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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:
brillopads · 29/01/2011 10:56

here's a new waffle recipe

www.theppk.com/2011/01/cinnamon-walnut-fig-waffles/

however I have been meaning to nake the Blueberry coffee cake from Vegan with a vengeance for about a fortnight now after getting some reduced blueberries (they're in the freezer) DH has been very obliging and ate the soy yoghurt that was due to go bad.

We've moved recently and there's a organic co-operative grocery store in the neioghbourhood. To Dh's delight they sell Vegan hot dogs outside on Saturdays Grin

eden263 · 29/01/2011 22:23

Hi all, not had a chance to read eveyrthing yet but I'm vegan, stayed so through my last pregnancy, am still bf DD (now 2.3) who is vegan too, and we both seem fine :)

Though the hospital had the gall to write 'vegan' on my notes in the 'risk' section! That and being 39! Tsk, terrible irresponsible mother, eating more than her 5-a-day and a nice balanced diet of proteins, carbs and fruit & veg! Nice easy pregnancy, nice easy birth (1 1/2 hours all-in!) and good weight bubba. Exclusively bf her on my vegan breastmilk for 6 months then did BLW. Call social services!! Wink

eden263 · 29/01/2011 22:44

Just read the posts from those of you with 'Christmas issues' - I had similar issues with my ex-husband (my DSs' father) who stays with us a few times each year (inc Xmas for the past 5 years!) Despite knowing how strong my feelings are, he would always insist on bringing bits of dead animals into my house, as he must eat meat at each meal (yeah, right!) which I grudgingly tried to turn a blind eye to in the spirit of being hospitable and keeping the peace, until the run-up to Xmas '09 when I thought 'why the hell am I putting up with this?' - it's my house, me and DD are vegan, both sons are veggie by choice (and eat mainly vegan at home anyway) and even the cats are on vegan biscuits, FFS, so I put my foot down and said no more meat. No, not even a pie or ready-sliced. No, not fish and chips either. I don't want bits of corpse in my house. He did put up a bit of a fight, but I quite sweetly replied that I would be willing to compromise my principles and cook him quorn, like his sons would be eating, but if he wanted to eat out or stay elsewhere then I wouldn't be at all offended. Hah! So he didn't eat meat for his Xmas dinner and guess what, he didn't die either! Grin

Popbiscuit · 30/01/2011 13:22

Brillopads; those waffles look great. Last night we made the Red Lentil Thai Chili from the PPK website; amazing!

pigear · 31/01/2011 21:30

Hello
I am very happy to have found this thread. I have been veggie from 16 and have been vegan for about 6 years now, my husband is vegan as is our daughter who is 2yrs 4 months (I breastfed then we did baby led weaning and she is still breastfed). We also do not allow anyone to eat meat or dairy in our house but surprisingly enough everyone has been very good about this, including my meat eating teenage stepchildren and father in law. My side of the family are vegetarian anyway.

I am finding the attendance at toddler groups a little challenging at times as food is often produced which isn't vegan. And it is tricky to deal with. I try to have an alternative with me and generally my daughter is very accepting when i explain but it would be so much easier if they just didn't produce food. The group I have a particular problem with is big and we have only just joined and i don't feel up to talking to anyone about the issue and really can't see how I could do it without being awkward. Last week it was noodles with chopsticks and I'm afraid I let her eat them as I just couldn't make her sit out (it's easy if its a biscuit or something - one week it was decorating and eating cupcakes, she was busy playing so not too fussed and I explained they weren't vegan and we would make some when we got home and gave her a biscuit and she was fine). I'm pretty sure the noodles weren't egg ones but don't know if they had flavouring on.

Soooo don't know if that was reasonable and I am being obsessive or if it wasn't. It's really hard sometimes. What do others do?

ppeatfruit · 01/02/2011 13:04

pigear iI understand where you're coming from but it's going to get more difficult for your DD. D.C.s don't want to be made to look 'different' IME anything "banned" becomes more attractive.

ppeatfruit · 01/02/2011 13:09

IMO & E it's better to go with flow when you're out until DD understands and wishes to be vegan herself but it MUST come from her.

CakeandRoses · 01/02/2011 21:11

Hello pigear

Arrghh, I'm so dreading that stuff! Strangely enough, altho our toddlers are almost identical ages (ds is 2.3) it's not really happened to us yet.

Saying that, I think i probably have avoided classes etc with cookery.

Does your dd understand 'vegan'? I've not explained it at all to ds yet altho dh isn't even veggie. Somehow ds just knows that he doesn't share food with his father, he only shares with me Smile

I disagree ppeatfruit. i'd prefer to keep ds vegan (and certainly vegetarian) until he can understand and chooses to be an omnivore (or not).

ppeatfruit · 02/02/2011 08:17

That's going to be difficult when you're out cakes, esp. for yr DS when all he DOES understand is that he can't have the same as the others.

CakeandRoses · 02/02/2011 09:25

i'm not anticipating it being easy pp but it's my intention to give it a pretty good go.

There are certainly other vegan parents (prob some on this thread) who have managed it and my veggie parents managed it with me wrt not eating meat or fish etc.

tbh, is it much different to anything that another child is eating/allowed to do that you're not allowing your own child to do (vegan-related or otherwise)? We've come across tons of situations like that where for instance ds has water to drink when his 'friend' is having a fruit shoot (a good MN example there!)

I'm not going to just allow him to have what he wants just because he can't "understand is that he can't have the same as the others". That's just part and parcel of being a parent.

CakeandRoses · 02/02/2011 09:25

sorry that came across a bit more strident than was meant. typing with a bf baby lying across my arm so smilies were awkward!

ppeatfruit · 02/02/2011 15:05

{smile] I can't understand anyone who gives their DCs fruit shoots! i'm the same about coke they're both poison IMO

pigear · 02/02/2011 15:47

Hello

Yes, most groups have been ok, as it's just a snacktime biscuit and I produce a vegan one instead, it's just this one toddler group that do an activity each week, its not always food based but a couple have been. The noodles just took me by surprise and i didn't know what to do. I think i might have to brave up to talking to organisers and asking if they can let me know in advance so i can bring in a vegan version. We haven't been going long and i am a bit shy!!

I have explained at times to my daughter that we aren't eating something because it isn't vegan and one of her Spot books shows him baking with eggs and i said that we don't eat eggs as we are vegan and i think something about not eating animals when she joked about eating a worm!!! She has asked a couple of times if something is vegan, she doesn't really understand yet but I hope if it is just mentioned from time to time she will slowly work it all out.

NoHunIntended · 03/02/2011 23:39

Definitely not one to just go with the flow - I am repulsed by meat and dairy, and feel absolutely grossed out by it - feel so strongly about it not getting into DS's system. He is only four months old, so I haven't had to deal with this yet, but I know I will be starting as we mean to go on, and teaching him that we make different choices to the mainstream, and that there is nothing wrong with that. And it is good to be different. I will also try to cultivate more vegan friendships (any of you in my area - SW London?! :)).

pigear, did you see that book for children I linked to a few posts back?

pigear · 04/02/2011 12:57

Hi NoHunIntended, my friend has that book and it does look good, when I read your post it made me think it might be worth getting sooner than later and then my daughter can read it along with her other books and slowly take it in at her own pace.

Some vegan friends would be lovely but so far we haven't comae across any other vegan children in Hull although we have some vegetarian friends.

It does surprise me when we go to groups that so far we haven't come across anyone with a special diet (vegan, solely organic, allergies)at all.

NoHunIntended · 04/02/2011 17:13

It's a great book, get it! :)

Vegetarian just isn't the same, is it - they have no issue with cakes/biscuits etc. Vegan seems a whole other ballgame. I have one lovely friend with a toddler and a baby a couple of months older than my DS, but they live in Brighton - good area for veg*ns, must make more of an effort to get down there. Also know a few vegan families but the children are a fair bit older. Maybe we'll have to convert people, than be lucky enough to find ready-made vegans! :)

CakeandRoses · 09/02/2011 12:18

still loving my waffle maker - did cherries, berries, chocolate and banana on sunday - could have eaten double!

i made 2 date cakes last week and because i was rushing i pretty much just chucked the ingredients in together - guess what? turned out exactly the same as previous times when i'd painstakingly followed the steps in the recipe.

It's actually a vegan sticky toffee pud recipe but i tend to mostly just eat it as cake. seems popular with anyone who has tried it. super moist.

if you make it then then only bit i did separate was the stuff in the boiling water - then just poured that over the dry/marg mixture.

englishgirlintaipei · 09/02/2011 21:01

hi i am new to mumsnet and i am vegan as is my dd (4years old)
i am excited to chat with other vegan. nice!

NoHunIntended · 09/02/2011 21:26

Welcome, englishgirlintaipei! :)

Mmm, C&R, that all sounds lush!

englishgirlintaipei · 09/02/2011 21:51

Thanks! looking forward to hearing ideas and recipes. Have people heard of vegan freaks (Canadian/american ? its a podcast/website but a little non parenting! still worth a listen sometimes!

Popbiscuit · 09/02/2011 22:16

Sorry if I'm repeating info. that someone has posted but there is a great book for children called "That is Why We Don't Eat Animals" by Ruby Roth. It's very sensitively done and effectively conveys the suffering that animals go through on factory farms without being completely horrific. It gave my kids a better understanding of the "whys" of vegetarianism, although I still struggle with the going out/visiting family scenario with them. I mostly just let them eat what they want to eat when we're visiting...my 9 year old DD will ask if something is vegetarian but my 6 and 4 year old DS's don't quite have a moral grasp of why you would choose not to eat something. I talk a lot at home about why plant foods are better for their bodies, the environment and animals and hope that it will sink in one day. My daughter is truly an ethical vegetarian and will not even eat a marshmallow because of the gelatin content. (marshmallows are omnipresent in popular Canadian children's food...hot chocolate, rice krispie squares etc.) I am completely vegan, my husband is mostly and the kids are lacto-ovo. My hope is to set an example and educate them, whilst providing them with mostly plant-based foods. They can choose veganism if they like when they are older but of course, they may choose to remain vegetarian and that's ok too.

EnglishGirlinTaipei-I've listened to Vegan Freak a few times...it's for sure fairly hardcore but very informative. Another good podcast is "Compassionate Cooks" by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau.

CakeandRoses · 10/02/2011 00:14

i seem to have omitted to boast about my lovely new pizza stone Grin

i did it with a delia recipe for the base last time and dh and i both thought it was one of the best pizzas ever (and we've been to italy lots) Smile

going to have a monthly pizza night with 'the girls' and tomo is the first one - everyone's going to bring a different (vegan) topping.

CakeandRoses · 10/02/2011 00:14

and hello englishgirl!

brillopads · 10/02/2011 10:53

C&R ah, we bought a pizza stone when we moved into our old house~ 3 yrs ago... might be worth dusting it off again sometime soon.

I got some reduced Puff pastry in the supermarket; currently in the freezer- anyone got any lovely suggestions as to what to do with it ?

englishgirlintaipei · 10/02/2011 11:26

puff pastry, well there are tons of filling that you can put in it. I love Cheese (vegan) potato and onion. Curry is good inside puff pastry too. Just make it in to a pasty shape and fill it with a little bit of filling, then put it in the oven...mmm you can make mini ones for kids and they love them. you can basically put what ever you like inside.
Thanks for the podcast info, i LOVE podcasts and listen while cleaning or any other thing i don't really like to do!
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