I'm going vegan too! Cherbear i've had a few slip-ups too Cheese is the ENEMY! i'm the same way w/ milk too i never liked it unless it was w/ cookies and cereal, but i got an awesome deal on rice milk and stocked up on it. But i'm more resolved then ever, lets do the damn thing! BTW i have found hummus and tahini (sesame paste found really cheap at any arabic store) are the best cheese sub ever and a mayo sub too....i put them on everything they don't taste like cheese or mayo but really make up for it somehow. Thanks for starting this thread moechalatte what a brilliant idea!

Don't forget that there IS an awesome vegan mayonnaise alternative, veganaise!:up: There are a couple of threads around here about it if you haven't tried it, I think it's really good!!!

As far as replacing cheese, guacamole is another good substitute on sandwiches and such, IF you like it, and if not, you could even do just sliced up avocados!

Congrats on going vegan!!!:vebo:

Michelle

Had to go to the parents' house this weekend... they were never real supportive of me being vegan when I lived in their house (part of the reason I stopped for a while...), but they were so nice about it this weekend! I was shocked!

I brought all my own food so they wouldn't have to go out of their way ... but my dad bought tofu for me and had me make a dish out of it for dinner - two of my brothers and my dad asked to try it - and they all had seconds!!!

:vebo:

That's great Moechalatte:hamster: My parents are a bit more careful about what they have when I'm around...my mom has finally realized a lot of what I won't eat and is glad to help me stay true to my veganism.

And I think all of you are doing great:sunny:

Had to go to the parents' house this weekend... they were never real supportive of me being vegan when I lived in their house (part of the reason I stopped for a while...), but they were so nice about it this weekend! I was shocked!

I brought all my own food so they wouldn't have to go out of their way ... but my dad bought tofu for me and had me make a dish out of it for dinner - two of my brothers and my dad asked to try it - and they all had seconds!!!

:vebo:

That's wonderful!! I love when people try tofu and enjoy it. :) :up:

That's wonderful!! I love when people try tofu and enjoy it. :) :up:

Oh yea, especially when they do the scrunched-up nose thing "ew.. tofu..." and then can't help but admit it's good! When did tofu get such a bad image anyway? I remember thinking it was "so gross" when I was younger, but I'd never even seen/tasted it before!

Oh yea, especially when they do the scrunched-up nose thing "ew.. tofu..." and then can't help but admit it's good! When did tofu get such a bad image anyway? I remember thinking it was "so gross" when I was younger, but I'd never even seen/tasted it before!

I think it got a bad image because of how it's presented in the media, maybe? I always thought it was gross when I was little, too, without knowing its taste. Whenever I saw it on TV or something, it would look like a big, white, ugly block of mushy, gross stuff. :lol: I never saw it in its different forms or after being cooked and thrown in colorful dishes.

:lovesign:, tofu!

think about it though, what does cheese look like? A big, white (or orange), block of mushy, gross stuff...and besides most foods look kinda gross uncooked anyways.

Hi everyone, just wanted to say that I have decided to be vegan! I have effectively been vegan for a couple of months now but didn't feel 'official' until last weekend as I hadn't really told anyone. Last Friday I was playing at a social event with my band and one of the organisers asked if anyone was vegetarian (they were offering us pie and peas plus 'vegetarian option', I had brought vegan shepherd's pie for me and another band member who is vegan too) and I told her in front of the others that I was vegan, so now they all know for definite.

Then on Sunday I went to my parents' house for lunch. I hadn't announced to them that I was vegan, but had told them before that I was giving up milk for health reasons and had talked to my mum about vegan food that we eat at home. They must have figured it out though, because they made a point of telling me that all the food including dessert was vegan (except for a meat thing for my carnivore uncle who was visiting) and my aunty was asking stuff about how to make certain foods if you are vegan. I also gave my mum a list of veggie burgers etc. in our local supermarket that are suitable for vegans, so I think they get the idea without me having to make any big announcements. :)

Another plus point: I am doing a lot of research at the moment to help myself with going/being vegan, and after looking at some of the stuff I was reading my husband has decided to be vegetarian! :vebo: My mother-in-law is going to be pissed off with me when she finds out I've corrupted her son... :shifty:

Thanks for letting me ramble, just wanted to share. Good luck to all you new vegans!

Had to go to the parents' house this weekend... they were never real supportive of me being vegan when I lived in their house (part of the reason I stopped for a while...), but they were so nice about it this weekend! I was shocked!

I brought all my own food so they wouldn't have to go out of their way ... but my dad bought tofu for me and had me make a dish out of it for dinner - two of my brothers and my dad asked to try it - and they all had seconds!!!

:vebo:
You mentioned tofu, and I just had to share this...

http://www.dusa.de/images/FS_tofudebeest.gif

I made it through my Alaskan cruise and was able to stay vegan except for a couple of mistakes. I found that the best way to find out the vegetarian restaurants in the towns was to ask the tour guides. A lot of them tend to be veg*n and are very happy to help out. I was pleasantly surprised to be offered a vegetarian menu at the fish restaurant my husband really wanted to go to in Seattle. They even had a vegan option and vegan soup that night.

There were vegetarian options in the main restaurant every night on the ship and the night that I saw that it couldnt be veganized, I just ate at the pizzaria (they had a foccacio and veggie meal without cheese) beforehand and ate salad and fruit in the dining room. I had packed some bars and ate those before going to breakfast a few mornings so I wasnt just having fruit everyday at that meal. I tried having lunch at the grill one time but the veggie burger took a long time, was really gross and I think they cooked it in hamburger grease so I went to the buffet instead and had a salad. I hated wasting food like that but I couldnt eat it and my husband thought it tasted really bad as well.

It felt really good to be able to stick to my way of eating. I only gained about a pound on the cruise and I think most of the people gained a lot more than that. It gives me confidence that I can now handle the holidays, going out, ect.

I went out to an Italian restaurant last night. I went with my bf (well, practically, but not quite yet*) my best friend another friend to the restaurant his family owns. I got a pasta dish that was vegetarian, but had a butter sauce and cheese. I got food poisoning. By an hour after we got back to campus, I was throwing up into a plastic bag my bf was holding for me. He stayed with me til after midnight, catching a 12:38 train home, with a two hour trip home. And i had to stay with my friend in her dorm room because i felt too take the van sick to go back to my campus. ugh. The head of security even called paramedics to check me, and he had to let the resident director know what was going on and the rd let my friend have me over, cuz you are not allowed to get a guestpass after 10pm.
My dad thinks it was probably too rich and and greasy for me and my body isn't used to it anymore. It really sucked. I only rarely eat out, but I think I want to do so less now. This is the second time I got food poisoning from something at a restaurant. The last time was last year in April, and it was worse. Other than going out last night, I have been pretty good with no cheese. Just recently bought Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese and it is awesome!!!!! ETA: So is the bar of Galaxy Nutritional Foods vegan cheddar I bought and just tried- really good!
*He even apologized to me later for telling the security head he was my boyfriend when he asked who he was. aw. I didn't really mind though.

Sorry that you got sick Regina, but your future boyfriend sounds like a keeper.

Sorry that you got sick Regina, but your future boyfriend sounds like a keeper.

Thanks. I am glad you think so! He is more technically my "ex" (always hated that term) who broke up with me in May and in June asked me to forgive him for doing that and wants to make everything up to me and start over. Taking things slow. I think it is looking good though...:smitten:

Hi, I'm new ; )

Actually I was vegan from May to October last year, then started being lacto-ovo and put on weight 8 kilos :think: Now I'm trying to become a vegan again, I mean, for a week I suppose, and, surprisingly, no cravings :rockon: (btw normal milk caused sugar cravings, soymilk doesn't :) )

The other thing is, I should start buying my own cosmetics, my parents (I'm 16) have only Procter and Gamble and colgate/palmolive things at home :down: I'm going to change it tomorrow, I'm going shopping with my mum and will buy cruelty free cosmetics :yes: My parents are rather supportive, but i cook myself

I'm going on a camp in 3 weeks, it will be aaaawful :think:

Hope I didn't post something out of place

Hi, I'm new ; )

Actually I was vegan from May to October last year, then started being lacto-ovo and put on weight 8 kilos :think: Now I'm trying to become a vegan again, I mean, for a week I suppose, and, surprisingly, no cravings :rockon: (btw normal milk caused sugar cravings, soymilk doesn't

The other thing is, I should start buying my own cosmetics, my parents (I'm 16) have only Procter and Gamble and colgate/palmolive things at home :down: I'm going to change it tomorrow, I'm going shopping with my mum and will buy cruelty free cosmetics :yes: My parents are rather supportive, but i cook myself

I'm going on a camp in 3 weeks, it will be aaaawful :think:

Hope I didn't post something out of place

Welcome to VB!! You should introduce yourself in the Introduction Forum (http://www.veggieboards.com/boards/forumdisplay.php?f=21) so everyone can see you just joined! :) Good luck with being vegan again!

I should update on my path to veganism.
I am just to the point of milk and egg products in packaged food i purchase, i have not gotten to the point of getting it all out.
but this is a major step for me since i am a recovering cheese addict!
I am trying to cut back on packaged food too.
so i have made some strides since i last posted! does this sound weird but i am actually starting to feel turned off by the thought of eating cheese by itself! i used to be the one who put tons of shredded cheese on a burrito or taco but now i am eating them without!

Hey y'all, I'm late on this conversation but wow what a thread! My two cents are thus: Vegan Gourmet is a little slimy but the best cheese sub I've found for hot food (Vegan Gourmet=melty) like quesadillas, grilled cheese, or baked pasta dishes. Grating it helps with the texture and ReginaCeltarum, I've heard you can shred it and freeze it, so maybe you can use it in small amounts straight from the freezer. Just bought the nacho flavor, we'll see how that goes as I miss my nachos! I don't like it cold at all - so I use Vegan slices by Galaxy/SoyCo. They also make really good vegan cream cheese, although I've heard Tofutti's is better but I haven't tried it. I love the cream cheese spread on bread and topped with strawberry preserves. Yum!

I agree with Moechalatte - the best way for me to let go of dairy was cold tofurky. Just get it out of the house and buy good analogs to get you through the first few weeks.

I agree with Moechalatte - the best way for me to let go of dairy was cold tofurky. Just get it out of the house and buy good analogs to get you through the first few weeks.


I did something different from that, since I think the analogs are nasty.So I didn't sub analogs for cheese, I learned how to cook new recipes that had nothing to do with cheese. Many people will just be very disappointed by the substitutes.

I don't even miss dairy after a year and a half, and my favorite meal in the whole world used to be double cheese pizza with no other toppings, fettuccine alfredo and chocolate milk. I am much more creative in the kitchen, and eat much healthier.

meatless that is what i am trying to do........i am not even going to try the cheese analogs since i have heard they are so nasty. i am just trying new ways to eat and cook that doesnt involve dairy.
oh and i tried the nacho cheese recipe from thise board using the nutritional yeast and salsa.........and yuk. i just cant get past the weird taste of the yeast. i tried to really spice it up but it just didnt work for me.

I made the nacho cheese recipe that's on here too and didn't really care for it. It takes a lot to impress me. LOL

I find Vegan Gourmet's nacho cheese to be ok.... I melt it in a sauce pan and add a bit of water to thin it... and then pour it onto nachos (then I bake it with tomatoes, red onions, green onions and salsa on it for 20 mins or so). Have you tried it? It's the only cheese analog so far I will pay money for.

Yea, I can't stand any of the cheese subsitutes at all ... I did buy a lot of the boca products for a while (still do when I'm not in the mood to cook) to transition more smoothly. It is nice to have some of the 'fake meat' products at first to get that stronger, thicker texture that's hard to find in vegan food.

Where do you buy the vegan gourmet cheese? I might actually try it out ... it's still difficult to eat my cheeseless food, although it's wonderful, when the bf's eating cheese pizza right next to me. The only store I have in my area is Walmart and other places like that. I don't think they sell that there, do they?

Eh.. thanks Regina :) I'm with Aussy, I don't trust most restaruants one bit. Even if they have veg*an friendly food, I've found they very often mess it up (intentionally much of the time! :grr: ) I suppose I should already know that bread at pretty much any restaurant isn't vegan... Won't be going back to Subway, that's for sure!!


Sorry to reply to such a late post but I thought I would just pop something in here. I am a waitress. Today actually, the vegan topic came up. The other girl I work with ( my place is small and there are only 2 of us working at a time) was waiting on a woman and she was asking for her food with no dairy, no meat, etc, and said that she was vegan. So the girl was telling the cook what to leave off. The cook was getting mad and was like what the hell? what is wrong with this woman? The other waitress started to say that the woman was vegan but I stopped her and said tell him she is allergic. So the waitress did and the cook said Ahhh ok, no problem.
I told my coworker that the cooks will be more sympathetic to food allergies than Vegan or vegetarians. It sucks and it is a sad commentary on the cooks I work with, or actually, most cooks anywhere that I have worked with.

Afterwards, to make my point, I told the cook that the lady was actually a vegan and yep, he got all mad and ignorant. Saying ignorant things like " If I had known I would have slipped a little cheese in there or a crumble of meat. Dirt bags, and yes, I told them what I thought of them.

It sucks and shouldn't be that way at all. I have never met a waitress who wasn't understanding but a lot of cooks are just jerks.

Where do you buy the vegan gourmet cheese? I might actually try it out ... it's still difficult to eat my cheeseless food, although it's wonderful, when the bf's eating cheese pizza right next to me. The only store I have in my area is Walmart and other places like that. I don't think they sell that there, do they?

Well, I'm in Ontario Canada so I don't think I'll be much help with figuring out where to buy it. :) The walmart near me sells some food, but nowhere near what I understand Americans get.

This might help you though: http://www.followyourheart.com/wheretobuy.php

..........
Afterwards, to make my point, I told the cook that the lady was actually a vegan and yep, he got all mad and ignorant. Saying ignorant things like " If I had known I would have slipped a little cheese in there or a crumble of meat. Dirt bags, and yes, I told them what I thought of them.

It sucks and shouldn't be that way at all. I have never met a waitress who wasn't understanding but a lot of cooks are just jerks.

Yea.... I actually posted on another thread recently that I've been telling waiters lately that I'm allergic to dairy, meat, etc., but a few people said I shouldn't do that.... They had a good point, but your post is exactly why I do it.

It really is sick the way people are treated who are trying their hardest to be compassionate. Makes no sense to me...

I'm thinking I may start using my sister's excuse (which is actually legit) - she's from China, where the food staples are rice and beans mostly. Her body literally can't digest any meat or dairy (or sugar!). She won't have an immediate allergic reaction if she eats those foods, but she will be uncomfortable and sick (and stinky! haha) for *weeks* if she does.

I like that line: "My body can't digest those foods; please leave them out unless you want me stinking up your whole restaurant." :lol:

Well, I'm in Ontario Canada so I don't think I'll be much help with figuring out where to buy it. :) The walmart near me sells some food, but nowhere near what I understand Americans get.

This might help you though: http://www.followyourheart.com/wheretobuy.php

Thank you!

Guess I'm out of luck though... the closest store to me is 200 miles away! :wall: I hate Georgia...