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

[anyabanya]

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!

[ivykaty44]

taking a look - my dad has become vegan at 74 so interested in the links thanks.

We rarely eat meat at home and very little dairy, not for any other reason than we don't particularly like it.

[WhatWouldVegansDo]

Wow, that's great! Good for him! :)

Hello and welcome, ivykaty44.

[poppyboo]

After quite a few weeks of eating no dairy, I'm struggling to take in enough calories in day and I'm constantly hungry, I've lost weight....I'm waking in the night hungry and creeping downstairs to eat a piece of fruit. I'm getting sick of it and I fear I'm just about to fall of the dairy free wagon :(

[Climbingpenguin]

I found I needed quick protein heavy snacks

[MrsHuxtable]

Whatwouldvegansdo Which area of Germany are you in? Do you have an Alnatura supermarket near you? I was in one when I was back home recently and it was great. Can't wait to go back!!!

poppyboo Oh nooo... What sort of stuff are you eating that you don't get enough calories and are hungry?

I've been having a little trial, the only dairy I had this week was some chocolate I believe and that was only because it was a gift. Think I will properly give up dairy from Monday or tomorrow but just said Monday as it's the start of a new week so kind of feels like a proper start iykwim...

Anyway, I tried almond milk this week in my tea and it's so much better than soya milk. I've been inspired by that Canadian vegan blog (someone posted the Mac 'n' Cheese recipe link of it on here and I'm determined now to eat super healthily. I just made a portion of the overnight oats for tomorrow (also with almond milk) so will see how that tastes.

I also made homemade pizza last night and tried 2 vegan alternatives. One was normal veggie toppings with the Toffuti grated Morzarella style cheese and I can't say it did anything for me. It wasn't horrible but it wasn't nice either. The second version however...Oh my....wholemeal base, passate with some herbs and chilli flakes on and then loaded with roasted vegetables I had made earlier that day. Roasted courgettes, peppers, onions, sweet potato, mixed cherry tomatoes and artichoke. No cheese. It was amazing. Probably the best pizza I've eaten in my life. Didn't miss the cheese at all.

Tonight I had some of the Barret and Drury???? (is that the name?) chocolate ice cream and I need to say that while it wasn't bad, it came nowhere near that lovely Booja Booja stuff I had the other week.

Oh, I've also ordered some vegan chocolate chips in so I can do some baking if I want to. Made the carrot and raisin muffins out of the "Vegan with a Vengeance" book today and they are yummy. Will make them again some time soon.

[WhatWouldVegansDo]

poppy, can you not just eat more vegetables, fruit and stuff like bread?

MrsH, we are in Frankfurt, und ja, there are a few AlNatura stores near us. It is great, they have lots of good stuff, though I have yet to find the vast array of vegan milks here that there are in the UK.

Swedish Glacé is my favourite ice cream. Booja is ??????££££££!

We had Granovita soya milk today, at a hotel. I had to check it was soya milk, it tasted so much like dairy. I did not like it, it tasted too milky.

[WhatWouldVegansDo]

This is the soya milk we got given today, so if anyone is missing the taste of dairy, this comes very close, though bear in mind I haven't had dairy in 13 years so maybe I have forgotten! www.granovita.co.uk/product-categories/organic-drinks/soya-drink-?-organic-sugar-free/

[poppyboo]

What I need to be careful of my wheat intake, I just find myself thinking, what can I eat??!!! :D I am still sticking with extremely reduced dairy intake but I am going to eat it in say, Cadburys chocolate LOL
I'm doing it for energy levels you see as I was feeling chronic fatigued as I'm in remission from cancer. I have seen a difference in my energy, I don't feel myself dragging my body around from tiredness...I feel better the less wheat I eat too, doesn't leave me with much though...

[poppyboo]

I recommend the Good Life spicy bean quarterpounder burgers by the way, so nice!
I love to make a chilli to with fried onion and garlic, softened veg like mushrooms etc, tin of tomatoes, kidney beans, baked beans and lentils and chilli powder....so good over rice! Very filling!

[poppyboo]

Mrs your vegan pizza sounds divine! I want to try it!

[poppyboo]

Has anyone tried the mozzarella cheezley extra melty stuff out of interest?

[MrsHuxtable]

What Oh, Frankfurt area, that's where I'm from! When I'm back in Germany, I'm usually staying with my dad who lives in Lorsch (Bergstrasse). How have you found going out to places like restaurants etc? Have they been accomodating? I always get the impression that Germany is still behing the UK in terms of vegetarianism, never mind veganism, eventhough I noticed during our visit this summer that main stream supermarkets stock a lot more now for vegetarians.

poppy, can you handle oats? I've just started making the most wonderful overnight oats for my breakfast (even DH said it was one of the best things he had eaten in his life), it keeps for 3 nights in the fridge, but I just said to DH what a nice, healthy and filling snack a smaller portion of them would be in the afternoon. I have noticed that I get very peckish about 2 hours after lunch time, which is then my prime danger time of eating rubbish for quick energy so I think today, I'll try more oats instead. I'll post a link to the recipe on here but the whole blog is worth looking through as the woman has so many delicious and healthy food ideas.

Todays project is to try out the chocolate macaron truffle recipe from the vegan blog.

Also, does anyone grow their own sprouts?



ohsheglows.com/2011/06/04/blueberry-banana-pie-vegan-overnight-oats/

[WhatWouldVegansDo]

Wow! Well do let me know when you go back, we could hook up! We have eaten out three times in six months! Mainly because my child is a wriggly monkey and eating in restaurants is not really my idea of fun at this stage! Once was an Italian place that had a whole page of vegan stuff on their menu - vegan cheese and stuff. The other two times were Thai and Indian, which are usually pretty good for vegans. I've never actually really been a fan of eating out. Shops wise, Germany is good for vegans, though there are no vegan cheeses that I have found in the stores generally (though there is a small vegan shop that stocks it!) and the array of vegan milks is limited. I would like to find hemp milk, and various nut milks, but so far haven't. By there are lots of vegan sausages and various tofus, and even filled ravioli.
Actually, my husband has to eat out with work sometimes, and there is a BioMarket close to his office that always has a vegan dish, or he has pizza without cheese.

We are in the UK right now for the weekend. I have just bought Cheezly Parmesan! Can't wait to try it!

[VeganBody]

Hi,

Can't believe I've only just found you guys! Fantastic thread.

I've been vegan for about three years and will never go back to animal protein. I'm not vegan necessarily because of animal welfare (although a consideration) but because it makes me feel so much healthier with tons of energy.

I LOVE cooking and coming up with recipes that will appeal to my carnivorous husband and part-time vegan children. I don't 'do' meat substitutes like seitan etc and I loathe nooch!

I started a vegan blog - please do follow me! Would be great to have your input:

veganbody.wordpress.com/

[WhatWouldVegansDo]

Hi, VB! Welcome! :)

I was initially vegan for health reasons, but found myself totally on board with all the animal rights stuff. And there's the environment thing, so basically, there are loads of great reasons, altogether they are fantastic, alone they are enough. :)

What is nooch? I am guessing it's a typo but I can't work out what!

I don't really follow blogs, I have enough on my plate with Twitter, Fb, Pinterest and MN! Are you on Twitter? I'll follow you there!

[Climbingpenguin]

vb I have found my reasons have changed over the years.

[VeganBody]

Hi whatwouldvegansdo and climbingpenguin,

Thanks for the welcome!

Nooch is what Americans call nutritional yeast which they use to make cheesey sauces and put on popcorn. I just can't get past the smell! Yes, I'm on twitter and interest, so see you in all of these places. It's a full time job isn't it!

[multipoodles]

I don't use a lot of fake meat but do add nutritional yeast mainly for the B12 and I LOVE the taste! Then again I think I was a weird child too :)

[GupX]

Anyone interested in re-awakening this thread?

I am veggie but just taken the one month vegan pledge on the vegan society website. Wa vegan for 3 years at Uni and I have never been healthier. Sopped being vegan when I got together with DH but I know he would be supportive of me going back to a vegan diet.

I know it will really help me health-wise. I eat far too much saturated fat and have a family history of heart disease. I am overweight.

Really excited about re-discovering the energy and health I had as a vegan!

[poppyboo]

Mrs I eat oats and I'm going to eat wheat too, otherwise there seems to be nothing left. I regularly make oatmeal over night in a little slow cooker my sister has let me borrow which I make up with coarse oatmeal and water and cook on low for five hours. It comes out very creamy.

So everyone knows on here I was having a wobble about dairy free (I eat eggs you see so I'm not vegan) on Saturday night and fell of wagon and ate a Papa johns pizza, I didn't enjoy it that much, it was too cheesy! So my taste buds have changed I think. I think, for me, on a day to day basis I'm going to try to be as vegan friendly as possible but I haven't rules out having cheese occasionally. If I make it forbidden I find I crave something more. So I'm going to see how I go on that. I made a vegan chilli last night to top jacket potatoes and it was great!

Welcome Gup! I lost wake since dropping dairy (mostly) from my diet! The fat above my hips that would never shift even though I was a size 8 has just melted away!

[poppyboo]

weight stupid iPad...

[poppyboo]

Oh, and Gup , I have lots more energy now which is why I wanted to kick the dairy habit to begin with! Dairy was making me tired!

[Climbingpenguin]

i eat too many biscuits

[WhatWouldVegansDo]

Hi, Gup, welcome! Good luck with the challenge! Hope you stick at it. I feel great having given up meat and dairy, especially dairy!

poppy, glad the cheesy pizza wasn't good! The thought of cheese now makes me nauseous, and I used to love it!

[NotGeoffVader]

Sorry if I've overlooked stuff but the thread is long, and today I'm on limited time... I am veggie (was vegan for a year, about 20 years ago) have been for 30 years. I don't drink milk, but I do like cheese, and eggs. Are there any decent replacements in my diet? I am considering going back to vegan, or at least eating vegan meals a couple of times a week, but quick, tasty meals that are not salad are escaping me.