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?

kikisparks absoloutly agree with you. I just think it’s important to not have any sort or moral superiority over other people. It really gives vegans a bad name and in my experience some vegans can be quite evangelical, especially in their first year! It really doesn’t encourage others at all.

Eating less meat, fish, dairy. Using less plastics, petrol, etc are all good things to do. But we shouldn’t let it go to our heads x

@TeacupTattoo thanks for the Chronometer app tip- I’ve logged everything today and I’m obsessed with the nutritional breakdown- fascinating.

Are you going to be really annoying and preachy like the poster that had a go at someone who asked for a curry recipe?

No? Then good luck and if you fancy some inspiration why don't you look up Lent recipes as they might come in handy .

Sorry to bump this but I think this is going to be harder than I originally thought 😩.

To clarify, I eat a mostly pescetarian diet already simply because fish is really the only meat I like the taste of. But attempting to cut fish, dairy and eggs out all at once has left me feeling completely overwhelmed.

DP thinks if I want to be vegan then I need to take it slowly and perhaps try being a vegetarian first and gradually phase out eggs and dairy later on and I think he might be right .

PlantsArePeopleToo Do what’s best for you. You could start with only eating free range eggs and milk and then reassess in 6 months? Good luck xxx

There's no need to put any pressure on, you can do things bit by bit until you're used to the differences. So you could find a milk alternative that you like (try different ones) and get used to that, then look at dropping cheese etc and how to use alternatives/substitutes. Just go at your own pace.

I think the key is to not label yourself and just try your best. Most milks are fortified, but take b12 anyway just in case as damage can be irreversible if you become deficient. It's easier now than ever, with vegan versions of pretty much everything in the supermarkets.

Best milk for tea/coffee is Oatly Barista.
Vegan cheese doesn't taste as good but you get used to it and it's fine. I like violife personally as the coconutty supermarket ones have too strong of a smell.
The vivera steaks and kebab meats are excellent, they're in Tesco. Coconut collaboration do anazing desserts.

It's trial and error to see what you like. Get a few cookbooks and follow a few Instagram accounts for ideas and don't beat yourself up if you slip up. Every meal you have that is plant based makes a difference.

take an occasional B supplement but you can eat lots of marmite, nutritional yeast (buy it in a health shop)... I sometimes take an omega 3 vegan supplement too but understand flax and walnuts are a good source. Always take vit D as in this country whether vegan or not it's impossible to get enough at certain times of the year.

Also agree with others - cut things out slowly as oyu get used to the new way of cooking / eating. So dairy milk is very easy to give up and just have alternates. Buy a load of cupboard (UHT) oat, almond or soy or similar from the supermarket and stock up so you don't run out. After you're used to milk, give up something else (cheese?) or at least give up eating it at home. Then you might move to giving up cheese completely when you eat out as well.

It's taken me years to give up and I still slip up once in a while. But I am mostly there now and it definitely gets easier!

oh and yes milk is one of the easiest to give up these days!! Everywhere sells dairy free milk in coffee shops etc as well. Fairly simple switch that might get your confidence up once you know it. Find the milks that work with you. Oat is great in coffee (I find) or hazelnut both yummy. Soy - only certain types taste great but once you're used to it it's fine. Almond - there are some great ones out there.

@PlantsArePeopleToo what are you finding hardest? Although I went vegan overnight after watching Earthlings before that I had already swapped milk for soya milk (8 years ago this was the only option) and butter for vegan marg. Might be good to try small changes like this then maybe go for dairy free chocolate, then gradually try seitan, tofu, soya mince, veg sausages etc alongside getting good vegan recipes like veg curry, stir fry, soups, baked potato with hummus and salad, pasta dishes etc etc. Check out the vegan what’s for dinner thread. Good luck!

I think I'm probably overthinking it too much tbh. Like I said, I don't really like meat and the only meat I really eat is fish but I'm going to be honest that thinking about doing this has made me realise just how much I rely on dairy and eggs .

If I want a quick meal then I will just have a cheese sandwich or poached/scrambled eggs on toast but obviously if I want to stop eating those things eventually then I need to get in the habit of finding other quick things to eat. Having said that, for breakfast this morning I had almond butter on toast with a dairy free spread so that's one quick meal right there. Plus the dairy free spread wasn't nearly half as bad as I had imagined it to be, in fact it was quite nice. On the subject of sandwiches, the only vegan sandwiches I can think of right now are hummus, nut butters and perhaps some vegan meat replacement slices (not all together obviously!).

Like I said, for now I will just focus on being a vegetarian and just try and avoid/phase out dairy and eggs as much as I can. Rome wasn't built in a day after all!

Scrambled tofu is lovely op! I eat it and I still enjoy eating eggs x

Many will say it’s all or nothing but I disagree. I don’t describe myself as a vegan as my diet is about 90pc plant based. I will eat occasional dairy when it’s in things like cake though I couldn’t eat yoghurt, milk, cheese etc anymore. It shouldn’t be that you deprive yourself it should be that you genuinely don’t want it. You reach for avocados and hummus for sandwiches instead of cheese and ham. That sort of thing. Being a pure vegan is aspirational but I don’t personally want to label check forever more. You find where suits you best, try not to label it and it’s all good

BeanCalledPickle I agree with you although if it’s about trying to be ethical, how ethical is eating avocado?

Why don't you start by being vegan 1-2 days/ week so you'll get in the habit and then you can slowly get to 7.

If you're doing this for ethical reasons, then just make one change at a time and remember you're still making a difference and it's better than sticking to your old habits.

Here's another perspective, which I found interesting :
www.wddty.com/magazine/2016/september/why-i-gave-up-my-vegan-diet-2.html

Do what suits you and your health best

Vegan diet or vegan lifestyle?
Very different to each other.
I’m vegetarian but around my period I crave red meat like a bloody teething vampire!

But please don’t be one of these ‘vegans’ that come into my restaurant and make a fuss about their dinner but are happy enough to drink my non-vegan wine. That pees me off!

The health benefits for a plant based diet, when done correctly, are amazing.
Check out How Not To Die book and look at Daily Dozen app to get on track with a healthy balanced vegan diet.
When done correctly you will feel amazing! However it’s also possible to be vegan and just eat chip and bread so vegan doesn’t always equal healthy, check out forks over knives for healthy plant based eating. I went vegan years ago and discovered plant based healthy eating last year and feel great.

Veg pate is also an option for sandwiches 😊

And I second scrambled tofu as an egg alternative. Also for convenience grab and go sandwiches the Tesco wicked range is really good.

@Ticcinalong be careful when reading the ‘how not to die’ book as there’s a fair bit of Sudo science thrown in there! Some good recipes in the recipe book though x

tillytilly Well thanks for your opinion, but will take my chances , it is very well backed up and referenced throughout with scientific research and is all written by a well qualified medical doctor, it’s not something pulled off t’internet!
I can see for myself the health changes for myself and my family.
After all, it’s not a secret or a controversial statement to say hospitals are full of people with diet related illnesses, such as types of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and many other conditions that diet plays a large role in. The fact that processed meat is a class 1 carcinogen and more kids than ever are obese should be of far greater to the general population and I think it’s disingenuous to try and put people off eating plant based food, perhaps save your health concerns for those who live off junk?

Ticcinalong he’s cherry picked information from studies and left out relevant facts. Read up on it! I think it’s an interesting book too and I love the recipes but I am careful about not believing everything I read. I think people are a little evangelical about that book. He really has twisted many studies to support his book!

I’ve been vegan (with only very minor lapses when BF) 22 years. The vegan society UK has lots of good info on their website.

I know some say you don’t have to supplement, but it is recommended and I know I feel better for it. There are some nutrients- iodine, B12 etc that are difficult to get consistently otherwise. Before anyone starts seaweed is not a reliable source of iodine as it varies too much. The vegan society sells a very good value for money supplement for vegans veg1. I take this every day, in addition sometimes I take magnesium/calcium supplement etc (I do a lot of strenuous sport) and an algae based omega 3 supplement, and spa tone iron. I’d recommend the veg1 as essential really. I’ve found my sporting performance has increased dramatically since supplementing!

Some of the nutrients available in dairy/meat is only there because the animal or animal feed is supplemented. Eg iodine in dairy is there because the cows teats are cleaned with iodine! We get told to eat fish for omega 3, but they get it from algae, so by just taking the supplement made from algae, it’s possible to avoid eating fish, but still get the benefit. Animal feed is enriched with nutrients, but you also get less welcome additions such as traces of antibiotics etc in your food.

You can survive as a vegan without supplementation but to feel at your best then supplementing is sensible, and there’s nothing wrong with that, andmeat/dairy production is so unnatural (artificial insemination of cows etc) that it’s not such a big deal.

Vegan cookbooks used to always give loads of dietary info but they don’t really do that anymore. However, if you’re going vegan it’s worthwhile basing your diet on whole foods and avoiding things that have no nutritional value (vegan cheese I’m looking at you). There’s a lot of stuff on the internet and quite a lot of it is crap. I complained a BOSH recipe didn’t work at all, and they didn’t even get back to me/do anything. I think a lot of internet stuff is about how things look, rather than taste, and books are generally more reliable, although the Minimalist Baker is a good, reliable site, and her vegan Parmesan recipe is both nutritious and tasty. I’d also recommend Katy Berkow’s 15 minute vegan, it’s my current favourite book!

There is, unfortunately, a lot of bad info/science out there about Veganism. I liked Cowspiracy but What the Health was, frankly, a load of BOLLOCKS. Veganism doesn’t cure people of ailments, although it does reduce your risk of certain diseases eg many cancers, heart disease etc. I’m on shitloads of medication, despite What the Health suggesting a couple of weeks as a vegan and I’d be able to ditch it all

BTW what you said about phasing out stuff is sensible. I tell my kids (omni) that every time they make a choice that is vegetarian/vegan, it makes a difference, and that if everyone ate less meat and dairy (not necessarily no meat/dairy), and more plants people would be healthier and it would be better for the planet. It doesn’t have to be black/white if you don’t want it to be.