Veganism

gypsy_girl · 10-02-2009, 07:58 AM

Is anyone here a vegan? Why did you choose to become one and has their been any uncomfortable situations eg going to friends houses for dinner etc?
I'm vegetarian myself, thinking of becoming vegan.

Just looking for some shared experiences

dragon lady · 10-02-2009, 08:29 AM

I've been a vegan on and off for quite a few years (right now it's on). I had always been at least a vegetarian for taste and cruelty reasons. I never liked eggs or milk in anything savoury, so it got to the point where the only non-vegan foods I was eating were chocolate, cakes, ice-cream, pancakes and that sort of thing. These were making me fat and unhealthy, so I decided to stop eating them all together. Now I've developed lactose intolerance and eating most of that stuff makes me sick anyway.

As far as social situations go, it is frustrating. I'm usually happy just to go along and eat a baked potato or a salad without any worries, but people tend to fuss over me. I know they mean well. I just don't like it when so much attention is drawn to my diet because I don't go for the food. I go for the company. Anyway, then the jokes and the "where do you get your protein?" types of questions begin. It's the same scenario every time I go out.

If you have a lot of patience and a sense of humour, then you will do fine. If not, then good luck to you!

Xylitol · 10-02-2009, 09:14 AM

I am a vegetarian, but not a hardcore one. There's a few things in it all that are important. The main reason i became a vegetarian is because i used to watch the news during dinner, and while eating meatballs i saw cows falling dead from bse in great brittain , this was so awfull that i decided to quit meat. Before eating at anyone's place, i let them know i am a vegetarian and a very difficult eater, this way they can adjust, i just tell them what i want to eat and when, if they comply with this, i'll come, if they don't they i simply don't go. You are Boss of your own body.

Cognitive_Canine · 10-02-2009, 10:10 AM

I was a vegan. Now I have a very particular view of food that really can't be labelled. I try not to eat meat but that's not for moral reasons. I just feel that people consume way too much meat. It's with every meal. And, I don't like dairy products as they make me sick. Eggs kind of make me nauseated, so I avoid those anyway.

Anyway, when I was a vegan and was invited to dinner, I just ate whatever they gave me regardless whether it not it had meat.

The point isn't to restrict yourself of meat, it's to make choices that you feel are good choices for you.

Occasional meat will not hurt your diet or your mindset. Just like a little ice cream doesn't make a healthy person somehow a hypocrit.

As the french say "it's rude to have any frivolous dietary restrictions when you're someone's guest"

3boys · 10-02-2009, 01:29 PM

If you are invited to a dinner party, I would let the host know, but offer to take your own food if necessary. I recently went to a wedding where 3 of the invited guests were vegan and requested special meals. The meal was a buffet-style and the bride/groom had to pay an additional $50 per meal because even the salad had croutons and none of them would eat it...none of them even offered to pay for their meals. All of the guests KNEW the bride/groom were paying for the wedding themselves and were on a tight budget to boot...IMO, that's just wrong!

dragon lady · 10-02-2009, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3boys

If you are invited to a dinner party, I would let the host know, but offer to take your own food if necessary. I recently went to a wedding where 3 of the invited guests were vegan and requested special meals. The meal was a buffet-style and the bride/groom had to pay an additional $50 per meal because even the salad had croutons and none of them would eat it...none of them even offered to pay for their meals. All of the guests KNEW the bride/groom were paying for the wedding themselves and were on a tight budget to boot...IMO, that's just wrong!

What the hell kind of catering company did they use? In almost all cases vegan meals are cheaper than vegetarian and meat meals. Unless they ordered something like truffles and macadamia nuts? It sounds like they should have gone with a different company if they were getting ripped off by that much.

I remember when I was growing up all my friend's parents used to love me because I was so cheap to feed. And restaurants hate me because I always order the cheapest items on the menu- they are usually the only things that are vegan!

TennesseeGirl · 10-02-2009, 05:05 PM

9 years ago, I was a vegan. I did that for 4 years. All I can remember from that time in my life is that I ate lots of tofu stir fry.

Now I love me some steak and baked potatoes covered with cheese and sour cream.

10-02-2009, 07:58 AM	#1
gypsy_girl Offline Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Australia Gender: Female Posts: 74	Veganism Is anyone here a vegan? Why did you choose to become one and has their been any uncomfortable situations eg going to friends houses for dinner etc? I'm vegetarian myself, thinking of becoming vegan. Just looking for some shared experiences __________________ "It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows."

10-02-2009, 05:05 PM	#7
TennesseeGirl Offline Gold Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Under the deep blue sea Gender: Female Age: 40 Posts: 548	9 years ago, I was a vegan. I did that for 4 years. All I can remember from that time in my life is that I ate lots of tofu stir fry. Now I love me some steak and baked potatoes covered with cheese and sour cream. __________________ You can avoid reality but you cannot avoid the consequences of avoiding reality.~Ayn Rand

10-02-2009, 08:29 AM	#2
dragon lady Offline Platinum Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Gender: Female Age: 23 Posts: 2,615	I've been a vegan on and off for quite a few years (right now it's on). I had always been at least a vegetarian for taste and cruelty reasons. I never liked eggs or milk in anything savoury, so it got to the point where the only non-vegan foods I was eating were chocolate, cakes, ice-cream, pancakes and that sort of thing. These were making me fat and unhealthy, so I decided to stop eating them all together. Now I've developed lactose intolerance and eating most of that stuff makes me sick anyway. As far as social situations go, it is frustrating. I'm usually happy just to go along and eat a baked potato or a salad without any worries, but people tend to fuss over me. I know they mean well. I just don't like it when so much attention is drawn to my diet because I don't go for the food. I go for the company. Anyway, then the jokes and the "where do you get your protein?" types of questions begin. It's the same scenario every time I go out. If you have a lot of patience and a sense of humour, then you will do fine. If not, then good luck to you!

10-02-2009, 09:14 AM	#3
Xylitol Offline Bronze Member Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 145	I am a vegetarian, but not a hardcore one. There's a few things in it all that are important. The main reason i became a vegetarian is because i used to watch the news during dinner, and while eating meatballs i saw cows falling dead from bse in great brittain , this was so awfull that i decided to quit meat. Before eating at anyone's place, i let them know i am a vegetarian and a very difficult eater, this way they can adjust, i just tell them what i want to eat and when, if they comply with this, i'll come, if they don't they i simply don't go. You are Boss of your own body.

10-02-2009, 10:10 AM	#4
Cognitive_Canine Offline Platinum Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Somewhere over the rainbow Gender: Female Posts: 11,321	I was a vegan. Now I have a very particular view of food that really can't be labelled. I try not to eat meat but that's not for moral reasons. I just feel that people consume way too much meat. It's with every meal. And, I don't like dairy products as they make me sick. Eggs kind of make me nauseated, so I avoid those anyway. Anyway, when I was a vegan and was invited to dinner, I just ate whatever they gave me regardless whether it not it had meat. The point isn't to restrict yourself of meat, it's to make choices that you feel are good choices for you. Occasional meat will not hurt your diet or your mindset. Just like a little ice cream doesn't make a healthy person somehow a hypocrit. As the french say "it's rude to have any frivolous dietary restrictions when you're someone's guest"

10-02-2009, 01:29 PM	#5
3boys Offline Silver Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 316	If you are invited to a dinner party, I would let the host know, but offer to take your own food if necessary. I recently went to a wedding where 3 of the invited guests were vegan and requested special meals. The meal was a buffet-style and the bride/groom had to pay an additional $50 per meal because even the salad had croutons and none of them would eat it...none of them even offered to pay for their meals. All of the guests KNEW the bride/groom were paying for the wedding themselves and were on a tight budget to boot...IMO, that's just wrong!