the freezer, and on the day you want to eat it just throw the contents into the crockpot in the morning.

Also, just keeping produce around is important. My family is... not the healthiest of eaters, and we rarely had produce around before I made the switch. Having produce around, as well as crockpot recipes, and large batches which you store in the fridge of longer cooking things (brown rice, beans, lentils), means reallllly easy meals. Just throw a couple handfuls of veggies, half a cup of whatever was in your crockpot, some beans or lentils, and some fruit on a plate and you have a filling meal.

OH: hot sauce. you'll begin to put it on/in everything, be prepared.

Meganalva

It's really not too hard, just get a good B12 supplement, buy a carton of almond milk, and google recipes. I am a really busy student, which means 40 hours a week of school, 30 hours a week of debate tournaments, 20 hours a week of tournament preparation, and countless hours of homework, which means I don't have much time to think about food. My family is all omnivorous, so that doesn't make it any easier. What saves me?

VEGAN CROCKPOT RECIPES. Really, they are the savior in my life. Crockpot recipes where you can throw all the ingredients in a ziplock and into the freezer, and on the day you want to eat it just throw the contents into the crockpot in the morning.

Also, just keeping produce around is important. My family is... not the healthiest of eaters, and we rarely had produce around before I made the switch. Having produce around, as well as crockpot recipes, and large batches which you store in the fridge of longer cooking things (brown rice, beans, lentils), means reallllly easy meals. Just throw a couple handfuls of veggies, half a cup of whatever was in your crockpot, some beans or lentils, and some fruit on a plate and you have a filling meal.

OH: hot sauce. you'll begin to put it on/in everything, be prepared.

LOL What are your fav crockpot recipes? Any that you can share?