a vegan in the making

[ShaniaScott]

hi there,
becoming a vegan is easier than i thought but some things i am struggling with.
cheese-i now of the redwoods one but the delivery is too much.

and what kind of things can i make my self, like pasta sources and things im trying to experiment.

one last thing for the time being-shampoo, conditionar and body wash, does anyone know if head and shoulders is vegan, i'm not sure what to look for or where to start looking.

i'm up for learning loads and proving to my family and even myself that i can be vegan and live healthily and get all the right things to keep me up and running.

[veganloraine]

good luck with vegan cheese! there are few good vegan cheeses out there and some soy cheeses are masquerading as vegan but contain casein (a milk by-product). from all my sampling I like the following: Earth Island block cheese and Tofutti cheese slices. I also like the Vegan Parmesan cheese. caution: soy cheese is very processed, so I would actually replace cheese with something else, like nutritional yeast. I also like mashed avocadoes in a sandwich with tomatoes and sprouts. over time you will loose your need for cheese. i actually really like pizza without the cheese and Amy's makes a great vegan cheese-less pizza.

there are a lot of great vegan cookbooks out there that can help you in the kitchen. i like the sarah kramer cookbooks, but that's mainly because i have yet to check out the others (with the exception of the Vegan Lunchbox which I also love). some easy recipes are hummus and guacamole, muffins and banana breads, soups and chili. quinoa is a very nutritious and easy to prepare.

head and shoulders is not vegan. peta has a cruelty-free guide that can help you here. there are a lot of cruelty-free products popping up on drug store shelves: method, live clean, kiss my face, and the list goes on. it's easier than you think! if you were considering head and shoulders because of a dandruff concern, my advice would be to not wash you hair so much and letting the good hair oils flow. this is easier and nicer looking if you have long hair and can tie it up.

i hope this helps! keep these really great questions coming!

[ShaniaScott]

hi, thanks for all that. i hoping to go to a nearby health store this weekend, they might have some cheese there.

i love experimenting with sandwhichs, i like having banana and either strawberry jam or peanut butter or on its own. peanut butter and jam are good as well and today for my lunch i tried a strawberry sandwhich which was good but didn't taste of a great deal so tomorrow i am taking slices or bread and butter (which are both suitable for vegans) and a soya rasberry yoghurt to dip them in. sounds to good to myself but when i mention this to my mum she pulled a face but said "well it's you thats eating it!".

the banana bread you mentioned sounds really nice. i might have a go this weekend as well. i am going to have a go at cooking tofu and see if i can make my own croqets(not sure on the spelling really nice fluffy potatoe things) because i really love them but they make them with cows milk and egg so i am going to have a go and put soya milk in them and soya butter cover them in bread crumbs-will let you know how they go.

i am more of a fruit person myself then a veggie person but i am wiling to try new things.

i think i'll print off the list and take it with me to find some vegan hair products. i have a coconut milk from marks and spencers body wash-would that be vegan. i hope so because it smells really good but not too strong. i use head and shoulders because my hair gets very greasy easliy and fast.

my family is being really supportive but they often say how they understand where i'm coming from about not eating meat but they can't understand my feelings againts milk and dairy products. i try to explain the best that i can but sometimes i don't think i'm putting my points across very well. have you got any advice for how to get my side heard and understood a little better.

sometimes i feel like my step mum says 'vegetarian (or) vegan' as if it is some sort of disease, i know she means well and isn't doing this on purpose but i can't help it when she says things like this.

thanks for all the advice and tips so far! i am really a enjoying going vegan but when it comes to a family tea at relatives house or to a resturant my stomach still has a little flutter of butterflys and sudden panic thought of 'what am i going to eat!"!

[veganloraine]

i hate to rain on your vegan parade, but if your margarine has D3 it's not vegan. i've been tricked by that little evil before. *shakes fist* we use Earth Balance which is incredible. you can spread it, fry in it, bake with it...

a good trick to eat more veggies is to puree them in a food processor and add them to whatever you're having: pasta sauce, pizza sauce. the veggies are so small you can't really taste them. another really yummy meal i like to have to shepard's pie. i use lentils instead of meat. everyone loves this recipe. another really good tip is to purchase hemp seeds. they are so incredibly good for you and sneak into all your foods easily.

sadly, any mentioning of the word vegan or even vegetarian does result in a whole lot of eye rolling. give it time and be successful and soon this look will be replaced by a squinty curious look.

as for wondering what you will eat at a relatives - well, my advice is to eat beforehand. i've been to many gatherings that had little vegan options. this way you will be content with that billionth bowl of salad. and if your family really doesn't get veganism they may not consider you at all and suggest that you "pick the meat off". eeeeeeeeeeeeeek.

[ShaniaScott]

that first line made me dash for the fridge and grab the tub. it is actually sat in front of me now! it says it has d2 but no sign of d3 and it does say it is suitable for vegans or would it any way with d3 in it? what is d3?

i am thinking of saving up for a blender to make my own sauces and things, need to find a good one for a good price.

my mum used to, well i say make me but she didn't threaten me to do it or anything, take the meat off my plate when we went out for tea with lots of family to the cavary.(everbody else loves meat and it seemed 'silly' for us to do something different for just one person 'me') i hate it. it is horrible seeing all the dead animals sat there under heat lamps. i'll take you advice on eating before hand and then having a salad if there is nothing else.

we are going out for tea tonight at my nannies house for easter. she asked me if there was something i could think of bringing with me to have as well as the potato and veg. i think i am taking some veggie sausages. also she said she is going to use a vegan butter in the potato and in the crumble of the apple crumble. i am really thankful that she is doing this for me.

one last thing. on another post somewhere on this site one of the people said she was a profesional dance. i go to a dance class and i have to wear dance shoes but they are made of leather. do you know of any dance shoes that i could wear instead but not for too big a price?

thanks for all the help.

[shellie]

Original Source shampoos and body wash are vegan, and they aren't too expensive. When I go to family meals I usually take something along that we can all share, like the shepherds pie, something easily recognisable to the "meaties", which they would be willing to try. "Pure" margerine is vegan, it carries the Vegan Society logo. There is a site called Vegweb which has loads of good recipes, also Fatfree Vegan.

[shellie]

Restaurants are a problem, sometimes the starters are vegan, and maybe you could order two to fill you up, and check the main courses off. There would probably only be fresh fruit for dessert though :( It's horrible going to a carvery with your family, all sorts of questions pop up, were the potatoes roasted alongside the meat? And, what's in the gravy?! I've been there and asked the questions, not good.

[PikkuMyy]

Shania - if it says D2 and not D3 then it's ok. Also, if they print "suitable for vegans" on the package, I would trust it.

I would research what brands are vegan for body products - you should look on the labels for the international symbol of a leaping rabbit which means no animal products or testing. If I were you, I'd use up whatever products you already have before purchasing new vegan ones, if the ones you already have aren't vegan. When in doubt, you can contact the manufacturer and ask whether it has animal ingredients and if they test on animals.

[ShaniaScott]

the family meal went fine and we recently went to a church meal and had italian. i met a husband and wife who were vegetarian vegan now and then. the only thing there vegetarian was a pizza and i don't like pizza but it wasn't vegan anyway so. i had some pasta and Jo, vegetarian, went and asked if they had a plain tomato source which they did so i had a good evening.

i have got some shampoo and conditionor that are vegan, they have the bunny on and are organic. plus, they smell really good!

i told my friends at school that i was now vegan. one of my friends is a vegetarian and she says she wants to be vegan but her mum won't let her. somebody else i know just eats fish but she doesn't want to, again she says she thinks her mum would find it hard to find other things for her to eat.

last thing. i made my own pasta source from scratch which is lovely with toasted (vegan) pitta breads. i also made vegan flapjack and chocolate brownie! it is fun being vegan. i love making my own foods!

[veganloraine]

i am so happy to hear how successful your transition to becoming a vegan has been. you are a great inspiration!!

i sometimes gripe about how many hours i spend in the kitchen, but i do secretly love it. vegan cooking/baking is so incredibly colourful and flavourful.

[ShaniaScott]

hiya, i have just found what looks like a really good muffin recipe and can't wait to try it out!

i think i have mentioned this before but does anyone know where you can get non leather and suede free dance shoes from. the ones i have know are leather and i am starting to need some news ones but i want to look for the non leather kind. any ideas people?

i'm going on holiday soon with other family. i know of plenty of things that i can make to eat in the villa if we all sit down for a meal but we do tend to go out for a big meal with everybody that we go with. there'll be a minium of eight. i have looked at the menus they have online and seen no vegan things but a few vegetarian. i don't want to have to substitue and eat something with eggs or dairy in but then again i don't think i should have. also i don't want to stop us all going out for a meal.

i'd like to thank all you guys for your help and suport. i think you have made the whole thing easier. i would recommend signing up to anybody!

[Christa]

In re to your D3 question -- it is a D vitamin that is derived from animal sources such as wool and fish.

Re the dance shoes, I am not dancing anymore, but I wound up compromising and getting Bloch canvas split soles. They have two small leather pads on the soles, but the rest of the shoe is canvas/cloth. Many professional dancers use canvas ballet slippers, so that shouldn't be unacceptable for a dance class. I know that I've heard that there are some companies that make mock-leather ballet slippers, but I've never seen them in a store. Unless they have a good return policy and you are familiar enough with dance shoes to know if they fit well (no gapping around the sides when you point your foot, etc.), I'd be a little hesistant to buy dance shoes online. I pretty much always tried shoes on in a store first and then, once I knew what size I wore in a specific brand, was fine with ordering them from somewhere like discount dance supply.

If you're looking for jazz shoes or another form of dance, I probably won't be much help -- I've never seen those is anything but leather.

[ShaniaScott]

just got some great news and i had to tell you straight away.

My Brother said he wants to become vegetarian!!!!!!!:D :D :D

i am going to help present his decesion to my mum and arm him with great facts. any words for him let me know!!!!!

[veganloraine]

he rocks!! and you rock as you've obviously been a great inspiration.

compassion changes everything.

[ShaniaScott]

thanks! you rock as well!

anyone know any good sites with non leather trainers?

i'm in a good mood!!!! everyone who has posted in this forum rocks!!!!! go you!!!!:D

[PikkuMyy]

thanks! you rock as well!

anyone know any good sites with non leather trainers?

i'm in a good mood!!!! everyone who has posted in this forum rocks!!!!! go you!!!!:D


I'm not sure what you mean by trainers but if you mean sneakers, I usually wear New Balance cross-country trainers and although I've worn several models, they have all been vegan.

[veganloraine]

i know vegan essentials has some really nice trainers/sneakers. i've purchased from them before and have never encountered any problems.

[ShaniaScott]

hi, i was wondering if anybody has had the magazine Herbivore before and if they think it is any good? plus any other magazines that you feel are a good read.

[veganloraine]

i've never read Herbivore, but i did recently get my hands on a Vegnews and i liked it a lot. it seemed to be geared more towards my age group (late 20s, early 30s).

[ShaniaScott]

thanks for replying, i am early teens, i am 13 but thanks anyway.

[kat]

i live in australia and know of a company in aus. that do non-leather ballet shoes, but again they are mail order so sizing might be an issue. I just googled it and there are now several in the USA as well. I bought mine several years ago -- had to try on some leather ones in a different shop and then trace around my foot to send off. THe top is actually fake leather not satin and they look and feel like everyone elses. however they do gape a bit at the sides, but not when you point. they have prob. improved since then. i don't know about any except ballet tho.
here are some websites. congrats on becoming vegan'
http://www.cynthiakingdance.com/slippers.htm
http://www.veganwares.com/
and American Dance which i cant find a link for.
there are flamenco shoes (if u need them)
http://www.lands-faraway.com/shoes.htm
it sells other leather ones but just scroll down
hope this helped