Would it be hard for me to become vegan if...?

Question

I already drink soy milk instead of from a cow.

I haven't really eaten cheese lately, and I'm already vegetarian.

I just want to go one step farther and become vegan.

What are some common foods that I'll still be able to eat?

Answer 1

Being vegan can be as hard as you want to make it.  I've known people who read ingredients lists and won't eat the product if they aren't sure if there's like one trillionth of a gram of animal product in it!  And I know others who merely avoid animal products.  It really depends on why you're doing it- is it to lose weight?  Health reasons?  Is it out of concern for animal welfare?  Political reasons?  Whatever the reason(s) are will determine how meticulous you are about it.

LOTS of things are cooked with milk, cheese, butter, and/or eggs.  Vegans don't usually eat these things.  Even Jello and marshmallows have gelatin in it which is an animal product.  Most cheese has animal rennet in it which technically makes it the same as eating meat.  You can get cheese without the animal rennet, but it's usually expensive and harder to come by.  I'd suggest reading up on it, deciding what you care about and what isn't as important to you, and finding a good vegan cookbook.

Answer 2

I found the transition very easy.  I found out that most cheese is not vegetarian because it contains rennet, which comes from the stomach linings of baby cows.

I eat peanut butter often because it's convenient.  Pasta is usually vegan.  I also eat beans, rice, Indian food, Chinese food, Thai, soy products, all vegetables, all fruits, vegan beer, vegan wine...

My life is good!

And the bloody steak eaters can look forward to their heart attacks and impotence.  Have fun with that!

Answer 3

Although some people find it easiest to go 'cold turkey', if you are considering making the change to a vegetarian (or vegan) diet we recommend that you make the change gradually. But find out what works for you and go with it. Keep a positive attitude and remember to focus on the wide variety of foods you can eat instead of what you can't eat.

You can start by eating 2-3  meals each week without any dairy. And when you do eat dairy, make it a side dish instead of the main dish.

Making the change slowly gives the body time to adjust to the change in diet. It also has the advantage of allowing you to find out more about nutrition and about vegetarian foods so that your diet is both satisfying and nutritionally balanced from the start.

Answer 4

Just read the ingredients... as long as there are no animal products, it's okay to eat! Of course, you can eat all the  vegetables and grains you want as well. There are also loads of vegan substitues. Soy milk, as you know, as well as tofu, tempeh, vegan cheese, yogurt, mayonnaise, and more. Tofu is one of the greatest, most versatile substitues. It's very spongelike, so it soaks up the flavor of whatever surrounds it, which makes it good for marinating. It can be substituted for meat in most any recipe. You're making a great choice, good luck!