Anyone a Vegan?

**Dancing Lotus** · 11-22-2009, 07:06 PM

First off I'm not even a vegetarian yet.
After years of diets I have learned that diets don't work and I'm on a mission to change my eating habits for life.

I have no health problems to speak of, but any that I have had can all be traced back to my eating habits including depression.
I'm reasonably sure clean natural foods are my best bet so I'm going to attempt a Vegan diet.

My question is
How long did it take to fully transition into a vegan diet and what affect if any did it have on your Grocery Budget?

Any other advice is fully appreciated.

**Teresa T** · 11-22-2009, 07:53 PM

Hi AnnK. There is a thread on "find your kith" related to vegans. I'm not sure if anyone has posted lately as I have not checked.

Firstly, it's nice to know someone is thinking of changing their diet. I have been vegetarian for almost 20 years and vegan for 4. I battle my weight still so the diet has not made me skinny! Potato chips are vegan in most cases. That is a problem for me.

People go vegan for many reasons. I did it for the animals. In fact I just spent my Thanksgiving at Farm Sanctuary yesterday. We fed the turkeys vs. consuming them. It was a wonderful day and ended with a delicious vegan feast.

You may want to check out their web site. www.farmsanctuary.org.

Lots of vegan recipes here:

http://vegweb.com/index.php?action=recipecategories

Not a vegan recipe site but if you put "vegan" and whatever you are looking for in the search recipes come up.

http://www.recipezaar.com/

I'm single so I only worry about feeding myself although I'm working on cutting down my food spending. You can still shop at regular grocery stores and that is mostly what I do. There are just a few things I go to the health food store for anymore.

I hope others have input.

**sabrelvssammy** · 11-22-2009, 07:55 PM

hi Ann...a fellow vegan here... i had been a vegetarian since the day i turned 18 (parents MADE me eat meat coz they were from the school of "if you don't eat meat...you will die"....) well...i didn't die...in fact i lived long enough to become a vegan 11 yrs ago...and guess what...? I am still very much alive....lol

for me there was no transition....one day i ate meat (had a birthday)...and never ate another bite again.... with becoming a vegan i just woke up one day and said "the other animals deserve the same consideration as the cows...so i will no longer eat them either"

and along with that affirmation-- i gave up all products that are 'milked' from the animals due to the treatment that the animals must endure for our 'pleasures'....while i do not believe an egg is a chicken until it is a chicken i will not eat it because of all the factors arising in getting the egg from the chicken to my plate....same with milk....

while i will not go on a 'soapbox' here...i do believe if more people knew and understood all the 'processes' of getting that food on your plate...there would be many more vegans in the world today...(which by the way...we are no longer the 'weirdos' and are becoming quite mainstream...watch out ....lol).....

as for the overall reduction in your grocery bill i don't believe it is cheaper for a vegan to eat....sure we don't eat steaks but we more than make up for it with fresh fruits/veggies....and they are not cheap....and with the 'becoming of mainstream' you will find a huge bounty of 'non-meat' items out there (some just as processed as others so be careful)...and the prices can be quite high if not higher than what others are eating....

the good thing is being a vegetarian today you have many more choices than we did 25 yrs ago...we had salad or salad....now you will be overwhelmed with all the choices....

people often ask me what i eat...(as if there is NO other food than steak and chicken)...well i eat mexican, italian, chinese, etc...i just don't have any meat products in my food.... one thing that will be very difficult for you (but IS getting much better all the time) is restaurants are very 'unfriendly' to vegans...there are very limited choices for you to choose from and if you do in fact become a vegan you will learn what rest's cannot cater to you and will learn where to avoid...(which makes traveling very difficult at times)....i always have food with me no matter where i go, as i have encounted many times where i am going to go hungry...(you can only eat so much salad...trust me).....

i suggest you hit a search engine and start reading up (there is a wealth of information out there)...and to make your transition easier look for recipes that are 'children & teen friendly'...i say this because these are the foods that you probably are used to (sloppy joes, chili, spaghetti, burgers, stir fries, pizza, pancakes, etc)....then you can get into the more 'exotic' recipes as you go thru the process....

i wish you great luck in your endeavor...and i will say that for myself (and all the vegan/vegetarians that i know) we feel 100% better both physically and mentally living this lifestyle....

**KeithBC** · 11-22-2009, 08:01 PM

Congratulations on considering this change of lifestyle!

I have been vegan for 13 years, and was vegetarian for another 14 years before that.

I didn't find either transition difficult. In fact I made the vegetarian-to-vegan transition because it was easier than not doing it. I was having trouble finding vegetarian cheese (most cheese contains rennet, which is a slaughterhouse product). After months of reading the fine print on cheese packages, I finally decided it was not worth the effort and quit eating cheese. That provided the motivation to drop all dairy products, and I never was a big egg fan anyway.

Budget-wise, being vegan can be either great or terrible, depending on your cooking habits. If you buy a lot of prepackaged, processed foods, it can be very expensive, and not necessarily very healthy. On the other hand, if you cook from scratch, there is nothing cheaper or healthier than a meal made from fresh produce.

You will find the transition easiest if you have a clear picture in your mind of the values that are motivating you. You will get pressure from friends and family to give in and be "normal". It is easiest to resist the pressure if you are clear about why you are doing it.

Learn about vegan nutrition, because everyone you know will suddenly become a self-appointed nutrition consultant. When they talk B.S., you will need to know enough to call them on it. Protein and calcium are the nutrients that people will tell you you are deficient in. There is no nutrient that cannot be obtained from vegan sources. Cows are vegan and they get plenty of protein and calcium just from eating grass. You will need to have the self-confidence to resist the nay-sayers.

Good luck with this change. I will be happy to help if you have any questions.

**sabrelvssammy** · 11-22-2009, 08:02 PM

Originally Posted by Teresa T

Potato chips are vegan in most cases. That is a problem for me.

.

isn't that the truth...! Give me a bag of chips and we'll call it dinner.... and by the way.... corn chips are vegan also...as are tortilla chips....ugh.......

**Dancing Lotus** · 11-22-2009, 08:33 PM

Thanks for your responses.

I don't eat chips often, nor do I eat many baked goods anymore.
I have eliminated fried foods, fast foods, packaged foods, also sugar and salt, along with MSG and sugar substitutes.
Those changes alone have done wonders for me. The only thing I haven't eliminated is Dairy and Meat. This his how I know it's part of the problem.

I plan to eat only natural whole foods, prepared from scratch.
I know that sounds like a big jump but it's what I feel i have to do. At least try.

**Palooka** · 11-23-2009, 01:06 AM

All the fellow vegheads covered this well. Yeah!

http://www.vegsource.com/ it covers a lot of health info and Dr. McDougal are very informative. read the China study book. It's life changing.

**frugalnana** · 11-23-2009, 02:41 AM

I was watching E-news tonight and it had Cathy Silvers who used to play Jenny Piccolo on Happy Days. Well she has a book called Happy Days Healthy Living, its basically a vegan diet. She explains how to eat healthier and how to make nutritious raw vegan meals.
Maybe you could do a search and see if this will help.

**shoiji** · 11-23-2009, 09:29 AM

I have been thinking of being a vegetarian again. I was for a while than started eating meat. I try to eat more veggies and eliminate meat atleast three times a week.

I do have a really good vegetarian book that tells you why to add lemon to greens, or why beans and rice form a more complete protein, etc. By understanding information like this you will not need to worry about getting the protein and vitamins.

I have noticed if I eat to much bread I will give gain weight. Mostly retain water equal to two pounds in one day. I am ok if I eat a tiny amount of bread. So now I am trying to stay away from flour products to see if I am having some type of reaction.

It is confusing to know what diet will work best. Many have so many convincing arguments. I hope you can find something that will work for you.

**Daisygirl** · 11-23-2009, 10:08 AM

I've never been vegan but I was vegetarian for 6 years. I lost 40 pounds with very little effort with that decision. I went "cold tukey/cow/chicken" - I just stopped eating that stuff completely. My tummy was a little uneasy with all the added fiber to my diet but that only lasted a few days.

I think your decision is fabulous and you kind of have me thinking now!

**frugrrl** · 11-23-2009, 04:28 PM

Originally Posted by Palooka

All the fellow vegheads covered this well. Yeah!

http://www.vegsource.com/ it covers a lot of health info and Dr. McDougal are very informative. read the China study book. It's life changing.

I agree -- check out vegsource. I'm not a vegan/vegetarian, but my husband and I are McDougall fans. We even were McDougallers for a while. Even though I don't follow his program/diet, he changed the way I think about food.

**bluedog** · 11-23-2009, 05:33 PM

I began to eat vegetarian a few months after I began to volunteer at the zoo. Just decided not to eat things with faces. No big adjustment as I was eating only chicken 2-3 times a week prior to that. Just watching that I don't eat too much bread and pasta but more grains and beans along with the fruits and veggies. Oh, and cheaper for me. My family thinks I'm nuts but then they always have, friends are interested or already veggies themselves.

**Palooka** · 11-24-2009, 11:12 AM

Here is another wonderful site.

http://www.pcrm.org/

**Libby** · 11-24-2009, 12:14 PM

Originally Posted by sabrelvssammy

isn't that the truth...! Give me a bag of chips and we'll call it dinner.... and by the way.... corn chips are vegan also...as are tortilla chips....ugh.......

Hehehe.....I guess I am vegan at times too then

I'd like to start incorporating more vegetarian meals into my diet. If they're vegan, even better.

My childhood friend has been vegan for some time now and has posted some wonderful recipes that I'd love to try however I am having difficulties trying to convert them to non vegan ingredients. I just cant commit to buying a grocery item I may not like or be able to find as easily.

Is there a website that shows you substitutions for vegan items to non vegan items out there?

**quiltingmommy** · 11-24-2009, 02:21 PM

Try vegweb.com for recipes. there are quite a few there that I've made. (my favorite is the Vegan Banana Bread...I even have 'vegan/vegetarian food haters' loving it!)