Aspiring Vegan?

Question

Hi, I have just watched the meet your meat cd and have been trying to venture into veganism for a few weeks. However, I am worried about hidden animal products in the things I eat, drink or use.

Does anyone know a website that can tell me what to look for on the labels to know for sure that I am getting an animal free product.

I am new to this so anything you can tell me would be great.

Answer 1

I dont have a website but i can tell you some common ingredients that are added that you wouldnt recognize...

Casien and whey: Very common in things and is derived from milk

Rennet: Not sure what its in but i saw it in a pesto once...Its from stomache lineing of animals

"natural flavor": In a lot of things and can have egg derivatives and other animal by-products.

Sorry i cant think of more at the moment but im sure if you look up something like non vegan ingredients or something you can find a list...hope this helps!!!

to Jannypoo: we are not trying to be anorexic!!! we care about the lives of living creatures and think that all should be treated well and fairly and not be killed by mass nubers just so people can knaw on a dead carcus!!!

Answer 2

Im' sorry I don't know but once the store had some EXTREAMLY unhealthy choclate icing and the first ingredient was BEEF FAT!!! Gross!!!!!!!!

Answer 3

Fortunately, it isn't difficult to tell when something is non-vegan. Milk and eggs will be listed under allergen information. This is the first place I usually look, because if it says "CONTAINS: MILK," or "CONTAINS: EGGS," I know to put it back. If it doesn't, I venture into the main ingredients list. Things that come from milk will probably have "(a milk derivative)" next to it. If something has the prefix "lact" in it, it comes from milk. Casein is also a milk derivative that sometimes isn't listed as so. Gelatin is another big no-no. If something lists "natural ingredients," it should be vegan if eggs and milk aren't listed under the allergen info. Beef stock, chicken stock, lard, and animal fat are obvious ones. Umm... that's all I can think of at the moment. ;]

Edit: Thanks, "Sweet<3", for bringing up whey! Usually it will say it's a milk derivative, but if it doesn't... it is! Stay away!

Answer 4

Congratulations on wanting to be a vegan.  It really isn't that hard.  I was a vegetarian for over two years and then I saw the video on meat.com and decided to become a vegan.  Chicken and dairy cows are the worst treated animals of all.  First of all you don't have any meat or fish.  That is a vegetarian.  Then you don't have any dairy products or eggs.  You have to read ingredients and don't just assume.  Gelatin is also an animal products.  Look for ingredients like whey, casein, and lactose.  They come from milk.  After a while you will know what to eat automatically without looking at ingredients.  I am not a picky eater at all so I enjoy a wide variety of foods.  It would be harder to do if you were picky.  Protein and Calcium are really important.  I drink rice milk because I am allergic to soy.  I drink Rice Dream.  It is delicious and it has calcium, Vitamin D, and B12 in it.  I also supplement my diet with protein shakes.  I got Vegan Brown Rice Protein at the Vitamin Shoppe by Nutribiotics.

Answer 5

Vegans are bogan's eat meat don't be silly VEGAN stand's for aspiring anorexic.You can't eat fresh air,And these day's I don't even think air if fresh.

Answer 6

I think it's a horrible idea to be Vegan or anything like that. It's more fat lose BS. But to avoid mistreated animals and chemicals seems to be a good idea. Organic foods would be a good choice.

Answer 7

yeah, totally!!!! it'll def take time to get used to, but i've been vegan for about...4-5 months now, and now that i've got the hang of it it's way easy [except when i go out to dinner] and it totally rocks. buy food specifically made for vegans first off, and to know if another thing is vegan just look up the other ingrediients! heres a really good site [keep in mind some of the ingredients can be plant derived, not ONLY from animals, so double check if you see it in a package and it's not specified...if it's not specified i stay away from it]

also read the book " animal ingredients A-Z"

Answer 8

Good job, it is a well known fact that you can have a healthy diet as a vegetarian and often this statistically is healthier than a normal diet as there are no saturated fats!

Going from a normal diet straight into vegan is a big jump, start of vegetarian, eating free range eggs and cheese. After a while if you feel as if you need to be fully Vegan you may need to see a nutritionist about the change as there are heaps of risks involved.

I recommend shopping in organic shops where all produce is certified organic! The organic logo should be on all products and it is required for the products to have all ingredients listed. They also offer free range products which supports animal welfare and well-being.

good luck!

Answer 9

Please read the following page, it will help you understand what veganism is really about. Veganism is not about being special or extreme. It's not about obsessing, depriving yourself or being pure either.

http://www.veganoutreach.org/howvegan.ht...