Want to go totally animal free:)

Don't forget to give up honey )

Also, don't forget to give up anything that has Gelatin in it. Jello and dairy-free puddings will contain gelatin, among other things.

I dont get the honey thing... Your not killing the bees by eating the honey. Your taking what they make. Much like a veggie or a flower...

I think since you currently eat poultry and presumably seafood, you might want to try nixing those first. Gelatin is generally not consumed by most vegetarians anyway, so that would be another to watch out for. I would recommend checking out various fake chicken products since those ease the transition, especially while you hone your vegetarian cooking skills.

I was vegan for years in my younger days, but was REALLY unhealthy. My family didn't support my decisions, so I subsisted on pasta and red sauce, as I was in high school and sorely lacking nutrition knowledge or my way around the kitchen! Years later, I started eating meat and slowly packed on thirty to forty pounds (granted, some of them were necessary, as I was too thin). This was also due to an outrageous soda consumption! I became vegetarian again about five years ago, and almost immediately lost twenty pounds.

In the last year, I have re-added fish back into my diet in limited amounts. I only buy sustainable harvested or take whatever family members have caught on recent fishing trips. Even when I am not eating seafood, I never have a problem getting enough protein into my diet. If you need any ideas, I will gladly help out!

As for books, I would check out Veganomicon, as a great beginner's resource. If you have a local coop in your area, that would be another resource to use. Even in my relatively isolated town in South Dakota, we have plenty of vegan options, and there are vegetarian cooking courses offered through community education.

I dont get the honey thing... Your not killing the bees by eating the honey. Your taking what they make. Much like a veggie or a flower...

You don't hurt the cows by milking them either but milk isn't vegan. People will argue that the milking process is in fact painful and torturous but I'm not starting that. I eat everything.

I'm sorta a vegan....i only eat animals that are vegans....does that count ?

Ha ha!

Actually that still means you aren't eating meat. Since all mammals nurse, they aren't vegan

I dont get the honey thing... Your not killing the bees by eating the honey. Your taking what they make. Much like a veggie or a flower...

Not all vegans are necessarily concerned about animal cruelty, there are many reasons people choose to be veg. Most recognize that their diet is cruelty-free, but it might not be a top priority in their decision. Some other reasons include minimizing their environmental impact, health. For some, they might have allergies, and its best to avoid dairy anyway.

Hey! a great book to read is Skinny b*itch, you can find it in chapters or any bookstore really. It talks very bluntly on the benefits of a vegan diet! I highly recommend it, but it's not for the faint of heart!

You should read "Eating Animals" by Jonathan Safran Foer.

http://www.eatinganimals.com/site/book/

Acquaint yourself with as many different vegetables, fruits, legumes, grains, nuts, and seeds as possible and you should do just fine.
Feel free to send me a message with any questions you might have and I'll try my best to help out.

Try Gardein tenders, your kids probably won't even notice the difference! They are 100 calories a serving too. There are vegan soy yogurts, some of the cheeses are better than others. Daiya melts really well and is the "holy grail" when it comes to vegan cheeses.
I have been recommended the uncheese cookbook, it uses a lot of raw cashews to make cheese and cream sauces. I've never used it, but have had cashew based cheeses and sauces, and they are DELICIOUS!