How can I become a vegan?!
Answers: I am a vegetarian of 4 years, and I've decided to become Vegan. I know only that this consists of giving up eggs, and milk products. I am a big fan of cheese, so this will be hard for me, how can I make this an easier transition for me. I don't want to be a part of the abuse of milking cows or laying hens anymore.
Give yourself a goal of 30 days of veganism. No matter how much you love cheese, you can stick it out for 30 days and that is long enough for you to get a sense of whether or not it works for you. I told myself for 20 years that veganism would be SO much harder than vegetarianism because I just couldn't stand to give up cheese, but now I've been vegan about 2 1/2 months and I don't miss it a bit.
Get yourself a couple of good cookbooks and go to town trying new recipes. If you are indulging in delicious foods you won't even notice that the cheese is missing. I very highly recommend "Vegan with a Vengeance" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz, along with her newer one "Veganomicon." "How It All Vegan" by Tanya Barnard and Sarah Kramer is good too. Even if you decide to go back to vegetarianism, a few great vegan cookbooks won't be a waste of money.
I also recommend "Vegan Freak" by Bob and Jenna Torres. it covers a lot of the practical stuff associated with going vegan, like finding non-leather shoes and keeping yourself fed on a road trip. It's reassuring to know that others have run into these obstacles and managed to negotiate them just fine.
Edit to add: you do NOT have to give up pasta, bread or baked goods! Most dried pasta is just enriched flour and water - you just have to give up egg noodles. There are many varieties of store-bought bread that have no dairy or eggs (honey is tougher if you like whole wheat, but I found a store brand of multigrain bread the other day that was totally animal-free.) And one glance at the table of contents of any of the cookbooks mentioned will reassure you that cookies, cakes, muffins, pies, scones, etc... are all still on the menu should you want to indulge! There's even a whole cookbook devoted to cupcakes: "Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World" (another Moskowitz gem.) Anyone who tells you veganism is hard because you have to give up so much has never really explored it!
Edited again to add: if I could give Vegan Kitty more than one thumbs up, I would. She's covered nicely a lot of the misinformation that turned up in other answers.
go to: Peta.org
Vegan you dont just cut out milk and eggs.
you cut out ANYTHING produced by an animal. if your going hardcore then some oils are produced by animals and yeah just go to peta they have all the info!
please dont you will turn extremly pale & die :(
Being a vegan is rough. You will not only have to cut out eggs, milk, honey, some oils, gelatin you will also have to cut out anything containing any of those items.
Say good bye to bread, pasta, baked goods. Cheese is easy as you can get a soy based cheese.
The easiest way to transition is to cut out one item at a time. Go fort he cheese, you can buy soya cheese, start there. It does take some getting used to, however it isn't that bad. Then slowly start to cut out breads and baked, goods and pasta as you find substitutions. Eggplant is nice and starchy and can kill the bread lust. Rice vermicelli is a good noodle substitute. However there is no replacement for a good chocolate cake. Really... None. Heck even finding daily free chocolate can be a nuisance.
Finally consult with a nutritionist. cutting out dairy and eggs actually cuts out a large protein source for most vegetarians and you will want to ensure that you are getting enough protein. It would be unwise to forsake your health for the sake of an animal. A good nutritionist will be able to recommend the portions of legumes, and nuts you will want to be consuming to substitute.
Another Final thought is make sure you like to cook and plan your meals. Being vegan requires a lot of adaptation. Things which you used to take for granted like toast and many cereals are not vegan friendly. Almost every fast food or processed food is out.
something that you may want to think about is that you do need your proteins. yes i am aware of the fact that you can find proteins from sources that are not animal products. however all proteins that are not animal products are incomplete proteins. they do not contain all of the essential amino acids which are found in animal products. you probably will need to take vitamins to substitute for the lack of complete protein you will be providing your body. your best bet would be to talk over your dietary plan with your doctor or even to make an appointment with a registered nutritionist to discuss the changes your planning on making and what vitamins or substitutions would be best for you and your current health issues. good luck!!!
Hi - Congratulatons on your decision! I have been Vegan for 12 years and am completley fit and healthy. Being vegan is not a chore and you can eat so much good food.
You can eat bread and some baked goods - supermarkets are much better these days at food labelling and most will give you a list on thier website of things that are vegan.
You can get replacements for everything - meats, cheese, yoghurt, ice cream, chocolate etc. there are some fantastic websites and health food shops. Choice is better than ever. Leather alternatives are easy too.
You get more calcium from brocolli than you can from milk. The type of calcium from milk is not natural fo us to eat - it has acid in it which, in order for your body to deal with, has to be neutralised by your bodies own calcium from your bones.
Various cultures thrive on a strict vegetarian diet and cultures based on a red meat and dairy free diet do not suffer heart disease, obesity and other western diseases at anything like the same rates. Funnily enough they do not seem to suffer from the menopause either. I have been told they do not have a word for it in Japan.
Milk is now disgusting to me - why is it seen as natural to suck on another animals teat and perpetuate the veal trade whilst you're at it - cows don't just produce milk randomly and the calf has to go somewhere whilst humans steal the milk.
Eggs - these are simply chicken periods and are just hideous for me to think about now.
Do it well, be healthy and do some research before you start and enjoy a life in a completley animal free way. Good luck!!
Cheese is the hardest! All the others are easy:
replace milk by soy milk, almond milk, hazelnut milk, rice milk,...
replace yogurts by soy yogurts
replace eggs in cakes and such by cornflower in water
replace honey by sugar
replace cream by soy cream
But cheese... there are some cheeses made with soy, but you need to try several before you find one you like, and it's still not the same. Basically, when you turn vegan you have a period (mine lasted about a month) where you tried out loads of things to see what you like and don't like. For example, there are several brands of soy milk I don't like, but I've found those I do like. And I also found out I like rice milk better. Almond milk is nice too. Don't expect to like everything, and don't give up. I know it's hard, been there too.
As for the cheese, well basically I just changed my habits. I used to add cheese to soup, for example; now I add those sprinkles of brewer's yeast. It's way better for me, too! Don't hesitate to surf the net, there's loads of info out there. Good luck, hope you do turn vegan.
Go vegan! :-)
I would like to react to smedrik's message:
- vegetarians don't eat gelatin either, normally, so our friend probably cut that out 4 years ago, along with animal fat.
- fresh bread normally doesn't contain eggs or milk; pasta is most often vegan (except the egg kind); baked means cooked in the oven, that's all, so vegan foods can be baked no problem.
- there's plenty of protein in a vegan diet if you eat enough cereals and legumes. Soy actually contains more protein than meat.
- I do agree on the last paragraph though: you will have too cook more ;-)
Other reactions to various messages (people need to research what they are talking about):
- no, you won't be unhealthy if you turn vegan. Ask Karl Lewis is he's unhealthy. I've been vegan for 2 years now and I've got no health problems at all. Actually last blood test I did showed I was VERY healthy: not missing anything, and very low chollesterol.
- no, cows don't like having their little ones taken away from them and sent to the slaughter house so we can drink their milk. They don't like it either when they end up there when their milk become less regular.
- soy contains complete proteins too. As for the rest, you just need to eat cereals and legumes (like in the same day) to get complete proteins.
- there is calcium in loads of things: milk isn't even the best source for it. try brocolli, almonds, parsley,...
- there is no need to take pills and stuff if you have a varied diet and eat normally. I never took any.
Thanks for your compassionate decision. Here's a guide to the best dairy (and meat) substitutes: http://www.vegcooking.com/guide-favs.asp
Follow Your Heart soy cheese is amazing! Whole Foods or your local health food store should carry it.. here's their site: http://imearthkind.com/Main.htm
Dairy alternatives vary, so buy a bunch of different brands and do some taste testing to find your favorites. Then, figure out how you can "veganize" your favorite meals using the substitutes... for instance... scrambled eggs and yogurt ---> scrambled tofu and Whole Soy yogurt.
Here are some vegan recipe & cooking sites:
http://www.chooseveg.com/vegan-recipes.a...
http://www.vegcooking.com/
http://www.cok.net/lit/recipes/
Health info:
http://www.tryveg.com/cfi/toc/?v=08right
http://www.tryveg.com/cfi/toc/?v=08sourc...
Transitioning to veganism is usually a process, not an overnight change, so feel free to go at your own pace. Good luck!
P.S. Many people are uninformed about the health aspects of veganism. The American Dietetic Association, the nation's foremost authority on diet & nutrition, states that well-planned vegetarian and vegan diets "...are healthful, nutritionally adequate and provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases." See http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada... for more info.
milking cows isn't abuse ... they like it
if you don't research becoming a vegan properly then you will probably become really unhealthy because you will miss out of very important food ... like calcium from milk & other dairy food