Going vegan (again), but I like meat and cheese. Help!....?!
I've decided to go vegan again for several reasons: health, yuck factor (meat is not fit for consumption, by humans or any animal!), environment, world hunger, economy (global), finance (personal), etc. Many good and solid reasons to go vegan. However, what the hell do I do <when> I want meat and cheese, like now? I don't like those soy fake things, they're so nasty.
Now, there is something good here. Sometimes, the idea of dead body bits actually does gross me. But I'm not grossed <all> the time, just part of the time.
What did you do when you wanted a sausage, egg & cheese biscuit for breakfast? What do you do when soy fakes are nasty and you want the real thing, but are conflicted?
Thanx!!!
Answers:
Best Answer - Chosen by Voters
Just eat KFC. You cannot resist the Colonel's secret recipe. You cannot deny this.
First, it's easier to go vegetarian before going vegan. Then when you want a sausage, egg & cheese biscuit you can just have an egg and cheese biscuit.
Second, there is no law that says you have to consume soy. I rarely consume analog products, and I've been vegan for 20 years.
Third, when most people go vegan, they tend to cut way back on fat. The next time you crave meat, eat an avocado or some peanut butter. It works every time.
I do eat fake bacon and sausage, i love them, after a while you may grow to like them. I often use lentils as a substitute for meat in shepherds pies, soups and curries. You can make burgers from beans, lentils, nuts and vegetables. After a while you will get use to not eating meat.
Try going vegetarian, pescatarian and do a gradual change. You aren't required to make drastic changes. Make your changes gradual and it will be much easier.
try grilled seitan and daiya
i love baked tofu- it is rich, dense, chewy and thick, like a slab of meat.
it is NOTHING like that nasty flappy white stuff with the texture of jellied snot, you fin in any american supermarket. Find a good Thai or Chinese supermarket, and get a chinese/thai manufacturer, because no offense but america don't know how to make baked tofu.
Get the plain or marinaded stuff.
I eat marmite, miso paste, cheese ( soycheese) or soysauce to get that umami taste in my mouth.
I'l be honest I NEVEr crave meat- at all, ever. I'm always happy with marmite on toast or cheese on toast or something like that. I spread miso paste on toast too, it's fantastic.
If you're craving meat and other stuff you know is nasty, it's because your diet needs a revamp. The reason my cravings went away is because I eat a well-rounded diet. When the body is nourished, it won't crave foods. Cravings come when your body hits an imbalance (through improper diet, improper supplementation, or medication) and it asks you to give it the nutrient(s) by making you crave a food it remembers that nutrient coming from. This is why many women crave meat or chocolate during their periods: both are high in iron (meat has heme iron, easily digested by the body, and dark chocolate contains over 8 times the amount of iron in meat, ounce for ounce, and also satisfies hormonal imbalances caused by menstruation).
I ate more animal products than most people...up to a pound per meal and 6-8 meals a day. I even put raw eggs in my protein shake and ate sardines straight from the can...stuff that makes most omnivores cringe. Even I don't have cravings and now the foods actually smell horrible to me...unless I'm hungry. If I haven't eaten in a while and get hungry, I may crave fish because I'm not getting enough nutrition. This happens rarely and only when I have gone all day without eating. Usually, I will crave something heavy and nutrient dense, like pasta loaded with vegetables and beans, but on rare occassions I will crave fish. I'm not entirely sure why, but once I eat a nutrient-dense meal the craving goes away.
In other words, would you like to send me your diet to evaluate how healthy you're eating? I find that many people think they eat healthy or "I eat healthier than most of my friends" only to learn they're not eating healthily at all. Feel free to contact me.
This is not going to fly for you, with the cravings. Best to just eat as healthy as you can all the time and be done with it. Eat only lean meats(not unhealthy at all!), eat plenty of vegetables, and fruits. Your body does need a balance of foods to maintain it self, those proteins that meat provides, can be got other places, beans, soy etc. Soy as a sub is good if properly prepared. When stored frozen it must be defrosted naturally, you can't do a quick in the micro(Phuques it up!)
You can develop a very healthy eating plan that includes meat. Sausage, bacon, fatty red meat, not so healthy. Chicken, turkey, many types of fish, pork, can be healthy prepared correctly. And ofcourse, continue to eat lots of fruits, veggies, grains, etc.
You can't go thru your whole life on an eating plan you are uncomfortable with.
You need to go to some healthy eating sites and set up a good food plan, including things your body craves, and eat well. Vegan isn't necessarily any better than any other healthy plan.