I'm thinking of going vegan?

Question

Hi, I'm thinking of going vegan but I don't know if I'll have the willpower, plus where I live there is a tiny amount of vegan substitutes available to buy...
So I would really appreciate it to hear from some vegans and tell me how easy/hard you found it?

Thanks!

Answer 1

I am vegan and I didn't really find it very hard to make the transition from vegetarianism to veganism...but everyone needs to do it in their own way. I believe the most important thing is to do it in a way that will let you enjoy your new way of eating and a way that will let you stick with it. So, if that means making the transition a little more slowly, while you learn more about veganism and vegan foods, then that is okay too!

Even if you live in an area where it is difficult to find vegan substitutes, vegan restaurants, and so forth, you can still easily become vegan and have lots of delicious food to eat. I would recommend getting a good vegan cookbook. Two that I love are:
- "Vegan with a Vengeance" by Isa Chandra Moskowitz (lots of simple, delicious recipes, with relatively easy to find basic ingredients) AND
-"La Dolce Vegan" by Sarah Kramer (also fairly basic ingredients, although she uses some vegan substitutes, i.e. vegan cheese for macaroni and cheese)

Another thing I would try is to order vegan food substitutes on the internet. One website that I love is veganessentials.com. They have lots of vegan food that you might not be able to find in a store near you. There are many websites you can order from, I just particularly like that one.

Good luck in your transition to veganism. I know you're worried about willpower, but if you do it in a way that works for you, that will probably become less of an issue over time. For me, after a while, non-vegan foods became not at all tempting anymore. Let me know if you have other questions!

Answer 2

People become vegan for different reasons and make the transition in different ways.

For some people it is easier to make a slow transition by eliminating red meat first, then chicken, then fish, etc… which can take several months or even years. Most people find it helpful to become a vegetarian first. For others, it is easier to go “cold turkey” and eliminate everything at once. You just have to decide which method is easiest or best for you.

When I decided to go vegan I made it a New Years resolution to go “cold turkey“. I dabbled with vegetarianism for years, so I already knew of a few good meatless meals, which made it slightly easier. I planned a couple months in advance what I was going to eat and tried out several recipes, so I knew which ones I liked when January came.

It was difficult at the beginning and I did make a few mistakes along the way, but I stuck to it and it gradually became easier as I adapted to my new lifestyle. The best part about eliminating all the animal products at once was that I began to notice and feel the health aspects almost immediately.

I’m sorry you don’t have many vegan substitutes available, but you can order a lot of stuff on-line and this website www.peta.org/accidentallyVegan/ has a list of vegan items that you probably didn’t know were vegan. If you have a health food store a couple hours away, don’t be afraid to bring a cooler and stock up. Most items freeze well.

Answer 3

I am not a vegan, but due to a medical condition I recently found out I have to eliminate all dairy - and it's not a lactose thing, so that literally means ALL dairy, including lactose free/reduced types.

I'm also supposed to eliminate red meat and reduce my fat intake. So, over the last couple of weeks, I've really been experimenting with the vegetarian/vegan thing. The hardest food group for me - dairy - is already off limits so that gives me a big head start.

You need to educate yourself on what's available out there, and get excited about all the new things you will be trying - find some good cookbooks that don't require the use of weird ingredients since you have limited access to these things. There's one on Amazon called "Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen" that sounds pretty good. You could also try cutting out meat/dairy/eggs gradually, rather than all at once.

Good luck!

Answer 4

When I did it, I found it extremely hard, but that's only because I didn't replace the foods I was cutting out. I basically ate pasta and salad every day. Once I found substitutes for everything, though, it got really easy. Try researching some close-by stores, alot of them will have soy milk, tofu, fake meat, and stuff like that. If none do, you can request that they supply them, or buy your food offline, from sites such as veganessentials.com. It also helps to slowly cut out a food group, like cutting out milk the first week, then eggs, then cheese, and so on.
Good luck.

Answer 5

Really you have more options than you think just because you don't have a selection of ready made items that is really unimportant. Legumes, fruit, vegetables, and whole grains are readily available most places and all you need in a Vegan diet. Go to the library and check out a couple of vegan cookbooks and try making any dish you have seen "ready made". Frozen Vegan dinners are really new to the market and you can easily make all you need. Good Luck!

Answer 6

Beef isn't vegan. There are vegan versions of beef, like seitan and vegetable protein meats but that's about it.

Answer 7

There's plenty of vegan choices no matter where you live. Vegetables, fruits, beans, rice etc.... You just can't buy the organic produce. It's all fertilized with manure and with rendered animal parts and that's not vegan. Unless you feel comfortable supporting the meat industry that is.

Answer 8

This lifestyle is not easy at all at the beginning. First of all because you are usually alone in your diet plans. Seciiond because you have to do away with everything you know about food and do some research. ALOT of research to find out the truth about certain foods like jello and what not.

Answer 9

The first couple of weeks were hard but once you get used to it it's easy. Difficult things can be hard but you come out of them stronger. I hardly even think about it now and the good points definitely outweigh the bad. Good luck!