I've been vegetarian for years and recently decided to start transitioning to veganism, and I haven't drank milk or eaten cheese or eggs directly in just over a month now, but I'm really struggling with giving up non-vegan baked goods and packeted foods as I still live with my parents and they're everywhere. Does anyone have any tips?

There are lots of 'accidentally vegan' junk foods around depending on which country you live in. Perhaps encourage your parents to buy them instead, otherwise it's just a case of exercising self-restraint I'm afraid.

Vegan Womble is a great site for the UK. Also I'd advise joining some of the vegan 'supermarket finds' type of groups on Facebook.

Thank you. I find it quite embarrassing to admit that even though I know bad things are happening I find it relaively simple to dissociate myself from the suffering when it comes to dairy and eggs (though this has never been the case with meat for me). Whenever the choice for a vegan alternative is in front of me I'll take it but my mum is refusing to use egg replacer in cakes (or let me bake them with it, as "we don't need to have more cake in the house"), I think because we live in the countryside and have our own chickens she doesn't see the problem at all but is empathetic when it comes to meat and dairy. I think I need to wake myself up, no one's gonna do it for me

It's easier to "sell" vegan baking methods if you focus on the practical advantages of the method rather than their vegan...ness. For example, (devils food) cakes made with whizzed tofu rather than eggs turn out really moist.

If your mom thinks you have enough cake in the house, how about muffins or cupcakes?

Another idea - single serving cake. It's easy to whip up in a microwave. I've even seen people make them in an oven, but that was too much work for me. When I lived alone I made single serving vegan cakes pretty much daily. Google 'vegan mug cake' for lots of recipes.

What type of 'packet foods' are tripping you up? I ask because I'm not sure if you mean chips/crisps or prepackaged convenience foods.

Yeah I think I might just have to start beating her to it and baking before she gets a chance to and hopefully she'll see she doesn't need to use the animal products. By packaged foods I mainly mean biscuits (cookies in America I think), as my brother eats all the vegan ones I bring into the house on purpose because he thinks he'll then get all of the non-vegan ones to himself. Have already made mug cake, the one I used before I was thinking of going vegan didn't use eggs but had milk in so just switched it up for almond milk and it tastes better if anything!

^^^^^WHOA- that's really crappy of your brother. Time to start embracing your inner vegan deviousness and figure out how to hide them....

Actually, I think your mother has a good point about not having too much food such as cake in the house- there are some vegan foods I must not buy or make in large quantities, such as my vegan baklava, because if they're around in large quantities, I tend to eat them in large quantities. How would your mother feel about you making a small vegan mug cake at the same time she's making the other one? (I haven't forgotten about your greedy brother- we'll tackle him later- maybe literally) . Or maybe you and her alternating baking chores, if she doesn't like the idea of all house baking going fully vegan?

My brother is moving out soon with his girlfriend so I'm trying to just ignore it for now, though my mum had started telling him off like she would an 8 year old even though he's 23. My parents are really good about everything, their only rule is that I'm not allowed to speak to them about animal rights while they're eating dinner. My mum has started what she'd probably describe as "ethical baking" (to her), as she's stopped using traditional butter and milk, but won't stop using eggs because she knows how well treated the chickens are because they're in the garden. It's difficult to get her to understand because though she does really disagree with factory farming methods she still believes animals are here to provide for us, but that we should be as kind to them as we possibly can. I'll just have to race her to the kitchen and do the baking first, then we "won't need more cake" haha

That's probably a good rule. At the dinner table is NOT a good place to have those conversations. I never bring it up there, and when others do I reply that we can talk about it later.

I feel ya! I used to be quite an addict to baked goods, could eat a whole pack of cookies in one sitting, love a pastry, and anything cake. The secret is, you can really easily make vegan versions of EVERYTHING that you love. It takes a little more time, but this is part of the magic. You know everything that goes into it, you can smell it baking in the oven, and you can eat them while still warm. Mmmm..

Dairy actually contains small amounts of a chemical similar to morphine, so it is actually addictive. You might find that once you break the cycle, it's really easy to avoid in the future. This is certainly my experience.