from Meat to Silverbeet.... best method??

Question

I have only jumped on the vege train quite recently, and im not sure ive got a valid ticket...

the thing is... i think it might be best to take a gradual approach??

i mean, ok, i stopped eating steaks and burgers and heavier stuff out, mostly because when i gave it some thought, i only ate those things before just because they were there...

then i slowly took bacon and sliced meat and meat on pizza and stuff off the list, so basically now im at a stage where im pretty much off meat, but still feel i need a dose of chicken every week, but at least i don\'t necessarily crave red meat or fish.

I find i\'m eating a lot of dairy, (forget veganism for the time being) lots of bread, lots more greens and other veggies though too, and i appreciate all the advice and stuff out there, but whats the best way?? I feel as though changing a diet completely straight up is 1. not going to be permanently effective and 2. going to hurt me physically.

so, please share... how did you get on the vege train??

ahimsa32fa · Answer

I became a vegetarian in 1975 because of the health issues.
I became a vegan in 1985 for two basic reasons:
Jacob, my furry best friend, helped me understand the world from a non human point of view, and I read many great books, including:
"Animal Liberation" by Peter Singer
"Animal Factories" by Singer and Jim Mason
"Diet for a New America" by John Robbins
"An Unnatural Order" by Jim Mason
"The Pig Who Sang to the Moon" by Jeffrey Masson

I wrote several books myself, including "The Weaning of America".

DC1346 · Answer

I've written 5 cookbooks out of a planned 8 in a series called The Unintentional Vegan, Vegan Version Recipes of Popular Comfort Foods. These are available as e-books through Amazon.com. 

Although there are a great many processed foods available to vegans with everything from "scallops" and ground "beef" to whole "turkeys" and "sausages," as with everything else you're paying for the convenience of using these products.

I just returned from a shopping trip to the Whole Foods Market on Vegas Blvd. in Las Vegas. Would you believe that they're selling raw organic almond butter for over $30 a jar? Even allowing for the fact that this product was made from sprouted almonds, it'd still be far cheaper for you to make your own. 

It's hard to answer your question because I really don't know anything about your situation. 

Do you, for example, live in an area that's vegan friendly? I moved to Las Vegas over 2 months ago and have found that this city has several vegan friendly restaurants. Stores like Whole Food and Trader Joe also offer organic produce as well as a variety of vegan friendly processed foods. 

I moved here from rural Arizona where there were NO vegan restaurants and where there were very few vegan products (outside the produce department) that were available for purchase. 

Assuming you live in a vegan friendly area can you AFFORD to eat out or to buy vegan processed foods? This could become quite expensive. Would you believe that I found a slice of pumpkin pie selling at Whole Foods for $5.99? I included a recipe in my most recent cookbook, The Unintentional Vegan: Sweet, Treats, and Desserts, for a no-bake pumpkin pie. The cost of producing this ENTIRE PIE probably equaled the cost of the single slice being offered for sale at Whole Foods. 

Do you have any cooking skills? It won't do you much good to purchase my cookbooks (or any other vegan cookbook) if you don't know how to cook. 

Do you have friends and family who support your proposed vegan lifestyle? That could be tricky. I've known people to break up because of disagreements over dietary preferences. I once had a Culinary Arts student try to go vegan. She finally opted out because her family refused to accommodate her dietary preferences. Since she lived in a rural area and didn't have access to vegan groceries, she only lasted a week. She finally broke when her parents took her family to a steak house. While they chowed down on grilled t-bone steaks, she had to make do with a plain baked potato and a salad. 

The support of friends and family can be important in whether or not you go vegan ... or can stay vegan. 

In the end, you have to do what's best for you. If you're happy being vegetarian - that's great. If you're careful about keeping the saturated fats and cholesterol down (from eggs and dairy products), it will admittedly be easier for you to be a lacto-ovo vegetarian than a vegan. 

Best wishes,

David

VeganInProgress · Answer

I have only been vegan since 9/9/2013 but I jumped in with both feet. I never really thought about it until I saw Vegucated.....it changed my life- I have not(knowingly) eaten any animal products since. I Try not to use too much processed stuff because I know its not really good for me or my son(he went lacto/ovo veg). What I notice most is that I am not hungry all the time-like I used to be. I don't really snack anymore. 

Going vegan was the best decision I ever made. Good luck to you!!!

inbloom2316 · Answer

When I decided to go vegetarian, I did it immediately.  For me, it was actually very easy, despite having been a meat-freak and a junk food addict.  It won't affect your health negatively, and you will quickly find meat to be disgusting, especially if you are doing it for animal rights.  Italian, mexican, and chinese food will be your friends, because with italian and chinese, you can easily get meat free options and with mexican you can substitute beans for meat. Being a vegetarian was a piece of cake, and now I am a vegan :)

melodymixa · Answer

Wow, thanks for your input...

I have been veggie for over 2 months now, and it is getting easier. I think most meat eaters don't want to make the switch because of effort. Mental effort because you have to think about choices and physical effort because you have be a little more creative in the kitchen - this from a perspective of living in a household of meat eaters and having to be careful to prepare food separately and avoid the meats.

To give more details about my own personal situation... I live at home, temporarily, with meat eaters who tried for about two weeks to support my vegetarianism, then gave up completely, and not only for that reason, but others as well, i lead a completely separate life to all the others in the house. This is fine, because by this time next year i will almost be finished with my masters study in linguistics, and have therefore better opportunity to move out and live my life my way.

I think the most interesting thing about suddenly turning vego are the social implications. The way people react to you, and sometimes you realise other peoples ignorance. It's a valuable experience i think for that alone, because without trying, you can test the values other people hold and challenge your own as well.

My skills in the kitchen are perhaps limited, but I have predominantly been a cook for about 5 years, in japanese, mexican, american, canadian and now australian cuisine. All those jobs involve cooking meat, in one way or another, and I still do it, because i need the dollars, and at least my current workplace is very mindful of getting local and sustainable meat products. But for me, I would really like to expand my knowledge of veggie food so that I can live by myself and not get bored by eating the same kinds of salad and rice everyday. So, I will take a look at some of the cookbooks and whatnot.

I am, as mentioned above, still studying, and living in a less than desirable household, but I'm biding my time, and I am excited about 2015 and beyond, I want to live by myself, hopefully get into some great career opportunities and be a successful vegetarian, maybe i'll even try real veganism. I'm just trying to learn as much as i can so i can make that future happen.

So thanks again, keep up the good life everyone!!

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