This Vegan Thing......?

In the past few months, I have found that I am quite ethically concerned about what I am eating ie. meat. How was the animal treated, how was it killed, was it respected? It's really bothering me and I have cut back greatly and only buy organic chicken and occasionally meat (mainly for my partner). I think it started when that terrible story broke out about our Australian sheep that were sent to the Middle East on a boat and treated in a manner that was so inhumane and upsetting I can hardly bear to repeat it.

So with the vegan thing, how does one do it and what do you cook? I always look for vegetarian/vegan cookbooks but they are never there in the cookbook section. I'd love to have some good recipes to try (I still have to try those meatballs jorats). And what about Raw Eating? Would you guys ever try that?

And what are your personal reasons for becoming vegan/vegetarian?

I don't think I can do vegan, I do love my cheese and yogurt I am trying to reduce the amount of meat I eat and when I do buy it I go to a local meat place here and the meat has no growth hormones in it and is raised locally. I am not a big veggie eaters although I do make a mean veggie quesadilla. I buy almond milk but have failed to find a decent soy coffee creamer that I can stand.

I am not a vegan, but I am vegetarian.

I personally became a vegetarian after watching far too many horrible videos on the condition of meat animals. I think I was 15 (I'm 19 now).
It was almost stupid in a way... I went up to my mom and I said: I'm going vegetarian. So I stopped eating meat just like that (not recommended!). She was NOT happy (she's a total carnivore.. I never cared for meat that much.. I would always go for the vegetables first) and I felt weak for many days. Was it worth it? Definitely!

My favorite meals are the simplest ones...
Rice with boiled carrots and steamed broccoli and cauliflower.
Homemade vegetable soup: I use vegetable broth and add any and all veggies I have on hand! Think potatoes, carrots, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, onions, tomatoes, cabbage, etc and I add some rice and spices and let it simmer!
Chinese stir-fried rice (with peas, corn and carrots)
All sorts of pasta.. I loooove pasta!
Stir fried vegetables and rice cooked in vegetable broth...
Stuff like that! (I hope you like rice, lol)

I would maybe suggest going vegetarian before going vegan.. it just makes the transition a lot easier.

Also.. I would LOVE to eat raw. It just seems like I would get bored of it after a while.. but it's something on my to-do list.
Going vegan is also something I'm considering.. I just LOVE cheese, so that would be hard.

I'm surprised that you can't find any vegetarian/vegan cookbooks... maybe you could order some online?
I personally use allrecipes.com and just omit the meat if there's any.

I became a vegetarian in August, a month later I was vegan. I became a vegan for my health mainly. The fact that I take no part in any animal cruelty is a huge bonus for me.
Since going strictly vegan, I'm so much healthier, I've never eaten better in my life. I no longer have IBS, I no longer have daily headaches, my chronic knee pain is gone and my back inflammation is no more. Even my asthma is getting way better. I can sometimes go a week with no inhalers and I used to be on two of them daily.
It's so easy to veganise all your meals.

Milk which is actually blood and pus of cows (not making this up) = soy milk or almond milk
Chocolate milk = almond dark chocolate milk
ground meat = ground veggie soy frozen.
cheese = nothing, I'm enjoying my dairy free life
ice cream = rice ice cream, soy ice cream... YUMMY
yogurt = almond yogurt dairy free

Basically, your vegan meal should have a grain like brown rice, quinoa, bulgur, couscous, or whole wheat noodles/pasta or beans/legumes, then you add any vegetable you like and then a sauce like tomato, teriyaki, sweet chill ginger sauce, onion broth, mushroom broth or gravy using flour and vegan margarine and a bouillon of mushroom, onion or vegetable.

Best cookbooks: the happy herbivore, the everyday happy herbivore, Chloe's kitchen, the compassionate chef. There are many more but these ones are simple and fast to make.
The internet is loaded with vegan recipes. I have never had such a wonderful variety of meals and I'm actually enjoying cooking again. No more worries about any contamination either, and you can't make your meal dangerous with undercooking, it will just taste different. lol

My brother in law and my sister went vegan as well, he's a really good cook, he's made vanilla cakes, espresso chocolate cake, pumpkin caramel muffins... The list is endless really.

Well thanks for all that info, that is great. I've hardly drunk milk in about 10 years as I just love my organic soy milk, so I'm doing that right. I think it's the flavourings that I need to get right, like the sauces. Sometimes I'll just have plain brown rice with sea salt and some steamed kale (which I am loving the flavour of now) but I need to spice things up a bit. And I guess I am so used to having meat of some sort on the plate. It seems to bulk up the meal.
I have had the soy ice cream before and yes, deeelicious!
So what about protein? I would have thought some chick peas, lentil or tofu would be part of a standard vegan meal?

So it's just a concious thing really isn't it. Just DO it because I look at the meals I have been eating and think, did something have to die just for me to eat it? I don't want anything to DIE because of me and then have me mindlessly eat it. Who am I to allow that and for that to be ok. That just doesn't sit well with me anymore. I think we humans have lost our respect for where our food comes from. Back in the day when people tended their own produce, it was paramount that the cow/pig/chicken survived and I believe they would have had a certain amount of respect for that animal. Not like today where we go to the supermarket and pick up something wrapped in plastic that we have no idea where it came from and what kind of life it lived.

Jorats, that's great that you are feeling so good.

This all helps with moving towards a better way of eating and life for me, thanks.

Did you know that all the recommendations, by the FDA are all wrong! But they won't admit it because it's a huge campaign for the very cruel meat industry.

First of all, it has been scientifically proven that we don't need that much protein! Yes, just like our rats. lol They made studies and they made athlete Swedes run a massive marathon on just 35 grams of protein and they did FAR better than when having the recommended 80 grams of protein. I think I have between 20 to 30 grams of protein a day and I've never been more active and strong. I'm a very active person, with a physically demanding job and I'm not hungry or weak.
Protein will not make you feel full. Fibre is your fullness buddy.
For added protein in your meals: soy, tofu, hemp seeds, grab a handful and throw in your salad or soup or meal. Flax seeds, fresh flax, ground up in a coffee grounder and throw in your cereal, soup or meal. lentils, all kind of beans, quinoa= super grain loaded with protein.
I barely eat tofu. I don't like and there's really no need for it, our whole foods plant based diet is so full and rich already. I'd rather stay away from processed and tofu is heavily processed. But edamame...packs a protein punch. And so yummy.
Last weekend I made a brown rice with broccoli. Sounds pretty boring and tasteless except my sauce was a mix of sweet chili ginger sauce with dijon and soy sauce. OMG... It was delicious especially with the broccoli.
I've always hated brussel sprouts until I cooked it in the oven, roasted it with maple syrup. Wow!
BTW, did you know the FDA recommends we eat 0 trans fat in our diet. It's an all time killer. Where do you find trans fat? In all animal products. You can't eat an animal product without eating some kind of trans. Trans is a killer. When they were approached about that, asked if they are actually telling people to go vegan, because of the 0 trans, they said of course not, people need their meat, but that means you eat trans. Very confusing. lol
When I was on the road to finally opening my eyes to the cruelty in the meat industry... I decided, I'm only going to buy from happy cows and pigs and chickens. There really is no such thing sadly.
My sister and I were discussing this the other day... what is better? Cows, pigs, chickens living 2 years in horrid conditions and then slaughtered or cows and pigs grazing in the pens/fields, happy cows and then being thrown in a truck, for a very stressful trip to the slaughter house where they are hit repeatedly on the legs, if they fall down they push or pull them with a tracker, they are stunned and throats slit open, some pigs are boiled alive... The so called happy cows and pigs probably go into a more traumatic horrific experience than the ones that have never experienced a happy life. So which is better? None. I can't be part of that very cruel industry.
The dairy industry is even crueler. They force impregnate the cows, they have babies who are allowed to lactate for 1 or 2 days. Mom love their babies. They cry when these babies are thrown in wheel barrows and carried to a small crate. They are fed once or twice a day. They starve and restricted until they are killed for your veal. The cows, continue to moo and cry for her calf for many days, but her milk is not for her baby. It's for us. I don't understand why we humans want to drink the blood and pus of cows.
The calcium in milk is actually very damaging to our bones. It actually depletes our bones of the good calcium found in dark green vegetables. It's scientifically proven that dairy products CAUSES brittle bone disease.
The food industry is a big fat lie! Do your research and find the hidden studies. You will be shocked.

eagle said:

I don't think I can do vegan, I do love my cheese and yogurt ... I buy almond milk but have failed to find a decent soy coffee creamer that I can stand.

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have you tried the SO Delicious brand of coconut milk coffee creamers (non fat, as well!) there's a plain one and a French vanilla
they also make a coconut milk yogurt that is awesome! not a lot of variety in the flavors though
and there are vegan cheese substitutes that taste good if they are melted, esp if they are browned a bit- I like veggie shreds. To me its better tasting that real cheese. I had to give up cheese because of the sodium and fat in it. I don't really miss it that much but when I do I get the get the veggie shreds.

oh,there's also rice milk, it seems a bit watery to me but I prefer the rice to soy. No funny after taste, I think soy has a bit of a bitter aftertaste.

I have tried to reply twice now and my internet has dropped out. Gah!.

I can see you are so passionate about this jorats, I am very quickly heading that way also.
The meat and dairy industries here are also a scam. There is so much money and advertising involved that it's almost as though people are brain-washed into believing them. I'm glad you mentioned the tofu though because I don't care for it much either, so it's nice to know it's not necessary in a healthy diet.
Tonight I had organic brown rice with mushrooms and zuccini cooked on the BBQ. I also had a spoonful of John West salmon though...salt free of course. I felt (or my body felt) it was much better than a chunk of chicken or meat though. The meal was delicious and I whipped up a sauce to pour on the rice: seseme oil, soy sauce, cumin, chilli flakes and a little bit of honey. Dee-lish.

Thank you for the posts. I am excited to try some new recipes.

What did your partners/husbands/family members think? Were they supportive? Did they also decide that they would try this or commit to it? With all of the cruelty described in the posts, I can't see how anyone could not choose veganism or vegetarianism at least.

mia9_28 said:

Stuff like that! (I hope you like rice, lol)

I would maybe suggest going vegetarian before going vegan.. it just makes the transition a lot easier.

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I LOVE rice!
Thanks for the suggestion, it's probably the best way for me to get started on this journey.

Petunia said:

eagle said:

I don't think I can do vegan, I do love my cheese and yogurt ... I buy almond milk but have failed to find a decent soy coffee creamer that I can stand.

Click to expand...

have you tried the SO Delicious brand of coconut milk coffee creamers (non fat, as well!) there's a plain one and a French vanilla
they also make a coconut milk yogurt that is awesome! not a lot of variety in the flavors though
and there are vegan cheese substitutes that taste good if they are melted, esp if they are browned a bit- I like veggie shreds. To me its better tasting that real cheese. I had to give up cheese because of the sodium and fat in it. I don't really miss it that much but when I do I get the get the veggie shreds.

oh,there's also rice milk, it seems a bit watery to me but I prefer the rice to soy. No funny after taste, I think soy has a bit of a bitter aftertaste.

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No I have not tried the coconut milk creamrs I will have to see if one of the close stores has it. I have tried the cheese substitutes they were ok , but sadly if I had a choice I would take regular cheese. It is still a work in progress for me and baby steps.

I absolutely can't stand the cheese substitutes. But it was easy for me to give up cheese because it really hurt my tummy.
For my coffee, my store carries Silk soy for coffee. You can have it in regular or french vanilla. Very yummy!

How did my husband react? He's very supportive but tells me he can not be vegetarian or vegan. In the beginning, I was ok with making two meals but then the more I read up on the cruelty to animals, the more I started to refuse to even buy meat at the store. I told him he can buy it, cook it and eat it himself. He's a big boy now. lol But he's been eating all my meals and loving it too. I do know that at work, he does eat out a lot at fast foods to get his meals.
And the thing that bothers me the most... going vegan can prevent Alzheimer's, heart disease, reverse arteriosclerosis, prevent and reverse prostate cancer, heal arthritis, prevent colon cancer, and much more. These are based on scientific facts so it's not made up. My husband's paternal side of the family all died of arteriosclerosis, his mom has alzheimer's and colon cancer. It baffles me that he's not worried about his own health. I would go vegan in a flash if those were my genes.
I'm also struggling really hard with my husband choosing to eat a dead animal, even though knowing they suffered horribly, just so you can get a few minutes of pleasure.
I also have to remind myself that every little step counts. So each time my husband eats my meals and not at the fast food place, he's healthier and being cruelty free. Each step, each cruelty free meal counts!

jorats said:

.................. going vegan can prevent Alzheimer's, heart disease, reverse arteriosclerosis, prevent and reverse prostate cancer, heal arthritis, prevent colon cancer, and much more. These are based on scientific facts so it's not made up. ......................

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I knew some of that ... but to see it all in one place WOW!!

I just read that the dairy industry is petitioning the Food and Drug Administration to allow aspartame and other artificial sweeteners to be added to milk and other dairy products without a label. The FDA currently allows the dairy industry to use “nutritive sweeteners” including sugar and high fructose corn syrup in many of their products. http://www.thelibertybeacon.com/2013/02 ... -approval/

These additives are linked to obesity and Type 2 diabetes .... another reason not to consume dairy products.

Aspartame is so bad for you. OMG. They just keep getting worse and worse. I'm wondering if they are hoping to reduce the calorie with the sweeteners so they can entice more people to drink that toxic pus and blood. UGH

jorats said:

Aspartame is so bad for you. OMG. They just keep getting worse and worse. I'm wondering if they are hoping to reduce the calorie with the sweeteners so they can entice more people to drink that toxic pus and blood. UGH

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From the article, it sounds like they are targeting children ...

Hmmmm....I do like cheese....but I don't eat it a lot anyway.

I am a little annoyed at my partner, he seems to be happy to stick his head in the sand. As far as he's concerned he believes that industries working with animals have strict codes to adhere to and he places his trust in them that they are treating the animals properly. How ridiculous. After a few conversations though, he does seem to grasp and accept the idea that we have no idea where our meat comes from and how detached we are from it these days when picking up a slab of it wrapped in plastic at the supermarket.

I bought a book about 10 years ago called Changing Habits Changing Lives by Cindy O'Meara. It was one of the most infuential books I have read regarding food and it's based around eating more natural, non-processed foods but lays it out in a way that eases you into it and is acheivable. I need something like that for veganism!!

I was veggie for about three years, during which I fell in love with the Post Punk Kitchen, this gal also has some amazing cook books! http://www.theppk.com/

My favorite recipe website is allrecipes.com. So many recipes, and there is a vegan/vege section.

It's nearly impossible to be fully vegan, considering lots of plastics and other common items are made from cow and such. I could never be vegan, or vegetarian, I was born hunting and fishing for food to eat. I also own a few pelts, and mount animals( all died of natural causes mind you, although when my family goes hunting we sometimes keep the pelts after we eat).

When I was younger, I used to crave steak/red meat. It is strange, but I don't crave meat any more. I avoid eating processed meats too. I could not be vegan (love my cheese too much!) but being a vegetarian wouldn't be that bad. When I started thinking about my meals, I realized that I haven't eaten meat for over three days, even though I wasn't consciously avoiding it! Unfortunately, raw veggies and fruit give me wicked heartburn, so I can't go gangbusters on the stuff that's best for you.

I suffer from Gerd (Gastroesophageal reflux disease), Asthma and I am lactose intolerant. I was taking Nexium which worked wonders but it's a drug which should only be taken for a very short time. Can be nasty for your system in the long run. But because of my severe pains, my doctor told me I should continue with those pills. I was also on two different inhalers for my asthma. One for emergency and one for prevention. I, too, thought I couldn't live without cheese, yogurt and ice cream even if it kept me up all night with pains. lol But since cutting out all meat, dairy and eggs, I do not have severe stomach pains anymore. I have stopped taking Nexium and I only need my inhaler when I get in contact with smoke and strong perfumes and if I laugh too hard. lol Surprisingly I don't even miss cheese! I really don't! Just thinking about it now makes me gag. I just can't believe how much I feel so much better now and thinking back now, I think I used to suffer from depression. Now I feel joy everyday and have a more positive outlook on life. I think I'm in better health than I was 20 years ago. lol Anyway, this vegan thing is really working great for me.