To say that vegans can't really like food?

[DrRisotto]

I mean they don't eat most food so most cooking shows and recipe books are pointless for them. Going out for meals a chore. Birthdays, celebrations, dates... so much of is centred around food which they have to deny themselves and pick around.

I have nothing against vegans and everyone has the absolute right to eat what they want. But trying to cater for a vegan along with other guests is bloody hard work.

Reckon I'll get roasted for this.

The pizza express vegan pizza is lovely btw

The person comparing not catering for vegans to not catering for those with allergies is ridiculous!! Unless vegans get seriously ill/die if they accidentally ate a piece of meat/egg/some honey/cheese....

I have actually noticed that women over the age of 50 in my circle of family/friends have almost universally abandoned red meat and eat very little of other meat types.... this is spanning 20-odd years, so not a new thing. How interesting!

I'm not getting involved in an argument, but that's an interesting point.
I am in that age group and I have noticed a decreased appetite for meat amongst my friends too.

Indeed It has happened to me. I still eat meat, but I don''t find it as appealing as I did decades ago. OH still loves a steak but the thought of having to battle through one or half a chicken isn't pleasant.
I haven't suddenly become more concerned for animal welfare or the health benefits, it just feels an aesthetic thing.
I am more likely to choose eat a vegetarian meal ( although we don't eat much dairy as a family).

I'm not sure why this is an older female thing, just to say it echoes my experience too.
Not universal of course, my 19 yo DS ( although also an omnivore) is not a meat lover either.

Also to add - all those hung up about dairy- we are an almost dairy free house, my kids have never had and dairy produce, even as babies or toddlers, I did try to introduce them to cows milk, yogurt etc, but they thought it smelled and tasted rank. So they have grown up without cheese. no milk, no yogurt, no butter. I don't make stuff with milk, no cream sauces etc.
DS is 6'3". DD 5'10" good health and perfect teeth.

op I completely agree. vegan food either tastes funny or has a funny texture imo. I solve this by not eating vegan food. hth!

Ummmmgogo so you only eat meat?

Many foods are " accidentally" vegan.
A banana. Bread. Some soups. Crisps.

How does all vegan food taste funny?

I’m neither a vegetarian nor a vegan, but last week I had the vegan option in a restaurant as it was the only think I fancied. A vegan curry, and it was one of the nicest things I’ve ever eaten.

Are these vegan?

lol no I don't only eat meat. I should have said vegan meals maybe? soup without meat in isn't worth bothering with. bread with no real butter ditto though sorry xx

toffee1000

I don't think comparing it to an allergy is quite correct either more like an intolerance. I'm not going to get seriously ill or die but after so long without dairy or meat if I accidentally eat some my body is not happy, I was in France a couple of weeks ago and ate some dairy that was hidden in something and my bowels (tmi I know) went crazy, it was awful.

Honestly my Italian vegan table is sooooooooooo much better than the average Australian omnivore meal I've had in restaurants or at friends'.
We host regularly, and newbies in my house, don't even realise the food is "vegan", from home-made "strozzapreti" with a cappers and olives sauce to fennel and oranges salad, breadsticks with sundried tomatoes, fresh artichokes, french onions soup (minus gruyere), grilled pumpkin and so much more up to desert and strawberries and melted dark chocolate, nobody has ever suffered in my house, adults or kids alike.

I don't eat or buy fakes, such as vegan cheese, burgers, sausages, .... I do my own vegan dumplings, in my own broth and I stick to the first three letters of VEGan, as vegetables.
When eating out, salad is most of the time a good option or a soup. Gazpacho is yummy.

I am vegan for health reasons. I have a cancer inducing genetic syndrome and I am trying to lower my risk through diet. I eat 15 different vegetables/week and then eat as many other vegetables the next week.
I love food. I am a foodie and love good food. So, sorry but AYBVVVVVVVU, you can be a vegan and like food.
I do agree on the vegan cookbooks. Most are ridiculous and not inviting at all!

My DD has been a lifelong vegetarian from her high chair. She used to gag on meat however well I hid it. She has had to go dairy and gluten free after a gastroscopy/colonoscopy and test showed she was intolerant to dairy and gluten. There are so many egg free cake recipes and so much she can still eat.

Most middle eastern and Indian food recipes are adaptable or fine. We have so many allergies in our family but luckily I see it as a challenge and you’d never know on Christmas Day (although of course the people with severe allergies can’t eat some things).

Has anyone found a good gluten free Yorkshire pudding recipe please?

This egg free chocolate cake is the best chocolate cake I’ve ever made www.cookingpanda.com/content/get-recipe-crazy-chocolate-cake

Phil Vickery’s gluten free cookery books are fantastic.

It doesn’t faze me but I realise if you don’t love cooking it’s a pain. I really came on to say it’s not always choice but seem to have got rather carried away with enthusiasm!

I'm not a vegan but I am increasingly ethically conflicted, and as a result I'm cutting down animal products and can imagine a future in which I am vegan or at least eat animal products by exception (I already eat v little dairy).

Firstly, I sort of see where the OP is coming from in that most restaurants serve vegan food as a bit of an afterthought. However, I feel that it's largely a perception issue. Because meat is currently the "default" and tends to be centred around a protein, plant based meals are often designed to "ape" the construction of an animal protein based meal, which often fails (cashew "cheese" etc).

I feel it's also true that vegetarian food tends to be better in cultures which are predominantly vegetarian, and I imagine the same can be said for veganism. The more you do it, the better it gets and the more people do it, the more ideas they come up with.

Finally there's the issue of palate. It takes time to adapt your palate to a different way of eating, but that doesn't make it lesser.

I think vegan food can be delicious personally. It can also be bland mush, but so can meat and fish based meals.

Good point about palate.

You might think that soup without meat is pointless now but I promise you if you went a month without it would taste weird to add it back, it's like having sugar in tea.

I like refined coconut oil with a sprinkle of salt instead of butter now, or just olive oil with vinegar. You adapt.

@ScrumpyBetty and @IrritatedUser1960 ...f being a vegan was so great why have you stopped being vegans? Not having a dig, just interested! Health reasons?

I hadn't considered the palate retraining thing. that makes perfect sense. xx

DD is a vegan and I wonder if this generation (she's 14) are going to eventually change people's views in the same way that the "crazy" recyclers did in the 80s.

She eats a wide variety of food - bagels/crumpets with peanut butter for breakfast, nachos, jacket potatoes, curries, mash with Linda McCartney sausages, lentil spag bol, pizzas with vegan cheese, cakes made with egg alternatives (eg applesauce), pesto pasta with broccoli, gnocchi with tomato/veggie sauce.

When we're out and about she'll grab sushi, noodle soup or a burrito.

I know I was scared when she became vegan and thought life would be incredibly difficult, but it's not. I recently did a dinner for 10 which had to include vegan for DD and it was easy - bruschetta, plenty of dips with turkish bread, veggie lasagne, roast veggies, some Persian couscous salads, general salads, bread and butter pudding. I did something meaty too but for the life of me I can't remember what it was.

I wouldn't say that vegans don't like food at all. They just don't like endorsing the suffering of animals.

I mainly eat vegan as it's easier when I'm cooking for DD. I'm off to a mainstream Chinese restaurant tomorrow for lunch. I'll eat the veggie dim sum, saltbush (delicious Australian native plant) cake, noodles. It'll be great!

You're an idiot. If course vegans can enjoy food!
Most things that flavour food are vegan - meat doesn't taste of much... but herbs and spices definitely do!
Very small minded post.

The person comparing not catering for vegans to not catering for those with allergies is ridiculous!! Unless vegans get seriously ill/die if they accidentally ate a piece of meat/egg/some honey/cheese....

The point is if you will make the effort to cater for one person's dietary needs why would you not cater for another person's just because you have a random hatred of veganism. My DH just really dislikes dairy, hates it. I would consider if pretty rude if we went round a friend's house and they served him something covered in cheese knowing this. I find it hard to believe that the OP or any other vegan haters never, ever consider a guests preferences or dietary requirements while cooking, so just don't see why veganism is considered such a terrible thing.

regisitme I don't know if that's a good comparison regarding recycling.

Diet is much more fundamental to the human race than chucking rubbish- which has only become a problem since the industrial revolution.
Homo Sapien is omnivorous. They can survive on a vegan diet, but many vegetarians in the world do so for economic reasons.

I have a 17 yo DD. I her peer group of girls she know well ( 30-40) only one is vegan. While my DD has no issue with that ( in fact this girl is one of her closest friends and I cook for her) the view amongst her peers is that she is a it weird.

I can't see that chaning any time soon.

Actually most vegetarians in the world are vegetarian for religious reasons.

It'll depend on your peer group, in my peer group pretty much everyone is veggie or vegan.

Most of the vegans I know are really unhealthy and live mostly on chips/toast.

@rowtheboats
Health reasons. I got very anaemic and was ill an awful lot after being vegan for 10 years. To be honest, I still eat 90% vegan foods, but now I do occasionally eat oily fish, eggs, and a tiny bit of meat every now and again.

I often unintentionally make vegan dinners. I love veg curries and stirfrys and tagine type things. Love beans and nuts. And spices and ginger and herbs.

I couldn't become vegan though as I love eggs and need milk in my tea. I'm not vegetarian but am not bothered by meat.

SentimentalLentil
A study from 2010 estimated that there are 1,450 million vegetarians of necessity and another 75 million of choice

Most vegetarianism in the world is because of economics.

www.esri.ie/pubs/WP340.pdf