Questions on veganism?!

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I'm 15 also and I've been vegan for about a month (vegetarian 3 years prior to that). I don't drink coffee but I've heard that soy milk is no different when with coffee. I highly recommend trying almond milk, though. :)
Actually countries with the highest rates of milk consumption also have the highest rates of osteoporosis. Half of the calcium in milk cannot even be absorbed by humans. Cow's milk is made for baby cows, not adult humans. You can find calcium in soy/almond milk, sesame seeds, almonds, and dark green vegetables (broccoli, spinach, kale, ect).
Being vegan can definitely help you lose weight. After I went vegan I lost a couple pounds and my skin cleared up. I also have a lot more energy. And yes, oreos are vegan, mainly because the middle is made from sugars.
I'd recommend following the vegan food pyramid: http://www.chooseveg.com/vegan-food-pyra…
And don't buy lunch at school, just bring your lunch:) You'll know exactly what's in the food you're eating. Here are some basic vegan foods:

Calcium sources: Almond/soy milk, broccoli, collards, kale, orange juice
Fats: Almonds, canola oill, flax seeds, nutritional yeast, olive oil, peanut butter, walnuts
Fruits: Apples, banans, cantaloupe, cherries, grapes, oranges, strawberries, tomatoes, ect.
Grains: Bagels, brown rice, bread, cereal, crackers, oatmeal, popcorn, spaghetti, taco shells, tortillas
Legumes: Beans (black, refried, kidney), lentils, peas, corn
Vegetables: Asparagus, broccoli, carrots, collards, eggplant, kale, lettuce, potatoes, spinach, ect.
Other: Ketchup, mustard, salsa, tomato sauce, hummus, ect.

I hope that helps you out. Congrats on going veg!

In relation to calcium, I laughed when I compared the label on my soy milk to the label on the whole milk my dad drinks and saw the soy milk has more calcium than the real milk. It's important to find a plant milk (soy or otherwise) which is fortified with vitamins/minerals, because that makes everything so much easier. The one I buy is So Good "Essential" which is designed for women's health, it's fortified with calcium, iron, zinc, and vitamin B12 (I don't think the So Good brand is available in the US though).

You can use soy milk in coffee but I suggest you use a sweetened soy milk, as the unsweetened stuff tends to go cloudy and doesn't mix well. Rice milk is probably too watery to be used in coffee but it tastes good by itself. It's also really tasty to use vanilla or chocolate flavoured plant milk in coffee (just leave out the sugar as the milk will already have sugar in it). You can also buy flavoured plant milks with calcium in them so you can get your calcium needs in a cup or two of delicious chocolate drink.

You can find things to eat just about anywhere, especially if you're not opposed to eating fruit and nuts. Or to make things really easy (and cheaper) you can just bring your own lunch from home like a sandwich, muesli bar, crackers, salad, tortilla wrap, etc.

Being vegan is no guarantee that you'll lose weight. That's up to you and how much you eat plus how much you exercise. True, most junk food people eat is not vegan, but there is vegan chocolate, chips, and as you said Oreos, so it really is up to you if you are serious about losing weight. Don't just go vegan and then expect the pounds to drop off. You'll have to put in some extra effort if you want to lose weight - regardless of whether or not you're vegan.

For more information on nutrition for vegans, see this link;
- http://www.veganhealth.org/

Vegan Calcium Sources:

2 Tbsp. blackstrap molasses-- 400 mg
1 cup collard greens-- 357mg
8 oz. calcium-fortified orange juice-- 300mg
8 oz. soy or ricemilk*, commercial, calcium-fortified-- 200-300mg
6 oz. commercial soy yogurt-- 80-250mg
1 cup turnip greens, cooked-- 249mg
1 cup tempeh-- 215mg
1 cup kale, cooked-- 179mg
1 cup soybeans, cooked-- 175mg
1 cup okra, cooked-- 172mg
1 cup bok choy, cooked-- 158mg
1 cup mustard greens, cooked-- 152mg
2 Tbsp. tahini-- 128mg
1 cup broccoli-- 94mg
1/4 cup almonds-- 89mg
2 Tbsp. almond butter-- 86mg
8 oz. soy milk*, commercial, plain-- 80mg

As a reference point:

8 oz. cow's milk-- 300mg

It couldn't hurt to take a calcium supplement also, although it might be difficult to find a vegan version if that's important to you.

There are a number of non-dairy creamers that are good in coffee.

As far as finding food in school, that depends on the school but is pretty doubtful. You might be living on fresh fruit, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (although most commercial breads are not vegan), and potato chips. Which (along with the oreos) illustrates that one doesn't necessarily lose weight on a vegan diet; you still have to eat the right foods and watch your portions.

I am mostly vegan, but not 100% as I have yogurt occasionally. So if you want to transition slowly, try skipping milk and eat yogurt once in a while. Like someone else also mentioned, you can get orange juice with fortified calcium, so that is a good vegan source. Also soy milk has calcium I believe. Veganism is very healthy, and you will lose tons of weight from skipping dairy. I stopped milk a year ago and lost over 10 lbs in less than 3 months (I am 5'8.5" and 135lb). Anyways being vegan is healthy and easy. Just eat fruits all day and cooked veg meal once a day, thats what I do. Good luck!

Some orange juice is fortified with calcium. It kind of tastes funny to me but if you aren't going to drink milk then drink that at least. Also try calcium supplements. They may have gelatin in them however which would be on the naughty list if you're going to vegan.

Soy milk is also really good and so is rice milk in coffee, tastes lighter than cow juice.

As far as getting vegan meals in a school...probably not. My HS always served pizza, french fries and chicken sammiches; that was it.

I'm a vegetarian slowly becoming halfway vegan not because of animal cruelty but because I get sick a lot when I eat meat and meat based by products.

You still need to watch your calories when you go vegan. However you do need to still take in healthy fats.

Vegan does not mean healthy. Or that you will lose weight. Exercise will help you lose weight.

Potato chips and soda are vegan. But you still shouldn't eat a lot of those things.

They have soy creamers for coffee and they are coming out with new flavors. Many powdered creamers are non-dairy but full of artificial crap. Also some products are being made with coconut milk . Soy isn't bad especially if it is flavored and you can tolerate it.

Some juices are enriched with calcium. Eating spinach will also help with that. And you can also take calcium supplements.


Your body doesn't NEED meat. But meat does provide B12. You should probably buy some B12 supplements too.

Being vegan is not necessarily healthy, especially for young people.

Read the articles that the vegetarians and vegans here don't want you to see:
http://www.listen2yourgut.com/blog/dange…
http://chetday.com/vegandietdangers.htm

I know you saw animals being slaughtered and killed, I know because I tried being a vegetarian.

Still you need meat, and milk, and stuff like that to stay healthy, God gave it to us so that we WOULDN'T DIE.

But if your DEAD set on living this way take some of those pills that 'give you' what you need you will be on these for the rest of your life.
Oh and by living the Vegan lifestyle say goodbye to anything made of animal stuff like wool, its all synthetic fiber from here!