? for you wonderful vegan people...

[tricia]

I'm jus wondering if anyone else who was omni before then went vegan had any non-vegan food wants after going vegan for a while...??????

i'm feelin a bit guilty i want cheese... i cant get that www.imearthkind.com cheese and all the subs up here have casein... i want to eat it..but i remain strong and dont give in... im starting to really get down on myself for even thinking about it... so tell me im not alone and at least once its happened...

i have family and friends who wouldnt understand and say to me jus go ahead and eat it.. who cares... but i care... ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh im goin insane...lol

[Christa]

How long have you been vegan? I never liked meat, so I had no problem giving that up. I was o/l vegi for about 3 yrs before going vegan. I did, however, like cheese. I can't remember if I had cheese cravings when I first went vegan (I have been vegan for about 15 yrs now).

I did get a sandwich that someone accidentally put cheese in about 6 months-1 yr after becoming vegan & it actually didn't taste good - like a slab of lard! As far as I recall, it was something that, after not having for a long time, I just stopped wanting. I am wondering if more time might help.

15 yrs ago there basically were no vegan cheese options, at least not that I could find. I was a teenager, though, & didn't do a lot of exploring options. I have only started eating vegan soy cheeses in the past few years since marrying my non-vegi husband. He wants substitutes that we can both eat. It is nice to be able to eat "cheese" again, but it wasn't something that I really missed after having not eaten it for so long.

[tricia]

ive only been vegan for under 6mnths... i dont want meat..yuck..i jus miss things like quesidillas with tons of cheese...and soy cheese is great but it doesnt melt... im tryin to talk my health food store into gettin some in stock but i have a better chance with the big grocery chain who i will be calling tomorrow to order some almond cheese...i heard that it tastes good...

[annie7]

At first I craved cheese, but I didn't let myself give in. Just recently I discovered Tofutti in my area. I bought it and brought it home and realized that I thought I was still craving it, and although it WAS very good, I decided I could take it or leave it and it didn't matter anymore. I think my brain was saying " you're craving it", but my taste buds were saying, "well, not really".

[Jenica]

When I first went vegan I felt like I incessantly craved cheese (specifically cheese...ice cream and milk and the like weren't much of a problem for me.) I'd get even the least bit hungry and I wanted some. As time went on I craved it less and less but after about eight months I broke down and had some. It was a bad idea, since it reinforced to me how good it tasted though my body didn't care for it; I promptly threw up. Not long after that I experienced circumstantial depression for several years and went back to being l/o, much to my shame today.

What I discovered through all of this is that there are things that trigger "cravings" for me, situations in which I want cheese so badly that I'd *almost* break down and have some...and I might actually do it if I was depressed and not secure in my own skin.

Try thinking about when you have your cravings. As for most habits, likely there are trigger situations in which you feel more compelled to partake than at other times. For instance, some of mine were like this:

-- When I was at a party with limited vegan snacks (before I learned to bring my own) and everyone else was enjoying the dip or whatever else had dairy in it.

-- When I was intoxicated.

-- When I was at work and a nonvegan lunch was ordered when they had previously told me that they'd do their best to accomodate me. I was the odd woman out in many regards at work and I didn't want to estrange myself farther.

-- When I was PMSing or too tired to cook.

-- When my husband (then boyfriend) ordered pizza.


Try making a list of situations in which you are likely to crave dairy and work on possible solutions. I have solved a lot of mine by always having tasty, sometimes unhealthy, vegan snack foods around, something that screams "indulgence." If indulgence and breaking the rules is what you want, there are plenty of ways to get that without eating dairy.

[tricia]

Jenica, Thanks for that advice... i have been stressed lately went to two job interviews and im PMSing...( i made a bunch of carob chip cookies last night).... i wont eat regular cheese cuz im scared it will do a number on my tummy...its bad enuff im on antibiotics right now ( there were no other alternatives) and its doing a number on my digestive system....

i normally dont crave cheese... the last few mnths almost instantly after i went vegan the cheese and soda cravings went out the door... and i was happy... thank goodness i cant stand the sight meat or milk..... even cheese doesnt look all that appealing as it used to when i was an omni....

im jus glad i can come here vent and not be judged...lol...

[Kelly]

I used to crave cheese all the time. I don't so much anymore. When I am craving any non-vegan food, I usually do what Jenica said and eat some unhealthy vegan snack. I don't have them all the time and they make me feel better.

I also get Macaroni and Chreese and Chreese Packets (www.Chreese.com) and that curbs any cheese cravings I might have.

Kelly

[alexis]

This may sound weird, but whenever i start craving non-vegan food or food that i know will make me sick if i eat it, i head straight for the jar of Marmite and start eating Marmite.... for some reason, after eating Marmite, i find that i don't really want whatever i'm craving for because i'd simply rather have the Marmite...weird, i know....but still...:rolleyes:

[tricia]

Unfortunately they dont sell the mac and chreese stuff here... and i dont have a credit card... i need someone to send me a gift basket hint hint hint.... lol... j/k...... i thought about going to buffalo to buy stuff but i try not to cross the border.... and really no way of getting there either.... this week im going to the health food store and gonna buy some unhealthy vegan snacks...lol...

what is marmite?? i have never heard of it...

[alexis]

well, you've probably never heard of Marmite because i don't think that stuff ever made an appearance in America or Canada...but Marmite is basically a yeast extract in the form of a sticky brown glop...and it's delicious...it's the kind of food you either totally detest or love....they claim that it prevents anemia and is rich in B vitamins but the only reason i eat it is because i love that stuff...

[tricia]

alexis

We have a big oriental influence up here... we are soo multicultural its not funny... im wondering if i can find marmite in the asian grocery stores .... i will have to check it out.... thanks for the info....

[Casey]

tricia,

I used to live in Ottawa and I bought Marmite at Loblaws, in the spices/soup stock section. I grew up on Marmite, so I'm used to eating it as a spread on bread and crackers, but it's kind of an acquired taste and most people that I know in the US and Canada find it quite gross when eaten "straight up". I also use a teaspoon or two mixed with hot water to make a broth for soup, which is really good. The good thing is that Marmite is vegan, whereas Vegemite (essentially the same thing as Marmite, but most people have a preference for one over the other) is not always vegan because for 6 months of the year the same manufacturing equipment is used for meat products. Personally I love the taste of Marmite and it's a great way to work B vitamins into your diet. My husband, however, thinks it's disgusting and that I'm nuts to eat it!

Now that I live in the States I buy Marmite at Whole Foods (I also bought it at Publix when I lived in the South) and I've noticed that you can buy it online from www.differentdaisy.com

[SandyBeachBums]

In May All be Fed by John Robbins there is a great no cheese spread. When I crave cheese balls I make up a batch of that. It is the best.

[alexis]

Erm, Tricia, Marmite isn't oriental and you can't find it in asian food grocery shops...it's British food but i've grown up eating that stuff mixed into rice porridge, now, i just eat it from the jar... and everyone think i'm disgusting for doing that...but i like it...

[tricia]

Alexis...

ok so i had a blonde moment... sall good if its british...that means it will be in every store i go.... cool... will look on tues... thanks for the info ....

when u didnt know if its made its way to the us and canada and figuring where u were... ooops my excuse im a blonde.... hehehehe....

[tricia]

Ok im excited.... my local health food store is gonna try and order me some Tofutti Cheese slices...but he cant guarantee but he will try... yeah yeah yeah...im jus excited.... thought i would share.... :D

[mochamama]

In my experience, the longer you go without cheese the less you crave it.

Some of the uncheese recipes are worth a try. I've tried making vegan feta and I was surprised how good it was.

[tricia]

The health food store called me last night... the got the Tofutti Cheese and also the flavored tofutti cream cheese... im excited.... ohhh yeah.... :D if all is good and it melts im gonna be eating alot when im stressed and pmsing.... i want some nice veggie quesidillas..mmmmmmmmmm .... just thought i would share in my joy since its been a horrendous week...

tricia :cool:

[annie7]

I have a recipe for vegan cheese cake using tofutti. You know how to find me if you want it!!;)

[Erin Pavlina]

Tofutti melts?

Get the Vegan Gourmet Cheese Alternative. Amazing flavor and it melts easily. just had some quesadillas this morning.

[tricia]

Erin,

The only way im getting Vegan Gourmet Cheese Alternative is if someone sends it too me... and since it aint gonna happen.. im gonna have to deal with tofutti... and for all the hassle i went through to get it.. it better melt... :p

[Erin Pavlina]

Be sure to let me know how the tofuttie melts. I've never tried it.

Are you sure your store can't order the Vegan Gourmet cheese for you?

[tricia]

Yeah it suks... it took me alot to get the tofutti cheese in... since they only carry tofutti ice cream..something about one of the distributors stopped selling the other toffutti products... blah blah blah... i think its easier to get Vegan Gourmet Cheese Alternative on the west coast... who knows... :confused:

[annie7]

Tofutti melts....great grilled cheeses!
Tofutti cream cheese makes awesome cheesecake!

[Christa]

I can't get either Vegan Gourmet or Tofutti cheeses in Colorado, unless I pay a lot to have them overnighted to me directly! Vegan Gourmet is a problem with the distributers for Vitamin Cottage & Wild Oats not having them available. Tofutti, I understand, has hydrogenated oils in it & neither Vitamin Cottage nor Wild Oats will carry anything with hydrogenated oils in it.

Both stores have recently started carrying Tofutti sour cream & cream cheese b/c they have gotten rid of the hydrogenated oils in those. Do their cheeses still have hydrogenated oils?

[tricia]

Christa,

Just checked the package of cheese slices i have.. it says it does have partially hydrogenated soybean oil.... man im not a health concious vegan at all... lol...