Being Vegan Is Hard, Help?!?

Question

I hate eggs so I have no problem with that part, but I absolutely LOVE cheese. I try to avoid cheese as much as possible, but I can not help it! It tastes so good! But then, when I have some cheese, I feel extremely guilty because of the torture that milking cows have been through... and then I think about their calves... and how people tortrue them. Argh, help?

Answer 1

I kinda understand where you're coming from. I ate dairy products all the time, and when I became a vegan, I had to give that up. However, I cheated a few times and every time I did, my stomach would cramp and hurt like crazy, so now I avoid it.

As for cheese, you can buy almost any type of non dairy substitute for whatever you need. Soymage makes a very good vegan Parmesan cheese. Tofuti also makes cream cheese, sour cream, and sliced cheese that is good for making vegan grilled cheese sandwiches.

The only thing I haven't found yet is a good vegan grated cheese for making pizza. All the ones I've run into either tastes bad or have casein in it, which isn't vegan. (It's a milk protein)

Answer 2

Same with me, I am a vegan and with cheese, milk and gelatin being every where in this day in time, it is extremely hard, I hate eggs too, but there is always the cakes or breads, in stores that look really good.
Its not so much that we can't live with out the ingredient ,its the fact that our industry knows that vegetable and fruits just aren't the "marketing" kind thing, there for milk and cheese are every where! What I recommend is going to a near by Health food store, they have a ton of vegan foods, if you can't find one, then look up some locations on the web!

Answer 3

With any large diet change, it's important to go gradually. If you want to go vegan, to be successful you'll probably have to put up with eating cheese a while longer - phase it out of your diet (and pardon the capslock, but Yahoo! Answers doesn't allow italics) GRADUALLY.

Start with your least favorite cheese products/dishes - stuff you don't eat all that often anyhow, like special treats and such. Slowly work your way up to your favorites, the sort of things you eat every day.

Also, if you're going vegan, keep a close eye on your nutrition. Remember that there are several different kinds of proteins, for example - humans need certain kinds, and most get them from meat and other animal products. Do some research into what combinations of plants will give you those required proteins, and find one that works for you.

I'm an omnivore, and I wish you the best of luck. :)

Answer 4

Why do you feel guilty for the cows? You did not do that to them.

At the very least they are given a life, its not like there is any animal that lives a truely pristine, ideal life while out in the wild. Do you really think that the cow would have much of a chance in the wild if he doesn't really fight back when milked and "tortured" ?

Anyway, I don't think you should starve yourself from cheese if you really love it.
I love the idea you are applying though, where you believe something with so strong a conviction that you make a great sacrifice to show that. If only all people would do so the same on issues like gasoline conservation, pollution, and the like.

Realistically though, just being a human and walking through an automatic convenience store door makes you indirectly responsible for the slaughtering of the entire ecosystem that used to preside on the store's land and any pollutants released in the processing of any components used in the store.

The moral of the story? Yeah, its cool to make a point. Really cool. But that doesn't mean you should sacrifice the things you love in order to prove them. Just be responsible with your own consumption. Cruelty to animals is not exactly a trademark of every milk manufacturing line.

Besides, you could always just be a vegan who eats cheese.

Answer 5

Find vegan foods that take your mind off of the craving for cheese, and get enough of the vitamin B-12! You need to make sure you get good nutrition, read about veganism and the vitamins you need and how to get them. You need a little B-12 badly and vegans pretty much are forced to use B-12 supplements since they don't even consume dairy products.

I need to follow my own advice about nutrition by the way. I am a vegetarian and should probably get a blood and/or hair test to find out where I might be falling short nutritionwise.

Answer 6

Hi there, I have tried a cheese thy have called vegetarian cheese. And when I tried this cheese it was ok tasting. It is maid from toil-foil. I also had the white milk and the chocolate milk, I do like both of them, but the chocolate is better. I do like enjoying the veggie foods out there.

Answer 7

I love my cheese too....which is why veganism didnt work for me. You can always get your cheese from a reliable source. Do your homework.....find which ranches don't inject their cows with hormones and torture them. I'm sure you can find places, the cheese will be expensive mind you.

Answer 8

You've proably heard this a lot but use tofu with powdered cheese replacer. It's exactly like the block of cheese your use to. And good for you for not wanting to back down on what you know is wrong!!!

Answer 9

Keep looking for vegan cheese. Follow your Heart brand is pretty good. www.nomilk.com. Don't beat yourself up about it when you eat dairy. Keep looking for substitutes that you can stand and do the best you can. Going out to dinner is very hard if you are vegan.

Answer 10

Hey, im a vegan, and im 16 and it's pretty hard on me. It was difficult but i had a lot of help.

For starters..i went to www.peta.com and then to www.peta2.com

they can send you free stuff to help you change into a vegan and do protests and whatever else you'd like to do.

It's hard at first, but after you make the change, it really makes you feel good.

Good luck!! And visit the sites i listed, they are really great