CALLING ALL VEGANS!?!?!?

Question

okay, so i've been a vegetarian for a little over 4 years now but i want to be a vegan.

i've attempted but it is very difficult.

does anyone have any advice that could help me make the transition from vegetarian to vegan?

Answer 1

You don't have to give up pasta.   Just eat whole grain pasta with no eggs, dairy or animal products in them.

I went vegan cold turkey on March 19.   That worked best for me.  No fiddling around.   It has been easy and the thought of meat makes me feel bad now.  Cheese just reminds me of how much fat would be growing on me if I ate it.

Answer 2

you can do it! i know it.

fake is not always bad. get substitutes. here's my list of must-haves to make it:

-zen soy chocolate soy milk (it is soooooo creamy and delicious!)

-veggie cheese (its not really that bad. i love vegan pizza.)

-morningstar farms products (they get old after a while, but are great once in a while. i love the corndogs)

-non dairy chocolate chips (we ALL have chocolate cravings sometimes ;))

-peanut butter (it tastes creamy and has tons of protein)

-any non dairy deserts you can find (again with the cravings)

-vitamin supplements (you'll need these to feel your best and not get sick)

trust me. its great being a vegan! i eat so much great stuff i forget about what i'm missing. sure, there is the occasional nightmare about cheese, but i get by. just eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. i have developed so many great habits; i never used to eat so many vegetables.

good luck!

Answer 3

My website might help make it easier.

Answer 4

Congrats on your decision to go vegan!

There are lots of vegan fake meats and non-dairy products. Here's a list of some of the popular products: http://www.vegcooking.com/guide-favs.asp

My favorites are:

Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread

So Delicious Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert

WholeSoy Creamy Cultured Soy Yogurt

Silk Soymilk

Tofutti—Better Than Cream Cheese

Follow Your Heart—Vegan Gourmet Cheese Alternative

Nate’s Meatless Meatballs

Gardenburger Meatless Riblets

Tofurky Deli Slices

Morningstar Farms Meal Starters Chik’n Strips

Make the transition at your own pace; it doesn't need to be an overnight switch. Good luck!

Answer 5

I found it was hard, because I'd never done it before.

Remember you have to be ready, after 2 months of being vegetarian I was constantly thinking about become vegan and researching it. So, get as much support as you can.

Also, there is actually vegan cheese which I heard tastes pretty good, I haven't been able to get any though. And you can get rice pasta, I personally hate egg pasta.

4 years is a lot, congrats! I've been vegan for over one year...

Answer 6

I don't know who told you that you have to give up pasta.  That's just not true.  Almost all dried pasta is vegan...You just have to read the ingredients.  Pasta is a staple for me and I'm vegan.

There are also a lot of cheese alternatives such as soy and rice cheese.  They take some getting used to, but in the end you'll never miss regular cheese.

I use faux cheese for mac and cheese, sandwiches, pizza, and other things.  My fave comes in a 1 lb. block and is called Vegan Gourmet.  It comes in many flavors, but my grocery store only carries 2.  I use the cheddar flavor for the mac and cheese and I use the mozzarella for the rest of the stuff I make.  I use a grater to grate it and it only takes about 3 minutes to grate the whole block...or you can slice it.

I really had no problem converting and I was never a vegetarian.  I have been vegan for over a year now.  Good luck:)

Answer 7

As the other person pointed out, you can have pasta--just make sure it's egg-free (read the label).  I understand cheese is hard to give up, and I know that vegan cheese just isn't that good.  That's an addiction you're going to have to break.

For cows' milk, you can use soy milk, rice milk, nut milk, and oat milk.  In recipes, I recommend unsweetened soy milk, and you can use it in equal measure.

There are several types of vegan ice creams.  So Delicious Purely Decadent has soy ice creams and coconut milk ice creams.  There are other soy ice creams and rice ice creams as well.

Earth Balance makes a great vegan margarine spread.

For eggs, in baking, use Ener-G Egg Replacer, 1 tbsp flaxseeds and 3 tbsp water in a slurry (per egg), or 1/4 cup silken tofu liquefied in a blender.

You can do tofu scrambles as well--any vegan cookbook will have one.

Keep trying, and if you slip, don't give up, just try again.

Answer 8

I feel you pain - been there, done that! I had a hard time making the transition too. It was hard giving up cheese. (Milk was not a problem, for as a vegetarian, I drank soy milk. I also didn't eat eggs at that point).

My suggestion would be to wean your way off of dairy slowly. Try eating one meal per week that would normally have cheese w/o cheese. The food tastes different w/o it. Then increase that to two meals per week. After a while, you stop missing it; eventually cheese will taste heavy and gross to you.

I don't think I'd suggest using the soy substitutes quite yet to help with the transition. Coming off of real cheese can sometimes set false expectations. Soy cheese tastes and acts NOTHING like cheese from cow's milk.

Good luck!

Answer 9

If you really care, then you'll do it, even if it's hard.  Otherwise, then you just don't have what it takes.

Answer 10

You've already gotten some great advice I can only add some pointers. It's only difficult for a short time. After a while you won't miss eggs/dairy at all. You will surprise yourself at how creative you become. Cheese-less pizza is great when loaded with tons of veggies and seasonings.

You do have to pay attention to ingredients in the things you buy. You'll become a diligent label reader! BEWARE of some of the mock cheeses! A surprising amount of them contain CASEIN which comes from MILK. Casein and whey, both proteins from cow's milk are in tons of things that you wouldn't even suspect. Check for them carefully, even in things labeled "vegetarian."  

My whole family couldn't believe how much better we felt after just a few days without dairy products!  

Answer 11

you can still have pasta. and get soy cheese.  

Answer 12

Hey there. Could you say a bit about what you've found difficult about it? Nothing much to go on here, so can't really give you an informed answer.

Thanks.

Edit: Okay, that's fair enough.

Well, you wouldn't have to give up pasta for a start! As long as it's egg free, most pastas are vegan, which is a good thing, as I love pasta myself :)

As for cheese, bear in mind that cheese contains small amounts of substances called casomorphines (yes, chemically related to morphine :-z). That means it exerts small drug like effects in the brain, which I suspect is why many people have such a hard time giving cheese and dairy products up the most when going vegan.

However, stick with it. If you do, your taste buds and cravings for foods will change after a short while, and any desire for eating cheese or related foods lessens (possibly as your body gets used to being free of the caso). If you like, there are also established vegan cheeses on the market that can reasonably satisfy cheese cravings, and new ones are regularly coming into the market place.

Also, it's wise to educate yourself on vegan nutrition to start with as well: visit veganhealth.org for information on this, as it's important you can thrive well on a vegan diet. With the right info, you will.

Oh and above all, remember that you can do it: imagine I or someone else offered you a million in unmarked 50s to do it: I bet you could, huh? :) Don't underestimate yourself, or your abilities. So if you slip up once or twice, just forgive yourself, and try again: happens to all of us.

Good luck.

Answer 13

you don't have to give up pasta! the majority of pasta is just made with wheat and water - look in the section of your supermarket with dry pasta.

Also try looking in the health section for vegan biscuits and vegan jello.

The other day I found vegan pies in the freezer section - just explore your local supermarket