going vegan

[Guest guest]

Spectrum brand margarine is really tasty, for one! i don't think you can fry

stuff with it, but i believe you can still use it for baking and it DOES have a

buttery taste.

 

good luck going vegan!! i've been vegan for almost a year now and i LOVE

it!!! my mom also went vegan a few months ago and loves it as well!

 

cherrie

 

" What is man without beasts?If all beasts were gone,

men would die from a great loneliness

of the spirit.

For whatever happens to the beast,

soon happens to man. "

~Chief Seattle~

 

my webpage:

 

http://pages.ivillage.com/opheliabug/glitteropheliaspage/

 

 

 

After years of being a vegetarian, I'm now working toward vegan

status. (One trip to the PETA site jumpstarted me!) My main stumbling

block is butter. I've tried a few substitutes, but the taste isn't

there. I'm now using olive oil, but was hoping someone could suggest

a butter substitute.

Thanks to all for these incredible receipes. I'll return the favor

soon.

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Yeah, butter is one of the easier parts, in my opinion. Spectrum Spread is

REALLY good.

 

Preston

[Guest guest]

Preston,

 

I'll have to agree. I tried one of the vegan butters last night (Earth

Balance), and was very impressed....there was no funny taste whatsoever. I

do wish I could find a low-fat version, however. Earth Balance has 11 grams

of fat (the same as butter). It still beats the dairy version, since it's

saturated fat is only 3 grams (as opposed to 8 grams for butter). And

there's no trans-fatty acids. So it's WAY healthier, no matter how you look

at it.

 

I'm really struggling, though, with my search for cheese alternatives. So

far, I haven't found any satisfactory un-cheeses. They all taste beany or

the texture is all wrong. I guess that's going to be the one big area I

can't easily hurdle. My favorite flavors (and textures) are the mozzarella

(for my pizzas), cheddar (for sandwiches), and parmesan (for lots of

things). If anyone knows of really authentic-tasting products with these

flavors (that melt in the same way cheese melts), I'd be interested. I

hesitate to pour more money into trying the bazillion different products out

there (without getting specific recommendations).....it's getting expensive.

If I don't like the taste, it usually ends up getting thrown away. Can

anyone recommend a pseudo-cheese that meets a cheese-lover's requirements?

I wish I could remember the brands I've already tried....but I'd definitely

recognize them when I see them on the shelf. Anyway....

 

Thanks in advance. :-)

 

Amy

 

 

>>>Yeah, butter is one of the easier parts, in my opinion. Spectrum Spread

is

REALLY good.

 

Preston>>>

[Guest guest]

Spectrum makes a VERY good mayo that is not milk free, but egg free.

Contains a bit of skim milk. Also there is Veganaise, which I like very much

too.

 

Preston

 

>

> ktlavery [ktlavery]

> Friday, May 11, 2001 6:54 AM

>

> Going Vegan

>

>

> Thanks so much to whoever (sorry, I deleted it) suggested Earth

> Banlance butter substitute. It is not quite as sweet as butter, yet a

> good taste, good texture, no " funny " taste or oily feeling as some

> margarines leave. One problem solved!

> Now on to mayo - talk about funny tasting! I'm in the same situation

> as the person with the cheese, (and by the way I bought a parmesian

> replacement - I'll let you know how it is) I've purchased a few, only

> to toss them with the first taste. Anyone found a good one? THANKS.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Vegannaise is the best-tasting vegan mayo I've found. It's delicious!

You'll find it in the refrigerator section, not on the shelf with the other

mayos.

 

Sherry

 

At 01:54 PM 5/11/2001 -0000, you wrote:

>Thanks so much to whoever (sorry, I deleted it) suggested Earth

>Banlance butter substitute. It is not quite as sweet as butter, yet a

>good taste, good texture, no " funny " taste or oily feeling as some

>margarines leave. One problem solved!

>Now on to mayo - talk about funny tasting! I'm in the same situation

>as the person with the cheese, (and by the way I bought a parmesian

>replacement - I'll let you know how it is) I've purchased a few, only

>to toss them with the first taste. Anyone found a good one? THANKS.

[Guest guest]

i HIGHLY recommend VEGANAISE mayonaise. i love it. my husband thinks it tastes

so much like the real thing he doesn't buy his own mayo anymore, he's happy to

use mine!! it's the BEST!!!

 

(can you tell i like the stuff? lol)

 

cherrie

 

" What is man without beasts?If all beasts were gone,

men would die from a great loneliness

of the spirit.

For whatever happens to the beast,

soon happens to man. "

~Chief Seattle~

 

my webpage:

 

http://pages.ivillage.com/opheliabug/glitteropheliaspage/

 

 

Thanks so much to whoever (sorry, I deleted it) suggested Earth

Banlance butter substitute. It is not quite as sweet as butter, yet a

good taste, good texture, no " funny " taste or oily feeling as some

margarines leave. One problem solved!

Now on to mayo - talk about funny tasting! I'm in the same situation

as the person with the cheese, (and by the way I bought a parmesian

replacement - I'll let you know how it is) I've purchased a few, only

to toss them with the first taste. Anyone found a good one? THANKS.

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Hi guys- I'm interested in becoming vegan. I'm already a vegetarian, but would like to eliminate all animal products. Any suggestions for making the transition easier?

Thanks

Jess

[Guest guest]

Jessica:

 

It’s great you want to transition to being a vegan. Books that helped me include “Becoming Vegan” by Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina; “The Vegan Sourcebook” by Joanne Stephaniak, also “Being Vegan” by Stephaniak. All are excellent resources for nutritional needs and debunking myths. “The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia” by Rebecca Wood has great information about fruits, veggies, grains and herbs.

 

Read labels. Watch out for honey. It’s in lots of bread products among other things. A good substitute is maple syrup. Also, some types of soy cheese have casein which is a (cow’s) milk protein. Cheese is hard to give up. I found it easiest to use up non-vegan food products and replace them with vegan foods. I felt much better when I eliminated dairy from my diet.

 

As for clothes, there’s a great vegan store in SF on 16th in the Mission between Guerrero and Dolores called Otsu. And, there are lots of good websites. Pangeaveg.com is especially good.

 

Good luck.

 

Mark Hotsenpiller

markhots

[Guest guest]

Here's something you might want to check out, it's a vegan mentoring

program that I read about in the latest VegNews issue:

 

http://www.vegan-info.com/mentor.html

 

, jessica hoh <surferjh1@s...> wrote:

> Hi guys- I'm interested in becoming vegan. I'm already a

vegetarian, but would like to eliminate all animal products. Any

suggestions for making the transition easier?

> Thanks

> Jess

[Guest guest]

Bay Area Vegetarians also has a Veggie Mentor program :-)

 

http://www.bayareaveg.org/mentor

 

Good luck

 

Chris

 

 

jenn_walker2002 [jenn_walker2002] Monday, March 21, 2005 3:48 PM Subject: Re: going vegan

Here's something you might want to check out, it's a vegan mentoring program that I read about in the latest VegNews issue:http://www.vegan-info.com/mentor.html--- In , jessica hoh <surferjh1@s...> wrote:> Hi guys- I'm interested in becoming vegan. I'm already a vegetarian, but would like to eliminate all animal products. Any suggestions for making the transition easier? > Thanks> Jess

[Guest guest]

> Any suggestions for making the transition easier?

 

I think meeting cows and chickens first-hand may help keep you motivated to avoid the milk and eggs that they produce. If you can, join us for the trip to Animal Place that Lena just posted (it's happening Sat 4/16), see evite below

 

http://www.evite.com//animalplace

 

For a good cookbook, I'd recommend Peaceful Palate (simple, pretty easy yet tasty recipes) as well as Vegan Vittles (more tasty recipes, and also profiles some of the critters at Farm Sanctuary). I've heard recently from several people that Vegan Planet is excellent.

 

 

Then, once you're ready with some vegan recipes that you'd like to try, pick one and come to one of our Vegan Food Parties. They happen generally every month (or whenever someone volunteers). It's a great way to try a variety of homecooked vegan foods, and also just to connect with other like-minded folks and be in a supportive environment. And, if you like camping, I'd also recommend our vegan beach retreat on 5/20-22 -- it will be an opportunity to cook & eat vegan for an entire weekend.

 

The next VFP is this Saturday, 3/26, in Atherton (details on BAV Event Calendar).

 

Event Calendar

http://www.bayareaveg.org/events.php

 

Cheers,

Tammy

 

 

Veg and Animal Rights events, food, fun, and fellowship

http://www.BayAreaVeg.org

 

 

 

Check out the Ultimate Guide to Vegetarian Living in the San Francisco Bay Area ... veg foods, services, and more!

http://www.bayareaveg.org/ug

[Guest guest]

Going VeganOctober 26, 2006by Ben Hoffman, Gauntlet Vegan Ben Hoffman can kiss raw meat goodbye, but it's not recommended. Credit: John MacDonald / the Gauntlet Print this story University is a time for proving your parents wrong, resounding lifestyle changes, pretension and, if you believe everything you see on popular television, talking philosophy at parties. It's hard to balance all of those at times, especially with profs doling out readings like theirs is the only class and teaching assistants marking assignments as if with a personal grudge.Luckily, we here at the Gauntlet found a way to satisfy all four of these lofty university ideals at once. When done right, it doesn't even change your day-to-day homework grind. That's right, we're talking about the ethically distinguished, functionally dubious vegan lifestyle, which many students at some time

in their academic career may be wont to try.Not only have we rediscovered this nifty lifestyle choice, we've embedded reporter Ben Hoffman to get a perspective on it for those who would decide to practice it. Over the next month, he shall endeavor to report on all things vegan. WHY"Why am I doing this? God, this is going to be so expensive and will probably kill me, I can't handle it."This mantra repeats through my head as I shovel bell peppers, carrots and romaine lettuce into my shopping basket, contemplating a life with only garden salad to console me. My mind flips back to a couple of days earlier on the phone."I think people may want to be a vegan for many reasons," Melanie Faust, University of Calgary Health Services' part-time dietitian tells me. "Many people may think that it's one of the healthiest diets out there, because basically they're avoiding all animal products and so by doing that they're avoiding a lot of

unhealthy fats that come along with a high intake of animal products. Saturated fats and stuff like that would be a lot lower when you're following a vegan diet. Other people might follow it for different reasons [like] ethical reasons or environmental reasons. Some people might find it's a lot cheaper to follow a vegan diet, because generally animal products are a lot more expensive. Then there are those people that have religious reasons."It's true, there are a plethora of reasons to go vegan. Wait a sec, though, one of the healthier diets out there? Different, maybe, but healthier?"Is it actually healthier?" I shoot back skeptically."It can be," Faust replies. "It depends on whether someone goes about being vegan with a good amount of information backing them up before they get started so that they know how to make sure that they're getting all the right nutrients. If they know what they're doing, it's very healthy.""But a meat diet can

be healthy too, right? I mean, not strictly a meat diet...""Yeah, not just a meat diet, no, but incorporating animal products can be healthy too.So veganism is really no better or worse than a meat diet, it's maybe just a little less sustainable?""If it's done properly, vegetarians in general--people who reduce animal protein from their diet--tend to have a lower body mass index," Faust explains. "They are found to have a healthier weight than people that aren't vegetarians. They're also shown to have lower death rates from heart disease, lower cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, lower rates of type two diabetes and different cancers as well, so in a sense you can say that if followed properly, it can be a healthier way to go."Hm. Didn't know that... This knowledge does go a long way in helping me pick vegetables with moxie. Providing me some reassurance I can make it for at least a month, the grand experiment is worth

pursuing. Still, just a quick wander through the aisles of the grocery store shows me what will be missing entirely from my life in the next few weeks. Sandwich meats, bread, cheese. Cereal with milk, hot chocolate, pasta, yogurt. Cream in my coffee. Damn."If I bite my fingernails, does that mean I'm not a vegan anymore?" I ask."Oh, I dunno," Faust ponders. "That's your call I think. Depends if you swallow them or not." THE KEY INGREDIENTSDo you see many cases where people have become malnourished because they didn't do enough research to become vegan or vegetarian?" I ask. My nightmare is that, even with a bunch of research, I will still end up sick in the hospital, so I want to make absolutely sure I know how likely the possibility is.“They have been quite common.” Faust says. “The most common things we see are people that have become deficient in vitamin b12 and in iron, and sometimes in calcium. That’s not something you necessarily

see [visually]. You can really only see the effects of that long term. That’s the risk of avoiding animal products, especially if you’re avoiding dairy products, which are your primary source of calcium. Long-term-wise, if someone’s not making sure they’re getting adequate calcium through other sources, then they can end up with osteoporosis. It’s really important to make sure you’re getting foods with those nutrients; otherwise you can end up with nutrient deficiencies.” Being a vegan means making the right choices about supplementing what would otherwise be coming from the meat portion and dairy products in your diet. Luckily, the Dietitians of Canada believe there is a right way of going about this supplementation, and that it's possible and even healthy to do so if researched properly. There are several things primarily missed in meat's absence, and several ways of going about replacing them. ProteinProteins are the basic building blocks of cellular

life. In humans, proteins are made of chains of 20 different types of chemicals called amino acids, 10 of which cannot be made in the body and must be obtained from food. These amino acids become harder to obtain in a vegan diet and must be accounted for by any means necessary. Missing out on essential amino acids forces your body to decompose its own proteins when it needs them, causing muscle degeneration and other ill effects.Good protein sources outside of meat include soy products like tofu, grains, nuts and the ever unpopular supplements. Grains shouldn't be treated as a whole protein source and are relatively hard to break down. Nuts, on the other hand. should go in just about everything. IronAlthough this is more important for females than males, iron will be lacking in an unplanned vegan diet. The best thing to eat: dark greens."I would go for dark greens like spinach or kale or other types of mustard greens and collard greens," Faust

says. "The reason I say that is because they're really packed with a lot of nutrients. Some of them give you quite a lot of folic acid, spinach gives you quite a bit of iron as well. Bok choy and broccoli give a bit of iron. In that sense, if you're not going to be eating meat, I would focus on making sure you were getting those types of vegetables in your diet." CalciumThis one's for your bones! Inadequate calcium in your diet leads to osteoporosis in the long run, and I'm told osteoporosis is awful. The Dietitians of Canada recommend fortified soy and bok choy if you want to grow up big and strong like your dad. Vitamin DNo, no, not the singer, that's Vitamin C. Vitamin D is a chemical that apparently makes sure you have the right amount of calcium and phosphorous in your blood. Unfortunately it's found mostly in dairy, so vegetarians will be fine, but vegans might have trouble. Fortified soy milk is one source, otherwise, look towards vitamin

supplements. Vitamin B12Deficiency in B12 causes anemia. If you like your red blood cells, and boy, do I ever, then you might want to get some fortified soy milk, nutritional yeast, multivitamins, or Chinese Dang Gui.Long story short, there are a few peculiarities about a vegan diet anyone interested in trying the lifestyle should be aware of."I would say, portions-wise, the majority of your diet is going to be whole grains, vegetables and fruits." Faust says. "So this switch is basically going to be towards choosing ones which are the more whole grain types of starches. If you're going for pasta, I would say whole wheat pasta, if you're having rice, go for brown rice. Try different grains, maybe things that you've never tried before. Something like a quinoa, you might not have heard of it, but you can find it in health food stores. Things like quinoa or barley or bulghur have quite a lot of protein in them.That's one of the things

that vegans are often lacking, they are not getting adequate protein, so if you choose grains that have a lot of protein in them, then that helps to make up for what you might be lacking. Make friends with beans, things like that, because beans and tofu-based products are going to be your main source of protein and iron. You want to make sure you're getting enough of them, but the thing is, when you eat beans, they're called an incomplete protein. What that means is they contain most of the amino acids that meat would give you, but they're lacking a few. In order to get the same nutrients that you would from meat, you would have to combine them with grain products, and by eating those two foods together it becomes a complete protein, so it's like you were eating meat.Tofu is considered a complete protein, so by eating it alone you would be getting most of what you'd be missing from meat. You're going to really want to concentrate on getting those whole grains,

more vegetables. A lot of people, I think, when they become vegetarian, one of the first things they do is they tend to eat a lot more fat. You want to make sure you're not just getting one type of food group, you want to get a balance." THE COMMUNITYThe simplest way to make becoming a vegan easier is to surround yourself with a good community. In Calgary, this isn't hard to do. Our city boasts several organic and vegetarian-tailored stores as well as an active group of people eager to help."I think there's actually a good supportive community in Calgary for [vegans]," Faust tells me. "I think that in most cities you'd be able to follow a vegan lifestyle. It helps when there are specialty food stores out there, because they will have more specialized products. For example, fake meat type products which actually are enriched or fortified with the nutrients vegans might typically be lacking.Generally, a lot of grocery stores might have those

types of foods too, artificial meat type products, soy cheeses, different soy beverages, or other rice milks. A lot of grocery stores right across the country are starting to bring in more products to cater to that market."The biggest favour you can do yourself is making a friend or two who can help you pick out good stuff to eat. It's not rocket surgery, but any abrupt dietary change can wreak havoc on your life if you don't put effort into it. It really helps to know people who have gone through the change before. THE SOY CONUNDRUMSo I stand at the organic market, palming different types of soy and rice milk, trying to figure out which one's for me. There's an adventure ahead, and I want to make the most of it. I recall hearing from someone on the more naturopathic side of the spectrum that soy throws your estrogen levels out of whack and wreaks havoc on your hormones."I don't think that there's enough research out there really to say that's

true at this point." Faust tells me on this issue in particular. "Most of the studies that have been done have focused on when people are taking soy supplements--isolated soy compounds called soy isoflavones--in tablet form. People should avoid taking it in that form, but if you're just eating soy products, tofu, soy milk, things like that, and you're eating them in normal quantities, not extremely excessive, then there are no problems with that."But the lady at the health food store next door swears the stuff's no good, except when it's fermented, like tofu. I'm really not sure what to think, so I grab some soy milk and hemp protein supplements in the hope one or the other fills my needs.It just goes to show, vegetarian means something different to everyone who practices. To try and fill somebody's predefined conception of vegetarianism is folly. There's no substitute for doing your own good research and talking to somebody.If the lifestyle is

something you really want to get into, read up on it and follow the links contained in this article. In short, be absolutely sure. Good luck and happy vegging.Peter H

Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.

[Guest guest]

Krista, I agree.. " The China Study " by Colin Campbell and Esselstyn's " Prevent

and Reverse Heart Disease " http://www.heartattackproof.com/ are wonderful

references. It's good to have copies of these handy for when anyone has any

doubt about there being substantial science supporting vegan diet, those books

settle the matter.

 

I remember when we first read The China Study, we'd already been vegan for many

years, but even so, every page we read, we felt amazement and astonishment.

With such highly respected works available to mainstream readers, how can the

developed world still eat meat?

 

That being said, it seems to me that the message is getting across. I say this

because in Canada, the pork industry is in serious trouble. The government has

offered pig farmers money to shift to some other production. " Over production "

is one of the reasons cited because consumers are buying healthier food.

 

There are some interesting commentaries about this and other related topics on

this page:

http://medicalmyths.wordpress.com/2009/07/18/advice-from-the-government-of-canad\

a-put-more-pork-on-your-fork/

 

Deborah

 

 

 

 

You've gotten good advice from many. When my family startedthe vegan part of

our diet I went to my library and got a bunchof books with vegan recipes - even

the gluten free vegan book )

Dr. McDougall is on my list to read next. We started with TheChina Study, then

read Dr. Esselstyn's book (great recipes included!).Good luck! It has been much

easier than I ever imagined.

~Krista

.