Fellow Vegans or wanna-Vegans?

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  • terraskye
    terraskye Posts: 370 Member
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    Hi! Glad to see this thread even if I am a little late in joining.

    I went veggie at 11 years old. It was Orthodox Easter and as usual I spent the night at my cousins house so I could go to church with them. We piled into my uncles Trans Am and headed down to Greek town to get the fresh bread for dinner. This was my first visit to greek town. Since it was a major holiday every bakery was packed. When I saw the WHOLE lambs roasting in the windows, I lost my appetite for a very long time. Every year I ate the lamb, but never saw it before it got to my plate. Seeing the entire animal (head, eyes, the whole thing...sorry for the TMI) in the window like that made me see the connection that I had been missing. I was young and I knew that my food came from animals, but I didn't really see the connection. But that day, I got it.

    I've been vegan since February, gluten free since March. I feel AMAZING and don't miss a thing. Because of the gluten sensitivity, I can't do fake meats. I live on beans, nuts, seeds, tofu, rice, ancient grains, and all the veggies I can get my hands on. I have more of a variety than I ever thought was possible. I read the book The Kind Diet and that helped me alot in making the transition. If you are curious about veganism, or trying to go that route, I highly recommend that book.

    I love food now. I never realized that my bad relationship with food was becase of the way I felt. I was eating the food pyramid and following all the rules thinking this is just what normal is supposed to feel like. Little did I know, the lean meats, quality cheese, skim milk, whole wheat.... they were slowly poisoning me. And the doctors and dieticians kept saying you're doing it right, you'll feel better when you lose weight. And I just got fatter and sicker.

    It was about health at first, I never consdered myself an animal person. However, a huge surge of compassion has followed. I'm trying to get a dog, I don't freak out over bugs anymore, I held up traffic to help a turtle cross the road..... I'm now leading a small group ministry for vegans at my church! This change has been the best thing that has ever happened to me.

    Glad to see so many others on here who live this way!


    Can you recommend any good reading on going gluten free? I'm not vega, ovo-lacto veggie for now but I'm seriously thinking of going gluten or at least wheat free in the near future..

    Thanks:)
  • leavinglasvegas
    leavinglasvegas Posts: 1,495
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    Can you recommend any good reading on going gluten free? I'm not vega, ovo-lacto veggie for now but I'm seriously thinking of going gluten or at least wheat free in the near future..

    Thanks:)

    The best book I've found so far is, Living Gluten Free for Dummies. It hits all the bases. Very informative! It even includes recipes, baking how-tos, shopping tips, and cost saving tips. I would recommend that to help you make the decision, since it talks about everything from medical problems to how to survive a vacation. If you do decide to go gf, you'll practically be a pro.
  • spritie
    spritie Posts: 167
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    Hey !
    I am a vegetarian myself. We can stick together ! I have been meat free for the last 5 years and it has definitely made a huge difference in my life! What made you want to be come vegetarian if you dont mind me asking ? I am not a full vegan as I do occasionally eat an egg here and there and some diary products but I try to keep them at a minimum. I also try to stay away from processed foods as much as I can, since I have done that I have been full of energy. Keep in touch

    I have been attempting various forms of vegatarianism for a few years now. At the moment I have eliminated pork and red meat. I really want to make the full transition, but I do not like the idea of immitation meat or eggs. How do you manage to eat clean and have variety at the same time? Like to me there is something backwards about eating a fake egg shake thingy for scrambled eggs and weird mashed up things that are supposedly chicken strips.

    I need to find a support group on here for current/wanna-be vegans and vegetarians. Or could this be it?!

    its not that hard to avoid fake products. But I suppose it takes a reasonable amount of discipline

    been vego for over 2 years not vegan for over 18months

    I find it easier and healthier to just avoid overly processed foods, both normal ones (for the hidden products) and generally because the fake foods aren't heaps good for you

    cleaning eating makes it easier to meet your nutritional needs and there are heaps of options

    beans, nuts, fruit, veg, whole grains as others have meantioned

    also I eat a lot of tempeh cause its fermented soy which is better for you than very processed soy

    glad to see people are thinking about this.. even if they aren't quite ready to live this way yet :)


    ALSO

    just a general question what are peoples reasons for going or wanting to be vegan

    health, ethical, enviromental, political? a compination of the previous?
  • questionablemethods
    questionablemethods Posts: 2,174 Member
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    ALSO

    just a general question what are peoples reasons for going or wanting to be vegan

    health, ethical, enviromental, political? a compination of the previous?

    I guess I'm a bit of an interesting case because I am going from omnivore straight to vegan (third day!).

    Mine is all of the above, basically. I have been trying to be a more responsible consumer, trying to buy low-impact food (local, seasonal, organic, etc.). I had been trying to limit my animal products to grass fed and cage free and yadda yadda. But even there I just couldn't be too sure that those animals were being treated right. (Besides, what does it mean to "humanely slaughter" a cow? I certainly wouldn't do it with my own hands, so that probably means I shouldn't be eating it.) So, environmental and ethical reasons have been leading me in that direction but I just never made the leap. I kept saying that I was going to "drastically limit" my meat consumption but it never quite happened because, I guess that is just how I knew how to cook. I mean, my meals have never centered around meat and I've never seen it as a required part of a meal, but keeping it in my diet was just habit, I suppose.

    Then I started thinking about going vegetarian and I started listening to lectures by T. Colin Campbell (The China Study) and that opened my eyes to health implications that I had never really considered -- and not just for meat, but for all animal protein. So, I basically said "Eff this!" and I decided to just try to cut it all out -- milk, eggs, the whole bit.

    I know enough not to just blindly believe the findings of just one researcher and I have heard some criticisms of The China Study that I find to be valid. That said, regardless of how harmful animal protein MIGHT be, no one has really ever said that a "whole, plant-based diet" is a bad thing, you know? I guess as far as health is concerned, it is a matter of "can't hurt, might help."

    Finally, to be quite honest, I see it as a way of "de-cluttering" my diet. With the exception of cheese and ice cream, I never really CRAVE animal products. I guess I have been pretty brainwashed into thinking that I need "high quality protein" in large amounts in my diet to maintain the muscle mass and lean look that I desire. So, I've been dutifully getting in my chicken breast and my egg whites and my whey protein, etc. But I don't really like cooking or eating meat that much. I am JUST as happy with a good vegetarian chili as I am with beef chili. Then I started to look into vegan athletes (even vegan bodybuilders) who seemed to be remaining "lean and mean" without all the animals.... So, heck, why not just get rid of it? Allow more room (in my body and my budget) for the stuff that I DO enjoy eating, like beans and vegetables?

    So, that's my (long-winded) story. But, I am only JUST starting this little.... eating experiment. So far, so good, though. I am getting more and more sure of my decision with each passing day.
  • TheMaidOfAstolat
    TheMaidOfAstolat Posts: 3,222 Member
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    ALSO

    just a general question what are peoples reasons for going or wanting to be vegan

    health, ethical, enviromental, political? a compination of the previous?

    My reasons have always been ethical. The health and environmental effects are also a plus but it's always been about the animals welfare. While I am not currently a member of PETA I have been in the past. They are on the extreme end of the spectrum and while I admire some of their qualities I believe that they take animal welfare to an entirely different level that I do not want to be a part of. I am however a member of my local humane society, the ASPCA, Bat Conservation International (BCI), WWF, and have worked in rescue for many years (all of my pets have been/are rescues). I've always believed that animals need to be loved and treated kindly. I'm against lab testing (I do understand the reasons for the testing though-I wouldn't be alive if it weren't for the work of Alfred Blalock) that is useless, such as make up testing on rabbits. There are so many reasons to go vegetarian or vegan and it has to be up to that individual, mine just happens to be ethical, everything that goes with it is just a bonus.
  • TheMaidOfAstolat
    TheMaidOfAstolat Posts: 3,222 Member
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    I should have mentioned this before but I always seem to forget this site. It's wonderful for those going into a veg/vegan lifestyle.

    www.vegparadise.com

    It's chock full of information pertaining to dietary requirements for veg and vegans and how to obtain all the nutrients needed.
    It is especially benificial for vegans (lists all kinds of ingredients that are animal based).
  • terraskye
    terraskye Posts: 370 Member
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    ALSO

    just a general question what are peoples reasons for going or wanting to be vegan

    health, ethical, enviromental, political? a compination of the previous?

    I'm vegetarian for health reasons. I'd gotten horrible stomach pains anytime I ate meat but i liked meat so I kept eating it and getting sick..
    I had tried a few times but didn't have a good support system set so I lapsed.
    This time around I have a great support system and I've been meat free almost a month now. I still eat dairy and eggs still though.

    oh yes I'm also concerned with the appalling conditions of factory farmed animals and the earth going to crap by large scale ranching and the cutting down of rain forests to support them.
    My husband still is and probably always will be omni but I make sure his meat is local, 100% grassfed and that the farmers are ethical.
  • terraskye
    terraskye Posts: 370 Member
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    Can you recommend any good reading on going gluten free? I'm not vega, ovo-lacto veggie for now but I'm seriously thinking of going gluten or at least wheat free in the near future..

    Thanks:)

    The best book I've found so far is, Living Gluten Free for Dummies. It hits all the bases. Very informative! It even includes recipes, baking how-tos, shopping tips, and cost saving tips. I would recommend that to help you make the decision, since it talks about everything from medical problems to how to survive a vacation. If you do decide to go gf, you'll practically be a pro.

    Thanks!!! I'm going to put that on my wishlist:)
  • beccasetsfire
    beccasetsfire Posts: 135
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    Ooh and last tip for wannabe vegans - leave the vegan cheeses alone for awhile until your taste buds have changed a bit. When you're used to eating cheese lots then the vegan ones will taste crap. I hate that I have to say this, but I think it puts a lot of people off. Wait a week or two before you try it and then buy loads of nutritional yeast and go crazy. I now make loads of awesome cheesey dishes, and they're usually healthier than using real cheese.

    What is a reasonable price for nutritional yeast? I found a jar of it at Festival Foods for $10, I think it had maybe 33 one tbs. servings...does that sound like a good price? I was a little surprised to see how expensive it was but figured having a jar of it on hand wouldn't be a bad thing if I need an extra protein kick for the day.

    I don't know if you live near a Wegmans but they sell bulk Nut. Yeast for like 7 or 8... We go through sooooo much of it in my house.... sooooo yummy!
  • kayemme
    kayemme Posts: 1,782 Member
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    i am not a vegetarian, but i play one in domestic scenery.

    my boyfriend is a steadfast vegetarian; i don't cook meat at home. i will occasionally eat meat as i don't have an ethical problem with it in itself; rather have an ethical problem in factory farming practices. most of my friends are in the same realm of political activism with their food, so if one of them offered me some chicken, i would take it without thinking twice. but again, i don't cook it myself.

    i'm not high and mighty about it, though. i will, on occasion, have a fast food burger, but over the last couple years the scenario has been that after i have eaten fast food, i have not felt well. i don't know if it's my guilt or the grease, but either way, i try to avoid it as much as possible.

    we do eat some dairy and eggs, but a good portion of our food is actually vegan. we have a heavily plant-based diet, rich in variety and color, organically cultivated and locally supported. i love how we eat. i'm glad we do it the way we do it. we don't ever eat "meat substitutes" ever. for us, a meat substitute might be a mushroom or mashed beans. the thought of them kind of repulse me as much as factory meat.

    he sometimes likes the not dogs, but i find them so repulsive that i would truly rather eat a hot dog, which i don't normally; i would just rather.
  • kayemme
    kayemme Posts: 1,782 Member
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    I always buy the vegetarian refried beans. You can even make them yourself, but I haven't tried it yet. So I don't know how easy/difficult it is.

    super easy.

    soak dry beans overnight
    boil beans 'til soft
    chop onion, garlic
    add some oil (i like olive)
    add onions and garlic
    add beans
    mash with potato masher
    season with cumin, paprika, cayenne, and/or chili powder - whatever seasonings you like. try fennel seed, thyme, oregano? don't forget a little salt. taste often, season as you like.

    de. lish. us.

    we eat this over rice and topped with our favorite colombian style salsa (basically cilantro, green onions, garlic, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, cayenne pepper and salt)

    it's lean, green and on the scene!
  • leavinglasvegas
    leavinglasvegas Posts: 1,495
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    I get emails from PCRM (Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine) If you aren't familiar with them, check them out. Just google the name. Anyway, I got this email this morning and thought I'd share. I thought it was interesting. Not that meat is the only cause of weight gain, but interesting that this is being tested. I think its cool to see the world opening up to a better aceptance of vegetaianism.

    Meat Causes Weight Gain

    Meat eating leads to weight gain, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Researchers studied the diets of 373,803 participants in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer (EPIC study). Those who ate 8.8 ounces (about two servings) of meat per day gained more weight year by year, compared with people who ate less meat (or none at all). The weight gain attributable to meat consumption was about 1 extra pound per year. The researchers concluded that reducing meat consumption may help people avoid weight gain.

    Vergnaud AC, Norat T, Romaguera D, et al. Meat consumption and prospective weight change in participants of the EPIC-PANACEA study. Am J Clin Nutr. Published ahead of print June 30, 2010. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.2009.28713.
  • roylawrence87
    roylawrence87 Posts: 970 Member
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    I cut meat from my diet in February of this year. I have since lost 50+ pounds. I also excercise on a daily basis. So meat equals bad. I absolutly hate factory farms. I have no qualms about eating meat just the factory farms.
  • veganon50
    veganon50 Posts: 46
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    I have had a great week - lots of exercise - dancing and walking, mainly, and I lost 2 pounds, having fun and eating delicious vegan food - how great is that!?
    I have just put some chick peas on to soak to make my own falafels tomorrow - never made them myself from scratch before - should be interesting!
    My partner made bread yesterday - he makes in batches of 4 loaves at a time, and we freeze them - so hard to resist freshly baked bread, though!
    And finally, we got an organic veg box delivered this week - lots of things I don't know what to do with, but a good way to get out of a rut when it comes to menus...anyone know what to do with kohl rabi, for example???
  • veganon50
    veganon50 Posts: 46
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    Found a simple recipe I am going to try for tonight - Kohlrabi is lovely - like a cross between cabbage and turnip - crisp and sweet - makes a good coleslaw as well, apparently.
    It's not a proper meal but a nice starter, snack or side dish:

    Kohlrabi carpaccio

    Kohlrabi, peeled (as much as u want, for a side dish around 300g should server ~3)
    Olive Oil or Sunflower Oil
    White wine or balsamic (depending on your preference) vinegar
    a little bit of cream-horseradish
    or you could use freshly grated one if you'd prefer the heat
    sugar
    a small handful of
    pine nuts (sunflower seeds)
    a bunch of parsley, chopped

    Slice the kohlrabi very thinly (using a plane or similar), arrange it on a plate. Mix the horseradish with some oil and vinegar to make a dressing. Taste with sugar and drizzle over the kohlrabi. Roast the pine nuts (sunflower seeds) without any oil until lightly browned and scatter over the kohlrabi. Sprinkle over some freshly ground black pepper, salt and the parsley and tuck in.
  • fullercorp
    fullercorp Posts: 37 Member
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    I have been a vegetarian for over 20 years and have 'become' vegan since February of this year. It is certainly a process requiring constant vigilance because there are so many hidden animal products. I don't eat eggs but I ate veggie meats (like Morningstar veggie sausage) all the time but only recently read the ingredients....and found egg whites. I feel boneheaded that it never occurred to me to read the ingredients thoroughly on the food that i eat.
    My main goal right now is weight loss followed by a lifetime of that maintained weight loss through constant healthy eating (i have back-slid before) and figured veganism couldn't hurt to achieve that.
    While i agree that it is easy to be a junk food vegetarian, i don't think it is quite so easy to eat junk as a vegan.
    I do anticipate it to be impossible to eat out as one.
  • DancingYogini
    DancingYogini Posts: 377
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    I have been a vegetarian for over 20 years and have 'become' vegan since February of this year. It is certainly a process requiring constant vigilance because there are so many hidden animal products. I don't eat eggs but I ate veggie meats (like Morningstar veggie sausage) all the time but only recently read the ingredients....and found egg whites. I feel boneheaded that it never occurred to me to read the ingredients thoroughly on the food that i eat.
    My main goal right now is weight loss followed by a lifetime of that maintained weight loss through constant healthy eating (i have back-slid before) and figured veganism couldn't hurt to achieve that.
    While i agree that it is easy to be a junk food vegetarian, i don't think it is quite so easy to eat junk as a vegan.
    I do anticipate it to be impossible to eat out as one.

    Morningstar is sneaky like that! Unless the faux meat says "Vegan", I just assume it has some animal product in it. Actually a lot of junk food is Vegan, Veg News has a "I can't believe it is Vegan" section (oreos are one that comes to mind). I am not 100% Vegan, but find that you can eat well out, as long as you are thorough with your questions. Some chefs will even make a special Vegan meal, it actually is a nice challenge for them, but it depends on the restaurant. Ethnic foods always are good for eating animal free :smile:
  • ang696
    ang696 Posts: 38 Member
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    Been a vegetarian for 6 years now. Been vegan for 6 months once, got sick and went back to vegetarian, then later did it for 8 months before stopping. Part of it was lack of resources/knowledge/time/willingness to make my own food (I hate cooking lol), and I know I had way too much fat in my diet (common problem of vegans). But I hope to try it again one day, and maybe I can pick some of your brains on the best way to do it long term!
  • cakesmooth
    cakesmooth Posts: 122 Member
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    I've been vegetarian for the last 3 years and was veg also in college for 2 more. I rarely buy the fake meat stuff. I think it is much easier and more satisfying to creatively substitue other things in your favorite recipes. I leave the meat out of all of the old meat dishes I loved so much and substitue with a vegetable or dairy product. For instance, I am hispanic and grew up cooking lots of Mexican dishes, so I've replaced tofu, lentils, and vegetarian taco seasoning with beef for tacos. I cook cheese lasagna instead of meat lasagna. I add mushrooms and olives to my pasta sauce instead of meat. I've learned that its the sauces and seasonings that make your food taste great not the meat. So you can smother your cooked textured veggies or tofu in bbq sauce, home made mole, or just about anything. You have to really be opposed to meat to give it up fully. If you still want it, you'll eventually cave in. One movie that motivated me to go veg again as an adult was Earthlings. It's very motiving.
  • BlueLikeJazz
    BlueLikeJazz Posts: 219 Member
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    Hey all, glad this thread is so active, lots of good tips and ideas here!

    I'm going to Google for a vegan pizza recipe to make tomorrow but if anyone has a great one they'd like to share, feel free! I made another batch of vegan sushi with friends this weekend and I think I have found what will be my go-to combo: avocado, green onion, and cucumber. The textures and flavors were perfect together and my favorite color is green is it appealed to my eye :)

    I didn't get anything new or exciting, really, at the Farmers' Market this week. Sugar snap peas, an heirloom tomato, red potatoes, green and purple leaf lettuce, and summer squash. The heirloom tomato will be gone in about 15 minutes, having it for supper, but once again, feel free to share any recipes involving the others.

    I can't remember if I asked this yet or not here, but has anyone tried any of the Maple Grove Farms salad dressings? I got the Maple Fig and found it pretty disgusting, just watered down and yucky. I also noticed they had a Sesame Ginger dressing that I wanted to try, but now I don't know if I should just skip that brand as a whole?


    Been a vegetarian for 6 years now. Been vegan for 6 months once, got sick and went back to vegetarian, then later did it for 8 months before stopping. Part of it was lack of resources/knowledge/time/willingness to make my own food (I hate cooking lol), and I know I had way too much fat in my diet (common problem of vegans). But I hope to try it again one day, and maybe I can pick some of your brains on the best way to do it long term!

    I have found that I actually like cooking more now because I'm forced to get a little creative and try new things. Cooking and eating in an ethically responsible way just feels more rewarding so I hate it less lol. Also, I'm guessing that only having nuts/nut butters as a treat and cooking with something other than oil are probably the simplest ways to bring your fat intake way down. My fat intake is really low these days but I remember when I was raw vegan and desperate for flavor that I was using nuts and oils a lot more and my fat intake was really high then.

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