Aibu to be a vegan?

[sahbear]

I am 40 year old with 2 meat eating kids and husband. I have always (since I was about 6) been a vegetarian for animal welfare reasons. I am increasing swayed by the ethical and environmental arguments for veganism, but there's a bit of me that's worried about being a pita for others. Will no one invite me for dinner anymore? Will I be THAT one everytime I go out to eat?

kieran my favourite is koko coconut milk, rice and oat milks can be ok. Not keen on almond tbh, especially in coffee. I tend to have black coffee with a squirt of sweet freedom chocolate shot in it, that's nice.

DB is vegan and I find him easy to cater for. Much more than DM who is vegetarian when it suits and who is extremely fussy over which vegetables she likes, she will complain about vegetarian options in restaurants but eat a bacon buttie when she is hungover! DB is consistent and not fussy at all so easy to cater for and I've learnt a lot from him (in a non preachy way) which has made me question our food choices as a family. I would say go for it 100% if it's what you want to do. Good luck!

I am vegan as much as I can be, but I do switch to vegetarianism when out and about as otherwise I recognise it's so difficult for others.

Whenever I am asked about it (which happens a lot - I'm sure vegans can empathise! :)) I say to people they don't need to go the whole hog, pun intended. If everyone on the planet followed meat free Monday for example, this would make a huge difference. No pressure, but try to eat a little less meat.

You can do the same for veganism: reducing your dairy and egg intake rather than cut them out altogether if this would make life very difficult for you.

Id cook for a vegan. Be interesting to experiment but i wouldnt use quorn as just googled it. This cant be right, can it as it saying egg is added which if you vegan surely is a no no. See below copied and pasted item.

Mycoprotein is the ingredient common to all Quorn™ products. It’s a completely meat-free form of high quality protein and is also a good source of dietary fibre. It is low in fat and saturates and contains no cholesterol or trans fats at all.

Mycoprotein is made in fermenters similar to those found in a brewery. It’s made by adding oxygen, nitrogen, glucose and minerals to a fungus called Fusarium venenatum.

These ingredients combine in the fermenter to form a continuous supply of Mycoprotein which is harvested and dried before egg albumen is added to help with binding.

Sorry should add i eat everything bar beef and milk as dont like the taste.

I take my own food to other people's houses and I always take extra because there's always someone who wants to try it.
A lot of restaurants have something you can veganise (eg leaving cheese off a tomato pasta dish), or you just find somewhere else to go.
I've never had any negative reaction to it, but I tend to not even mention it most of the time, and have been out for food with people who still have no idea I'm vegan because I just did some research and found a way to make it work for me without making a fuss

YANBU!

I was fully vegan a few years ago, fell off the wagon and now got back on it again.

Really recommend checking out Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, she's a wonderful vegan chef in the US. She has a huge catalogue of fabulous podcasts and she sparked (I think) the concept of the 'Joyful Vegan'.

In her podcasts she has masses of great tips on everything, including how to entertain and not be a 'pain' at social gatherings, school events, work events etc, and how to be the 'vegan in the room' without being preachy.

Her main tip is to take along wonderful vegan food to dinner parties etc, which relieves the worry of the host, and also shows everyone else that vegan food can be delicious. She also points out that 'vegan food' is often just food! Vegetables, rice, seitan, etc, dips, hummus - everyone eats them, so its not as though a host / friends have to suddenly whip up something unusual or unfamiliar.

Here's the link:
www.colleenpatrickgoudreau.com/podcast/

On the contrary, if you love how vegan feels, and are unapologetic, you are likely to become an inspiration to others, not an annoyance.

Just remember that everyone is at a different stage in their life - you, like me, were possibly a meat eater once, so it is not for us to judge people, but to provide positive information and be a positive model for what a fabulous life change this can be.

Go for it!

PS, I am a single parent with 3 kids.

I don't shove the vegan thing down their throat, but I don't buy meat at home, and I don't alway cook vegan for them at home. (They have cheese on pasta etc).

I do talk a lot about how good food can make you strong and full of energy etc, and they like that, and I reign things in when everyone has had too much 'white' stuff.

YANBU. I have slowly transitioned to a plant based, whole food (vegan) diet and I feel amazing for it. It's been such a surprise to get to this stage as I never imagined I would be able to do it. It's the fastest growing sector of the UK and US grocery market because the scientific evidence proves that it's the healthiest diet, and it stacks up from an environmental, economic and compassion for animals perspective too.

I also eat some processed stuff (Fry's, Quorn, Linda McCartney), but mostly batch cook curries, veg stew, tomato sauces packed full of veg and beans, and make things like stir fry or make falafel wraps for something lighter.

The tomato sauce I have with pasta, or make mash and turn it into a cottage pie type of dish, or make into a lasagne without that white sauce - which I never used to have with a meat lasagne anyway.
I love adding Linda Mac sausages to all of those dishes if I feel like I've been too healthy for a while it's missing something, or I want to leave out the pasta or rice.

Ikea veggie balls are amazing in a pasta sauce too. You only have to microwave them for a couple of minutes and they go hard (in a good way) on the outside and are nice and firm inside so they don't just mush into the sauce when you cut them

There is nothing wrong with being a vegan, it isn't a crime to be cvompassionate. I'm not a vegan but have no problem cooking vegan food I don't know why people make such a fuss about it.
My sisters allergies are far harder to cater for.
You can always offer to take a vegan dish if you are invited out.

I don't think anyone really cares what other people eat, do they?

Is it vegan invasion day on here, this is at least the 4th thread today.

Actually, I'd be happy to cook vegan for you at a party or whatever, but don't be one of those people that go on about slaughtering baby lambs at the dinner table and talk about how much more ethical your lifestyle is than everyone else (looking at you SIL), because its that that pisses people off, not you being vegan.