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Old 15-03-2010, 17:26
India_Rain
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I've been vegetarian for years now...but quite an unhealthy one. Chips, quorn, crisps, chocolate have been part of my diet. But the staple has probably been cheese.

Anyway, I've been doing some reading on veganism and yesterday started on my journey.
Today, for breakfast, I had peanut butter and dairy free spread on toast plus a cup of tea with soya milk.
Then for dinner, I had a mix of wholegrain rice and quinoa, plus veggies and tofu. Got some brazil nuts for a snack later.
I've also got in my fridge some falafel for later in the week.
I think I may get bored though. I'm not a veggie lover but am trying new things. So, I was just wondering if any of you vegans could give me any tips or meal plans? I'm not a good cook, so try to avoid recipes. My body works better with more protein, so I'm going to have to be cautious that I don't lack on that, or I can become anaemic.

Also, do you eat substitutes a lot (found some dairy free chocolate buttons...whoops) or just do it really healthy?
And how do you stop from getting dry hair/skin? When I dabbled with veganism years ago, my skin and hair got really bad. Hopefully I'll learn and do it properly this time.

Oh, and I'm going to gradually learn about vegan shampoos/soaps/moisturisers etc. But wondered which ones you used?
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Old 15-03-2010, 18:22
hastalavegan
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I've been vegetarian for years now...but quite an unhealthy one. Chips, quorn, crisps, chocolate have been part of my diet. But the staple has probably been cheese.

Anyway, I've been doing some reading on veganism and yesterday started on my journey.
Today, for breakfast, I had peanut butter and dairy free spread on toast plus a cup of tea with soya milk.
Then for dinner, I had a mix of wholegrain rice and quinoa, plus veggies and tofu. Got some brazil nuts for a snack later.
I've also got in my fridge some falafel for later in the week.
Yay! Congrats on going vegan, it was the best lifestyle change I've ever made for myself Coming up 3 years vegan for me now and I've not got bored once.

I think I may get bored though. I'm not a veggie lover but am trying new things. So, I was just wondering if any of you vegans could give me any tips or meal plans? I'm not a good cook, so try to avoid recipes. My body works better with more protein, so I'm going to have to be cautious that I don't lack on that.
My biggest tip would be that if you want to have a varied, healthy and tasty diet then you do need to cook. I was a bit scared of vegan food when I first started out but now I love cooking new things, most recipes I try are really easy as well.

There are all sorts of websites, blogs and books I can refer to you so feel free to PM me if you're interested and I'll dig up my favourites.

A lot of vegans struggle to eat out when they first make the change and I found restaurants the most frustrating part of being vegan when I first made the change.

My advice for restaurants is to try and phone ahead if you know where you're going. Most places have been really nice and helpful when I've rung them up in advance and asked them if there's anything I can eat. They usually have a chat with the chef who fixes me up something that's not on the menu. If you don't know where you're going for dinner then remember that you can always ask for something that is not on the menu. To make it less confusing and annoying for the staff I usually see what they have, explain my dietary restrictions and then make a few suggestions. By doing this I've never had a problem eating out, but it took me a long time to get to confidence to ask!

Some other advice is to take b12 supplements. A lot of people seem to resist doing this and I really don't get why. The vegan foods that do contain b12 are fortified with it anyway so it really isn't much different to get a supplement for yourself, it saves all the worry of whether you're getting enough or not. The only reason it's in animal products as well is because it's fortified, there's just less vegan products that include it. I also supplement omega 3 because I don't like walnuts, rarely use flaxseeds and don't eat many hemp products. These are all loaded with omega 3 so it's very easy to include them in your diet, but, if like me you don't eat many of these foods or struggle to include them then just supplement.

I don't mean to scare you with all this pill talk, it's really easy to keep on top of. I don't take supplements everyday, just every once in a while to keep myself topped up because I know I'm not getting everything I need. Only b12 and omega 3 are ones to worry about, protein is really easy to get as a vegan even though everyone seems to think it's impossible. As long as you have a varied diet you'll get plenty of what you need.

Also, do you eat substitutes a lot (found some dairy free chocolate buttons...whoops) or just do it really healthy?
Substitutes aren't unhealthy as long as you don't live off them. I occasionally use fake meats, vegan cheese, soy yoghurt and other things in my cooking. The thing to remember, especially with vegan cheese, is that it is not going to taste like the real thing. I hated the stuff at first, but after a year of being vegan it started to grow on me and now I really enjoy it.

My favourite substitutes are:

cheezly mozzarella - pretty much the only vegan cheese that melts properly. Great on pasta, pizza, or chopped into small pieces in a salad.

tofutti cream cheese - best vegan cream cheese. bloody laavely. Toffuti sour cream is great too.

sheese - This stuff is difficult to get hold of compared to cheezly. It's not sold in holland and barretts but a lot of independent health food shops stock it, or you can ask them to get some in for you. All whole foods shops stock it too. This is the most real like cheese I've tasted. They have a variety of hard cheeses and cream cheeses.

Anything from the Redwoods range is good. My favourites are the lancashire sausages, their hot dogs and their cheatin' chicken and chorizo.

I don't eat much vegan chocolate because I've become more of a crisp lover since going vegan. Rice milk chocolate is delicious though if you can find it!

I think that's about everything. Feel free to message me if you want anymore advice. And good luck
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Old 15-03-2010, 18:32
India_Rain
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Wow, thank you. I've read loads of books and had a look at websites but it's not the same as talking to someone "real" who has done it.
I think I'm going to have to order some of my food from vegan online shops, as I don't get to Holland and Barrett.
It's so stupid but I was really nervous about becoming vegan. I had visions of living on beans on toast forever.

Thanks for the advice about the B12, as well
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Old 15-03-2010, 18:59
hastalavegan
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Wow, thank you. I've read loads of books and had a look at websites but it's not the same as talking to someone "real" who has done it.
I think I'm going to have to order some of my food from vegan online shops, as I don't get to Holland and Barrett.
It's so stupid but I was really nervous about becoming vegan. I had visions of living on beans on toast forever.

Thanks for the advice about the B12, as well
I know exactly what you mean, don't worry about being nervous! If you can't get to a holland and barrett, Asda do some great meat free burger, sausage, chicken bake, falafel and nut roast mixes that are all vegan. Unfortunately their frozen food is not so vegan friendly.

http://www.veganstore.co.uk/ is a really good site for ordering food. Substitutes can be pricey though which is why most of my food uses tofu, beans and lentils. They're way cheaper and when properly prepared taste delicious!
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Old 15-03-2010, 19:03
whoever,hey
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I thought being veggie and vegan was meant to be possible to eat healthily without taking pills?
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Old 15-03-2010, 19:08
India_Rain
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I thought being veggie and vegan was meant to be possible to eat healthily without taking pills?
So is a healthy diet when people eat meat, but some still take daily vitamins.
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Old 15-03-2010, 19:13
whoever,hey
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So is a healthy diet when people eat meat, but some still take daily vitamins.
No its not. You should be able to get your nutrients from your food.
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Old 15-03-2010, 19:15
India_Rain
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In an ideal world...yes. But we don't live in one. Not many people get all their nutrients from food, whether they eat meat or not. Loads survive on junk and so don't meet their nutritional requirements.

I don't, as yet, take supplements but shall if I feel I need them.
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Old 15-03-2010, 19:26
hastalavegan
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I thought being veggie and vegan was meant to be possible to eat healthily without taking pills?
It is. I could choose to eat foods that would give me enough b12 and omega 3 but I don't like a lot of them, so I often don't. It saves me worrying about getting everything I need. You can still be healthy and supplement, a lot of people, including meat eaters don't get enough b12 anyway.
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Old 15-03-2010, 19:30
India_Rain
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Loads of "normal" foods such as cereals and milk are fortified with vitamins/calcium etc. I guess it's all a matter of balance.
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Old 15-03-2010, 19:36
kimindex
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It is. I could choose to eat foods that would give me enough b12 and omega 3 but I don't like a lot of them, so I often don't. It saves me worrying about getting everything I need. You can still be healthy and supplement, a lot of people, including meat eaters don't get enough b12 anyway.
Loads of "normal" foods such as cereals and milk are fortified with vitamins/calcium etc. I guess it's all a matter of balance.
Yes, that makes perfect sense to me. Not every meat eater is a shining example of healthy eating. It's about what suits individuals.
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Old 15-03-2010, 19:39
India_Rain
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Yes, that makes perfect sense to me. Not very meat eater is a shining example of healthy eating. It's about what suits individuals.
Thank you.
I've been getting lectures off my mum since I decided to go vegan. I wouldn't mind, but I'm 42 .
She eats meat but a really unhealthy diet also. I wouldn't dream of telling her not to eat meat and yet she's right on her soap box.
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Old 17-03-2010, 06:55
Binky Winky
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What makes someone go vegan? I'm genuinely interested.
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Old 17-03-2010, 08:37
jazzyjazzy
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My son has been vegan for about 20 years without any problems. I am veggie and do not eat dairy products and where we live there is nothing like Holland and Barret etc with their soya cheeses and I do miss them along with the tubes of spreads so have to cook everything from scratch and have a healthy diet. Also take B12.

My son is now able to buy "vegan" washing up liquids, washing products and cleaners from Morrisons (maybe other supermarkets - this is the one he shops at). He bought a machine from the internet and now makes his own milk from rice, soya beans, pumpkin seeds etc and said it has paid for itself many times over.

I was advised to give up dairy products due to
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Old 17-03-2010, 08:46
jazzyjazzy
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My son has been vegan for about 20 years without any problems. I am veggie and don't eat dairy products and where we live there is nothing like Holland and Barret etc with their soya cheeses and I do miss them along with the tubes of spreads so have to cook everything from scratch and have a healthy diet. Also take B12.
We tend to eat lots of Indian food - lentils, beans etc along with vegetable curries and make a large one and freeze it in portions for the days when we come in late and don't have to have start cooking.
My son is now able to buy "vegan" washing up liquids, washing products and cleaners from Morrisons (maybe other supermarkets - this is the one he shops at). He bought a machine from the internet and now makes his own milk from rice, soya beans, pumpkin seeds etc and said it has paid for itself many times over.
Hope you get along alright with being vegan - it does take some planning if you are to eat healthy but stick with it for a while. I feel lots better for not eating dairy products.

Last time we were in UK was recommended Sainsbury's veggie burgers so bought some and cooked and ate them then my OH read the back of the packet - they contained egg white. OMG I gave them to my son and assured him they were vegan but turns out they weren't. Never ever cheat him and felt dreadful but had to tell him they had changed the recipe!!! Beware and read the back of the packet first.
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Old 17-03-2010, 09:46
kimindex
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Thank you.
I've been getting lectures off my mum since I decided to go vegan. I wouldn't mind, but I'm 42 .
She eats meat but a really unhealthy diet also. I wouldn't dream of telling her not to eat meat and yet she's right on her soap box.
Yes, meat eaters often claim they get lectured by vegans/vegetarians but you get it a lot the other way around, too. Like most things, it depends on the person.

You also get a lot of meat eaters moaning about vegetarians eating Linda M sausages etc (and some veggies, too!) and some saying they expect their vegetarian friends to cook them meat, because they cook them vegetarians meals. But, some vegetarians do cook guests meat, why would you want to make a friend cook you something they find distasteful (would you insist of giving a Jewish person bacon for breakfast?) and meat eaters, generally, don't have a problem with chopping and cooking vegetables. A few meat eaters seem to harbour a lot of resentment.
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Old 17-03-2010, 11:12
India_Rain
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Yes, my daughter eats meat so I cook it for her. Also, I feed my dogs and parrot meat and fish.
In my ideal world, I'd have everyone veggie but I do feel everyone has their own choice and who am I to lecture them.

I wouldn't expect anyone to cook differently for me if I went to someone's house. I'd make do with some toast or just a plate of veg.

My mum, bless her, thought she was doing a good thing yesterday. She said she'd bought me some "free from" biscuits. But when I looked, they were only free from wheat.
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Old 17-03-2010, 11:13
India_Rain
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Old 17-03-2010, 21:25
hastalavegan
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My son is now able to buy "vegan" washing up liquids, washing products and cleaners from Morrisons (maybe other supermarkets - this is the one he shops at).
Yes, the co-op are also very good for labelling their household products as vegan, as well as their wines. Superdrug have also started labelling their own brand toiletries as well. Makes shopping for these things so much easier!

Yes, meat eaters often claim they get lectured by vegans/vegetarians but you get it a lot the other way around, too. Like most things, it depends on the person.

You also get a lot of meat eaters moaning about vegetarians eating Linda M sausages etc (and some veggies, too!) and some saying they expect their vegetarian friends to cook them meat, because they cook them vegetarians meals. But, some vegetarians do cook guests meat, why would you want to make a friend cook you something they find distasteful (would you insist of giving a Jewish person bacon for breakfast?) and meat eaters, generally, don't have a problem with chopping and cooking vegetables. A few meat eaters seem to harbour a lot of resentment.
Yeah, I constantly get told I'm 'preaching' at my meat eating friends, even though they're usually the ones who ask me to justify why I am a vegan. When I tell them the truth they don't like it.

I also don't get why meat eaters have a problem with vegetarians and vegans who refuse to cook meat for them. What does one meal without meat and dairy matter anyway? If someone was morally against cooking vegetables then I would not ask them to cook for me, I would eat at home instead. All meat eaters eat vegetables though so it's a bit ridiculous for them to claim that it's an annoyance to cook a few more
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Old 18-03-2010, 03:41
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Yes, my daughter eats meat so I cook it for her. Also, I feed my dogs and parrot meat and fish.
In my ideal world, I'd have everyone veggie but I do feel everyone has their own choice and who am I to lecture them.
Why would you have everyone a veggie? As long as you are a veggie that's all that counts surely?
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Old 18-03-2010, 03:46
Binky Winky
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I also don't get why meat eaters have a problem with vegetarians and vegans who refuse to cook meat for them. What does one meal without meat and dairy matter anyway?
What does one meal with meat matter anyway?

See it works both ways.

My partner is a veggie. I am not. I actually do most of the cooking and while I'm happy to eat vegetarian meals when I fancy meat I will have meat I'll happily cook her a veggie meal as well.

With respect I think you ought to examine your mindset regarding this. You can't expect to say to meat eaters "What does one meal without meat and dairy matter anyway?" when at the same time one meal with meat would obviously matter a great deal to you.
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Old 18-03-2010, 08:20
rosemary
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What does one meal with meat matter anyway?

See it works both ways.

My partner is a veggie. I am not. I actually do most of the cooking and while I'm happy to eat vegetarian meals when I fancy meat I will have meat I'll happily cook her a veggie meal as well.

With respect I think you ought to examine your mindset regarding this. You can't expect to say to meat eaters "What does one meal without meat and dairy matter anyway?" when at the same time one meal with meat would obviously matter a great deal to you.
Meat eaters don't usually have a problem cooking or eating vegatables, they usually eat them most days to accomany their meat, and may even eat a few veggie meals without realising it...so therefore by giving a meat eater a veggie meal, you aren't usually forcing them to eat something they (for whatever reason) object to. You are basically just giving them what they normally eat, minus one ingredeint

If I know I have guests, I ask them if they mind eating veggie food...if they desperately feel they can't go one night without eating meat, I will buy and cook some for them

If a guest turns up unexpected, then I can only offer them veggie food as the only meat we have in the house is for the dog and cat....but

Egg, chips and beans...jacket potatoes...egg and cheese salad...humus and pita bread....omlettes..Pizza..vegetable soups ...these are the type of things that I find meat eaters and veggies are more than happy to eat together as an impromptu meal.
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Old 18-03-2010, 09:23
kimindex
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What does one meal with meat matter anyway?

See it works both ways.

My partner is a veggie. I am not. I actually do most of the cooking and while I'm happy to eat vegetarian meals when I fancy meat I will have meat I'll happily cook her a veggie meal as well.

With respect I think you ought to examine your mindset regarding this. You can't expect to say to meat eaters "What does one meal without meat and dairy matter anyway?" when at the same time one meal with meat would obviously matter a great deal to you.
Talk about missing the point! Wow! I presume you'd feel the same about a Muslim eating pork? Or do you have ethical issues with cooking potatoes or peas etc? Does chopping up a courgette revolt you?
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Old 18-03-2010, 09:58
RAINBOWGIRL22
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I enjoy my meat but would never, ever expect any veggie friends to prepare and cook me meat

The girl I work with is veggie and we take it in turns to bring in ingredients for lunch (usually stuff for sandwiches / salads etc...) as a result I eat veggie practically every lunch time... In fact I unintentionally have a few veggie days a week without even realising it!

(sorry OP - I have wondered a little off topic!)
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Old 18-03-2010, 11:21
Altheya
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What does one meal with meat matter anyway?

See it works both ways.

My partner is a veggie. I am not. I actually do most of the cooking and while I'm happy to eat vegetarian meals when I fancy meat I will have meat I'll happily cook her a veggie meal as well.

With respect I think you ought to examine your mindset regarding this. You can't expect to say to meat eaters "What does one meal without meat and dairy matter anyway?" when at the same time one meal with meat would obviously matter a great deal to you.
It doesn't really though does it!

I cook meat for my friends and family even though I'm veggie, however I wouldn't expect anyone to prepare me something they find respulsive or they don't agree with, whether it be meat or a particlaur aversion to mushrooms or whatever.
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