Going Vegan: Newbie!!!?

[OHwlfYESuxxxZ]

Ok so after watching a very disturbing video about animals, I just can not see how people could eat meat. Trust me I was an avid meat eater so I am not downing the rest of you but for me I just can't support it. Anyway after I watched the film they asked me if I would go 30 as a vegetarian, which I have done before, but I thought to myself why not do it to its full capacity. No milk, eggs, bread, etc. So now this is my first time and I hope last, that I will be a vegan. My concerns are: the food will be very repetitive, and expensive, but hey I'm still gonna do it. For the vegans out there: 1. Where can I buy vegan products ( I live in NYC) . 2. Are they good? Haha I had to ask. Any tips or advice! Thanks everyone for any feedback. After 30 days I will see how it goes but I hope to continue this lifestyle. P.S. Starting today: Meals for the day oatmeal with water, veggie stew for lunch/dinner, and fries for snack! Doin ok so far >? THANKS!!!
p.s. prpaddy or whatever, i decided to do this for myself after research and continous research, so i don't know how thats jumping on any wagon, you wear jeans right? are you on any bandwagon also. you do it cause you want, im doing this because i want to.
my coworker bought me fries and a salad, CAN I EAT THE FRIES???? my other coworker said no just checking THANKS

 

[Sally]

Check out The Engine 2 Diet, a vegan cookbook. It has great/easy recipes and is full of information!!!!

 

[cricket]

You're very lucky that you live in New York. New York is one of the easiest places for a vegan to live because they have so many options. Definitely look for the Whole Foods (there's a huge amazing one in Columbus Circle) and Trader Joes around where you live, because these will be valuable resources for you. You can also find other health food stores if you just look, Google, walk around, etc. Also put a search in Google or HappyCow.net for restaurants and bakeries for when you want to give yourself a treat and eat out instead of making your own meal. There are TONS in NYC. And YES, vegan food is good. You're not gonna find yourself constantly starving or eating crappy food, unless you make it that way. But sometimes it's trial and error....don't give up if there's something you don't like....simply don't eat it again.

As for your meal today, it looks fine, depending on where the fries were from and if they were fried in animal fat, but try getting a milk substitute (soy, almond, hemp, etc.) and some agave nectar to make your oatmeal tastier. The veggie stew is fine but you're gonna want to have a lot of green veggies in your diet so try jazzing up some salads with new kinds of veggies, seeds, nuts, dried cranberries, tasty dressings... and fruit. Lots of fruit. Fruit has natural sugar, so you might find less of a craving for sugary desserts and find that you just want fruit (kiwi is my must-have). And you can find veg*n-friendly options at regular restaurants as well. You just have to either find ingredients online or ask them when you get there. Most people will be happy to help you out by answering.

If you haven't already, familiarize yourself with Maoz and Chipotle. Two great fast-ish food places with vegan options.

 

[Sarah Cliff]

Okay, firstly: Do some research for recipes. I started with the book "Skinny Bitch" for info and "Skinny Bitch in the Kitch" for recipes. The Post Punk Kitchen is a great way to get vegan recipes: http://www.theppk.com/, also veganyumyum.com, vegetarian times magazine (and it's website) and your local library.

Secondly, being vegan means you eat no dairy or meat, and any products using animal by-products (Honey, gelatin, etc). This could include such things as peanut butter, marsh mellows, milk chocolate chips, or even your fries if they're fried in animal lard, etc. I would do a quick google search to find a list of non-vegan ingredients to look out for.

Third: Vegan food can be delicious- but don't expect a replacement for mayo to taste exactly like mayo. Bread is vegan as long as it doesn't contain eggs. Check the labels on all your food before deciding to cut things out completely. You'd be surprised. Did you know most oreos are vegan? I've found the large packs are, but the small tubes are not. ALWAYS check your labels. Peta has an online list of things that are "accidentally vegan." Also, vegan diets lack the B12 vitamin, so I would suggest getting on a specialized vegan vitamin regimen, especially if you're making this change long-term. It's just a one-a-day vitamin, nothing complicated. You can get a lot of vegan food items/vitamins online, and read reviews about them (which is the most helpful when discerning what an item will taste like). Some websites are: http://www.veganstore.com, www.veganessentials.com, store.foodfightgrocery.com. Again, some googling will help. A good place to get things in NYC is Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, MET, and I've found things even on corner markets.

An example of vegan meals could be:
Breakfast: Grapefruit with splenda (watch out for sugar as it is bleached on animal bones- definitely not vegan if you're being strict), a bagel with earth balance buttery spread, oatmeal, fruit, tofu potato scramble, etc.
Lunch: pan-fried corn tortilla topped with refried beans (make sure it's not made with lard!), sauteed veggies and avocado, rice and veggies, salad filled with fresh fruit and nuts with a sweet poppy seed dressing (check the labels or make your own!!), morningstar frozen bbq "riblets" (which are freaking delicious, if i might add..) with mashed potatoes, etc.
Dinner: vegetable tacos, seitan skewers with rice, grilled portobello mushroom burgers with a spicy avocado sauce, veggie tempura, veggie sushi, pasta made with a vegan sauce (tomato, pesto without the cheese, etc.)
Use the internet and resources available at your library as an easy guide.

Don't ever think the meals will get boring or repetitive! Just because you can't use meat, doesn't mean the fun has to end!

 

[Susan]

Don't eat anything with gelatin in it, it's made mostly from pig and cow skin and bones. Some lowfat yogurts contain gelatin, as do marshmallows.

 

[Duke Nukem]

You can eat bread...... it comes from wheat. It's just the dairy products that you dont eat i.e Meat,Milk,cheese,yogurt,etc. and honestly, whats so wrong with milk and cheese? if i had to live without cheese i would fu$$ing kill myself.

 

[tay]

Most breads (examples: French bread, Ezekiel bread, and some whole wheat brands), are vegan. So you don't have to cut out bread, honey. And most of the time, fries are safe. I just check the ingredients if I am going to a restaurant, so that I can have an oil and vinegar salad with fries. Yum

 

[Pr Paddy]

another attention seekers jumping on the band wagon ....."but everyone else is doing it"