to try Veganuary wit dietary limitations?

[miniaturepixieonacid]

I really want to try a vegan diet. I've thought about it on and off for years but never done it and am now obviously seeing Veganuary everywhere and am suddenly quite excited to give it a go (maybe just because I can't sleep, I don't know!)

But I don't know if it would even be possible with these challenges:

I already don't eat red meat but I am hugely reliant on chicken and eggs - hard boiled egg every day for lunch and chicken or tuna almost every evening. Replacing them would be really hard, I think.

I hate nuts. All nuts, including peanut butter and almonds. I also hate beans and pulses, including baked beans and chick peas. I hate tomatoes, onions and avocadoes.

I have a long history of anorexia, bulimia and OSFED. Possibly ARFID too. Fairly stable for years now but it's always a factor.

Would I be unreasonable to give it a go regardless of the above or do you think it couldn't be done healthily? I know I'd be ok for a month but, I presume, the point of Veganuary is that you are then inspired to keep it going long term.

Looks like tofu and tempeh and processed vegan shit are your options. Nuts canbbe a base of a sauce with nutritional yeast and silken tofu (plus milk) which does not taste like eggs but makes a nice creamy protein rich carbonara like sauce - just an example of hiding the ingredients.

Mushrooms

Tbh the main thing is that you keep healthy and well. Why not try a bit of vegan whilst maintaining a healthy diet? I am vegan but due to health conditions, in the past I have had to add in a few things to exist.

I'll be honest here - with the restrictions you have already and history of ED, I'd suggest this isn't the best idea.

Maybe try to be vegan 2 days a week instead?

I thought I could never be vegan for similar reasons. I’ve now been vegan for almost ten years! Honestly what did it for me was that I forced myself to watch videos of what happens to animals who are bred for meat/eggs etc and then I knew I couldn’t continue paying for animal products.

I’ve got sensory issues with food and have also had eating disorders. I actually went vegan while I was recovering from bulimia- I found it helped me as I felt less ‘guilty’ eating plant based foods.

I used to eat the same thing every day for lunch- poached eggs on toast. I replaced it with tofu scramble on toast. Black salt gives tofu a really eggy flavour! There’s loads of meat alternatives that taste like chicken- I think it’s the easiest meat to emulate.

I found my tastes changed quite quickly after going vegan- I used to absolutely love cheese but now even the smell of it makes me feel ill. I didn’t like beans to begin with but now I eat them every day! I think not enjoying pulses etc is your biggest hurdle. Maybe you could try preparing them in ways you’ve never tried before? Lentils are a very neutral tasting pulse which can be really versatile, there’s loads of recipes online.

I think you should give it a go- and remember a b12 supplement is essential!

I have a long history of anorexia, bulimia and OSFED. Possibly ARFID too. Fairly stable for years now but it's always a factor

It’s not a good idea to radically change your eating habits with that history.

I do love mushrooms.

I guess I could try the 'halfway house' option, yes. It somehow feels like more of a cop out than not bothering at all but I do have a tendency towards all or nothing thinking!

Maybe I'll try making some plans over the next couple of days and see if they look realistic and healthy. I don't really want to eat the 'fake' meat alternatives as I feel like they're not healthy but I haven't actually looked into them much.

Just to say I'm not a fan of nuts either but for some reason I can handle nut butters- I think it's the texture of nuts I dislike

As a life rule aren't you meant to consult GP before big dietary changes?
Vegan is fairly easy, loads of information easily accessible and loads of options
I personally don't like a lots of the fake meats esp those with added bamboo fibre to me it's like gristle, fake chicken isn't my thing either.
I could live off bang bang tofu /cauliflower
Lots of foods are surprisingly vegan by chance.
Most vegan cheese takes some getting used to and have weird melting points.
A lot of trial and error in deciding what works for you
There's a vegan board on here too
Waitrose/sainsburys own brand tofu is nice

Every vegan wants you to try vegan @miniaturepixieonacid but we want you to do it safely. Are you able to get through the foods you dislike and try to enjoy them? I love peanuts, but if you don't like them, have you tried satay? Absolutely delicious.

When I first saw tofu I was like no fucking way am I eating that shit 🤣, but then I started marinating it in different things, frying, baking and more recently air-frying and I absolutely love the stuff. Tempeh not so much - looked at it once.

I do eat fake meats, and whilst they are the devil at the moment, little and occasionally is no worse than eating bacon or sausages.

Like PP said, a B12 supplement is essential, and I also loosely take a multivitamin and sometimes omega 3, I haven't died from being vegan yet and it's been 9 years.

@HereForTheAnimals thank you. For a fully grown adult, I am pathetic about pushing through with things I don't like. I also do that annoying thing of 'just knowing' I won't like things without even trying. 😳But yes, there are things I could persevere with that I don't completely hate. Not peanuts though, even the smell makes me gag. I used to like Macadamia nuts but they're so a) expensive and b) full of fat that they didn't seem like something worth having in my diet. I don't know what satay is but will look into it and I think I could eat tofu without a problem.

My issue with the fake meats is that I don't eat bacon or sausages or any processed meat products at all. Just plain chicken breast that I cook myself. So the fake meats feel like a step backwards (nutritionally, that is, I get that they are more ethical).

Seiten can replace chicken
'Frys' make things like popcorn chicken ( Iceland sells it )
You can buy vegan "chicken " strips in most supermarket freezer sections

@Hskatkat I wouldn't have thought about talking to a GP, to be honest. I'd feel like I was wasting their time. But I will check out the vegan board, I didn't know there was one here, I mainly only use AIBU. Thank you.

@miniaturepixieonacid yes, as @Hskatkat says, you can make your own meat with seitan using vital wheat gluten - not UPF at all. There are loads of videos on the internet for seitan. I made donner meat and it was amazing. There are so many vegan recipes online now for virtually anything, I made vegan Jaffa cakes.

Oh and there are thousands of tofu recipes on the internet. Good luck to you ❤️

You can pm if you want any information or ideas , not saying I know everything but the offers there @miniaturepixieonacid and if I can help I will

Can you actually imagine waiting 5 weeks for a GP appointment and when you get your 8 minute appointment being like “oh hi I want to be vegan the internet said consult your doctor first?” And your GP being like what the actual fuck I have people dying in the waiting room

Also OP this vegan idea is very clearly your Eating disorder speaking - you post is not the thought process of someone ok with food. Just eat what you like and concentrate on improving your ed

@AquaPeer you are welcome to your opinion.
Can't say I've ever waited five weeks for a gp appointment ever .
Last time my wait was three hours from speaking to the reception team to seeing the Dr.

I'm vegan so I'm obviously all for it, but be cautious with your history.

You need to frame it as what you can eat, not what you can't. Try replacing a couple of meals a week and gradually building it up as you find things you enjoy. Here are a few ideas. I usually make at least double portions so I'm not cooking every day.

For breakfast I usually have a homemade green smoothie with mixed fruit, spinach or kale and a tbsp of milled flax seeds for protein & fibre.

Some lunches I love:

Home made veggie soups

A base of those ready cooked puy lentils from a packet with small-chopped salad veg, herbs and dressing

Chickpea tuna - mashed chickpeas with finely chopped nori seaweed, vg mayo, lemon juice, pepper maybe a bit of cucumber, sweetcorn etc. With salad or on Ryvita, in a sandwich, etc

Roast veg & homemade hummus in a wrap

Scrambled tofu on toast.
Finely dice firm tofu or use silken tofu and fry with a pinch of turmeric, salt & pepper, a couple of chopped mushrooms and sundried tomatoes, a handful of spinach or kale, maybe a sprinkling of nutritional yeast.

Some non-tomato/bean dinners (loads of recipes online):

Curry using tofu or vegetables in place of meat

Lentil shepherd's pie

Mushroom bourgingon

Veggie risotto

Mushroom or aubergine fajitas

Jacket potato with vg cheese & coleslaw

Homemade pizza

A shop bought vegan burger with potato wedges is my favourite low-effort dinner.

Unnecessary! There are vegans here who are happy to offer support, the one you quoted is one of them. It is advisable to seek medical attention in particular circumstances, so I think the PP you quoted is just being cautionary.

I agree with others, veganism is an easy place for ED's to hide in plain sight, this is well documented among Nutrition and psychology professionals. You are absolutely right to flag this and reach out on here as with your history, my advice would be to avoid any black and white restrictions. It's a good sign that you have self identified this.

I know that veganism is one way to help the planet / animals, but there are many others so maybe you could consider some of those?

@MrsHemswoth what the actual hell does this mean please:

I agree with others, veganism is an easy place for ED's to hide in plain sight.

I don't have an eating disorder, but why is veganism a way that people can hide it?

It's easy to pass off food restrictions under the guise of Veganism in some people who have ED's. So it doesn't flag up to anyone. If not a full blown ED, disordered eating of some sort.

The majority of vegans don't have an ED but there is a higher than average incidence in vegans

Please could you share some reputable links?

Not with this: I have a long history of anorexia, bulimia and OSFED. Possibly ARFID too. Fairly stable for years now but it's always a factor.

You're already focused on what you cannot eat, on restriction rather than exploration.

There are other ways to support a healthy and eco-friendly lifestyle. I don't think this is the one for you right now.

Mumsnet will roll their collective eyes and I might get a kicking, but op have you ever wondered if you are autistic? Ed and lots of food sensory restrictions is what causes me to ask - and an assumption that you are a female, and present autism differently

I cameto this thread as my dd who has a dairy allergy wants to be veggie for January. Like others I am unsure about fake meats. I ha e no idea whether she can do this (and am certain other family members cannot.)

@HereForTheAnimals

Reputable links aren't needed. Anyone that's worked remotely near the field knows this. But feel free to have a quick Google. Any restrictive diet (and veganism is restrictive) is used as a smoke screen for EDs.

"Sorry I can't have that"
"I brought my own very tiny portion"
"Oh shame, I can't eat here, it's not vegan" while eating nothing with friends/family.

OP please come clean with yourself. You've had EDs, your eating is already restricted, you're giving yourself permission to restrict further. Talk to someone. If you are actually convinced it's you wanting to eat vegan, rather than restricting food, why not try adding various vegan options to your diet AS WELL AS the food you currently eat? Have your egg and add a vegan food as well. If you instantly think, "no I don't want to add food" there's your answer.