Any vegans out there?

I don't eat red meat and use Quorn instead and lower in fat. I looked at Vegan stuff but they tend to use lot of nuts which I'm allergic to and soy which is bad when have under active thyroid as it blocks absorption of meds.

What other alternative things are they? not sure what tofu is made of, or TVP?

Hi fellow vegans! Its nice to know that there are a few of us on here. I have a question for you guys. Would it be bad if I have honey? I know that most veans will most likely say yes but I just want to know what you guys think. Its supposed to have a lot of health benefits. I am just so conflicted with this one food

I'm back to being vegan about 3 weeks ago. I have been meat-less for over 15 years and vegan for a smaller portion of that time. I began eating dairy and eggs during my pregnancies and gained almost 100 pounds So now I'm trying to reset my body. I feel so much better being a vegan!

Hey! I'm actually pretty much a raw foodist (75% of my diet is raw) and I generally tend to stick to veganism although like you I do end up eating fish every now and again (albeit only recently).

I'd be interested in recipes, I am a bit of a health freak and I avoid gluten as well as dairy products too.

I am not vegan, however I do have some knowledge on the subject as I also do with shechita slaughter and halal slaughter - commenting on something without knowing anything about it means more than likely relying on prejudice and what the "news" says.

As far as honey is concerned, that all depends on your vegan denomination, a bit like Judaism, Christianity, and vegetarianism.

Some vegans are OK with products that have been made by insects, others are not. To compare the insect world to the bovine world: honey is like milk, cooked crickets are like steaks, and silk is like veal (I was going to say leather, but male calves on dairy farms is a more apt comparison to what mulberry silkworms go through, with calfskin being the equivalent to beondegi in terms of what is considered the by-product). You can get honey from natural beehives like you can get milk from pastured cows, although honey from natural beehives that haven't been abandoned by the bees might be more harmful than human-managed hives.

Insects are also harmed in production of food crops, so it depends on whether you view insects as animals (some don't) and/or whether you believe honey production takes advantage of honey bees and is bad because of it, and/or if accidental insect deaths are on par with deliberate insect deaths (if so, that probably means only organic fruit and vegetables - or home grown - where insecticides haven't been used that season since organic doesn't mean insecticide-free).

My understanding of the honey industry, is that colony size is determined by food availability, and if honey is taken and it is a bad winter the bees may be provided with sugar water (or something similar) to supplement their diet (for carbs, they get their protein from the pollen they stored). Unborn queens may be killed to reduce swarming. Queens may be raised in something akin to the industrialised caged chicken industry (search term: factory farming queen bees), shipped across the world and introduced to a hive that has lost a queen. Queens may be killed and replaced every year even though their lifespan is about 5 years.

Also, human-managed hives usually have a thing installed so that the queen can't get into the honey-only area and lay eggs so honey collection shouldn't include larvae. Some human-managed hives also include pollen traps which may reduce the amount of protein available during food shortages and winter and might physically harm the bees, but I believe that mainly comes down to design and proper management/maintenance (e.g. I just read the Sundance Pollen Trap only strips pollen on the way in and only about 50% of it). I suppose another take on it would be whether honey bees are having a detrimental effect on the other native bee species or if they have a negligible effect because their differences mean they like nectar from different flowering plants/trees.

Honey, nectar, pollen, propolis, beeswax... depends on your view on if taking something that has required insect energy to create is bad. Apitherapy (with bee venom) and royal jelly... depends on your view on if taking an insect life deliberately is bad. Treating queen bees like cattle... that would probably come down to checking with the maker to find out how they obtained their queens.

When I was looking at keeping bees I was thinking of allowing nature to take its cause (assuming the local authorities would have been OK with it) which would have meant the queen bees fighting to the death to determine who runs the hive or me chasing a swarm of bees that have decided to leave the hive with a new queen so I'd have two hives (and merging two hives when a queen died) - local beekeepers might be more forthcoming with their methods than supermarket suppliers as well as local honey containing local pollen.

As far as the British Vegan Society and the American Vegan Society are concerned (someone correct me if things have changed), honey is an animal product and is "prohibited for vegan use".

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As for recipes... I'm a meat-eater that for a while was a pescetarian (albeit one that avoids fish on the IUCN red list as near threatened and above) so doubt most of what I eat is suitable for vegans - my peanut butter on toast recipe looks promising but you've probably heard of that.

With regard to nut allergies, is it all nuts, tree nuts and/or tree seeds (e.g. pecans, cashews, walnuts, almonds are seeds; can't think of any tree nuts) and/or some legumes (e.g. peanuts are the seeds of beans that grow below ground)? If so, bear in mind that soybeans are legumes (the seeds of beans that grow above ground) and that soy allergy is also common, so it'd probably be worth finding out before incorporating soy (assuming the meds aren't lifelong and that soy avoidance advice came before you had a chance to try soy). Tofu is made from soybeans.

Allergy to all legumes including peas and beans is not unheard of either, so I'd probably suggest making a list of all seeds/nuts/beans you aren't allergic to (or advised not to eat) and then working your protein intake around them. From what I understand, it is usually an entire family (genus? subfamily?) or several cultivars in the same genus. I'd look to see a "family tree" of allergies and see if they are closely related or not before carefully trying new things that aren't closely related. Since Quorn is made from a mycoprotein, mushrooms are also an option although they aren't as protein rich as nuts.

a new Vegan. any tips, recipes, advice? (:

watfordjc - Nice response! (I didn't want to requite the entire thing but you have some good information in there).

I think someone already posted this but check out www.ohsheglows.com. There are some pretty tasty recipes on that site.

Hi! My partner and I went vegan cold-turkey two months ago and we have been doing lots (and lots!) of research for recipes and substitutions.

I have been making my own recipes and hopefully everyone will enjoy this one:

Kung Pao Stir Fry

2/3 cup vegetable broth
1 ½ tbsp. cornstarch
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp hoisin sauce
2 tbsp sherry
2 tsp sambal oelek chili paste
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 red pepper cut into large pieces
1 yellow pepper cut into large pieces
12 white or brown mushrooms
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
½ onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1tsp grated gingerroot
2 green onions, cut into 1inch pieces
½ cup peanuts, chopped

Stir cornstarch into broth. Add soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sherry, and sambal oelek.
In large fry pan or wok heat vegetable oil until hot. Add peppers, mushrooms, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and gingerroot.
Stir fry for 4 minutes until vegetables are just tender.
Stir broth mixture and add to vegetable mixture. Stir for about 30 seconds until sauce is boiling and thick and vegetables are coated. Add green onions and stir until coated.
Remove from heat. Sprinkle with peanuts.
Serve over rice.


It is really easy to substitute items you don't like, leave out the peanuts if you have allergies, or cut down or remove the chili paste if you don't like it spicy, (you can also substitute the chili paste with crushed red pepper if you have that on hand!). It's super simple and, apart from the rice, will only take 10 minutes to cook.
I make 6 easy servings of this and have it over white rice.

Enjoy!

Even though I'm supremely weary of the processed meat-substitutes, I was just dying to try the tofurkey italian sausages.. So I cooked them up in some saurkraut and prepared them how I like -- and well, my jurisdiction? Absolutely disgusting!! I had continued eating them just because I don't like to waste.. but when my brother said "You know what this reminds me of? That meat paste inside of canned ravioli" that was it.

I was also excited to try the Tofurky sausages and you're right, they're nasty. However, there are some delicious meat alternatives out there.

Tofurky deli slices are tasty but unfortunately, that's the only thing I've found yummy from that brand. If you can get Yves brand, they make some tasty veggie dogs & Italian sausages. However, of all the vegan brands out there, Gardein is the tastiest, in my opinion. They make a stuffed 'turkey' breast that's amazing, comes with vegan gravy too! They also make some 7-grain 'chicken' fingers that are SO good. The only downside to all of these is that they are processed and contain a lot of salt - all in moderation though

Try to get your hands on Gardein brand, they're typically in the frozen food/natural food aisle.

I was vegetarian back in my mid to late teens. I went vegan on February 22, 2012 for health and diet reasons. It was the 40 Day Daniel Fast.

I was intrigued with the "vegan lifestyle" and read as much as I could get my hands on and did a lot of googling. After reading about so many atrocities in the food industry with animals, I knew I would never go back to the Standard American Diet. I feel so much better than I used to and was able to stop taking medication for my tummy troubles.

If anyone is looking for vegan friends on here, just send me a friend request - my food journal is open to my friends

I'm a newer vegan myself (since 1/3/13) I went cold turkey after watching several documentaries on netflix. I went vegan partly for health reasons, mostly for ethical reasons. I actually cried watching some of them. I had no idea just what the food industry was doing to these animals...never realized what they do to the chickens for our eggs! That being said, we have a summer property and on my way out there I drive through the country and there's a property where they sell eggs. I have seen their chickens from the road. I plan to stop by and talk to the owners and take a look at the chickens and ask what they feed them etc. I may occassionally buy some eggs from them if I feel the chickens are being treated ethically. Other than that I have no desire to eat any animal products and am feeling better than I have in years!

Mostly vegan here! Although I do occasionally eat eggs and fish.

Two things I wanted to share for you, OP: 1) If you are not already eating Daiya cheese, go out and get some!! It really kills that cheese craving. It melts and stretches enough to be cooked with pasta, or on toast with avocado slices (my favorite snack). They have it at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. Most delicious, my favorite is the shredded mozzarella.

Also, I have a great recipe for vegan pesto that includes nutritional yeast. I keep it frozen in ice cube trays and use a little at a time with whole-what pasta or brown rice, broccoli and tofu. It's one of my favorite go-to meals.

Vegan Basil Pesto

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups fresh basil
⅓ cup olive oil
⅔ cup pine nuts
5 cloves garlic
⅓ cup nutritional yeast
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ lemon, juiced

Preparation:
Combine all ingredients in a food processor until nuts are around. Pesto should still have texture and not be completely smooth. Add more salt, pepper, or lemon juice to taste and enjoy.