becoming vegan

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angmarie28
angmarie28 Posts: 2,789 Member
in Food and Nutrition
im looking for people that might be able to help me move towards a vegan life style. Ive wanted to do it for awhile, for health, and for the sake of animals in the slaughter houses, and for the enviroment, but i just watched "Vegucated" and it sent me over the edge, i want nothing to do with that, so i would like some help from anyone vegitarians, vegans, or people that incorperate vegan meals, i know my kids and husband wont commit to a vegan lifestyl with me but id like to teach them that food can still taste good without meat, only thing is, i dont know how to cook meals without meat :embarassed: thats all ive eaten the past 25 years, now i dont expect to be vegan by tomorrow, but i want gradually change my diet from meat eater to vegan, and get my family to eat less meat, so help me please :flowerforyou:
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Replies

  • Kaseybella
    Kaseybella Posts: 25 Member
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    I went from meat eater to vegan over night! I also have been Vegucated! my husband and daughter are not but, my husband is very supportive and said he will just add his meat to whatever I cook... my daughter has already enjoyed some vegan foods too! My diary is open, feel free to add me as a friend! I'm happy you have decided to make a change that truly will make the world a better place :)
  • angmarie28
    angmarie28 Posts: 2,789 Member
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    im not sure i can commit 100% vegan though, i atready drink almond milk over cow milk, but i deffinetly want to limit my dairy intake, i love cheese, and ate least become vegitarian for now, and move towards vegan from there
  • yourenotmine
    yourenotmine Posts: 645 Member
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    Dietarily, and lifestyle-wise, I am not vegan, as the last time I tried that diet, I found that I was craving meat horribly. I haven't eaten meat in years, and I have no desire to go back to that. So, that leaves me as a strict vegetarian, which is what I was before I tried eating as a vegan. So, I eat both vegan and vegetarian meals.

    I find vegetarianism to be quite natural, as I was never much of a meat eater. I always just ate whatever else was on the table, and never felt that I was missing anything. I'm also not much of a cook. As I'm sure you're aware, vegan food is not always healthy, and I am very good at eating vegan and vegetarian junk food, so keep that in mind when viewing my choices. lol

    So, add me if that sounds ok to you. :)

    BTW - check out the Happy Herbivores group here on MFP. There's a lot of good there.
  • abstarmarie
    abstarmarie Posts: 1 Member
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    Hi
    I have been Mainly Vegan for a year. Chloe's Kitchen is a good vegan cookbook with normal tasting food for when cooking for non-vegans. Check out her websites for some awesome recipes.
    http://chefchloe.com/
  • FredDoyle
    FredDoyle Posts: 2,273 Member
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    Don't do it for health, that would be contradictory. Man is an omnivore.
  • angmarie28
    angmarie28 Posts: 2,789 Member
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    awesome thank you
  • yourenotmine
    yourenotmine Posts: 645 Member
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    Don't do it for health, that would be contradictory. Man is an omnivore.

    Good thing she's a woman! :D
  • angmarie28
    angmarie28 Posts: 2,789 Member
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    Don't do it for health, that would be contradictory. Man is an omnivore.

    Good thing she's a woman! :D
    :laugh:
  • fishgutzy
    fishgutzy Posts: 2,807 Member
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    Meatarian all the way. It lowered my cholesterol and triglycerides by 30% and lowered my blood sugar. Nearly every vegetable protein source is high carb.
    Vegan and vegetarian are not helpful for people with various digestive disorders like Crohns.
    Converting to vegan didn't help Michael Clark Duncan's health.
  • yourenotmine
    yourenotmine Posts: 645 Member
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    @fishgutzy - glad that worked for you. Meatarian is not a word, by the way.
  • bobbyherome
    bobbyherome Posts: 4 Member
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    Check out theppk.com and happyherbivore.com for recipes. Both ladies also have several awesome cookbooks.

    "vegan for life" is a wonderful nutritional knowledge-base that I recommend reading.

    There are lots of great books about veganism that helped me transition, too. The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone, Veganist by Kathy Freston, the vegan girl's guide to life by Melisser Elliot...those are all good places to start!
  • NuclearMosquito
    NuclearMosquito Posts: 39 Member
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    Meatarian all the way. It lowered my cholesterol and triglycerides by 30% and lowered my blood sugar. Nearly every vegetable protein source is high carb.
    Vegan and vegetarian are not helpful for people with various digestive disorders like Crohns.
    Converting to vegan didn't help Michael Clark Duncan's health.

    That's nice, dear.

    OP, I also enjoyed Vegucated, also Forks over Knives. If you or anyone else on this thread would care to, add me! I am working towards being 100% plant-based but I'm in a battle of wills...with myself, haha.
  • zorbaru
    zorbaru Posts: 1,077 Member
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    if you a going vegan on for the ethics of animal slaughter, then please dont be hypocritcal and wear leather shoes, carry a leather handbag wearing a woolen jumper when you get out from under your duck down quilt and sit on your suede sofa.

    i have no problems with vegetarianism or veganism, so long as the people involved go all in, and not just when it suits them.
  • Back2Biz
    Back2Biz Posts: 67 Member
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    Boy, after reading a few of these posts some of us need to take a deep breath. Why critizie a woman for trying something new that she feels is positive and wants to do? It's not harming you, so if you don't agree with her choice then at least be respectful and keep your negativity to yourself. Less judgement, more acceptance. Give what you wish to receive! :0)

    Anyway, I've been Vegan and Vegetarian for blocks of time over the last few years. My step-mother is Vegan and gives me some ideas and support every now and then so when I fall off the wagon, I revert to her. Currently I am Vegetarian. It's best to "lean into it"... take it slow and try new things. I make 3-4 Vegetarian meals for my family a week - on the days that meat are invloved I choose something else (generally the things I like that they would NEVER try!) Easiest way to get started is common meals with meat omitted, like: Meatless Chili, Pasta with Veggie Marinara, Pasta with Garlic Sauce and Mushrooms, StirFry, Potato Soup with Kale, then move onto Meat Substitutes like Boca Veggie Burgers, Baked Tofu, Boca/Morningstar Farms UnChicken Patties.

    With your family... introduce it a little tiny bit at a time and they will slowly develop a taste for it. My kids eat tofu and a variety of veggies because I let them go slowly and didn't force it. Also the lady that mentioned the books "Kind Diet" and "Veganist" - I agree, both are GREAT.

    Good luck to you!
  • CoachReddy
    CoachReddy Posts: 3,949 Member
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    I'm currently transitioning into a vegan diet. Once the last of my chicken is gone from the fridge, it's gone. Gonna try this for a couple months and see what I think.

    Love that folks recommended Veducated and Forks Over Knives - both GREAT documentaries! :)
  • CoachReddy
    CoachReddy Posts: 3,949 Member
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    Meatarian all the way. It lowered my cholesterol and triglycerides by 30% and lowered my blood sugar. Nearly every vegetable protein source is high carb.
    Vegan and vegetarian are not helpful for people with various digestive disorders like Crohns.
    Converting to vegan didn't help Michael Clark Duncan's health.
    yeah he did it a little late i'm thinkin'

    and that's great that eating meat lowered your numbers 30%, going vegan can double those results. ;)
  • everett9239
    everett9239 Posts: 31 Member
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    I was a long time vegetarian turned vegan. I love the book Main Street Vegan by Victoria Moran. She basically discusses vegan food choices for 'regular people' (that is, people that do not have live-in chefs and meal planners). There are a lot of really great and easy recipes in the book as well. Another thought would be to make sure you read up on proper supplements. The vegan diet can have a tendency to be low in vitamin B12, Omega-3's and Vitamin D. Assuming your overall goal is to be healthy, you may want to consider supplementing these vitamins (I do just in case. Vitamin B12 deficiency leads to irreversible damage. You do not want that.).
  • freckles_cmj
    freckles_cmj Posts: 205 Member
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    Don't do it for health, that would be contradictory. Man is an omnivore.

    actually...biology says otherwise: http://www.greentidings.blogspot.com/search/label/A Comparative Look at Carnivores

    I was vegetarian for a few years and dropped the dairy and eggs (and 25 lbs) a few months ago. Never felt better! I also did it for both ethical and health reasons.
    There are several vegan groups here on MFP that are nice and very supportive. Also in there you are free from the unfortunate vegan/vegetarian bashing that seems to be inevitable.
  • LoseYouself
    LoseYouself Posts: 249 Member
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    Don't do it for health, that would be contradictory. Man is an omnivore.

    Man is omnivore by choice. We all have the freedom to make the choice between plant-based or omnivorous lifestyles. It's just that omnivorous is predominant in our culture.

    Try reading The China Study by Dr. Colin Campbell. It is a 20 year study that explores the relationship between the consumption of animal products and rates of chronic illnesses such as cancer, disease, and heart disease. It's an eye-opener. If you're not a reader, watch Forks Over Knives. Doctors and science.

    To imply that a vegan diet is not healthy nor natural is ridiculous. Even the American Dietetic Association recognizes vegan and vegetarian diets to be nutritionally sound and beneficial for health, and appropriate for all age groups when properly planned, as is necessary for any diet.. omnivorous included.


    “Just because we can doesn’t mean we should. Just because we always have doesn’t mean we always have to. Once we know better, we should choose better.” — Colleen Patrick-Goudreau
  • oceanrose78
    oceanrose78 Posts: 133 Member
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    if you a going vegan on for the ethics of animal slaughter, then please dont be hypocritcal and wear leather shoes, carry a leather handbag wearing a woolen jumper when you get out from under your duck down quilt and sit on your suede sofa.

    i have no problems with vegetarianism or veganism, so long as the people involved go all in, and not just when it suits them.

    Wow, I refer to myself as eating a plant based diet, not Vegan because I don't want to be put into a box. Judging people for not going 'all in' is not helpful to people making a choice. Which would you rather, people eat a plant based diet, and weather leather shoes, or eat meat 3X a day?

    I am more than happy with my lifestyle, and glad to share it, but the easiest way to get people interested, is to point out it doesn't have to be all or nothing. Eating a plant based diet 75% of the time, is certainly better than eating a standard diet all the time.

    We all make our own choices. I occasionally eat fish when I eat out. I spin wool (from small farmers), and raise Angora rabbits for their fiber and as pets. I wear leather I already own. This is the life that is right for me. Others may be more strict, or less, and that is what is right for them, we're all here to do less harm, and each step is just part of a journey.

    To the OP - I switched by becoming Pescetarian, and then cutting out cheese, dairy, and eggs later. Cheese is the hardest, it has addictive products. I make cheese sauce at home, but I also have found the main flavor it adds to meals is salt. If I was going to recommend 1 cookbook, the Happy Herbivore book is great for those switching to a different diet. Finding it in the bookstore is what led me to thing I could do it. And I was right!

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