Vegans and other interested people

[Whatslovegottodo]

It's the first thread! Thanks HQ!
I am a long time vegetarian who has recently opened my eyes and gone vegan.
I feel I've had a steep learning curve recently but so far am loving the lifestyle and trying new foods and I feel great.
Fab to have a place to chat.

[stalkingfred]

Another vegan here. Signed up specifically to participate here!

[Whatslovegottodo]

So great to see so many of us already.
It really is a fantastic time to be a vegan.
Shops are starting to clearly label lots of products, many restaurants have vegan menus, so many healthy and simple cook books - and the icing on the eggfree cake is we now have our own chat board on Mumsnet!

[obrigada]

Vegan here too since November last year :)

[reuset]

Ah, here it is at last! Excellent.

[thetowpath]

Vegan for about six weeks! Amazed by how little I'm missing ...
I just took my old veggie diet, lost the Greek yoghurt and feta and grated cheddar, bought some B12 and oat milk and away I've gone.
Feel great, fit, not hungry, same weight etc. And my skin is AMAZING. (That might just be spring.)
If I'm out or visiting I've decided to be as vegan as possible without ruining everyone else's evening.
Not messing around with substitutes - just lots of beans, pulses, nuts, seeds. Helps that hummus and PNB have always been my life blood.
Next step ... improving my vegan baking. Did banana bread with oil and chia seeds instead of butter and eggs and it was flipping lovely.
Cooking vegetarian for family, but trying out accidentally vegan stuff. E.g. Last night did a Moroccan-ish butternut squash and red lentil thing with rice - went down great.

[trevortrevorslattery]

OOh I think I just had an accidentally vegan sandwich for lunch.
Boots Lousiana Fritter sandwich. Sounds odd but it was lovely.
It wasn't marked Vegetarian or Vegan but I did read the ingredients and couldn't find anything in there to be avoided

[Str4ngedaysindeed]

Oh this is brilliant!!! I am probably 96% vegan ( still have the very odd slice of cheese 😞) since January and am heartily sick of the attitudes of, well everyone around me! I don't 'preach', I rarely mention it but when I ask for non dairy milk or don't have a ham salad or whatever when out, I get such stupid comments! Perennial question I know but why??? Anyway very pleased to be here. 😁

[alltouchedout]

Been veggie for 25 years, trying to go vegan now. It's the cheese that's my downfall!

[AtlantaGinandTonic]

Yaaay! I was on the site a couple of months ago, looking for a vegan thread as I became vegan in February. Place marking, plus I've brought peanut butter and Oreos!

[Itscurtainsforyou]

Can I ask a stupid question?
One of our favourite family meals is thai green curry, made with fish oil/sauce. Is there a vegan equivalent I could use? Or would I just need to leave it out.

[MakChoon]

Sooooo lovely to see all of you shiny, new vegans!

I've been vegan for 20 years and my only regret is not doing it sooner (veggie from birth previously).

Enjoy!

[Whatslovegottodo]

@itscurtainsforyou
I like finding out new things so here we go:
Thai Taste, Maesri, and Thai Kitchen - none of which have shrimp or fish paste.
Or a full guide of alternatives and what to buy/ how to make:
www.messyvegetariancook.com/vegan-alternatives-to-fish-sauce-shrimp-paste-and-oyster-sauce-in-thai-cuisine/

[Itscurtainsforyou]

That's great thanks whats - I'll take a look :-)

[ProfessorLayton1]

What does this make me?
I don't eat any meat,fish,eggs (only in shop bought cakes) never have cake when I bake. Don't eat cheese (unless it is on pizza and that too will take out most of it)
But can't find alternatives for milk
Have started buying almond milk for cereal but like milky coffee/tea
Any help with this greatly received
Most of my family meals are vegan ( mostly Indian food with lots of rice,lentils) but my kids eat chicken , fish and eggs( buy them from a farm)

[Whatslovegottodo]

@professorlayton1 if you try oatley barista that is the closest to cows milk and makes nice lattes. Also soy milk is quite similar, and cashew nut is worth trying if you like creamy. We just tasted one every week to see. I now like different ones and try to make my own or buy non fridge ones when on offer.

[ApricotExpat]

Loving the fact there's a Vegan board! Been vegan for about ten years and veggie before that - long before it was trendy to be vegan. It's so much easier now!

Obviously the ethical reasons are completely sound, but I have to be honest in that I was more on the health side of the equation to begin with, however over time the documentaries listed above opened my eyes!

[Vegansnake]

Hello..I love a chat about being vegan...always needing ideas for meals as well

[Vegansnake]

I've been vegi 30 years and vegan 2 1/2 years...apart from a blip at Xmas with a malteaser reindeer...I love a vegan chesse spread in holland and Barrett in sweet chilli flavour. Looks like normal cheese spread...I also love all the vegan chesse Tesco do.the chili flavour is yummy..the alpro soya ,go on yogurts in mango are my dessert every blinking day....I just wish ready salted crisps weren't vegan☹️...Tesco do an amazing vegan salad cream...sainsburys do vegan meatballs...I had a "THING"/FLING" with Quorn vegan fishfingers...I think it was over kill,as they make me feel sick now at the thought,bizarrely..there's 6 in our family.3 vegans and 2 vegetarians and one who flits between vegan vegi...meals I struggle with so would be glad of ideas

[Anasnake]

I'm 2 weeks in following years of ibs and headaches - feeling much better already !!

[Iamastonished]

Like ProfessorLayton1 I have never managed to find a suitable alternative to cow's milk for tea. I have tried:
Soya milk
Oat milk
Almond milk
Rice milk

Soya milk is just not nice in any way
I really like oat milk, but not in tea
Almond milk is just meh
Rice milk makes a really refreshing drink on its own, but is too thin for tea

I don't like hazelnuts, so hazelnut milk is out. That just leaves cashew nut milk for me to try. I have made cashew cream a few times for recipes, and that has worked out well.

I am not prepared to give up tea, and really, really don't like it black.

And cheese substitutes just don't do it for me either. They either taste of what they are made from - coconut for example, or have an underlying metallic taste that isn't good, so I just don't bother any more. It has been quite an expensive undertaking trying all the cheese substitutes for them all to end up in the bin.

[Iamastonished]

I would add that I am a massive cheese lover which is perhaps why the cheese substitutes just don't work for me.

[FFSenoughofthis]

Ohhhhhhh my god I've only just discovered the vegan area! So excited!

[primaryboodle]

Hi hope you dont mind me posting! I cant become fully vegan as it just too much effort and costly for me with a carnivorous dh who hates beans, lentils and chickpeas! I would like to make moves towards veganism though but money is tight. Have you found being vegan costs you quite abit more?

[Vegansnake]

Boodle,no ive not found it costs more,as I've just bought the same foods but looked for vegan alternatives which hasn't been difficult at all...I gave up chesse way before becoming vegan,so I think that might be why I love the vegan chesse so much,but if you compare vegan chesse to cathedral city,I suppose no,you won't like the vegan chesse.but once it's in a sandwich with salad,I just looovveee it..