[shakeitoutloud]

I am a pretty strict vegetarian. I avoid meat altogether. I haven't slipped into my old carnivore ways since last year. I drink soy milk exclusively and I don't eat eggs directly (only if they are cooked in the recipe...like baked goods, etc). But I loveee cheese, sour cream, yogurt etc. and I have yet to find a good vegan cheese substitute.
any tips? should I continue to try easing into it or should I just go dairy-free cold....tofurky?

[LoveCows]

I probably do not have any acutal tips but this is how it worked for me. I had been vegetarian for over 14 years. That almost vegan thing where I drank soy milk, ate soy cheese but was eating soy cheeses with caisen (sp?) in it etc. Last November when I went to the Thanksgiving celebration at Farm Sanctuary was the day I went strictly vegan and have never looked back. I did it because of my love for the animals. I have found it very easy although it can be a bit inconvenient at times.

I like Tofutti brand products. Their soy cream cheese and sour cream are excellent. I also like their vegan cheese. I still love sweets but anything with dairy in it doesn't even look good to me anymore. I think you will be able to go vegan when the time is right for you. That is how it worked for me anyway. You may want to start by getting a few vegan cookbooks if you do not have any yet.

Going vegan was one of the best things I ever did.

[vouge09]

I am going to do it very very very soon , if not by the end of new years at least i will be veggie but right now I dont think I can go vegan being that I still live with my mom and dad and am a teenager but by new years it is going to be NO MORE MEAT!

[applecake]

Going vegan isn't as hard as it sounds, but it takes some thought. I see this is an older thread, I hope you found some good recipes and a good health food store!

When I first went vegan, I craved fat! I guess I was missing the fat from cheese and junk food. So I ate a lot of avocado and nuts.

If you do some Google searches you can find some vegan versions of recipes for things you like. Here are a few vegan recipe sites to get you started:
http://www.theppk.com/recipes/
http://vegweb.com/
http://www.damefandango.com/veganebo...anmainmenu.htm

This is a low-fat vegetarian (not vegan) recipe site:
http://www.fatfree.com/cgi-bin/recipes.cgi

applecake

[applecake]

One more: Fat free vegan blog

[Michelle125]

If you miss cheese nothing comes close to Follow Your Heart brand 'cheese' or 'Mac n' Chreese'. I get these at Whole Foods and they are delicious. Not really for everyday eating if you're watching your weight, though, but they are a nice treat.

And this Miss Isa has changed the way I cook!!! You'll never crave anything carnivore ever again once you try her recipes- her cupcakes especially.

Like posted above- www.theppk.com

[giselley]

I am vegetarian and becoming a bit stricter, but I don't know if I will go vegan. Only time will tell. Since I am overweight, I am avoiding cheese. I already drink soy milk, soy ice milk, and I really don't eat much yogurt. My problem is eggs.

I personally think that simply not eating the problem food is the way to get around it. Go a month without eating dairy as an experiment. You don't need to "replace" items. Eat a lot of Indian/ asian food that does not require either eggs or cheese. I personally believe that they will never perfectly make a vegan cheese in my lifetime. Or vegan eggs other than something as a replacement in vegan brownies. I don't bake so recipie eggs really don't attract me.

Instead of eggs, tofu scramble is great. Love it.

Instead of yougurt, acedophelous tablets. And if you want a smoothie, use soft tofu and blend it. For dips, use soft tofu instead of cream cheese, and go more for hummus, guacomole, and salsa anyway. There are recipies for these things on vegetarian sites.

So I feel you should just stop eating cheese substitutes. They are like nearly total oil and so unnatural it is crazy. I even am not 100% cool with meat substitutes. Why would someone who does not want to eat meat want to eat meat look-alike? Boggles the mind. Same goes for the cheese. If you are going to be a vegan, I feel you should attack it as a person who does not eat cheese-- or anything that looks like cheese.

[FreeSpirit]

I just did it. When straight to vegan, no easing my way into it.

My best suggestion is to eat such amazing food that you don't miss it.

DON'T try fake cheeses for a while. You'll be disappointed that it doesn't taste the same.

[RangerChic]

I am 99% vegan now, as I've been avoiding milk/dairy products and have not had eggs. However, I really enjoy making little pizzas with sauce and Veggie Shreds. Personally, I think they taste great. Now, do I want to get into eating a lot of cheese subs? No, but since I do love pizza a lot and a few other things, it's nice to know that it's there. You just need to watch the sodium levels in the pre-packed stuff like crazy.

[nelie]

Ranger - try pizza without shreds. I love cheeseless pizza so much. bread, sauce, lots of veggies, sooo good.

[RangerChic]

Yeah? That does sound good. I'll definitely give it a try soon, thanks!

[meandmyself]

Hey veg girls! I am new to 3FC. I am a vegan gone astray! I became vegan after a serious case of IBS / gastric distress a couple of years ago. Read the book Skinny B...'s and it changed my life. I was a very successful and happy vegan. It changed my health, my weight and my general feeling of wellness. The problem was that I had a fairly resistant family and then began dating a carnivore who enjoys leisurely breakfasts of eggs and bacon...!

So little by little....all those little things creaped back into my house and my life. Since he and I have been dating, I have gained 30 lbs back of the 75 I had lost.

Help! How does a Veg coexist with a Carnivore? I love him and hope to be married to him someday. This can't be a deal breaker!

Thanks girls!

[nelie]

Compromise! It can happen and I know people who successfully do it. Can he cook? Just because he eats bacon and eggs doesn't mean you have to.