(no subject)
Hi,
I'm a non-vegan interested in / in the midst of becoming vegan. I'm 19, live with a carnivorous family, and have eaten meat almost up until now (although have been mulling over vegetarianism for years). A lot of the reasoning behind not converting sooner was being younger and feeling as thought it would leave me out of place in the family, namely around meal times when everyone was eating some form of meat and I had this image of me sitting there picking at lettuce until I went crazy. I now know this is not the case and, with the market becoming more vegan- and vegetarian-friendly, I have a lot of options.
On New Years I decided I never made any resolutions, so I made one not to eat meat and see how long I could go. Partially because I felt this might make the conversion easier and my family wouldn't pick at me about it because it would "just be a phase" and no more. Althought I still ate seafood (albeit not much at all, still), I've promptly tried veggie burgers, faux meats, tofu, meanwhile trying to wipe refined products and dairy out of my diet as much as possible.
Now, I know not eating meat since New Years is probably a laughable feat to most of the users here, but it's something I've done and hope to continue. So, while I don't need any support (the looming thought of how my meal was tortured before it finally died so I could thanklessly eat it is enough to make passing by meat dishes so very easy), I do need some help with basic things I can change in my diet, as well as things that are non-vegan which I may not be aware of, so that I may eliminate them. As well, alternatives for these products would be appreciated in making the transition.
I'm fairly certain I won't ever consume chicken, beef or pork again, and I understand I will need to stop eating seafood. I don't like eggs, so that's easy enough. I've discovered Earth Balance's buttery spread, soy yogurt, soy and rice milk, imitation meats, soy cheese and all the other general items that I'm thankful to have at my fingertips in one of the local grocery stores. I'm an anal nutrition label reader and, recently, becoming-anal ingredient reader, so I know well enough to cross things like mayonnaise (general mayo, not the vegan-approved kind, of course) and some soups off my list-o-goodies (onion soup has beef broth, I love onion soup! BOOOO). I am trying my best to go organic but the price can really take a bite out of my wallet, and as an impulse buyer it's something I'm also trying to balance in my life.
So, have at me. If there's items you know are things I should avoid, items that may seem vegan but aren't, etc., I welcome everyone here to share their knowledge and tips they've picked up from shopping around.
And, curious, what's everyone's opinion on caffeine? (In tea, organic or non-, and coffee, fair trade or non-.) What about soda (caffeinated and decaffeinated), diet or regular? I know Splenda is, in some aspects, even worse than aspartame, but obtaining natural sweeteners is a real needle-in-a-haystack jaunt. Oh, and how about alcohol? (I know wines come in organic but what about vodka? rum? whisky?)
Thanks in advance for all your answers and help.
I'm a non-vegan interested in / in the midst of becoming vegan. I'm 19, live with a carnivorous family, and have eaten meat almost up until now (although have been mulling over vegetarianism for years). A lot of the reasoning behind not converting sooner was being younger and feeling as thought it would leave me out of place in the family, namely around meal times when everyone was eating some form of meat and I had this image of me sitting there picking at lettuce until I went crazy. I now know this is not the case and, with the market becoming more vegan- and vegetarian-friendly, I have a lot of options.
On New Years I decided I never made any resolutions, so I made one not to eat meat and see how long I could go. Partially because I felt this might make the conversion easier and my family wouldn't pick at me about it because it would "just be a phase" and no more. Althought I still ate seafood (albeit not much at all, still), I've promptly tried veggie burgers, faux meats, tofu, meanwhile trying to wipe refined products and dairy out of my diet as much as possible.
Now, I know not eating meat since New Years is probably a laughable feat to most of the users here, but it's something I've done and hope to continue. So, while I don't need any support (the looming thought of how my meal was tortured before it finally died so I could thanklessly eat it is enough to make passing by meat dishes so very easy), I do need some help with basic things I can change in my diet, as well as things that are non-vegan which I may not be aware of, so that I may eliminate them. As well, alternatives for these products would be appreciated in making the transition.
I'm fairly certain I won't ever consume chicken, beef or pork again, and I understand I will need to stop eating seafood. I don't like eggs, so that's easy enough. I've discovered Earth Balance's buttery spread, soy yogurt, soy and rice milk, imitation meats, soy cheese and all the other general items that I'm thankful to have at my fingertips in one of the local grocery stores. I'm an anal nutrition label reader and, recently, becoming-anal ingredient reader, so I know well enough to cross things like mayonnaise (general mayo, not the vegan-approved kind, of course) and some soups off my list-o-goodies (onion soup has beef broth, I love onion soup! BOOOO). I am trying my best to go organic but the price can really take a bite out of my wallet, and as an impulse buyer it's something I'm also trying to balance in my life.
So, have at me. If there's items you know are things I should avoid, items that may seem vegan but aren't, etc., I welcome everyone here to share their knowledge and tips they've picked up from shopping around.
And, curious, what's everyone's opinion on caffeine? (In tea, organic or non-, and coffee, fair trade or non-.) What about soda (caffeinated and decaffeinated), diet or regular? I know Splenda is, in some aspects, even worse than aspartame, but obtaining natural sweeteners is a real needle-in-a-haystack jaunt. Oh, and how about alcohol? (I know wines come in organic but what about vodka? rum? whisky?)
Thanks in advance for all your answers and help.