I want to become a VEGAN!!! Please help ='( Please help?

Question

I am 14/male. I've been eating MEAT for the past 14 years & now, upset. I've been eating meat!!!

I became a lacto-ovo vegetarian 3 days ago. That is NOT good enough. I tried becoming vegan but it's hard & I got hungry easily.

So that means, I can't eat chips, cheezels, soup, salt, milk (I'd miss milk and cereal), ice-cream etc if I become a vegan.

I want to become a VEGAN!!! How do I become one?

This is where meat comes from & how it comes to us:

(WARNING: Some horrible animal abuse & violence, killing):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Zz-Ubsn-2U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxsgMQEO8hM&feature=related

It feels like h**l for them.

Answer 1

I'd suggest NOT. I know you want to make it better on the poor animals, but being a vegan is a very serious life choice. You could, but it would be very, very hard. If you are really commited, then you can do it. Good luck.

Answer 2

I love animals as well but im NOT going to become a vegan or a vegetarian, i like roast chicken to much :) However i try not to eat fish because they leave them to suffocate on the surface instead of a humain death. So, as an alternative i ONLY eat free range meat and organic fruit/veg etc cuz the pesticides they use kills bugs which affect the rest of their food chain. Free range means they live good life outside, good food. they r livin the dream (only the good ones!) and when it comes to death for them they get stunned so they can't feel the pain then their throaghts get slit so they die quickly and painlessly. Also if u r 14 like me u need ANIMAL protein to grow. Hope this helps! ^o^

But if thats what you want to do then good luck and don't let anyone be mean to you because of your choice!

Answer 3

After watched  those clips. I'd feel sad about how we treat with these poor animals.It is definitely unfair to them. deeply sry for them  

Answer 4

Eggs are a potential animal, so if you eat them is almost like an abortion.

Ok, no jokes. I think you're mistaken on becoming a veg at your age. Your body needs proteins and you get them from meat. You're now in growing process, and if you give up eating meat maybe you'l not grow properly. Maybe you shouldn't think of being a veg until you're older and you become an adult.

Answer 5

At 14 I was working on a farm. I helped with the milking, also feeding of the pigs, but my main job was looking after the poultry. The animals may have gone to market, but none of my animals were ever treated badly or abused.

On every farm I worked I never saw any abuse to animals. Once they left the farm that may have been a different story, but there is a misconception about farm life.

If you intend to become a vegan because of your beliefs you will not see me say anything derogatory. We all have different views on everything, that's why we are humans, we can think for ourselves.

My only concerns from my point of view, you are worried about animals but your fellow humans are being abused in many countries. Many are being slaughter for some rediculous political gain. May I ask what you are doing about their plight? Being a vegan and not killing animals is commendable, but what if you are called up to defend your nation, what would your views be then!

Answer 6

What I do is just purchase free range and organic dairy.  This way you are at least eating the eggs and other dairy products from animals that are treated kindly.  If you are to eat any meat...be sure that it's Kosher.  And also, don't listen to people who just can't seem to post a nice answer or feel the need to answer a question in a negative way.  Sad...so sad.  

Answer 7

SOY MILK

MILKLESS, EGGLESS CHIPS

Dairy is worse than Meat. Cows are tortured their life, their whole entire life. Instead of being tortured for days (meat) they are tortured for LIFE so you can have a glass of ******** milk. Cows are stuffed into crates where they cannot move, FOR LIFE, and have their utter being strangled and ripped a part (hence how cow puss develops in the milk) and are their FOR LIFE.

I'm sorry but your questions are mediocre and common sense issues. If you like you can contact me and I can give you a couple sites that helped me know the TRUTH.

The Dairy Fairy: A cow is stuffed into a crate, why would a merciless slaughterer give cows a big open space. More space means more money, and as we all know that's just not in their constitution. Their is a machine attached to the udders that will milk the cow, obviously I was using a metaphor, next time don't skip english class. As I said above, a farmer isn't going to take their time and precious money and adapt it onto the cow. They are going to it give a cheap living style and stuff it full of chemicals so it will live longer and grow fatter. Then they will sell it to a slaughterer and they will torture the cow. If your going to use a generalization factor then you should be shot, as you've probably eaten hundreds of animals that have as much of a life as you.

Answer 8

Of course you can have chips--many are vegan.  Just read the label.  In fact, when you're buying anything, read the freaking label.  There are soy cheeses out there, but make sure they don't have casein, a milk protein.  There are soy ice creams, rice ice creams, and even coconut milk ice creams (Purely Decadent).  There are plenty of vegan soups.  Amy's makes canned soups, some of which are vegan, and Dr. MacDougall's has great vegan soup cups that are also low in sodium (yay!).  You can make your own soups with vegetable broths.  You can put soy milk, rice milk, almond milk, or hemp milk in your cereal.

There are more and more delicious substitutes for meat, dairy, and eggs.  Go out and find them!

Answer 9

It's really not as hard as you think it is. There are veg@n chips and they're not hard to find. Actually a lot of chips are veg@n friendly including Lays! There is vegetable broth for soups, salt? Salt is fine. Of course there is soy, rice, almond, hemp, coconut, etc milk and a lot of cereal is veg@n friendly. There is veg@n ice cream and it's not hard to find either. Seriously, you really don't have to give up anything. You would just be substituting things. Like if you were making a pizza you could use soy or rice cheese instead of dairy cheese. You would eat cereal with soy milk instead of dairy. All it is, is substitution with healthier alternatives!

Answer 10

OK  I cannot pass by.  I come on here to check out yummy recipes and all I hear is lies!

Lottery Man:  YOU do some research!  Obviously you are ignorant of dairy cattle.  What kind of cow is stuffed in a crate?  Are you insane?  Milk cows are most defiantly not stuffed in crates, you make me laugh that you even believe this nonsense.  Udders being strangled???  You are barking mad!  That is not how puss develops in the milk.  Who freakin strangles udders???

I care for cows as a living.  I have been to many many organic and commercial farms and have yet to see a cow being "tortured" at the hands of a merciless farmer.  Of all the horrible things to say about agriculture, you really can't say much (if you'er intelligent) about the dairy industry.  It is the furthest ahead in animal welfare out of all the other sects.  SO HA!

AND AGAIN:  Here we go with the crates again.  How many farms have you been to again??  I have been to many dairy farms, both U.S. and Europe and have yet to see a cow in a crate.  For crying out loud!  Did you read anything I said, or is your obviously stong opinion messing up your vision?  I have a freakin degree in dairy cattle, so DON'T tell me how it's done.  I would know if they were upset, and YES THE FARMER DOES CARE (unless he is a bad apple idiot, which there are a few, as peta is so kind to point out).  Here is a lesson for you:  Keeping the cows as comfortable and content as possible is actually MORE profitable SO what sense does it make to abuse them?  Also, farmers are getting the same price for their milk as in 1980 (yearly average) so I'd like to see you live on a salary from then, with this inflation we have now.  They are not being greedy, they are trying to live!  They love their jobs, and don't want to sell out, but some have to.  

So the cows do get killed, eventually, but they are knocked unconsious and don't feel a thing.  I've accepted it as a fact of life like most of the country.  And I do appreciate their life.  I know each and every one of my 150 cows and all their calves.  Maybe you should be shot for being ignorant.  Slapped at least.

Also English was my best subject.  That was a terrible metaphore, not even close to what goes on.

Cows are generally fed TMR-silage, hay, grain, in PROPER proportions, all mixed.  Not because it's cheaper.  Because it's what they need to produce the milk they do, determined by nutritionists, so if you are not one, don't talk about it.

Most cows leave the herd because new and better ones are there to replace them, not because they "wear out."  Oh, and it is illegal to feed ruminant product to ruminants.  The cows (not calves) may be fed refined blood meal (it's a good by-pass protein) but it's not from their "aunties."  This is the first I've heard of the milk replacer but I can assure you it's not the norm.

**************************************...

And one other thing, PLEASE make a more rounded decision that just listening to peta.  Obviously they sway the truth.

Sorry to mess up your question.  It's not like I rip on them for doing their job wrong when I don't even know anything about their job.

Answer 11

It's great that you want to become vegan and I'm sorry you've gotten so many rude and unhelpful responses.

There are vegan versions of most dairy foods. Soy cheese, soy milk, non-dairy ice cream, vegan butter, and vegan sour cream are some examples. There are also many faux meats that are egg-free and dairy-free. See this site for a list: http://www.vegcooking.com/guide-favs.asp

You can have cereal with soy milk, ice creams like So Delicious soy ice cream, plain potato chips, salt, and vegan soup. There is even a flavor of Doritos that's vegan! It's called Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos.Things like chicken salt and beef salt do have meat, as far as I know.

You can become vegan very gradually. It doesn't need to be an overnight switch. Maybe first take eggs out of your diet. Then try using soy milk instead of cow's milk. Then experiment with soy cheeses... etc. Make sure you include fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, and grains in your diet and you need to eat enough calories. You should not be hungry.

Here are some food ideas:

http://www.tryveg.com/cfi/toc/?v=07budge...

http://www.chooseveg.com/vegan-recipes.a...

I hope this helps. Good luck and thanks for helping animals.

Answer 12

wow, wow, wow, you could eat milk

Answer 13

this is a great site if you want to become a vegan... it has awsome recipies and substitutes you can find at the store and basically everything you need if you want to become vegan

http://www.chooseveg.com/vegan-substitut...

Answer 14

Good start already. Just try looking up some recipes because once you turn vegan your gonna end up cooking from scratch. You can go to a store where they sell vegan stuff(Depending on where you live depends on your store options) Soy milk, ener-G replacer(egg replacer), vegan mayo, Progresso lentil soup is fantastic(add cayenne pepper and salt&pepper), pasta, lots of veggies and you could make potato or pasta salad with the vegan mayo. Also you can look for wraps and mix black beans and rice and salsa. Thats one GOOD bean burrito. There is soy ice cream which is awesome! Lays chips are vegan and I love them, most soups are vegan just read ingredients on everything! Soy vanilla milk is amazing better then regular so its good in making pancakes! Also chocolate is yummy!

Answer 15

Grow up, do you really want to be an anally retentive bore? Look , if we don't eat the animals and also use their skin and oil etc. they will become over populated  . They will become starved and diseased ,are you going to feed them and look after them?I know your heart is in the right place but you are misguided.

Answer 16

Wow! Lots to counter here...

First, congratulations on your choice. It's a huge step.

For now just try to relax & do the most good with the least harm. What's important is you still need to be nourished so eat meatless meals while you learn more (and you'll have to wade through a lot of misconceptions too). Add good meals that crowd out the old ones rather than depriving yourself.

There are a couple of wonderful podcast series on becoming a vegan you might find helpful.

1. 21 podcasts provide information about getting adequate nutrition, setting up your kitchen, and avoiding animal ingredients, as well as offer plenty of answers to the common question, "What do I eat?" As Erik says, it's not about discipline and cutting things out: "Rather than cut out foods, crowd them out. Your main job will be to try as many vegan foods as possible....The more foods you try, the more sensational options you'll discover." Each podcast is about 8 to 12 minutes long, the perfect length to listen to as you check your email in the morning.

http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2008/07/mak...

http://www.vegan.com/articles/oprahs-21-...

2. "Food for Thought" offers a unique perspective that leaves listeners feeling supported, motivated, and inspired. Celebrating a way of life that encompasses compassion for everyone, this podcast addresses all aspects of eating a compassionate, healthful, whole foods, plant-based diet and advocates a sustainable food system that supports organic, local, seasonal fare. Each episode addresses commonly asked questions about being vegetarian/vegan, including those regarding animal rights, food, cooking, nutrition, and debunks the myths surrounding these issues. Drawing upon poetry, short stories, and other forms of literature, this is a unique podcast that works on many levels.

http://www.compassionatecooks.com/podcas...

http://feeds.feedburner.com/VegetarianFo...

==

Just for now to clear up a few things, over 90% of animals eaten in the Western World come from Factory Farm/Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs). Most dairies these days have over a thousand cows which get little to zero time on pasture & are fed grains because they are cheap & high calorie to replace all that's taken from the cows. Modern dairy cows have to be impregnated every year to produce milk & these calves are taken from them in the first few days (and fed bloodmeal formula comprised of their aunties), with the males being made into veal & the girls replacing their moms in a couple years because on modern dairies a cow usually only gets a couple seasons in before being spent & sent off to become hamburger (most of the cows in the downer cow video earlier this year that prompted the biggest recall ever of meat were dairy cows). So don't let anyone tell you dairy is cruelty-free... or that cows *need* to be milked. They, like other animals produce milk for their young and would naturally dry up if not milked.

http://www.organicconsumers.org/madcow/b...

Chickens are probably the most abused of all the commodity animals. Over 95% of layer hens are in small, wire battery cages with several others, unable to move much, spread out their wings, take dust baths, nest, or many of their other natural behaviors. They have less than a notebook paper's worth of space. "Free-Range" is not the bucolic situation most wish to think. The girls just are cage-free with perhaps a tiny door to the outside which they've never seen & nothing out there but perhaps a concrete slab (no food/plants, etc) next to a huge building stuffed with thousands of birds. Girls who are allowed to produce a second season are force molted which means shocking them back into production by putting them in the dark with no food or water for as much as two weeks to get them to drop their feathers. Because that is cruel many companies objected so now the industry just discards them after one season. Both have their beaks singed off. Boys are ground up just after hatching.

http://www.hsus.org/farm/resources/pubs/...

==

There is protein in just about everything we eat except sugar & some alcohols. Vegetarians still get about twice as much as needed & too much protein is very damaging to health resulting in diseases of affluence such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure & cholesterol, etc. to name just a few. Vegetarians live on average 6 to 10 years longer than non-vegetarians & have greater endurance & stamina (part of the reason for the increase in vegetarian athletes).

Fiber is not found in meat or other animal products (unless supplemented with soy which is increasingly the case to increase the protein content & extend the product so it can be sold for the same price but increase profit). Fiber is important because it adds fullness & feeling of satisfaction (besides usually being attached to plants full of good nutrition) & it scrubs out excess cholesterol in our intestines as it travels through our bodies. Plants don't have cholesterol either (we do make our own being animals ourselves).

http://ultimatenutritiontables.com/

The only vitamin important to supplement is B12, a soil bacteria we wash off in our obsessive sterilization of our world in part because of the contaminations we've caused from industrial raising of animals.

Not sure what Chicken & Beef salt are but perhaps regular salt would do you. There are many different kinds (Celtic salt being one of the best with many natural minerals compared to regular table salt).

Answer 17

well just 1 person can't really save them instead of giving up everything you love... [Ice cream]! you should try to get money donated to you to save the animals. You could also donate to other animal Charity's. Try to make a partition to save the animals.... But you don't have to give up milk and dairy, You can give up meat, but then you should eat tofu, for protein. Maybe have meat every once in a while. or have small portions.

Answer 18

Um, chips, soup, and salt have nothing to do with animals so you can still eat eat those items, and you could still eat sorbet and sherbets instead of ice cream, make sure you eat WHOLE grains so you get the fiber and protiens you will be missing out from not eating meats, and to be honest, unless everyone in the world became vegans with you there will still be animals used for same reasons they are now, just know that becoming vegan lowers your impact on the world by saving gas, energy, packaging ect by not bringing meat to your table

Answer 19

Okay so stop freaking out you've been eating meat for your whole life so pace yourself!

chips,  to be vegan you can have any chips that don't have any milk/cheese in them. Soo you can have tortilla or regular "natural" chips, regular sun chips.. others too just check them

soup you can have tomato soup or what I like to do is get some pasta pastina (w/o egg) and vegetarian vegetable bouillions which are vegan (just double check) and make like 1/2 - 1 cup of pastina (stars or alphabets anythin you want really) to like 2-3 cups of water and then 1-2 boullions depending on size just taste it and see if you want more flavor. to me it tastes delicious and kinda like chicken noodle.

normal salt i believe is vegan, unless b/c its white it's not- im not sure but i bet there is alternatives if it is not vegan (i have to look into that)

ice cream - sorbets/sherberts as well as soy ice cream - which I LOVE!! tofutti and soy delicious are the best ever - even my non vegan/vegetarian mother love those.

yes the animals are still harmed for dairy and eggs. its not the best life for them and once they can not produce milk or eggs they are slaughtered. and also when breeding more dairy cows or laying chickens they slaughter any male offspring closely after birth. :(

but you can also take it slow. be lacto-ovo for a while and work your way into being vegan.

Answer 20

It would take extreme will power, and lots of multi-vitamins to become a vegan. I understand where you're coming from, but I'm sure if you feel like you wouldn't be able to do it (I mean, you know what you're missing!) being a lacto-ovo vegetarian is fine. Try eating things that are organic, and if there's a natural food co-op near where you live, their food is organic, healthy, and not from animals that are treated badly... Hope this helps!

Answer 21

If you have been meatatarian for the last 14 years then try becoming vegetarian before becoming vegan...It will help you get used to it.