Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Food/recipes

For related content, visit our food content hub.

Original poster

Vegan-Vegan friendly MNetters- the new thread-sign in here!

743 replies

anyabanya · 15/06/2010 10:02

Hi Vegan and vegan-friendly MNetters!

Just wanted to know if anyone was out there and wanted to form a support thread- to talk about food/ veganism, 'stuff' in general.

I am late 30s, have been an on and off vegan for about 6 years, and after a hiatus of about 9 months or so am back 'on'. I adore cooking with a passion, and love reading food blogs and vegan food blogs.

I would very much like to exchange thoughts/tips/frustrations with anyone else out there!

OP posts:
NoHunIntended · 14/04/2011 10:40

Excellent, excellent! :) Lovely to have you here. I found giving up dairy overnight rather easy (had initially set it as a New Year's Resolution, a test of willpower), but if gradual works, that is also great. I really found I quickly didn't miss it. My tastebuds adapted so fast, and I felt so much better with my health/vitality. No looking back.

There are loads of resources that are easy to find, but if you want any nudging, just let us know!

Paintinmyhair · 14/04/2011 10:53

I know this sounds silly, but someone on here mentioned shoes. I have never bothered to find out whether our shoes were vegan friendly, as it hasn't really come up before, and there is no way I can replace the whole kaboodle in one go. Am in a quandry about wrapping our feet in animal carcasses, will go and check them now and see how badly I've done!

steamedtreaclesponge · 14/04/2011 11:02

Another lurker here - I've been vegetarian since I was 11, but have been thinking a lot about veganism recently. I'm currently planning to eat vegan food at home, but not when I'm eating out/at other people's houses, just to see how I get on; I think it might take a while to wean myself off cheese and yoghurt if I do decide to go through with it!

But I'm loving the look of some of the recipes on here, am going to try and do some meal planning for next week.

I do have two questions - firstly, do all of you vegans drink vegan wine? And if so, where do you get it from?

And secondly, I make a lot of my own yoghurt. Do you know if yoghurt-makers work if you use soya milk instead of cow's milk? I suppose I should just give it a try really...

theworldisoutthere · 14/04/2011 11:26

steamed - glad you're trying it! :) I've been going to www.barnivore.com to check wines and whatnot, they have a database of what's vegan and what isn't.

SpringFollows · 14/04/2011 11:31

Hi steamed, welcome Paint!

I do drink vegan or vegetarian wine. But now likely vegan. Some mainstream wines are vegan.
www.veggiewines.co.uk/index.htm
This is a terrific resource.

I adore white wine, and am happy to drink Yellowtail. Our local supermarket is the co-op and quite alot of their own wines are veg.

As for vegan shoes...... My take on that is that i wear the non-vegan ones until they need to be replaced and then replace them with vegan shoes. I know many would object to that, but I cannot afford to replace everything right now.

steamedtreaclesponge · 14/04/2011 12:05

Thanks theworld and Spring - will check out those websites!

Glad to know that Yellowtail is OK, that's generally pretty easy to find when wine shopping...

theworldisoutthere · 14/04/2011 12:48

I was glad to discover that my favourite - Brothers' Toffee Apple Cider - is vegan :D that stuff is addictive.

Paintinmyhair · 14/04/2011 21:04

I am not enjoying this preconception people have about veganism. Wow!!

I spoke to a few of my friends today, and only one said anything positive about Veganism. And that is because she is Vegan!!! I bet if I called them all callous, animal murdering idiots they wouldn't be happy (although I didn't, as I fully saw the irony in me even attempting to take any high ground on this!). It is a person's personal belief about what they choose to take into their own body, what right have others to bash it like this? It makes me sad! I knew people had views on it, but I thought they would at least keep quiet for a friend, instead of laughing at me.

SpringFollows · 14/04/2011 21:30

Yes, you get lots of crap from people saying you are a vegetarian or a vegan. I have been trying to be vegan for a good near 10 years now, and basically have allowed myself to be bullied out of it by family who scoff or laugh or even get angry. It is strange. My own mother became furious with me when i said i was going vegan some years ago, and told me that if I dared to be vegan when ttc or pg she would 'report me'. True. I have really never forgiven her for it. But it had the desired effect of subduing me, and this is from a woman who proudly proclaims to be 'an animal lover'.

I think people have a moral disconnect, and when confronted by someone living a committment like that, it on some level makes them uncomfortable. You will get heaps of negative comments.

For quite some time I would be vegan at home, but when at other people's houses would eat whatever they cooked, as I did not want to have the negativity.

Paintinmyhair · 14/04/2011 21:50

Thankfully I'm the only one of my friend circle with a dc, so we usually have people round for dinner, but have had a lot of "well I won't be coming to yours for dinner then. I like more than a lettuce leaf for my meal!". Hmm. Also had the "how can you inflict this on a child! It was her that got us into this, as she cried every time she even thought of having to eat meat.

On the plus side, have found it pretty easy to get dairy free marg and fridge Alpro Soya, and it is the same price as normal stuff! Am tempted to splash out on a yoghurt maker, as I love fruit with yog and honey, mmmmmmmm!!! Am also excited about needing to make my own pasta, as I got a pasta machine a few years back and it has been gathering dust. I'm very aware this is a long term change, so am taking it slowly, but yippee!!!!

NoHunIntended · 14/04/2011 23:21

Sorry you new ones are facing the anti-vegans! I have been very lucky with a mother who trusts me that I know what I am doing, and the vast majority of people in my life now have known me since I was vegan, so no dramas here at all. I am sure it will get better for you soon, once people know you are serious, and can see that you are thriving.

Paint, wasn't sure if you are saying that you want to make your own yoghurt with honey, but honey isn't actually vegan. Maple syrup, or agave syrup, or rice syrup are all good alternatives.

You also don't 'need' to make your own pasta, though fresh stuff, yes, more so!

Paintinmyhair · 14/04/2011 23:29

I thought commercial pasta was made with eggs? I have so much to learn! I was ruminating on my love of honey, sorry! It is the honey and the cheese I am going to find hard to say goodbye to! However, I do love Maple syrup too, so I'll take it on the chin Wink.

NoHunIntended · 15/04/2011 00:29

Most of the very fresh stuff, yes. But I'd say the majority of packet pasta is just 100% durum wheat. See, easier than you think! :)

Honey is BEE PUKE! The vomit, yes, VOMIT, of an insect! There - does that help?! :)

SpringFollows · 15/04/2011 06:42

I have just received a book from Amazon 'The complete idiot's guide to vegan eating for kids'. www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/1592579787

I am currently reading and enjoying it and it guides you on nutrition also- so you have something to come back at people when they doubt you. Personally I find it amazing that people find a healthy plant-based diet as somehow 'fringe' or wierd when they would not raise an eyebrow at a child being fed turkey twizzlers all day.

SpringFollows · 15/04/2011 07:07

Oh, on another (sort of) topic- would anyone like to come over to the Big/small/whatever weight threads? I started a thread last night- I need to lose a stone and a half, and am avoiding alcohol and bread/pastries/potatoes (sort of low-carb'). I was looking for others who may wish to do the same- mutual support. I know you have to search pretty hard to find an overweight vegan, but if anyone is interested I will be there too. :)

Several months post partum I still look pregnant (hence avoiding bread and potatoes- bloating) and I have a family wedding in June that i am desperate to look good for. (Mind you, I have not seen 9 and a half stone since my 20s!). I have bought a gorgeous dress that i cannot even do up. :( Just once I would like to feel good. :)

brillopads · 15/04/2011 07:12

steamed re wines- I've noticed that places like M&S & Co-op are actually starting to label their wines a Vegan, if indeed they are

DH was going to make some soup for us & bought some sorrel from the grocery shop, for the first time ever. We each tried a leaf and commented on the unusual flavour. I went for a nap (35 wks pg) and he must have looked it up on the internet: The plant's sharp taste is due to oxalic acid, which is a poison. In small quantities sorrel is harmless; in large quantities it can be fatal.
... uh, so I thought it best to avoid !!! I thought I'd learned about all the foods that can be potentially harmful while pg !

theworldisoutthere · 15/04/2011 08:12

So far my friends have just been curious, but then I've long had a reputation as 'the hippy animal rights-y one' so I don't think they're all that surprised!

I haven't told anyone at work yet as it just seems unnecessary, and my parents are very surportive - they are vegitarians but were raw foodists for a few years while I was growing up!

Main oppositon was one day (isolated to one day...) when DP freaked out a bit. He was afraid it would 'affect him' and that I would become annoying and preachy. Then he realised that he was being stupid! I think a lot of it was to do with the 'moral disconnect' for him, he says he'd rather not know. Hoping to sway him over the years with positive influence :)

If he wants meat, eggs or dairy he now has to do it himself! But then that was the case with meat anyway so not so much of a change.

steamedtreaclesponge · 15/04/2011 10:18

I forgot about honey - that'll be a hard one!

I found going veggie surprisingly easy, given how much meat I used to eat as a child. I think going vegan is going to be a lot harder, so it's great to hear from all of you guys who are already doing it. I think I'm going to have to start with baby steps and just see how I can get on. First step - to make myself a completely vegan meal plan for next week. Is there anything you guys would particularly recommend for scrummy vegan meals? I have some ideas (curry, roast veg with maple syrup, pasta) but I'm a bit worried that I'll end up living on a diet of salt and vinegar crisps and hummus!

Paintinmyhair · 15/04/2011 11:15

Breakfasts I can (Kind of) help with. Most cereal eaters now have lists on their websites stating which cereals are vegan (Weetabix is, Shreddies are not, but I'm sure dd will gobble the rest of those up for me. I'm not ready to go vegan with dd yet, but she will be getting vegan dinners).

Have bought veganomicon but as a kindle version. Fun to read, but could be hard to flick through (D'oh!). It is a very fun cookbook though, it brings me joy! Also the web has a wealth of recipe ideas! Apparently Oprah went Vegan and made a huge thing about it, so there are loads of recipe ideas linked to her name www.oprah.com/food/Vegan-Recipes-from-The-Kind-Diet_1 on the web.

Paintinmyhair · 15/04/2011 11:23

Dammit, forgot the best breakfast of all, bircher muesli!!!

The night before:

Get some oats. Put them in a bowl and add various dried fruits and nuts (I lob in sultanas, blueberries, cranberries, almonds and sometimes apricots and prunes if I can be bothered to chop anything!).

Stir.

Pour in apple juice or soy milk until all oats are soaked, maybe with some liquid left for them to sponge up overnight, as it gets cloy-ey if it doesn't have enough). Stir again.

Cover with cling film, pop in the fridge. Done!

The next morning:

(This bit can also be done the night before if you want to)

Chop up some fresh fruit. Pop in a bowl.

Dish out breakfast bowls with bircher in. Pass round a vegan yog pot, and ask kids to put a large spoonful on top and stir it in, then get them to dig into the fruit. Maybe let them add a drizzle of maple syrup too, as I've only ever made with milk and flavoured yogs, so the apple juice version has a twang so I've heard.

My dd is an avid "if it is bad for me I want it!!!!! kind of girl, and this is her FAVE EVER!!!

Paintinmyhair · 15/04/2011 11:25

And the bee puke worked, thank you!

steamedtreaclesponge · 15/04/2011 12:15

Ooh, I love bircher muesli, thanks for that Paint!

I've had veganomicon on my Amazon wish list for ages, maybe I should bite the bullet and buy it for myself as a present...

Paintinmyhair · 15/04/2011 12:51

Do it, you will starve otherwise, or give up on Veganism all together!!! Grin

Paintinmyhair · 15/04/2011 12:56

I wish I hadn't got the Kindle version though, the book would have been much easier!

theworldisoutthere · 15/04/2011 13:09

Personally I'm dying to get Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World :)