How do I make the transition to Vegan ?!
I've been a vegetarian for almost 3 years now and I want to become a vegan but I'm afraid it's going to be very difficult for me!. It would not be hard for me at all to give up raw eggs/milk etc!. but I love things like pastries and pancakes which have animal products in them!. It may not be a problem to make these foods with veg!. substitutes if one: I did not live with my parents (they are vegetarians but I think they would go crazy trying to make me vegan meals and I couldn't do it alone) and more importantly I am currently living in overseas (Southern India) where it is hard enough getting important food, forget finding egg substitues and such! I can't even get "free range" here =(
So what do you think!? Any suggestions!? Should I just wait until I move back to the US to decide if I want to go Vegan!? Either way, I would feel a lot better eating free range but I can't get it here so what should I do!!?Www@FoodAQ@Com
So what do you think!? Any suggestions!? Should I just wait until I move back to the US to decide if I want to go Vegan!? Either way, I would feel a lot better eating free range but I can't get it here so what should I do!!?Www@FoodAQ@Com
Answers:
Hanna doesn't know what she's talking about!. Dairy is high in protein and studies show that women who eat dairy products daily are up to 3 times more likely to suffer from osteoporosis than women who ate dairy only occasionally or not at all!.
I can understand how Southern Indian food is traditionally high in dairy, but I think you have all of the essentials for a vegan diet except B12!.
Most folks who work to eat a wide variety of whole plant, and a diet rich in legumes and other pulse crops have a pretty easy time meeting all of their dietary needs, except for B12 which only available from yeasts, algae, and animal products!. If you can get some B12 fortified nutritional yeast and you eat plenty of dark green leafy vegetables, you will probably be perfectly healthy as a vegan!.
However, you don't have to rush into anything!. I would recommend trying to eat fewer dairy products and seeing how you feel; there's no law that says you have to go vegan all at once!. Go slow and take baby steps!.
Note: Vegan baking can be hard when you're new at it, but don't feel like you have to rely on mock-this and immitation that!. There are loads of traditional recipes that happen to have no animal products in them!.
In a pinch, a mashed banana works really well as an egg substitute!.
You can make vegan "mylk" by grinding most nuts or legumes kinda fine and simmering them in water (then strain)!.
Gluten or wheat meat can be prepared by making a nice dry dough of flour, salt, lots of spices and a bit of water, and then rinsing the dough until the water runs clear (this can take an hour sometimes) ; if you cut it up and marinate it is very meat like, but it turns into a cute little puff if you make little balls and deep-fry them!.
I find coconut oil works really well at replacing ghee!.
Some Buddhist monks go vegan as part of their vows; I'm not sure what the Buddhist community is like where you live, but it might be worthwhile to check it out!.
Good luck!Www@FoodAQ@Com
I can understand how Southern Indian food is traditionally high in dairy, but I think you have all of the essentials for a vegan diet except B12!.
Most folks who work to eat a wide variety of whole plant, and a diet rich in legumes and other pulse crops have a pretty easy time meeting all of their dietary needs, except for B12 which only available from yeasts, algae, and animal products!. If you can get some B12 fortified nutritional yeast and you eat plenty of dark green leafy vegetables, you will probably be perfectly healthy as a vegan!.
However, you don't have to rush into anything!. I would recommend trying to eat fewer dairy products and seeing how you feel; there's no law that says you have to go vegan all at once!. Go slow and take baby steps!.
Note: Vegan baking can be hard when you're new at it, but don't feel like you have to rely on mock-this and immitation that!. There are loads of traditional recipes that happen to have no animal products in them!.
In a pinch, a mashed banana works really well as an egg substitute!.
You can make vegan "mylk" by grinding most nuts or legumes kinda fine and simmering them in water (then strain)!.
Gluten or wheat meat can be prepared by making a nice dry dough of flour, salt, lots of spices and a bit of water, and then rinsing the dough until the water runs clear (this can take an hour sometimes) ; if you cut it up and marinate it is very meat like, but it turns into a cute little puff if you make little balls and deep-fry them!.
I find coconut oil works really well at replacing ghee!.
Some Buddhist monks go vegan as part of their vows; I'm not sure what the Buddhist community is like where you live, but it might be worthwhile to check it out!.
Good luck!Www@FoodAQ@Com
Being Vegan is very hard and somewhat very unhealthy!. I would suggest staying vegetarian!. It's not bad to use animals for food such as eggs, milk, and cheese because the animals are not harmed in the process!. It's natural for them!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
1st remove half your brain!.!.!.!.!.!.!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
I became vegan almost overnight!. I never liked milk or eggs plain, so the only hard part was cutting out products with milk, eggs, or honey!. The first day was a challenge, but it got easier from there!. If you do not have access to nutritious vegan food, I would wait to make the transition!. Try Whole Foods when you get back to the US, I was feeling discouraged and hopeless until I wet there and got the most yummy food everrr!!!
And as for pancakes and pastries!.!.!. there are vegan options that you don't even need to make!. Again, Whole Foods is great along with most health stores!. Bisquick is vegan (im pretty sure, but check) if you add water or soy milk instead of dairy milk!. Good luck! Thanks for joining the veg heads!!Www@FoodAQ@Com
And as for pancakes and pastries!.!.!. there are vegan options that you don't even need to make!. Again, Whole Foods is great along with most health stores!. Bisquick is vegan (im pretty sure, but check) if you add water or soy milk instead of dairy milk!. Good luck! Thanks for joining the veg heads!!Www@FoodAQ@Com
I'm a vegetarian, not a vegan, so I can't really offer tons of great advice for making the transition!. But I should tell you, unless you REALLY work at it, being a strict vegan can be severely detrimental to your health!. You have to make an extreme effort to get the food substances your body will be missing!. And oftentimes, that's difficult!. There are some substitutes out there, but nothing like the real thing!.
Especially if you are female, dairy is very important!. I'm not a big milk drinker, but I eat lots of cheese and yogurt!. It's vital for your bones!
Anyway!.!.!. I don't mean to be preachy!. I'm not telling you NOT to be a vegan!. I'm just saying that if you do choose that path, you had better make a resounding effort to get the minerals you will be depriving your body of!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Especially if you are female, dairy is very important!. I'm not a big milk drinker, but I eat lots of cheese and yogurt!. It's vital for your bones!
Anyway!.!.!. I don't mean to be preachy!. I'm not telling you NOT to be a vegan!. I'm just saying that if you do choose that path, you had better make a resounding effort to get the minerals you will be depriving your body of!.Www@FoodAQ@Com