Hello all!

[VickiVonDoom]

Hey guys!

My name is Vicki and this Tuesday will make three weeks that I have been eating vegetarian. My family and I do our best to eat as strictly organic as possible (which is pretty damn organic, go us!) and have been eating that way for over a year, now.

The transition was not that hard for me because I have not eaten any red meat or pork since I was very, very little. Chicken and turkey were my downfalls and I thought that I would never be able to give them up but after
too many years of being hesitant I've decided to do what I should have done years ago and go vegetarian.

I want to just say, first off, that this site is very helpful and you all seem like a lovely community- I look forward to our many discussions.

That being said, I figure it can't hurt to ask some basic questions.
I apologize in advance if these are redundant.

-There's a company called Smart Deli that makes tofu-based products. Seeing as that I'm used to a turkey sandwich for lunch more often than not, I started to eat their Roast Turkey-flavored slices (it's Tofurkey, essentially). I've also been starting to eat soy cheeses. I'm not yet sure that I would be able to be a strict and committed Vegan but I have been tending to cut out my milk, cheese, and eggs, although I drink soy milk. Is it okay to make these kinds of things (the Tofurkey and soy cheese) a main part of my diet?

-I take a Women's daily multiple, Vitamin C (1000mg), and a Calcium/Magnesium/Vitamin D supplement (natural, in a green food base) daily. Once a week I take a 65 mg iron pill. Is this neccessary? Should I be supplementing more?

-I drink plenty of water as it is. On a daily basis, I usually drink about 2 or 3 litres' worth. I like juices a lot, too. Lately I've been looking at two kinds of juices, the Naked line of products and Sambazon acai organic shakes. They seem to have a lot of sugar and carbs and all that stuff that makes me crazy to look at. Are either of these kinds of drinks okay to have? I mean on a semi-daily basis. I like to have juice with breakfast or lunch. Also, are fruit smoothie drinks in general a good idea to have often or is it more beneficial to make my own?

-The only kind of bread I eat is Ezekial 4:9. Is this okay? Should I have a better variety?

-The obvious animal products are...well...obvious. But things like Gelatin are a little sneakier. What are some of the other ingredients I should be avoiding in products?

Thanks a lot in advance to anybody who feels like answering.

-Vicki

[a7dk]

:hi: and welcome to VB! It looks like your thread got a little buried, but I thought I'd resurrect it since no one replied.

As for the tofu/soy cheese...I'm not really an expert in that area so hopefully someone else will jump in. I can tell you that if you're eating a balanced diet then a vitamin supplement should not be necessary (unless you're planning to go vegan, in which case you'd want a B12 supplement). Certainly you can get all the iron you need from green leafies, which are also chock-full of other vitamins & minerals such as calcium that you need. So make those a staple.

As for the drinks you mention, it's better to stick with water in general but it won't hurt you to have a sugar-laden juice drink sometimes.

Bread: Hmm...I don't know...anyone?

And sneaky things. Uh, well, I'll assume you're l/o veg here. It sounds like you know about gelatin, which you can find in yogurts, sour creams, dips, and lots of other creamy smooth things (including unexpected places like pop-tarts). Also look out for cheeses that contain animal rennet. This is made from the stomach linings of calves or deer, I think. You'll find that many cheeses list rennet as an ingredient but don't say whether it's animal or veg based, so you need cheeses that say "vegetarian" on the label or call the company to find out.

Good luck!

[the empire]

A7DK was totally right about balance in your diet. Eating soy meat/cheese or drinking a sugary drink is totally cool if you are balancing everything else. It's easier than you might think to be a junkfood vegetarian/vegan.

Ezekiel bread is very high in protein (and very tasty). Again, no problem unless all you eat is Ezekiel bread.

It sounds like you are on a great path for success and setting yourself up for veganism well. Congratulations!