Made the choice to become vegan after witnessing a tragic event?

Question

As an incredibly sensitive animal lover, I have always felt guilty about consuming animal meat. On Sunday, my little Italian Greyhound was horrifically masacred by a car. After seeing his little body split in half, my daughter and I absolutely cannot bring ourselves to eat meat whatsoever. If you can provide some suggestions as to how we can make the conversion over to eating meat free, I would so appreciate your words.

Answer 1

Mia, I am very sorry to hear about your dog.
I am sorry that your little girl experienced
such a painful loss as well.

I congratulate you and your daughter
on becoming vegetarian. Go to Peta.org
and you will find a number for a vegetarian
starter kit. In the mean time, in order to make
your transition easier, I would suggest trying
some mock meat products like vegan boca
burgers, vegan veggie chicken by I'ves etc.

If you do not want to consume anything that
reminds you of meat, then I would suggest
buying lentils, split peas, and various types
of legumes and mixing them with whole
grains such as quinoa, brown rice, barley,
etc. Eat three servings of green leafy
vegetables a day and eat a couple handful
of nuts in order to get calcium. Eat broccoli
and other crunchy vegetables also.
Try and get at least 3 servings of fruit a day.
Take some type of supplement to get your
b vitamins or use vegemite or nutritional
yeast fortified with b.

Just keep asking questions as you get them
and we wil be glad to help you.

Thank you for extending your compassion
to other animals.

Answer 2

I'm sorry to hear about your dog! That's so sad! I remember when I was very little, I saw a dog get run over by a truck (it had "rubber tire disease" and caused it's own death)... that image has stuck with me for over 25 years.

That said... keep in mind that there is a HUGE difference between being a vegan and being a vegetarian. It sounds like you're meaning to be a vegetarian... while many people have done it... I can't imagine going straight from meat-eater to vegan... there's SO much to look for in foods (as far as hidden animal products). It's hard enough as a vegetarian!

When I switched, I used a lot of the faux meats (Morningstar Farms in particular - it tastes very good). A lot of meals you might typically make can simply become meatless (spaghetti, lasagna, pizza, soup, etc). Allrecipes.com has a vegetarian recipe section. I only try ones that have at least 4 stars (ratings by users, not the site itself) and everything's been terrific.

Answer 3

I am so sorry to hear about your dog! Italian greyhounds are such sweethearts. Our little chihuahua/miniature pinscher was taken away from us last year in the same manner. Now I can talk about her though and not get teary eyed!

Anyway, I went vegetarian cold turkey about a month ago. I didn't eat a lot of meat as it was (mostly in fast food and TV dinners). First, I picked up some Boca burgers and chick'n patties, because I was used to those kind of meat products. Some people don't like them, I think they taste great. There are vegetarian versions of a lot of foods. Will you continue to use dairy and eggs? That helps you a lot (though I do not). I buy a lot of noodles and do asian styled recipes. I would go pick up a cookbook if possible, that helped me figure out some stuff. Good luck to you!

And of course you can raise a child on a vegetarian diet. It's scientifically proven. But people don't want to acknowledge that. I do take a daily vitamin though, so you may want to do that.

Answer 4

So sorry about your dog...

If you want to get good info about becoming vegan then go to Veg Source (link below) - there is a beginners section there and you can find out whatever you need to... never such a thing as a stupid question.

If you are looking for cook books then I would suggest going to Amazon and searching for vegan cook books. There are many good ones out there (I have about 50 so far!) and you can check out ratings from people who have bought the books to see if you like what they say and thus the book will appeal to you.

Start with easy recipes.. you will be surprised to find out how many 'normal' meals are already vegan... and do not stress out if you make an error... nobody is perfect.

Remember veganism is not just about what you eat... it is a lifestyle choice and includes no feathers for pillows or duvets, no leather, no silk, no wool etc. But again, take it all slowly. Start with easy things and take your time.

Good luck with your transition to veganism.

Answer 5

Check out this webite, it gives great info on vegan nutrition.
http://www.vrg.org/index.htm

You can also ask for help at http://www.veggieboards.com/boards/
you'll get better infor there as it is not over run by meat eaters trying to convince every vegetarian/vegan that they are making a poor choice. You'll be able to get answers from people who have been vegans for a long time, and will support you in you quest for information.

Good luck in becomming vegan, it is by far a healthier and more humane choice, one if done right you will not regret.

websites:
www.peta.com
http://www.goveg.com/

Books
-Becoming Vegan: The Complete Guide to Adopting a Healthy Plant-Based Diet
-Vegan Freak: Being Vegan in a Non-Vegan World

Answer 6

im so sorry for your loss, thats horrible
well, i want to let you know your making a good decision to not eat meat. ive been meat free for about 3 weeks now. it was really hard at first cause no one else in my family is a vegetarian, but now i cant stand the thought of a poor innocent animal being killed because of me.
dont worry, if your really committed it wont be that hard. just think of all the animals you'll save by choosing not to eat meat!
once again, i am very sorry for your loss, if i knew you i'd give you a huge hug right now but this is the best i can do.
xx

Answer 7

First of all, hugs to you and your daughter for not only losing your beloved greyhound but seeing it's body. Secondly, congratulations on become Vegan. I am also because I am too much of an animal lover to eat them. Why is it we don't eat our dogs and cats? Why eat a pig or cow? What's the difference? Why were we taught it was acceptable to eat one and not the other? Meat is murder. Animals suffer horribly and cry out in pain but their cries go unheard just because we need a burger? Does anyone really NEED a burger that bad?

Their are many vegan books and recipes. I don't cook at all and I do really well with a variety of foods. Check out Ebay for books and also there is an association called ChristianVegetarians. I think it is www.ChristianVegetarians.com or .org. Try it and see, they will send you free literature.

Thanks for making a difference and saving an animal.

Answer 8

I am so sorry about your pet. That is such a hard thing to go through.
When my son and I changed to a vegan diet we just went cold turkey, so to speak. We decided one day and never looked back. It has been the best choice for us. My son, after watching a Peta video, decided he would not eat meat any more and has embraced this new way of eating.
We just started playing around with some of our favorite dishes and "veganized" them. Nutritional yeast makes a great substitute for cheese. Tofu can be used in place of animal flesh or eggs. Soy milk for cow milk, the list goes on and on. There are so many websites where you can find great recipes.
www.peta.org/accidentallyvegan has a list of common grocery store items that are vegan.
Good luck!

Answer 9

Oh, I'm so sorry to hear about your dog.

Books. Buy books.

Sarah Kramer's books are fantastic.
http://govegan.net/

Isa Chandra's books are fantastic.
http://www.theppk.com/

Idiot's Guide to Vegan Living is fantastic.
http://www.veganchef.com/

Be gentle with yourself when transitioning. Have a support system. Feel free to e-mail me with questions.

Find vegan versions of your favorite comfort foods.

Find at least 5 recipes you can make in under 10 minutes to reduce your stress.

Buy a tub of Kal brand Nutritional Yeast. It's yummy!
http://www.myvitanet.com/nutyeasflak1.html

Answer 10

1. i am so sorry for your loss. when my dog died i just about lost it.
2. your daughter does not need meat to grow up healthy (assuming she is still growing up) so ignore the ignorant answers. heres a video on raising kids vegan (i know your talking about vegetarian, but you can still learn from this. oh and its not graphic or anything) http://youtube.com/watch?v=JxBCEWMnsVg
3. just stop buying meat and get rid of what ever is already in your home. if it isn't there, you wont want to eat it. you already have the determination needed for going vegetarian, it really isn't difficult. just know that fish, poultry, red meat and gelatin aren't veggie.