Half considering going vegan! (need some advice)

[Ezzie]

Hey all :beatnik:

I've been l/o vegetarian for about a year and a half, about 3-4months back i took eggs and milk out of my diet but still had the sub categories of it such as milk chocolate etc.

I still eat cheese though, and it's primarily the hardest thing i'm finding hard to ween myself off of.. but i'm rambling. :devil:

My question is: How did you find it when you went vegan? (health wise/family wise)

Is eating out very hard?

Also, is there any foods that i should look out for? (such as bread)

Thanks in advance :) :wayne:

Ezzie

[Lydia]

How did you find it when you went vegan? Healthwise I am excellent, and that's super because I am a teen. And I feel fine. I had my physical about a week ago, and I am a "well child." Familywise it's been okay. My parents don't say much about it since it's summer and they're working, and I usually make my own dinner. Sometimes if they cook something they'll put butter on it, and then I can't have it and they get kind of ticked. Example: When my dad fried the zucchini in butter, and then got upset and tried to tell me there was no dairy in butter, lol. With friends it can be a bit harder, like when I go to a party and I can't really have anything, except maybe some raw vegetables. Or if I went to a sleepover, and the host's house didn't have much I could eat my friends might get on my case. But generally I eat healthier than them, so it's all good. :)

Is eating out very hard? My family doesn't eat out much, but when we do I'll be fine with a salad or whatever. I can't really complain, otherwise I'll get "Well, it was your choice to..." from my parents. And there's pasta also, I can never get tired of pasta. Ever.

Also, is there any foods that i should look out for? Hmmm... Just check the ingredients and you'll be alright. Most baked desserts will be non-vegan. If you went to a bake sale I doubt you would have much to eat.

[derwenna]

How did you find it when you went vegan? (health wise/family wise)

Health-wise no problems, but I did do a bit of reading about nutrition to make sure I was eating enough of the right nutrients. Actually, health-wise it was an improvement because when I gave up milk my eczema went away, so eating milk obviously wasn't doing me much good in the first place.

Family-wise I was ok because I don't live with my parents any more, my mum was a bit concerned I think but I spouted a few nutrition facts at her (and didn't suddenly start looking unhealthy) and she got used to the idea, plus the lack of eczema was a point in favour of being vegan.

Is eating out very hard?

Not really, depends on the restaurant. If you go to Indian, Thai, Chinese, Middle Eastern etc. places there's plenty to choose from, and if you're going to a chain restaurant a lot of them have nutritional/allergy advice on the websites so you can check beforehand what's ok for you to eat. Most places will have something at least easily adaptable on the menu. Even traditional pubs/cafes will usually have jacket potato with baked beans (my default vegan option in these sorts of places!). Finding vegan sandwiches can sometimes be a pain though.

Also, is there any foods that i should look out for? (such as bread)

Bread is usually vegan (in the UK). Read the labels on stuff you get from the supermarket as you might be surprised how many products they manage to sneak milk into.

[carabdle]

My family's reaction was a mixed bag. At times, my parents almost seemed to be bragging to people about my dedication to veganism, but then they'd gripe because I wouldn't eat certain things anymore.

Eating out can be a chore, as even a lot of Thai, Chinese, Indian, etc. places have non-vegan ingredients if you ask the right questions. Some of them use things like fish sauce, oyster sauce, even chicken broth, but consider those items vegetarian and won't mention it unless you know to specifically ask. I usually call restaurants b4 I visit them and ask to speak to someone who can tell me if they have food devoid of some ingredients. (I ask about dairy--which Indian restaurants sometime ignore includes "ghee" or clarified butter, meat, eggs--which some ignore would include mayo, etc.) There are a few chain restaurants which have one or more vegan items, though usually you have to have something "left-off" if you want it to be vegan. (I.e., Ruby
Tuesday's has a veggie burger, but you have to get the mayo and cheese left off for it to be vegan...and you can't eat their fries because they're fried in the same grease as chicken fingers.)

Bread can be tricky in the U.S. (I'm not sure where you are), as lots of it has whey or other animal products in it...but they are listed on the labels. If a product has any cholesterol, it's not vegan. You can check out non-vegan ingredients to look for (mentioned on lots of threads here) such as whey, gelatin, casein, butterfat, honey, lard, etc. And most prebaked goods have some animal product--usually dairy or eggs--in them in the U.S.

[Unregistered]

healthwise: I was fine and healthier if I ever got off the vegan bandwagon my body will let me know it with intensive headaches and nausea. Which is good because I dont have migraines anymore.

Familywise: my parents gave up on me just the occassional "just one (insert nonvegan item her) is ok"

Eating out has got to be the hardest!: My family doesnt really plan family dinners (they just decide on impulse) so I cant really call in advance. So I usually excuse myself and ask the chefs/managers (i used to ask the waiters but most of the time they really dont know what goes in the meal.) Its quite annoying on dates and such cause it takes a while. Staples tho include salads (dressing on side, no dairy, no meat etc) or appetizers like veggies.

Things to look out for include whey, gluten, casein. I usually look for the bold print at the bottom (in the US) that list allergins and also just because its vegetarian doesnt make it vegan (this includes vegetarian lasagna, some moringstar or gardenburger brand items)

Finally try soy cheese it will help u in the weaning process, in the begining stay away from papajohns and the like, lol or order the pizza with no cheese and add ur veggies.

Ok long a** post but I am done!