How can I ease into a vegan lifestyle?!
I've been a vegetarian for about 6 years and I've recently joined a Vegan/Vegetarian group and have heard so much about being vegan that I want to try it myself!. However, I am a big fan of egg / cheese / milk!. I have been drinking soy milk for about 2 years, but not strictly!.
I think I can ease into removing the dairy products, but how about all the delicious things, like cupcakes!.!. or cookies!.!. or chocolate! I know its great for the environment & my body and I really want to give it a chance!. But when I think about all the little things that come with traces of dairy products!.!. its overwhelming!.
Any tips on how I can ease into it without going into fatty-food withdrawal!? :P also, what vitamins should I pick up as supplements for what I'll miss!. I know you can get all vitamins through a well planned diet, but I'd rather be on the safe side and just get some supplements in case!.
Thanks everyone!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
I think I can ease into removing the dairy products, but how about all the delicious things, like cupcakes!.!. or cookies!.!. or chocolate! I know its great for the environment & my body and I really want to give it a chance!. But when I think about all the little things that come with traces of dairy products!.!. its overwhelming!.
Any tips on how I can ease into it without going into fatty-food withdrawal!? :P also, what vitamins should I pick up as supplements for what I'll miss!. I know you can get all vitamins through a well planned diet, but I'd rather be on the safe side and just get some supplements in case!.
Thanks everyone!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Answers:
Hey! I recently went vegan after being a vegetarian who ate cheese and eggs all the time!. I've actually found that there are more things that I can eat than I expected!.
I figured it would be hard to find vegan chocolate - until I looked at some labels and realized that pretty much no dark chocolate has dairy in it!. It's just milk chocolate you won't be able to have!. For me, anyway, I don't mind one bit as long as dark chocolate is still on the table!. Most packaged cookies are also vegan (likely because it's more expensive to use dairy) - iced oatmeal cookies, Oreos, etc!. don't contain milk!. I was also worried about finding bread, but most bread is vegan!. You won't be able to find many vegan cupcakes at bakeries, but you can make bakery treats yourself pretty easily!. Sorbet is also a great alternative to ice cream if you're at someplace like Baskin & Robbins, and there are also soy varieties that I haven't yet tried!.
As for the substitutes, I've switched to soymilk for cereal, and vegan butter, which actually tastes pretty much exactly like real butter!. I buy Earth Balance buttery spread at Trader Joe's!. Many packaged/frozen things are vegan!. Amy's Kitchen products you probably already know about, but they're great and have many vegan options!. There are always frozen stir-fry mixes and pasta dishes that you can pick up for a quick meal!. Trader Joe's also makes a line called Indian Fare that are curry dishes in packets that you drop in boiling water to heat up - several of their dishes are vegan and they are delicious!
Honestly, I haven't had too much trouble making the transition, though I was just like you!. I ate cheese at basically every meal, I ate eggs for breakfast frequently, milk with cereal, etc!. I thought I could never go vegan - until I read the articles that motivated me to do so for health and ethical reasons, and actually started trying to do it!. Once I made the decision to switch and started putting it into practice, it hasn't been an issue!.
I also thought the switch would be harder than it has been!. Once I started eating vegan and got so much energy back, I have not once craved dairy!. I've also found that I'm starting to crave different stuff than I used to!. Lately brown rice has seemed like the tastiest thing in the world to me!. Whereas before I might have had cheese ravioli with pesto and more cheese on top (oh my gosh! so much cheese!) now I find myself longing for some bok choy and brown rice or a nice big salad!. I eat so many more fruits and vegetables now, and I really feel a lot better!. I used to have no energy, now I have tons!. I used to need 10 hours of sleep - now I find myself waking refreshed after 7 or 8!.
I have been taking a multivitamin regularly!. The only thing you really have to look out for is vitamin B12, everything else you should get pretty easily from a vegan diet rich in fruits, veggies, and whole grains!. Pretty much everything you need you can get from plant-based foods, but take a B12 supplement or a multivitamin!. Or, if you like Cheerios, try Multi-Grain Cheerios - they're fortified with 100% of your iron and B12, two of the hardest things to get as a veg*n!.
Good luck! Www@FoodAQ@Com
I figured it would be hard to find vegan chocolate - until I looked at some labels and realized that pretty much no dark chocolate has dairy in it!. It's just milk chocolate you won't be able to have!. For me, anyway, I don't mind one bit as long as dark chocolate is still on the table!. Most packaged cookies are also vegan (likely because it's more expensive to use dairy) - iced oatmeal cookies, Oreos, etc!. don't contain milk!. I was also worried about finding bread, but most bread is vegan!. You won't be able to find many vegan cupcakes at bakeries, but you can make bakery treats yourself pretty easily!. Sorbet is also a great alternative to ice cream if you're at someplace like Baskin & Robbins, and there are also soy varieties that I haven't yet tried!.
As for the substitutes, I've switched to soymilk for cereal, and vegan butter, which actually tastes pretty much exactly like real butter!. I buy Earth Balance buttery spread at Trader Joe's!. Many packaged/frozen things are vegan!. Amy's Kitchen products you probably already know about, but they're great and have many vegan options!. There are always frozen stir-fry mixes and pasta dishes that you can pick up for a quick meal!. Trader Joe's also makes a line called Indian Fare that are curry dishes in packets that you drop in boiling water to heat up - several of their dishes are vegan and they are delicious!
Honestly, I haven't had too much trouble making the transition, though I was just like you!. I ate cheese at basically every meal, I ate eggs for breakfast frequently, milk with cereal, etc!. I thought I could never go vegan - until I read the articles that motivated me to do so for health and ethical reasons, and actually started trying to do it!. Once I made the decision to switch and started putting it into practice, it hasn't been an issue!.
I also thought the switch would be harder than it has been!. Once I started eating vegan and got so much energy back, I have not once craved dairy!. I've also found that I'm starting to crave different stuff than I used to!. Lately brown rice has seemed like the tastiest thing in the world to me!. Whereas before I might have had cheese ravioli with pesto and more cheese on top (oh my gosh! so much cheese!) now I find myself longing for some bok choy and brown rice or a nice big salad!. I eat so many more fruits and vegetables now, and I really feel a lot better!. I used to have no energy, now I have tons!. I used to need 10 hours of sleep - now I find myself waking refreshed after 7 or 8!.
I have been taking a multivitamin regularly!. The only thing you really have to look out for is vitamin B12, everything else you should get pretty easily from a vegan diet rich in fruits, veggies, and whole grains!. Pretty much everything you need you can get from plant-based foods, but take a B12 supplement or a multivitamin!. Or, if you like Cheerios, try Multi-Grain Cheerios - they're fortified with 100% of your iron and B12, two of the hardest things to get as a veg*n!.
Good luck! Www@FoodAQ@Com
If you have been a vegetarian for 6 years, veganism shouldn't be that hard either! I have been a vegetarian for 5 years and a vegan on/off for the past two (hoping it will be a permanent change this time) and the transition hasn't be too overwhelming thus far!. You can substitute almost any dairy product with vegan items and there are hundreds of vegan recipes online!. Personally, Vegweb ( http://vegweb!.com/index!.php!?action=recip!.!.!. ) is my favorite site for recipes!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
you should look up recipes and find good restaurants/grocery stores around your area because you already don't have much choice in food as it is so you need to find places where you can goWww@FoodAQ@Com
I was a vegetarian for only about a week!. That's how little it took me to realize how terrible it was for me to be stealing eggs and milk from animals, and sponsoring the cruel industries that don't give a care about the well being of our fellow earthlings!.
I'm not an advocate of daily supplements, I would tell you to eat real wholesome food!.
The first thing you want to do is get rid of milk!. It's the easiest to replace!. Find a fortified soy/almond/nut milk you like and stick with it!. Alternate if you wish!. Be sure it is fortified with B12, as that is the only vitamin we vegans don't naturally get in our diets --anymore!. If you are into desserts (I am not), then why not find recipes for vegan cookies, cupcakes, muffins!.!. they are everywhere!. I know cheese might be difficult for you to give away, but just remember that dairy is the culprit for a number of diseases and cancers!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
I'm not an advocate of daily supplements, I would tell you to eat real wholesome food!.
The first thing you want to do is get rid of milk!. It's the easiest to replace!. Find a fortified soy/almond/nut milk you like and stick with it!. Alternate if you wish!. Be sure it is fortified with B12, as that is the only vitamin we vegans don't naturally get in our diets --anymore!. If you are into desserts (I am not), then why not find recipes for vegan cookies, cupcakes, muffins!.!. they are everywhere!. I know cheese might be difficult for you to give away, but just remember that dairy is the culprit for a number of diseases and cancers!.Www@FoodAQ@Com