Going Vegan

You can get all the same health benefits by having a micronutrient-rich whole-foods based omnivorous or vegetarian diet. Becoming a vegan is extremely restrictive and requires more attention to nutrition- I don't think it's a wise choice unless you have a strong moral or ethical obligation to do so. In all my many, many years as a vegetarian, I never met a single vegan that lasted more than a few months who did it for health purposes- the science just doesn't justify the restrictions it imposes.

No offense at all, Im definitely not trying to start an argument but I couldn't disagree more. If you do your research you will see all the benefits of becoming vegan. I totally support easing yourself into it. It is a change but it's really not SO hard. The less meat and dairy you consume the better (for everyone including the environment, the animals, and YOUR health) so just focus on that. If you have a cheat day here or there it's ok and then eventually you'll find you don't need to anymore. Good luck!!

From 1998-2007 I ate fish, eggs, dairy. Ate those plus poultry while I was pregnant and nursing my last 2 children because I had very rough pregnancies, low weight gain etc. After that 2011 I went vegan to get my blood pressure under control without medicine and succeeded. Recently found it very hard to stay vegan since my body reacts very negatively to soy. Tempeh, tofu, soymilk...all bad in my system. I even went raw for a while and found the amount of nuts necessary too rough for my long standing digestive issues. Thus I am now back to fish and dairy and hoping I can keep my blood pressure regulated with them. All that to say...figure out what works for you and do it. veg.web has great recipes and people who have actually made them are rating them.

1. I was vegetarian for years so I would try elimination first switch your milk,than dairy than everything add tofu and find with type of vegan milk you like best
2. Read! Do your research, I read up alooot about everything and the book Skinny B*tch helped ALOT even has a one month vegan menu in it.
3. Read all labels!!!!! Alot of "vegan" products have whey or casein or other milk type products so there not 100% vegan!
4. Learn to cook I used to not be able to at all but I've been makeing a good amount of things from scratch and it's worth it.
5. It IS a lifestyle as in start looking or vegan makeup and products and cruelityfree items which isn't hard these days.
6. Focuse on your fat intake instead of carbs
Hope these help
Add me if you want to

I ate vegan for 3 months, there are many substitutes you will have to make in homemade recipes however you can make them almost as satisfying and vegan recipes can taste delicious! I would recommend the book Veganist by Kathy Freston. Also there are plenty of websites for recipes. I personally stopped because i missed other foods, no longer eating vegan but eating small amounts of dairy and meat. Never was a fan of eggs haha

What are these extreme restrictions people keep talking about. I have found it very easy. However I don't eat out and love preparing my own food, so maybe that is what people are talking about. But the idea that it is easy to be Vegetarian but going the extra step (which for most people is mainly about milk and cheese) is too extreme?

Being vegan isn't about just removing dairy and eggs if you were vegetarian before. It is about cutting out ALL things that contain animal byproducts on top of meat, fish, dairy and eggs.

Jello, isn't vegan. If you are in the US or the UK, Mcdonalds fries are not Vegan. Some drinks are not vegan due to the coloring they use (Starbucks had an issue a while back as their red food coloring came from beetles). A lot of prepacked foods are not vegan due to what they contain. A full vegan will not wear anything that comes from an animal (leather for example)... they will not use regular lotions, cosmetics, shampoos, etc as they contain animal byproducts.

Personally, if you found it very easy I'm sure there are things you are missing. There is a lot out there that you may think are vegan that aren't. ANything that contains something other than vegetable broth/stock are not vegan. A lot of marshamallows, lozenges, certain gums, fruit snacks, packaged guacamole can contain non vegan ingredients are all non vegan. Also, glycerin, sodium stearoyl lactylate, enzymes, cysteine, cystine, monoglycerides, diglycerides, amylase and stearic acid. Often used as red dye, cochineal or carmine comes from the cochineal beetle, are possibly not vegan. When a product lists "natural flavours" and don't specify where the flavour comes from it may come from a non vegan source.

Some sugar is technically not vegan as they process it with bone char.

Point, research as much as you can for whoever wants to become vegan.

OP, don't go vegan for weight loss or to be healthy. A lot of vegans are not healthy. Being vegan doesn't mean weight loss... stick with w diet you can do forever. FOr some people, Vegan isn't it.

I went vegan (or as I prefer to say, "plant based") about 3 weeks ago. I went cold tofu and just made up my mind one day to make a lifestyle change for my health. I have found a lot of useful information reading and recipes at Happy Herbivore and Straight Up Foods.

When I switched, I stocked up on:

beans (canned, dry and lentils)
Almond Milk
vegetables (both fresh and frozen)
fresh in season fruits
leafy greans (especially kale!)
a few different varietys of whole grain pastas
whole wheat flour
spices! Especially chili powder (chipotle is my fav), cumin, paprika (smoked is good as well), garlic powder, onion powder, oregano and basil.
Nutritional yeast (you can get it online, I found it at my local health food store)

Happy Herbivore has a few different cookbooks of easy to make recipes that don't take too terribly long. She also has a good selection of recipes from her cookbooks online for free, so you can see if you'd like any of them before you spend money on a book. I tend to make 2 dishes over the weekend, portion those out for the week and eat those, along with plenty of fresh fruits, veggies and greens.

I was always a big pasta eater before I went vegan, so I thought that's what I'd eat the most of with the switch. Surprisingly (and good for me) pasta is a very small portion of what I eat, with beans being my big protien source. I also eat a huge salad with either lunch or dinner, or sometimes both.

I do have a frozen package of vegan veggie burgers in my freezer, in case the craving for meat strikes. I've only had one time where I wanted to go back to my old ways, but I wasn't craving meat or dairy...I wanted junk food, fast food. I just talked it out with my hubby, called my mom (who's also plant based) for support and made a vegan fried rice witih no oils or salt to satisfy my craving for something tasting like it was take out. I never go hungry, I feel good with my decision and I'm happy! It's not for everyone, but for me, it works.

Your grocery list will depend on how you want to eat, but I would start by stocking your pantry with the right dry goods: Dry beans, Lentils, and Whole-grain brown rice, and maybe even quinoa are a good place to start. Also, if you can find dried TVP (textured vegetable protein) it should be pretty cheap and can provide you some extra protein if you feel the need as well as help you make some recipes that are similar to the foods you are familiar with (ex, vegan chili, vegan tacos, veggie burgers, etc...)
Nutritional yeast is a good thing to have for supplementing certain vitamins (such as B12) that are harder to get on a vegan diet. I buy flax seed as well and put it in dairy-free smoothies with almond milk. Most of this you can get at your regular grocery store, though depending on where you live you might have to go to a health food store for things like nutritional yeast and TVP.
I make a lot of things with Tofu (ex. Tofu scramble with bell pepper and mushrooms for breakfast). You can also try Seitan which has a different consistency... it's tougher.

Other than that, fruits, veggies, nuts... whichever ones you like...
I don't eat canned veggies, but if you want to go with some frozen fruits & veggies just check the ingredients on the back to make sure there isn't anything but well... fruits and veggies in there.
Then of course it's great to eat as many raw, fresh fruits & veggies as you can.
Avocados are good place to get your fats if you like them. They are high in calories, but so good for you in moderation.