Vegan / Veggies? Should i go Vegan? How to go Vegan?

Question

Ok so ive been a veggie for a year now.

And im interested in going vegan.

... Im just wondering what the adjustments are... Are certain kinds of makeup allowed? Can i only wear a certain type of footwear? Etc.

Most importantly:

Also, could Vegans please give me a LONG list of things they eat / dont eat.

Cheers. x

Answer 1

I was vegan for 4 years and then went ovo-lacto but am on my way back to being vegan again. How serious or dedicated to veganism is really up to you. I still used honey for baking back then but allot of vegan's dont use ANY animal products whatsoever. Now I would probably skip the honey. There are no rules that dictate what kind of shoes you wear but many vegans don't wear leather. There are leather-like shoes made for vegans that are really cute and stylish...check out:http://www.vegetarianshoesandbags.com/

a GREAT recipe book for beginning vegans is MAY ALL BE FED by John Robbins. Has allot of reasons for being vegan as well.

Answer 2

If you're already vegetarian, going vegan is a relatively simple next step.  Vegans avoid dairy products (including the casein that pops up in so many "non-dairy" things), eggs, insect products (including honey, beeswax, shellac, "food glaze" or "confectioners glaze," etc), silk, wool, leather, fur, products from companies that test on animals, and so forth.

You may want to avoid makeup that uses beeswax, lanolin, and carmine (crushed cochineal beetles) and stuff from companies that test on animals.  There are several brands that offer vegan cosmetics, some of which are available online, or you can check out Urban Decay and Hard Candy.  While not all-vegan, Urban Decay/Hard Candy have a good range of vegan items.

There are many vegan online retailers for shoes and bags, or you can go to a cheap shoe store and find leather-free shoes there.

The lifestyle is the trickiest change, I think.  Switching from cows' milk to soy milk and finding vegan cookies is a little easier than finding nonfood items.  If there's a natural foods store near you or a Whole Foods, they'll have a plethora of cruelty-free cleansers, toners, moisturizers, soaps, shower gels, and body lotions.

Answer 3

I'm semi vege but not a vegan.... oh boy that sounds tough. Vegan = no animal products at all... not even honey and wool. This a also a normal vegetarian concern... but some companies use animal products in the process of making alcohol. Sorry if you already know but i've just recently found out! Gross!!

Answer 4

Good for you! That's great you're thinking about going vegan.

It's possible to just have a vegan diet -- no meat, eggs, or dairy products. Some people who are interested in veganism for health reasons have a vegan diet but not a vegan lifestyle.

If you become vegan to reduce animal suffering, you'll probably want to buy non-animal tested products and man-made clothing. See these sites for more info:

Companies that do and don't test on animals:

http://caringconsumer.com/resources_comp...

Stuff not tested on animals:

http://www.peta2.com/STUFF/s-cf.asp

Compassionate clothing guide:

http://www.peta.org/living/alt2.asp

In terms of food, there are tons of options. Vegans eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, and grains. There are vegan non-dairy products like soy ice cream and vegan cream cheese. Also, there are a lot of vegan fake meats like Tofurkey Deli Slices and Gardenburger Meatless Riblets.

List of popular vegan foods:

http://www.vegcooking.com/guide-favs.asp

Examples of vegan meals:

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

(scroll down for the list)

More vegan products:

http://www.peta.org/accidentallyVegan/

If you go vegan, I'd just focus on taking the meat, eggs, and dairy out of your diet... don't worry if some ingredient you've never even heard of is vegan or not. Veganism isn't about obsessing over a list of animal ingredients; it's about doing what we can (within reason) to reduce suffering.

I hope this helps. Good luck!

Answer 5

You have some good responses so far, so here's a list of what vegans DO and DON'T eat:

Foods/Beverages vegans DO consume:

-fruit & fruit juice

-smoothies

-vegetables

-wholegrains

-nuts & seeds

-lentils, beans, pulses

-soy milk

-tofu

-tempeh

-fortified breakfast cereals

-meat & dairy alternatives: You can buy soy yogurts from a health foods store. I like alpro soya chocolate dessert.

Things vegans DON'T consume:

-Meat & Poultry

-Fish & Shellfish/ Crustacea

-Slaughter by products, such as gelatine

Always check the label to ensure what you buy is vegan. You may consider taking a vegan multivitamin supplement from a health foods store, but this is optional and taking a multivitamin supplement is not essential.

Best wishes.