[Jennifer89]

Okay, so I don't know what got into me today! You see, I've been wanting to change from vegetarian to vegan for quite a while. As always, I longed to be vegan this morning, but I knew that it would make mom mad. So I thought "well, if I can't be vegan at home, then I can be vegan at school!" and packed a healthy vegan lunch, one of the healthyest lunches this year. I've done this a few times before, but I thought that maybe I could do it more often then not. However, I anjoyed my simple lunch of veggies, dairy free cerial and friuts. It was healthy because I didn't pack any fatty snacks, because all of ours have milk and stuff in them. I also packed nuts. So after school I went to church as usual, and didn't get home untill 5:50. I was hungry and decided to eat something. Mom was (and isn't) home, so I decided to go vegan for supper to make a completly vegan day. I looked in the frige, and cooked some spegetee. There was not dairy free sauce for it though, and I couldn't pute cheese or butter on top. I thought that I would eat it plaine with some biscuits, the kind that you open the packege and pute them in the oven for 20 minutes. This had butter and milk. I thought that I would just have a salad, and checked the salad dressing, it was vegan! :yes: I checked the place where we ceap veggies, and there wasn't any salad there. At about that point, as stood peering into the frige and freezer, my wonderfull sister came downstairs. (by now I had the biscuits in my hand, thinking that I had not other chouse other then to not eat). "Ashley!" I said, delighted (she can drive, I'm still waiting on drivers edd) so I asked her if she wanted to go anywhere, and she was all excited (which is odd) and asked me where I wanted to go. At first I hesitated, but finally I said, "to buy some salad" She agreed!!!!!! So we went to Ingles and looked at the salad heads. They were cheap, yay! I decided to come back to those, and to look at the non-dairy butter. I found one that was only about $1.50. then I walked to the soymilk. They had a cheep brand for about 1.50 (i think it's only a quart). I was so excited, but was to low on money to buy the lettice, so I just got the soymilk and non-dairy butter (I didn't pay close attention to anything other then ingreadiants, ack! I got the fat free stuf!) Son now the butter and the soymilk are sitting in the frige. Mom will be home within the next two hourse or so, and she'll see the frige and then... Well, what will I tell her? She's been suspisiose of me going vegan, but I don't think that she really believed I would. Now she will freak! and the problem is that i really do want to be a vegan!

So what should I do? Should I say it casually and let it not seem like a big deal? Should I promise to cook my own meals as much as possable? should I tell her that I'm gradually changing? I'm thinking about the health benefits though. What are they? I've read a little, only about two paragraphs, and then headed off to post this. What are the health benefits of being vegan? Are there any other benefits?

And dose being vegan slow you down? because I bought fat free non dairy butter and choclate soymilk which means that I can't bake anything. Just joking of course!

One last question, what should I get as an egg substitute and other substitutes? I want to still eat biscuets and stuff! Any good vegan resipies?

[bizarro]

you can buy egg replacer at most grocery stores. its called egg replacer and comes in a box. its a white powder that you mix with water and can be used to sub for eggs in most baking recipies. but you cant make an omlet with it or anything. its very inexpensive and the box will last you years. make sure to get the Ener-G egg replacer NOT egg substitute because egg substitute actually contains eggs.

just try to talk to your mom and be rational and calm about it. you need to spend some more time on VB and other legit sites on the web. go to the library and educate yourself about going vegan so you know how to properly supplement your diet. and take your daily miltiple vitamins/minerals.

[Formerbaboon]

I can never find egg replacer in the stores. I need it badly! Where did you find it bizarro?

[Formerbaboon]

And jennifer, you are going to have to break the news to your mom sooner or later. You can't be living a lie :vebo:

[dvmarie]

So what should I do? Should I say it casually and let it not seem like a big deal?
Sounds like a plan.

Should I promise to cook my own meals as much as possible?
I bet she'd appreciate that.

I'm thinking abotu the health benefits though.What are they? I've read a little, only about two paragraphs, and then headed off to post this. What are the health benefits of being vegan? Are there any other benefits?

For someone who is so determined to go vegan - you've done barely any research on your own.
Go and do some reading (it's free on the internet)
www.veganoutreach.org (lots of info)
www.vegsource.com (info and recipes)
www.vegweb.com (info and recipes)
www.veganmd.com (health info)
(those would get you started).

You sound very enthusiastic - good for you! :)

[Kreeli]

in most baking i now replace each egg called for with 2 tbsp soy milk mixed with 1 tbsp of cornstarch or tapioca starch. it's cheap and easy and works really well.

[LadyFaile]

yeah congrats on wanting to go vegan and taking some small steps to get there! but you need to research it before you get too far in, to make sure that you will be able to eat healthy. it's just a matter of combining the right foods every day to make sure you get enough protein calories and vitamins etc.
so if i were you i'd say you want to slowly start going vegan but that you will research as you go along and not just jump right in blindly.
when i went vegan it was very sudden, i wasn't even vegetarian first, it freaked my mom out. but as soon as i decided it i sat on the computer for hours and looked up all kinds of info and when i explained some of it to her and showed her articles and recipes, she supported me. she's still always going to worry that i don't eat right, but moms do that anyways especially after you move out.

so yeah, better to be honest with her now, the longer you try to go vegan behind her back and hide it, the harder it will be to tell her later on. and you never know, she might support you right away and help you through the process. definately do it gradually though, cutting back on all the stuff you love right away is not only hard on the digestive system it's hard on the emotions.

anyway, do some research before you talk to her if you can so you can answer all her questions. good luck!

[soilman]

http://www.eatright....http://www.eatright.org/Public/GovernmentAffairs/92_17084.cfm

"Position Paper of American Dietetic Assoc and Dietitians of Canada"

Re vegetarian diets (including vegan).

This is not a veg org, but a scientific org, so they have no axe to grind by stating that a properly planned vegetarian diet and even vegan diet is safe and healthy and very conservatively they add, in some ways better for you than diets containing animal fats.

" A vegetarian, including vegan, diet can meet current recommendations for all of these [listed above] nutrients"

Note that they, I believe correctly, state that "It is essential that all vegetarians use [either (1)] a supplement, [(2)] fortified food, [(3)] dairy products, or [(4)] eggs to meet recommended intakes of vitamin B-12"

Tho I might add vegans may be able to avoid needing a commercial supplement, if they eat their own feces or eat healthy natural soil (in tiny amounts) but I don't recommend the former due to disease transmission considerations.

Streptomyces fermentation extract is a vegan source of B12. It is carbohydrates such as from potatoes or corn, fermented with a bacterial (streptomyces) culture. Most b12 comes from streptomyces fermentation extract. Some commercial B12 comes from calves liver. So you need to be careful choosing b12 tablets or supplemented food, if you want to make sure the b12 in it comes from streptomyces fermentation extract as opposed to liver extract.

[bizarro]

Formerbaboon said:

I can never find egg replacer in the stores. I need it badly! Where did you find it bizarro?

i pmed babboon but i thought id post for anybody interested.

heres the Ener-G egg replacer website:

http://www.ener-g.com

theres lots of egg alternatives out there if this is not available or if it wont work in your recipe. you just need to determine how its used in the recipe that calls for it. does it bind or is it used as a leveling agent? do a google search, theres so many i cant list them. examples would be bananna and applesauce.

this site might be helpful too:

http://www.vegansoci...http://www.vegansociety.com/html/food/catering_and_cookery/eggfree.php

[Jennifer89]

I told her! At first she freaked (go figure) and then she settled down. I dont' have a clue to what she is thinking now.

I have done some research a month or two ago. I don't remember a lot of it. For the most part it was when I was looking for vegetarian stuff and ran into vegan articals, they looked interesting, so I read them. They were all so convinsing! And I do know where to find a food pyramid. Dose anyone know where one is that has more info on the amount of servings and all?

So far, so good! I'll do more research later, I nead to go to bed somewhere around now.

Thanks! I'll try that egg thing!,
Jennifer