Tips for becoming vegan?

Question

I;ve been a veggie all my life for ethical reasons

i want now to become a vegan

i already drink tonnes of soya and rice milk

and eat nuts and tofu

any tips?

x

Answer 1

All supermarkets produce list indicating which of their products are animal-free. Ask for a copy - you’ll be surprised at how much is on offer.

Look out for the following brand names:

FREEZER SECTION

Fry’s

Burgers, sausages, hot dogs, mince, nuggets, schnitzels, culets

http://www.frys-special.com/Default.asp

Cauldron Foods

Sausages, falafels, pâte, tofu (plain, organic, smoked or marinated)

http://www.cauldronfoods.co.uk/CMSPage.a...

CHILLER SECTION

Redwood Foods

(chilled) Soya cheese, fake meat slices, (frozen) sausages, schnitzels and nuggets

http://www.redwoodfoods.es/index.php

Provamel Alpro

Soya milk, milkshakes, dairy-free yoghurts and desserts

http://www.alprosoya.co.uk/alpro/UK_en/i...

Tofutti

Dairy-free cream cheese

http://www.tofutti.com/btcc.shtml

SHELVES

Plamil

Egg-free mayonnaise (plain or garlic) and chocolate

http://www.plamilfoods.co.uk/index.htm

Allergycare

Egg replacer

http://www.goodnessdirect.co.uk/cgi-loca...

Free & Easy

Dairy-free cheese sauce and gravy

http://www.goodnessdirect.co.uk/cgi-loca...

http://www.goodnessdirect.co.uk/cgi-loca...

Kallo

Soy snacks, rice cakes, rice milk, stock cubes and powders

http://www.kallofoods.com/index.asp

Green & Blacks

Dark chocolate (with cherries; mint; ginger; maya gold; expresso; or with hazelnut & currants)

http://www.greenandblacks.com/uk/categor...

More on dairy-free chocolate

http://www.alotofshopping.co.uk/menus/in...

http://www.animalaidshop.org.uk/chocbars...

Answer 2

being a vegan is changing your whole lifestyle, so you wouldn't wear animal products (leather, suede etc), and you wouldn't have them in your home either (as furniture, decorations etc). it's a really hard way to live, good luck!

Answer 3

after eating veggies for a long time don't make the mistake of eating meat because when you're so accustomed to eating veggies, the meat thing will ruin your process in your guts and  you get this weird stomach ache

Answer 4

Hi Liz, if you are already drinking soya/rice milk that's the hardest bit out of the way!  Veggie has given you some really good links/advice to use, the one thing I found hard going vegan was finding a nice cheese alternative, I'm still looking, but use avocado and houmous in my pitta bread/wraps until I find one!

Its quite hard to find vegan cakes, but found some lovely ones on the web and my cake scoffer book.  Most recipes replace the egg with vegetable oil or you can buy a egg re-placer in health stores.

Good luck! :)

Answer 5

Having already been vegetarian you're already aware of most vegetarian foods: Houmous, soya mince, falafels, tofu, lentils etc. Quorn is off limits because it contains egg whites but most other of these things are still perfectly fine for vegans eat.

One downside of cutting out dairy is it's a reliable source of calcium and vitamin B12 but there are more alternative sources than you'd think.

Calcium

* Fortified soya milk and margarine

* Tofu

* Swede

* Green leafy vegetables - e.g. watercress, kale

* Broccoli

* Dried apricots and figs

* Almonds

* Brazil nuts

* Tahini (sesame paste)

Vitamin B12

* Marmite

* Seaweeds and alfalfa sprouts

* Mushrooms

* Fortified breakfast cereals, soya milk and margarine

* Fermented soy products - e.g. miso, tempeh

* Fortified meat analogues (food made from wheat and/or soya proteins to resemble meat, poultry, or fish)

Iron

* Pulses - e.g. beans, chickpeas, lentils

* Tofu

* Green leafy vegetables - spinach, cabbage, kale

* Broccoli

* Parsley

* Wholegrains - brown rich, millet, rye, wholemeal bread

* Fortified breakfast cereals

* Nuts & seeds

* Dried fruit

* Molasses (thick syrup by-product of sugar - yummy on porridge)

Just look a little more closely at the ingredients list when buying new foods. Words like lactose, caseine and whey are all milk derivatives.

Answer 6

Hey.

Woo... great to hear your becoming vegan!

Here are some tips that might help you =]

1. Know whats in your food

There really are some hidden nasties out there, they put unnessacary things in foods these days, some fruit can be glazed in shellac, so buy fruit and vegetables you trust - Theres a list of animal products to watch out for here - http://www.vegansociety.com/food/criteri...

2. Cook

Its good to know how to cook when your a vegan, because then you can make all your own cakes, currys etc. Recipes here -

http://www.veganvillage.co.uk/recipes.ht...

http://www.vegsoc.org/cordonvert/recipes...

http://www.simpleveganrecipes.co.uk/

3. Get your nutrients

Make sure you get all the right nutrients (protein, iron, vitamin b12, etc.) The site here has all the information about vegan nutrition - http://www.vegansociety.com/food/nutriti...

4. Check the label

Look for the vegan society logo on foods

5. Eat good food... chips and gravy qualifies as a vegan meal, but you cant have this every night! lol, get cooking healthy nutrious meals.

6. Super markets

All supermarkets have vegan food in, its just good to know where to find it, the obvious vegan foods are stuff like chick peas, pasta, rice, potatos, fruit and vegetables, etc. You can find a good range of vegan food in the supermarkets 'free from' section. Sainsburys and co - op label their own vegan foods. You can find veggie burgers, veggie sausages and lots more to.

7. Prepare

Before yo become a vegan, know what your doing, know where your getting your nutrients, find vegan freindly clothing and be happy to tell people your a vegan.

8. Vegans enjoy food to

Finding vegan food is easier than it's ever been. You can now buy vegan cheese, vegan chocolate, vegan ice-cream, vegan mayonnaise, vegan sausages, vegan yoghurt, vegan haggis...the choices are endless. You can find great vegan foods in health stores such as holland and barrett or in some supermarkets.

9. Cook for others

Show people that vegan food isnt just a 'lettuce sandwich'. Show people that you can really have great tasting vegan meals.

10. Its not expensive

People seem to think being vegan is expensive, its not. You can easily make a good vegan meal cheap, most come cheaply (pasta, vegetables etc). Theres also a good range of fairly cheap veggie sausages, burgers etc, avalible in health stores.

Hope this helps and good luck.

Answer 7

I agree with a lot of Veggie's tips. That's a good base to get you going.

I am still in transition. I use Vegweb.com just about everyday for good recipes.

Reading labels on everything is a must. If your not already doing that, you will have to.

A lot of vegetarian products out there are not vegan ( contains whey, egg whites, etc) so a big change has been a lot of cooking from fresh ingredients and less relying on boxed, prepared items.

It's been fun though and meal time has actually never tasted better!

Answer 8

again to me it seems such an extreme but what about introduce it slowly into your lifestyle and not all at once and besides can anyone answer me on why everyone left and right i notice keeps declaring  there behinds as a vegan?! please tell me way this is such a new fad email me!

Answer 9

yeah don't become a vegan

Answer 10

I became a vegan when I was 15, and up until I was 17. Now I'm just a regular vegetarian. But the one thing I found most helpful as a young vegan, is to keep doing reseach. That way you won't run out of things to eat. Read up on the Animal bi-product indredient list that's out there on veg*n sites. Join a veg*n message board for support. And just be conscious of  your diet. You'll get used to it eventually, especially the sooner you find alternatives to the foods you normally eat. You can substitute any animal bi-product these days.

Answer 11

Health Food shops such as Holland & Barrents are treasure troves for vegans - most stock loads of animal-free food ranging from the healthy stuff like nuts, seeds and dried fruit throught to 'fake' meats and dairy-free desserts.

'Releat' do great veggie mince for instance and 'Trufree' chocolate sponge pudding is yummy! Tesco own brand double choc chip cookies are suitable for vegans as well.

Dried foods are great for delicious meals. Things like pasta, rice, egg-free noodles, cous cous and polenta (dried pulses like lentils and beans are good too but tinned is much quicker). Stock up on curry and pasta sauces - throw in come veg, soya mince or tofu for quick and easy dinners.

Try getting a hold of a good cookbook too. Like 'Vegan Cookbook: Over 90 Mouthwatering Recipes for All Occasions'. Good luck!

Answer 12

Get a lobotomy because your body will fight you.

Other than that, seek out non-soy proteins like whey protein.  Soy isn't as complex as most bodies prefer and if you're going to stick with it you need to fulfill your body's needs.

Using yeast as a substitute for cheese is common, but just crazy... That's a good way to turn yourself away quickly.

As with anything complex, try and research as much as possible before diving in headfirst.  Often times, you'll find good information if you seek out vegan bodybuilders.   I wouldn't trust people starving themselves for advice on the subject.

Answer 13

people always say its such a big lifestyle change but it isnt really its probably only for them cos they're so used to meat. me and my mum became vegans a couple of years ago.



eat a balanced diet i ate burgers and rubbish for a week and felt faint sometimes cos i didnt get proper nutrition from the right food.  health food shops like baldwins, holland and barret etc are good as they have loads of good food.

also check out www.vegansociety.com for everything you need to know about being a vegan.check labels of food just so you know whats in them and before you eat anything with additves or coulurings research them just in case(you'd be surprised what kinda gunk they put in food).



oh and if anyone says anything just say people who eat meat have a higher chance of having a heart attack (its true the fat clogs the arteries) and laugh silently at them denying but secretly gulping on the inside.