To want to go vegan?

[PlantsArePeopleToo]

But tbh I'm a bit torn on the issue .

I feel that in my heart that It's the right thing to do for myself but at the same time I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed about the whole thing.

I understand the basics, I mean you don't eat meat, eggs and dairy and instead base meals around vegetables, nuts, beans, etc but how do you ensure you are getting the right balance of nutrients? What about B12? Is it really necessary to supplement or can I just drink fortified plant milk? I'm a bit torn on how I feel about a diet that requires supplementation tbh.

Gah, please can some vegans help guide me through this moral dilemma?

You can get daiya cheese in the U.K. at sainsburys. It’s expensive at £4.50 a pack but it’s the best I’ve tried apart from nut cheeses like nutcrafter and Tyne cheese but they’re about £8 a pack so for Christmas only!

There’s a new palm oil free marg in sainsburys called naturli but it’s only in some branches atm.

Vegan Womble is amazing for vegan supermarket finds. veganwomble.co.uk

Also if you have Facebook join the group vegan supermarket finds there and see if there’s a local vegan group too as both have been helpful for me.

Oh and Superdrug and coop label all of their cosmetics, toiletries and cleaning products if they’re vegan and they are all not tested on animals.

I agree with just stopping all cheese for a while before trying substitutes. It’s always the thing that breaks me!

I can’t find a nice milk for tea either. I feel sad without a cuppa.

@PurpleDaisies have you tried oatly barista?

lol ok you go vegan. Don’t forget tho if no one ate meat we wouldn’t need to breed or produce it anymore so all the lovely animals would die out.

Oh don't worry @JellyBears, I will do

And I'm not expecting nobody to eat meat, I just don't want to eat it myself .

And here's a hug 🤗, I really think you desperately need one.

On a serious note; Christ are meat eaters always this bloody arsey at any mention of the word vegan?

Ignore the haters.

The most dangerous assumption is to continue to do something because "we've always done it that way". True societal evolution is that we question our practices and improve them. I don't need to list all the changes that have made the world better I'm sure!!

There is little causative evidence that omni diets are healthier. There is increasing evidence that a wholefoods plant based diet is healthier. (Asians do not die young due to living plant based diets!!!)

It gets easier with time. Get your key "recipes" - they don't have to be recipes per se but a few brekkies, lunches, dinners that you can go - to without too much thought. Stock up on all the stuff you'll need for this. You don't need to supplement - folk will tell you that you do. But these are often the same folk who will tell you you'll get anaemic. (I and plenty of other pregnant women have awesome iron levels without supplementing, just as an example).

Adopt it gradually. To start with you'll be checking everything and perhaps you will slip up when it seems too difficult (eating out, cravings!!). But that's ok - it's a journey!

Yes, you always get a handful of enraged meat eaters who want to express their anger!

@JellyBears, I think you'll find that vegans are quite happy with the idea of not intensively breeding and rearing millions of animals for food. That's kind of the point.

Christ are meat eaters always this bloody arsey at any mention of the word vegan?

A significant minority are, unfortunately; lots of meat eaters will choose to discuss the topic with you (as in, they hear you're vegan and ask loads of questions) but apparently you're preachy and boring if you answer them with more than a single sentence to each query.... sigh. The majority are ok though.

As an aside, I hate all fake cheeses. Get some nutritional yeast instead for that magic tingle!

I think it’s a great idea as long as you get a wide variety of foods. Don’t go down the junk food vegan route as it’s so unhealthy.

And please please don’t think yourself morally better than others and become preachy! Because vegans don’t live more ethical lives than people who eat a normal diet.

Remember there’s not really any such thing as a true vegan. Animals are killed in the process of farming fruit and vegetables so no food has a moral higher ground unless you grow it yourself.

I just drink green or herbal tea no milk, almond or oaty milk in coffee, took about a week to get used to it and now the thought of dairy milk - yuk...
No-one is a perfect vegan so you don't have to pretend to be, you just have too do the best you can, you'll feel better for it. If you join the Veganuary Facebook group theres lots of support and recipes on there.

I don’t eat meat, dairy, fish but I’m happy to eat eggs from my rescue chickens and honey from my uncles bees (which in turn pollinate fruit and vegetable plants for vegans to munch on!) I have a real problem with factory farming as it’s cruel and bad for the environment but I don’t mind people eating wild caught animals and fish so much.

Don’t forget mobile phones, planes, computers, cars etc all contain animals products such as glues so yes as PP said it’s impossible to be a true vegan which is why vegans don’t hold any moral higher ground. You choose to drive a car then you’re not really in a position to comment on someone’s diet choices.

All that said good luck with your new diet and don’t forget your b12! 😊

Here’s some tips, hope it helps!
Look at vegan food uk on Facebook, lots of ideas.
Get the BOSH! cookery book, all round delicious meals and not difficult. Then depending on whether you want healthy meals, baking etc you can look at another couple. For us 15 minute vegan and simply Ella have been good too.
Totally avoid vegan cheese for a few weeks, is something in dairy cheese that makes it actually adictive, so you need to go without before trying vegan cheese, which is totally different!
Watch earthlings (Netflix) and Carnage (iPlayer) for motivation and read Dr Greger how not to die for health incentive.
Oatly barista for coffee.
Accidentally vegan on instagram for all every day products that are, like the name suggests, accidentally vegan!
Good luck, is a great lifestyle and way of eating.

I've been trying a plant based diet recently and I bought some of the naturli spread from Sainsburys that a PP mentioned. It's really good, almost like lurpak spreadable on crusty bread.
I also got some sheese fake mozzarella which wasn't quite so good! Is there a decent mozzarella substitute for pizza? I think it's the chewy, stringy texture that I miss as real mozzarella doesn't have much taste on a pizza, the sheese had a strong cheesy taste but no texture.

Homemade nut cheeses are the best!

Vegan UK, Vegan food UK are two good groups to get the hang of the basics.
Checking labels does become easier, it’s second nature to me now.

Jellybeans i’d sooner see them non existent than their only purpose to be farmed and killed. That’s no way to live.

I’ve been vegan just over a year now, used to be so healthy. Until I found ten acre crisps and other vegan goodies

It is cheaper, plant milks are fortified with vitamins you need and nutritional yeast ‘nooch’ is a necessity in any vegan household.

You’ve got this. Plus don’t worry about your Mac make up etc. It’s already been bought, don’t just throw it away. Good luck!

One thing I’ve noticed is that I can eat all the bread I want and don’t bloat. Which has been an absolute game changer.

So for lunch I have a small ciabatta, sliced and baked, with either hummus, an avocado, brinjal bhaji or baba ganoush (both super easy to make ahead) or just dipped in olive oil. It means I’m full all afternoon so don’t snack, although I always keep mixed nuts in in case I get peckish.

And then dinner will be something salad-y with maybe quinoa or lentils.

I’m losing weight, I feel less tired, I don’t feel bloated or gassy, although my god the farts have taken some getting used to. Not painful though.

@PlantsArePeople too yes some non vegans are very rude as soon as they hear the word vegan (not all! I have lovely and accommodating non vegan friends) especially on Mumsnet! This is actually one of the less judgy threads, look at Vegan Ask Me Anything, got told I live in cloud cuckoo land .

Also the definition of vegan is avoiding animal exploitation as far as possible and practical so don’t worry about your car, phone etc if it’s not practical to give these up and there’s no reasonable alternative you’re still vegan whatever PP say!

Also medicine- take whatever you need to, it might have animal products or be tested but if it’s necessary for health then it still falls within as far as possible and practical and you’re still vegan.

@Ticcinalong don’t think earthlings is on Netflix? Might be on YouTube. Cowspiracy, What the Health and Forks Over Knives are all on Netflix though. I loved carnage

kikisparks That’s just double standards though! You don’t have to drive or use a mobile phone but you want to. That’s hypocritical.

I think eating mostly plant based foods is better all round but don’t kid yourselves that you aren’t needlessly exploiting animals too.

@tillytillytilly2018 it’s not it’s the definition of veganism. In today’s society most of us need phones and unlike with say toiletries it’s not that there’s a vegan option and a non vegan option, so there’s no other practical solution. Arguing over semantics when someone is doing their best isn’t really helpful either.

“Some people are of the opinion that no-one is really ‘vegan’ because living in the world we do today, most people have mobile phones, televisions, they watch films and tv programmes and occasionally they have to take pharmaceutical drugs. But what it’s important to remember is that veganism is ‘a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.’ That means that in order to be vegan you don’t have to be perfect, you just have to be trying.

No-one should be criticised for their veganism just because they have a long term illness, require vaccines or participate in social activities such as watching films or using a mobile phone.”

www.livekindly.co/veganism-not-perfect/

“Often the term hypocrite will be hurled at a vegan, even though most vegans will readily admit that they can’t rule out all connections with animal suffering and exploitation. But, as Andre Gide said, “The true hypocrite is the one who ceases to perceive his deception, the one who lies with sincerity.”

We have to live in the world we find ourselves in, there is no getting around that. But we don’t have to go along with it and ignorantly make it worse. We don’t have to ignore all the harm we are doing and put our children and future generations in a dangerous position. What we do have to do, if we really care about the planet and it’s future, is wake up, change our own lives first, then share our story with the world and hope that they change too.”

epicanimalquest.com/blog/vegans-use-computers

You may disagree but this is my view on the subject. We may just have to agree to disagree.

I think what’s important is not trying to call out vegans but actually to call on others to make practical changes to improve our society. You seem to already be doing a lot of good based on what you said your lifestyle is. Can’t we just agree that we’re all trying to make a difference for a more sustainable future without trying to call each other hypocrites who have double standards?