[canadacatman]

What is worse to eat dairy or meat(chicken and fish only)

I am going to ease into this and will give up one then in a bit the other. I want to become vegan.

Thanks

[Candeka]

Eating meat. First, before you become vegan you will want to become vegetarian. In order to become vegetarian, you need to give up meet. After you have gotten used to no meat products, you can work your way to becoming vegan..

[canadacatman]

So dairy is better for you then chicken and fish or is this because of the vegetarian first. It does not really matter what one goes first I want to get rid of the one that is the worse for me. I do not have to go vegetarian first just want to get the worse one gone first.

Makes no sense to me either lol

Thanks

[Candeka]

Well if you plan on giving them both up completely anyways, why does it matter which one is better for you? Chicken and fish are great in your diet and I would never get them up (this is why I could never become a vegetarian lol!)

Personally, if you are looking at "which one is better for you", than I would cut out the dairy products first. But as I said before, I don't understand why it matters if you plan on eliminating both from your diet.

[canadacatman]

I want to keep one for awhile and then give it up.
I will give up both but do not think I can do both at once.

Thanks

[Candeka]

No problem and good luck with everything! I wish I had the will power!

[guynna]

In terms of what's "good for you," you also need to think about what nutrition you need --- how much iron, protein, etc. will vary somewhat with your age, activity level, etc.

Factory-farmed meat tends to be tasteless, fatty, and polluted with chemicals. But if you eat humanely-raised meats/poultry/fish in small quantities, you get both nutrition and taste. You can get low-fat or fat-free versions of many dairy products. Reducing fat is a main, IMHO, health reason for avoiding meats and dairy. So what does "bad for me" mean to you? Is it chemicals, or fats, or the karmic implications of eating other creatures?

[bluestegosaurus]

then there's the impact of each, as is discussed and illustrated in a recent blog post from vegansaurus . com (can't post links yet, pm me for the link). frankly, you'll not suffer any health-wise for going vegan cold-turkey, pun intended. the only reason you'd find any difficulty is if you currently eat nothing but cheese-slathered chicken wings and have no idea that vegans eat anything other than carrots. assuming you're aware of the produce department in the grocery store, you'll be just fine to quit all meat, cheese, and eggs and go for it. my suggestion: set a date to switch, eat what you've got / give it to friends, and jump right in.

[LandonsBaby]

Are you going vegan for health reasons or ethical reasons? If for health, I'd give up dairy first. If for ethics, I'd go with meat first and make sure you get your dairy from humane farms.

[ade903]

I have the ultimate goal of going vegan. I've been vegetarian for over six months and I love it. It really helped me to research the heck out of it (I can recommend books/documentaries if you like). There are blogs and even an awesome veggie forum (veggieboards.com they have LOADS of nutritional information). Although consuming dairy contributes greatly to animal suffering, I'd recommend going veg before vegan. But I'd also start trying vegan products early on (soy, almond, and coconut milks are great options).

If you go vegan, make sure you take a B12 supplement (even if your multi has B12, your body doesn't absorb it well. Go for something that dissolves under the tongue. I take this: http://www.amazon.com/Deva-Vegan-Vit...7355609&sr=8-1).

As for protein, if you get a wide variety of whole plant foods, you will likely hit the amount your body needs. One major issue with the government is that they are in bed with the meat and dairy industries. That's why they recommend high intakes of protein and dairy. Check out this food pyramid (created without pressures from other industries...just based on studies): http://www.med.umich.edu/umim/food-pyramid/

The China Study, Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer, Earthlings, and Forks over Knives are all great resources. PM me if you need anything!

[rkipper]

Originally Posted by ade903

If you go vegan, make sure you take a B12 supplement (even if your multi has B12, your body doesn't absorb it well.

Something you may want to try is Nutritional Yeast. I sprinkle on Pizza after they come out of oven instead of cheese. It contains your B vitamins.