To wonder about almonds? And other vegan food/drink

[okeydokeywokeyblokey]

I just read the thread about farmers sending livestock to slaughter, was fascinating.

I've become vegetarian over the last few years and only ate meat if at someone else's house and there were no options (social vegetarian), however since covid have not done that either, so now am fully veggie. I didn't watch seaspiracy, but just hearing about it was enough to put me off eating fish.

I buy eggs from a local lady and occasionally eat cheese and have replaced milk with oat or almond milk. Haven't any health issues and take supplement vit d3.

I don't think the meat industry is going away, but hopefully more vegetarian food will replace more meat dishes over time to reduce demand and maybe somehow legislate to reduce factory farming.

Anyhoo, my question is what are the problems with almond, oat and other milks? What are good alternatives? I avoid palm oil, and anything with corn syrup (not easy in usa)

I read that it takes 5x as much water to get an ounce of beef than an ounce of almonds. I would love to hear people on the subject to get ideas and to learn something. I changed from almond to oat milk because they said it consumes less water, but on that thread someone said oatly was terrible for the environment.

I think reading articles are time consuming and you get a blinkered view whereas you get a wide range of views on here, many eye opening, so while it is possible to Google answers id rather hear your opinions.

So what are good and bad veggie foods?

It's ridiculous to suggest that you can compare something like the amount of water something requires and declare that the one using least is somehow better for the environment when you're comparing two completely different climates. The UK is not short of water.

@Pumperthepumper fair point. To be fair I speak as a grass fed beef farmer!!!!!

@CrimsonImp

It's ridiculous to suggest that you can compare something like the amount of water something requires and declare that the one using least is somehow better for the environment when you're comparing two completely different climates. The UK is not short of water.

Certainly not today!

I think the only ‘bad’ vegan foods imo are avocados, coffee and to a lesser extent almonds and soya.
But I think almond milk is still better than cows milk and most soya is grown as livestock feed so people really show their ignorance when they mention that one in regards to veganism.

I can't understand how vegans always get blamed for the air miles related to the import of of avocados. It's a fruit, not a speciality vegan food!

Oh and chocolate.
But avocados, coffee and chocolate are bad from a human rights perspective more so than environmentally imo

If you want to avoid Oatly, try Moma or Minor Figures Oat milk. Both UK brands. I think you can get at least one of them in big Sainsburys.

Rude Health oat milk is good in tea but not great for coffee.

Re: cheese, lots of vegan ones are completely nutritionally devoid and don't taste great either.

I'd either stick to organic local dairy cheese in smaller amounts, or look for an ethically made nut based cheese.

Spot on @Pumperthepumper.

In regards to vegan cheese op I have both good and bad news for you. The bad news is the only way to give up cheese I have found is to go cold turkey. Cheese has a chemical in it made by the mother cow to stop her baby wandering away from the safety of her udders. You have to break this addiction and cheese substitutes don't cut it.
The good news is once you stop craving cheese you won't need it anymore and your taste buds change so you appreciate veg more. You can then try the better vegan cheeses like appledore.
Do your research before giving up cheese and eggs to ensure you get a good balance.

@Pumperthepumper most Irish beef is grass fed. Even Lidl in Ireland stocks Irish beef so it’s very very accessible here.

So you made your decision about not eating fish based on not even watching a documentary that may or may not been accurate - merely hearing people's opinions on it - but milk alternatives you're going to continue with despite having actually gathered proper, credible information on the harms? As opposed to acting based purely on film reviews for one film?!

That makes no sense. You're making decisions based on random opinions that sit right with you, without interrogating whether they're remotely reliable sources of information.

Sure, posting here and canvassing opinions is easier than locating a credible source to read but that's because it's totally unreliable! People post bullshit on here all day long.

[quote Anoisagusaris]@Pumperthepumper most Irish beef is grass fed. Even Lidl in Ireland stocks Irish beef so it’s very very accessible here.[/quote]
Regardless, people are still eating far too much of it.

Oat milk is the best milk alternative as far as footprint apparently

By better I mean tastes better. There are a few brands of vegan cheese that have added calcium and b12 but you have to check them individually. Most of them don't 'do the job' nutritional wise that milk and cheese does which is why I said do your research
Calcium can be sourced from shop bought but or oat milks but vary in their nutrition content so again need checking. Tofu is often fortified with calcium too, it will say on the packet.

If you're a veggie and still eating and drinking milk products, please consider buying free range. I know that ASDA and Tesco sell free range milk.

We drink goats milk, but not much - we get through one carton a week. Nothing else tastes right on my weekly bowl of coco pops I'm afraid. And I only eat Tony's Chocoloney which is so expensive it naturally reduces my consumption!

Not but milk but milk!
Definitely don't make your own but milk op!

Nut!

Some interesting suggestions! I have never cooked with tofu or meat substitutes. It may well take some persuasion to pry chicken from my husband's grasp! It's the easy default meat in this house, that and turkey. I will give that cauldron marinated tofu a try though, cheers.

And yes, air miles is a great point. I eat a lot of bananas - it's basically mandatory if you're a runner. But that would be something interesting to tackle. We eat a lot of salad, fine in the summer, perhaps not so great in the winter...

but on that thread someone said oatly was terrible for the environment
Oatly the brand is bad for the environment due to who it’s investors are and their links to deforestation etc. Oat milk the product is absolutely fine. Just find a different brand.

@AOwlAOwlAOwl

Some interesting suggestions! I have never cooked with tofu or meat substitutes. It may well take some persuasion to pry chicken from my husband's grasp! It's the easy default meat in this house, that and turkey. I will give that cauldron marinated tofu a try though, cheers.

And yes, air miles is a great point. I eat a lot of bananas - it's basically mandatory if you're a runner. But that would be something interesting to tackle. We eat a lot of salad, fine in the summer, perhaps not so great in the winter...

I’m also a runner and I’d say don’t cut them out if you need them. Again, you don’t have to live a completely ethically perfect life, you just need to make basic adjustments where you can.

Try No Bull chicken AOwl very realistic. I don't like it for that reason but ex meat eater DH loves it.
Oh and Quorn is very hit and miss. Their peri peri chicken for example is good, but some things like their fillets taste like cardboard.
Own brand stuff generally tends to be reasonable, Linda McCartney too, bird's eye stuff is variable. Moving mountains is good, as is oomph.

I can't think of anything I'd use instead of a banana, but most people eat bananas anyway.

I think oatmilk is considered the most environmentally friendly out if the alternatives.

Morrisons do their own oatmilk for £1 a carton, it is just as nice as oatly

Oat milk is nice too - especially on breakfast cereal It depends what cereal you have, but I can't see the point of putting oat milk on muesli or porridge. If you put some water on and stir it around, what you have is oats in oat milk. Except on muesli I'd probably use fresh orange juice.