Going vegan......old style?!

fernliebee

kim_ley wrote: »

EDIT i'm not forcing it on my son if any one thinks this... when he is old enough to make his own decisions if he came and said mummy can i have some eggs chicken or whatever that would be fine by me. just as im sure it is with most people when their kids come home and say mum i want to be veggie/vegan

I have been vegetarian all my life (my mum was vegan for 20 years) and some may think it was mean or whatever, but if I said to my mum I wanted bacon for example she would sit me down and explain what it was ie pigs and where it came from, as we got older she said we could try any meat we liked out of the house as she wouldn't cook it for us. I have tried chicken once (weird texture) and a fishcake! (yuk!) . I think if children have been raised vegan or vegetarian then it's only natural they become curious but it is up to us as parents to make decisions for our children until they are old enough to make decisions for themselves and I do believe that most will stick at it, as most of my veggie friends still are. Good on you for researching a healthy diet for your kiddies, don't let anyone make you feel like a food fascist- when ppl look at me like a freak for not giving DD a petit filous or whatever, I just think of what a lot of children are allowed to eat on a daily basis (sweets, crisps, processed meats, junk food etc) and it makes me laugh that these are the same people who would say it is unhealthy not to eat meat!

I must say rightly or wrongly I tend to give my DD over her RDA on most vit's etc as a precaution, and I give her a A,C,D supplement for the vit D but it is combined.

As long as you know in your heart of hearts that LO is getting everything they need then don't worry what others think or say. I would suggest these books too! Also skinny b*tch bun in the oven has good advice regarding pregnancy and breastfeeding and veganism, though has much the same info as the original. Good read though!

http://www.amazon.com/Feeding-Your-Vegan-Infant-Confidenc/dp/0907337295/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234563535&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Organic-Baby-Toddler-Cookbook/dp/1870098862/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234563570&sr=1-5

fernliebee

ooh contentious issue! What do people think about the 'may contain traces of milk' line on most packaging? Do you or don't you?

Joyful25

dustyparasol wrote: »

hi,
great decision! I have been a vegan since i was 11 years old and i am now approaching 39! i can highly reccommend www.rebeccas.cakes.co.uk as a provider of mail order cakes and breads etc, available on facebook and ebay!

Watch out for animal by-products and E numbers on food packaging hidden under their chemical name and buy a book called E for Additives!

SAINSBURYS label their food suitable for vegetarian/vegan so that cuts down on label reading times.

Good luck and if you need any advice on anything get in touch - good luck on your brilliant decision- best one i ever made! x

I have found some products which say 'suitable for vegetarians' when they're also ok for vegans (can't think of any off the top of my head at the moment, mainly soups and cereals) so it's always worth having a double check if you've got the time, especially if you're trying a new product or ingredient

Just remembered a very cute website http://www.veganvillage.co.uk/ which I've used a few times both for food and an excellent general resource - try the mushroom stroganoff which doubles as a dinner with rice (twice), a jacket pot filling :money: and is really yummy if you like your coconut milk:

http://www.veganvillage.co.uk/recipes/stroganoff.htm

There's also http://www.frugal.org.uk/recipes.html which I'm pretty sure I got somewhere from MSE elsewhere.....honestly, memory failing!

Try http://www.frugal.org.uk/cookies.html, you can basically bung anything in (last batch had coconut and almonds, rather yummy).

fernliebee: good question. I've been told by a seasoned vegan or two that this may mean there's a potential chance the production line wasn't cleaned or wiped down in between products, so trace could literally mean just that. A good example is the Green and Black's explanation http://www.greenandblacks.com/us/information/frequently-asked-questions/what-has-changed-with-your-milk-allergen-labeling/vegan-statement-has-gone-has-the-product-ever-been-suitable-for-vegans.html

You could argue that a person packing vegan products (I presume people and not machines still do it somewhere???) had a burger at lunch and there's a trace of their food on the glove they put on to handle the vegan-friendly product. The old question of where do you draw the line, eh.

Must. Go. To. Bed.

Fat_Fairy

ooh, just seen this thread!

i've been vegan for about 10 years aswell, veggie before that, and i have an 11 year old son who is vegan, too.

veganism is more economical and more sustainable - it can be as healthy or unhealthy as you make it, but always tasty!.

there's a great forum called the vegan forum, too.

also check out vegweb for free recipes, and the vegan society for info.x

kim_ley

Can I also ask... you have gone vegan food wise this is what everyone seems to discuss first! But have you gone vegan with beauty/cleaning etc? If so any tips?

kim_ley

vegan mexican rice http://vegetarian.about.com/od/sidevegetabledishes/r/mexicanrice.htm

kim_ley

fernliebee wrote: »

I have been vegetarian all my life (my mum was vegan for 20 years) and some may think it was mean or whatever, but if I said to my mum I wanted bacon for example she would sit me down and explain what it was ie pigs and where it came from, as we got older she said we could try any meat we liked out of the house as she wouldn't cook it for us. I have tried chicken once (weird texture) and a fishcake! (yuk!) . I think if children have been raised vegan or vegetarian then it's only natural they become curious but it is up to us as parents to make decisions for our children until they are old enough to make decisions for themselves and I do believe that most will stick at it, as most of my veggie friends still are. Good on you for researching a healthy diet for your kiddies, don't let anyone make you feel like a food fascist- when ppl look at me like a freak for not giving DD a petit filous or whatever, I just think of what a lot of children are allowed to eat on a daily basis (sweets, crisps, processed meats, junk food etc) and it makes me laugh that these are the same people who would say it is unhealthy not to eat meat!

I must say rightly or wrongly I tend to give my DD over her RDA on most vit's etc as a precaution, and I give her a A,C,D supplement for the vit D but it is combined.

As long as you know in your heart of hearts that LO is getting everything they need then don't worry what others think or say. I would suggest these books too! Also skinny b*tch bun in the oven has good advice regarding pregnancy and breastfeeding and veganism, though has much the same info as the original. Good read though!

http://www.amazon.com/Feeding-Your-Vegan-Infant-Confidenc/dp/0907337295/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234563535&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Organic-Baby-Toddler-Cookbook/dp/1870098862/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234563570&sr=1-5

Thanks that has made me feel a bit better people are quick to judge people as "bad mothers" and I would hate to be thought of as that! BUT like you say in my heart if I know they are getting what they need then thats ok thanks :beer:

bluemoon_3

I got this book when I first looked into being vegan and still refer back to it. You couldn't really get more comprehensive.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Becoming-Vegan-Complete-Adopting-Plant-based/dp/1570671036/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1234564513&sr=8-1

BTW, don't worry if you can't go vegan overnight. I was already veggie, and when I went vegan I made the transition in about six months. I'm glad I gave myself the time.

In the same vein, I've never told myself I 'can't' have something. This isn't about perfection. Each meal is a choice, and I'd rather make vegan choices (for a multitude of reasons). I'd rather be 99.9% vegan for the rest of my life than 100% and burn-out or become miserable.

Dobie, are you sure it's the Bisto powder that's vegan - I thought it was the granules? *I've just checked and on Viva it says that both the powder and granules are vegan but the 'complete gravy mix' isn't.

The Pataks curry pastes (not sauces) are usually vegan.

Also there's an Alpro single cream that works well in recipes.

I *think* the Tesco 'Light Choices' Naans are vegan.

kim_ley

I like to put a spoon of marmite in dishes that use gravy im not much of a fan of marmite but its great with pasta!

I'm gutted tofind out twigletts arent vegan any one know an alternative or a recipe to make them that can be veganised???

bluemoon_3

kim_ley wrote: »

I'm gutted tofind out twigletts arent vegan any one know an alternative or a recipe to make them that can be veganised???

Actually, I think they are nowadays. They used to have cheese powder in them, but I looked at a bag at my MIL's house this Xmas and the ingredients looked vegan to me - no more cheese powder!

Worth a look.