I tried being vegan for an hour and it was really hard!?!
Answers: It wasnt hard because i miss meat and dairy it was hard because I decided this after reading skinny b*tch and on my lunch hour i couldnt find anything that was filling. Society doesnt make it very easy to live the vegan lifestyle. Any suggestions ?
I recently read that book too!
The key is to be ORGANISED. You need to pack your lunch because no, society generally does not cater to a vegan lifestyle!
I make a lot of cous cous salads, stirfries and whatnot and take them to work with me. It's not only easier but saves me tons of money.
For the days when you're lazy... I guess you could get a cafe to make you a sandwich with just salad stuff and no cheese or meat? Or keep some "emergency" food/snacks at work/school. Nuts, biscuits, packaged fruit...
You can go vegetarian and then go vegan. Make it a gradual process. Going from meat straight to veganism is a massive leap. But if you want to eat meat then who am I to stop you?
It's not hard--learn to cook some good stuff and eat lots of it. Society cannot make you become a meat/dairy eater, and I doubt it wants to. Your friends and family, maybe. Just keep yourself well fed.
Hey,
Why not pack your own lunch?
Pack leftovers (that are vegan) like some spaghetti noodles with melted vegan butter or olive oil and some cooked peas.
Trader Joe's has LOTS of vegan stuff -- from cookies to frozen meals to Tofurkeys.
Thanks for your time and good luck! Happy eating! :-]
you can really hurt yourself by cutting all of that stuff out in one day! by the way, becoming a vegan also means you can't use make-ups, cleaning supplies, hairspray, and other harmful things to the enviroment! It isn't just about the food you eat! I would suggest going vegetarian first! Ween yourself off meat, dairy, eggs, honey, and other foods! It may take a couple years to completly cut off everything you can't eat!
Yes the biggest drawback to a vegan lifestyle is eating out. SIMPLE SOLUTION: Make extra food for dinner and keep half of it for your lunch the next day. I also keep whole grain bread, vegan margarine, peanut butter, fruits, nuts, and Larabars at work just in case my lunch was too small.
It's kinda funny I became a vegan warrior over a year ago but I'm just reading the book now because of all the hype. Let me tell you...When I read Chapter 6 about "you are what you eat" I almost vomited all over the place.
Good Luck to you and yours!
You are right, eating vegan when you are out can be a huge pain in the butt. I have been following Skinny B*tch since the end of January, but I have been a vegetarian for 14 years.
It's harder to find vegan foods that are SB friendly without preparation because of all of the other restrictions. You have to research and plan ahead, otherwise you get stuck eating salads over and over again.
If you are going to a restaurant, most places will accommodate dietary restrictions (self-imposed or otherwise.) The follow up book to SB, SB in the Kitch, was much more helpful than the original in providing information on what to eat and what to look for.
That's a good book. I suggest you start out vegetarian like me. I've been vegetarian for a few months and just read the book, and I'm seriously thinking about switching to vegan.
There are more vegetarian products and restaurant options available now than ever before. This is because vegetarians have campaigned for them.
Vegans are in the position where non-vego's are confused about what veganism is. Many restaurants think that as long as they offer something without meat, everybody will be satisfied. Over time campaigning by vegans will lead to increased awareness and hence more options when we eat out.
The only drawback is that this may take a while, because many vegans make their choices based on ethics. That means that some of us prefer to avoid a cafe etc which serves meat if we can eat at another one which caters strictly for non-meateaters and support our community.
And finally, you don't know of where the vegan places are because you made a recent decision. When you know where you can eat, it'll be easier for you. In my city, we have a vegetarian network which has info on every vego eatery in the state.
http://www.vnv.org.au/site/
A vegan diet as proposed by the authors of Skinny B*tch is hard to follow because it's so full of processed food. I've been vegan for years and I HATED that book. If you eat as they suggest you will be eating fake meats and cheeses every day, and on some days with every meal.
You don't have to eat like that to be a vegan - eating fake meats is fine occasionally but unhealthy and expensive to eat as often as SB recommends.
Your best bet for lunches is to pack your own - cheaper too. You don't say where you live, so it's not possible for people to make suggestions as to where you might find acceptable food at lunchtime.