Any Vegans/Vegatarians on MFP??

Hey guys! I'm wondering if anyone on here is a vegan or vegetarian? I would love to get some more information on this lifestyle as I'm really considering the change! Feel free to add me and message me if you would like or if anyone need support at all just give me an add

Replies

msmuffin8

Hey. I've been a vegetarian for several years now. I'd love to transition to vegan, but chocolate is my biggest weakness

msmuffin8

What's your reason for considering the change? The transition can be hard for many. I found having a very clear reason really helps with sticking with it

inga00

Hi! I am a vegan, and I would love to give you any information I can. What specifically would you like to know about?

msmuffin8 wrote: »

Hey. I've been a vegetarian for several years now. I'd love to transition to vegan, but chocolate is my biggest weakness

There are some great chocolate brands that are vegan friendly, and taste just the same!

tillthefitladysings

Hey, I know we're already friends, but I thought I'd join the conversation anyway.

If you want to chat a bit about veganism, message me any time! There are all different kinds of vegans or people who follow a plant-based diet, and tons of people transitioning or finding halfway points and compromises. We can totally find a lifestyle that works for you. There are always options!

mermaiidmariia

msmuffin8 wrote: »

What's your reason for considering the change? The transition can be hard for many. I found having a very clear reason really helps with sticking with it

Ethical reasons. I just no longer feel okay eating meat that I could've possible been a tortured animal.

EXNING

msmuffin8 wrote: »

Hey. I've been a vegetarian for several years now. I'd love to transition to vegan, but chocolate is my biggest weakness

Theres tons of vegan chocolate, most chocolate is suppose to be vegan-they add milk as a filler. Dark chocolate (the real kind, not that herseys crap) is typically vegan. Theres also "No whey" vegan chocolate you can find online. Cacao itself has no dairy

EXNING

msmuffin8 wrote: »

What's your reason for considering the change? The transition can be hard for many. I found having a very clear reason really helps with sticking with it

It was quite easy and simple for me as well as a lot of people i know! Dont let people telling you its difficult discourage you. Its only as hard as you make it out to be.
Im allergic to over 50 foods and still eat vegan with no issues, so if I can do it, anyone can

inga00

mermaiidmariia wrote: »

msmuffin8 wrote: »

What's your reason for considering the change? The transition can be hard for many. I found having a very clear reason really helps with sticking with it

Ethical reasons. I just no longer feel okay eating meat that I could've possible been a tortured animal.

That was my original reason as well. I have since come to enjoy the health benefits and wouldn't go back to eating animal products, even if there was anything ethical about it (which is probably impossible anyway).

A couple of things to keep in mind if you are transitioning now or recently. These are based on my experience, so they are not the rule for everyone:
1. You may slip up in the beginning. It's okay, there's a bit of a learning curve here. You may be surprised by how many things have animal products in them! Just remember that it will soon become second nature remembering what is vegan and what isn't, best brands, label reading, etc.
2. Add in before you take out. This is the best way to avoid feeling deprived. Look up new recipes, know appropriate replacements for non vegan ingredients, find some foods that are similar in flavor and texture to your comfort foods, and try new things that maybe you hadn't considered before.
3. Your palate may change, so give it time. I slipped up once and couldn't believe how foreign/unpleasant tasting animal products had become to me. And new things that I hadn't liked before became staples in my diet.
4. Plant-based meats and cheese are a helpful option to make the transition smoother and as an occasional treat, but are not necessarily healthy long-term options. They are highly processed and have a lot of sodium, but can be a nice treat. Instead, find more whole foods options that provide a meaty/cheesy flavor and texture. If feel you're craving meat, is it something salty you want? Chewy? Something with that umami flavor? There are plenty of healthier ways to satisfy those cravings.
5. A junk food vegan diet is still a junk food diet. I fell prey to this at first.
6. Realize you can't be perfect. You can strive for perfection, doing your best to avoid animal products and animal tested products, but we are all human. All you can do is minimize your impact, and that's what we can be okay with.
7. Be prepared for uninformed people to pose questions that may become annoying/repetitive/innane/etc., but try to have patience. Remember that you may be their first (maybe only) encounter with veganism, so try to make it a positive one. If they are honestly curious, try to answer with patience. If they are trying to trip you up or be malicious, then calmly explain that you do the best you can.
8. It may become difficult to see others who don't follow a vegan diet. Just know you are doing all you can, and your example is at least provoking thought on the subject, whereas they may have continued eating animals without even making the connection.

A few things I always try to have in my kitchen:
1. Plenty of fruits and veggies I enjoy snacking on
2. Spinach: or any leafy green really that I can throw into a smoothie or salad
3. Cashews (and other nuts): very versatile and can be blended into creamy savory sauces
4. Nutritional yeast: gives a nutty, cheesy flavor to things
5. Almond milk (or any nondairy milk)
6. Tofu: once you learn how to prepare it the way you like, it's amazing. It will take on whatever flavor you put with it. Good source of protein
7. Legumes: easy, good source of protein
8. Flax meal: mixed with water, can be an egg replacer (also a source of healthy omegas)
9. Avocado: this is a personal favorite. It's a healthy fat in moderation that can sometimes replace animal-based fat, and is sometimes called "nature's butter"
10. Cacao nibs: for when a craving strikes or for emergency cookies

11. B12 supplement: very important! I take a B complex vitamin

I know this might be more info than you were looking for, but I thought I would share my person experience with veganism here in case it may help anyone considering the diet. Despite many claims, I have never felt deprived, I get enough protein from legumes/tofu/several other sources, i get enough calcium from leafy greens/plenty of other sources, and I do not spent more money now than when I did when I bought meat/eggs/dairy.

Hope this helps!

grimendale

If you're looking for veg*ns, check out the Happy Herbivores group.

kittybatman

I'm a vegetarian for 4 years counting and proud. I also don't drink milk instead I substitute it for soy milk or almond milk. I eat cheese so I'm not really vegan fully but I also don't wear leather or fur or any animal by products found in makeup. I'm a part vegan you can say... But I love cheese too much

I take multivitamins and b12 separately along with biotin and zinc.
Mostly eat vegetables such as avocados/bell peppers/kale/argula/spinach
Grapefruit/tangerines/bananas
Rice/nuts/legumes/Chia seeds/quinoa

AnnPT77

I've been ovo-lacto vegetarian since 1974. (Obviously, not for the same reasons you're considering it, since I do eat eggs & milk products. More an adolescent whim that stuck, perhaps.) It's pretty automatic, at this point. I make exceptions for essential medications that I completely can't get in a veg form, but that's about it.

I hate fake meat products (I never liked meat all that much anyway, and they taste like substandard meat. Ick.) Once I learned to think about meals differently, it was easy, varied & enjoyable. (By "think differently", I mean "stop conceptualizing a meal as protein + veg + carb, and start thinking about just eating varied vegetable-based foods with plenty of protein woven through everything".) This re-think took quite a while.

Another thing you'll want a strategy for is eating at others' (non-veg) homes. Some things I do with new people who invite me over, after explaining that I'm veg: Offer to bring a veg dish that will be a main dish for me and a side dish for them; tell them that if they're having meat + veg + carb, I'll eat just the veg + carb as long as there are no bacon bits or the like in it; if it's a group, offer to join them after dinner for the social time; invite them to my place first and serve some non-veg-friendly veg food (lasagna is good, for example). Just don't proselytize unless encouraged to do so by someone; otherwise, it's kinda obnoxious.

Restaurants with groups: Diplomatically steer to places with lots of options for you & them, if possible. But I've never been anywhere that there wasn't something to eat. If there's nothing on the menu, talk with the server. Almost anywhere can come up with a plate of veg side-dishes, or a non-meaty salad or pasta. Don't make a drama of what they do/don't have or what you will/won't eat; that's kinda obnoxious, too. If they bring you something with meat in it after you explained clearly and politely, then discreetly and politely send it back. I avoid soups (usually contain chicken broth at least), and refried beans (often contain lard), unless clearly labeled vegetarian.

And I endorse the good, practical info above from @inga00, too.

pointkoala

I'm vegan!
I have been vegetarian since September 2011. Started transitioning to vegan slowly about a year and a half ago. IDK exactly when I became vegan.

If you are transitioning from vegetarian to vegan.... my advice is do it slowly. Cut out the big things - cheese, milk, eggs. But don't stress too much if there is something small. Then slowly cut back on all those things.

Now I won't eat things that have "modified milk ingredients" on the package but I did before. It is OKAY to slip up once in a while. Don't beat yourself up over it. Just keep improving. It takes time and no one is perfect.

Eating veg is sooooo easy. I live with my partner who is vegetarian (not vegan). So that makes things easy. But we will make large meals once or twice a week and I take leftovers to work. We make a lot of rice, beans, tofu, steamed veggies, potatoes. For snacks, I have fruit and "cheese" and crackers. Oh and popcorn with nutritional yeast!

Good quality chocolate is vegan but you always have to check those ingredients.

My hardest thing was cheese, really. But I found Daiya cheese which I'm addicted to and I also learned how to make my own nut cheese (soak cashews overnight and then food process with nutritional yeast and spices......... so easy!).

For supplements, I have iron a couple times per week and B12 daily.

The WORST part about being vegan is dealing with idiots. Like people saying "I can't be vegan because...." bla bla bla. No, you actually can be, you are choosing not to. People get so defensive.

Anyway I love being vegan. The food options that I have are unlimited, believe it or not, and I feel like I get to try so many cool foods because of it! It's not all boring meat and potatoes (ughhhh) lol.

salembambi

I am a 10 year vegetarian and like 4 year vegan now

going vegan was easy for me tbh i think if you are doing it for ethical reasons and not health reasons its must easier

I have found that my palate has changed completely and also now a days if I smell cooking meat ,dairy products or eggs I feel sick. It is so offensive to me now which it never use to be as a vegetarian

when you try vegan replacement products you might not like them at first but i found that as my palate changed i all the sudden loved them. when i first tried out daiya vegan cheese i was kinda meh on it ...now? I can throw that crap on everything and love it so much!

I find it rather easy eating vegan you just have to learn how to cook a bit more and figure out some of your staple meals. That will happen fairly fast you figure out what works for you.

there are so many vegan food blogs with awesome recipes , lots of great vegan cookbooks, vegan cooking channels on youtube all sorts of info and ideas out there vegweb.com is a good recipe base i use when looking for any recipe

as far as vegan chocolate goes there are lots of options most chocolate chips are already vegan, ritter sport marzipan is a vegan chocolate bar im pretty sure you can get all over North American and in Europe. Dark chocolate kit kats are vegan, ive even seen a cookbook that is called something like 'vegan chocolate' its just filled with chocolate vegan recipes http://www.veganessentials.com/ that website has all kinds of vegan chocolate options

mermaiidmariia

inga00 wrote: »

mermaiidmariia wrote: »

msmuffin8 wrote: »

What's your reason for considering the change? The transition can be hard for many. I found having a very clear reason really helps with sticking with it

Ethical reasons. I just no longer feel okay eating meat that I could've possible been a tortured animal.

That was my original reason as well. I have since come to enjoy the health benefits and wouldn't go back to eating animal products, even if there was anything ethical about it (which is probably impossible anyway).

A couple of things to keep in mind if you are transitioning now or recently. These are based on my experience, so they are not the rule for everyone:
1. You may slip up in the beginning. It's okay, there's a bit of a learning curve here. You may be surprised by how many things have animal products in them! Just remember that it will soon become second nature remembering what is vegan and what isn't, best brands, label reading, etc.
2. Add in before you take out. This is the best way to avoid feeling deprived. Look up new recipes, know appropriate replacements for non vegan ingredients, find some foods that are similar in flavor and texture to your comfort foods, and try new things that maybe you hadn't considered before.
3. Your palate may change, so give it time. I slipped up once and couldn't believe how foreign/unpleasant tasting animal products had become to me. And new things that I hadn't liked before became staples in my diet.
4. Plant-based meats and cheese are a helpful option to make the transition smoother and as an occasional treat, but are not necessarily healthy long-term options. They are highly processed and have a lot of sodium, but can be a nice treat. Instead, find more whole foods options that provide a meaty/cheesy flavor and texture. If feel you're craving meat, is it something salty you want? Chewy? Something with that umami flavor? There are plenty of healthier ways to satisfy those cravings.
5. A junk food vegan diet is still a junk food diet. I fell prey to this at first.
6. Realize you can't be perfect. You can strive for perfection, doing your best to avoid animal products and animal tested products, but we are all human. All you can do is minimize your impact, and that's what we can be okay with.
7. Be prepared for uninformed people to pose questions that may become annoying/repetitive/innane/etc., but try to have patience. Remember that you may be their first (maybe only) encounter with veganism, so try to make it a positive one. If they are honestly curious, try to answer with patience. If they are trying to trip you up or be malicious, then calmly explain that you do the best you can.
8. It may become difficult to see others who don't follow a vegan diet. Just know you are doing all you can, and your example is at least provoking thought on the subject, whereas they may have continued eating animals without even making the connection.

A few things I always try to have in my kitchen:
1. Plenty of fruits and veggies I enjoy snacking on
2. Spinach: or any leafy green really that I can throw into a smoothie or salad
3. Cashews (and other nuts): very versatile and can be blended into creamy savory sauces
4. Nutritional yeast: gives a nutty, cheesy flavor to things
5. Almond milk (or any nondairy milk)
6. Tofu: once you learn how to prepare it the way you like, it's amazing. It will take on whatever flavor you put with it. Good source of protein
7. Legumes: easy, good source of protein
8. Flax meal: mixed with water, can be an egg replacer (also a source of healthy omegas)
9. Avocado: this is a personal favorite. It's a healthy fat in moderation that can sometimes replace animal-based fat, and is sometimes called "nature's butter"
10. Cacao nibs: for when a craving strikes or for emergency cookies
11. B12 supplement: very important! I take a B complex vitamin

I know this might be more info than you were looking for, but I thought I would share my person experience with veganism here in case it may help anyone considering the diet. Despite many claims, I have never felt deprived, I get enough protein from legumes/tofu/several other sources, i get enough calcium from leafy greens/plenty of other sources, and I do not spent more money now than when I did when I bought meat/eggs/dairy.

Hope this helps!

No thank you so much! It's so helpful

micmurphy83

I started off as a vegan at the age of 8. My parents didn't accept my choices and I was hospitalized for malnutrition. Since then I only eat chicken, turkey, and seafood. It is a very tough transition but one I'm happy that I made. Some days I go without eating any meat and I enjoy those days. I eat tofu, beans, nuts, and protein shakes to provide the level of protein on some days that I need it.

24 years strong. Also helps that I'm extremely stubborn.

dragthewaters

I'm a new vegetarian! (ovo-lacto, only eating organic/ethical eggs and dairy whenever possible) I've been vegetarian for about three weeks and it's going great so far. I became a vegetarian for ethical and sustainability reasons. I am not opposed to eating ethically raised meat every once in a while, but so far I haven't felt the need to eat it, and it's expensive anyway.

Elc320

I've been vegetarian for about 11 years now. Message me with any questions or shoot me a friend request

counsel_jdmph

I found it very easy actually to go vegetarian and I'm 2 yrs in. Cannot give up cheese or baked goods. I started with just veggies and fish and then phased fish and milk out. (Except for CHEESE) We eat food with eggs in it at others homes and will eat eggs from neighbor's chickens. We will also keep honey available as sweetener if we need it. We ate a lot of junk at first- grilled cheese, Mac and cheese, fries but then we learned to try new things and grew to like them! If I can do this anyone can, trust me. I'm glad you are thinking about making good choices and our animal friends and environment!

counsel_jdmph

I also really enjoyed reading the kind mama and the kind diet by Alicia Silverstone. You can get both books used and I learned a great deal and found them inspiring.