I want to become vegan, but it's really hard?!
Now, I've just kind of realized that I hate the taste of milk anyway. So, it won't be that hard to cut it out of my diet. I suppose oatmeal would taste fine without the milk, but I'm not sure what I'll put in my cereal. Water tastes disgusting when I tried putting it in a bowl of cereal. Also, what kind of dairy-free ice cream alternatives are there, because I love ice cream?
Cheese is something I would find REALLY hard to cut out of my diet. I have cheese almost every day... Pizza, pasta, etc... Plus, I'm from Wisconsin. We LOVE our cheese. :(
I do have some health problems (such as anemia...) that require me to eat eggs, but if I could find a healthy alternative, I'm all for that. I don't mean something that tastes like an egg. I'm just talking about something that has the same health benefits...
If you could offer me up some advice, I'd appreciate it. I don't want to rush myself into becoming vegan. I want to make sure once I become vegan, I won't go back. I love being vegetarian, but I guess just because dairy products aren't killing the animals, they end up getting killed anyway... I guess 'cage free' eggs aren't much better than the normal eggs. Unless I had my own chickens, I don't think I would be able to get eggs from chickens that weren't harmed somehow. :( That's sad.
P.S.- Since cakes and cupcakes are usually made with eggs and milk, do you have any suggestions on how to veganize them? I've heard there's some books out there, but I haven't checked them out yet. What about french toast? Is there a way to make it without eggs?
Sorry for all the questions. I just need some help...
Answers:
Best Answer - Chosen by Voters
Follow Your Heart makes good vegan cheese and mayo. 8th Continent is my favorite soy milk (non GMO too). Tempeh is good if you want to make meatless bacon, and because it's fermented it's a lot healthier than tofu.
Since you only have a Walmart, ask someone in the produce section (where the tofu and such would be) to get you a department manager. They can usually order these things, and ask them how long it will be before they get these products in.
If for some reason they can't order what you want, Google "health food stores in [the nearest big town in your area]". You might find a little store you didn't know about.
Vegan cookbooks: "The Kind Diet", "The Happy Herbivore", and (my favorite) "1000 Vegan Recipes". If you can, order off Amazon. You'll get a much better deal than shopping in Barnes and Noble.
Cheap Vegan. :P
It might be overwhelming if you're a beginner but I promise it's super easy being a vegan. Every concern that you have can be easily solved with a simple google search or even meeting up with other vegans in your area.
try a natural food store. you can find one here http://www.happycow.net
soymilk or almond milk are good with oatmeal
if your anemic have stuff with alot of iron like lentil soup, or have orange juice with dinner, preferably fresh oranges since vitamin c helps you absorb iron better
for veganizing cakes and cupcakes check out the book "vegan cupcakes take over the world"
http://vegan.meetup.com
Soy Ice cream is sold everywhere and tastes almost as good as real ice cream, as far as Eggs, go, you need iron if you have anemia. Supplements can take care of that. Also, eat lots and lots of corn. Corn is getting genetically engineered to be healthier each day, so that's something you definitely want to keep in your diet. As far as cakes and cupcakes go, use margarine instead of milk and you'll be fine. Instead of eggs use a different thickening agent like, perhaps, maple syrup or chocolate syrup.
Honestly, being a vegan isn't easy, and unless you're EXTREMELY diligent about supplying yourself with nutrients, it will be detrimental to your health. On average, vegetarians have higher lifespans than meat-eaters, but vegans have a lower one. Be sure you're positive you want to go vegan before you do it.