[Closed] It's World Vegan Day

My missus is vegan and has been for two years.

I miss being able to cook anything without having to spend 10 minutes inspecting the ingredients of every item before cooking.

I used to really enjoy cooking, now I really couldn't give a shit.

What made you convert?

Apart from liking the taste of everything vegans don’t eat, it seems like a MASSIVE faff, which i really Cba with

Seriously and the Vegan Crossfitters havn't been telling everyone yet 😉

I used to really enjoy cooking, now I really couldn't give a shit.

What did the vegan say after a car crash?
"I'm a vegan don't you know"

Where as I love cooking vegan food, it pushes my creativity much more... I'm not vegan

[url= http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/science-technology/vegan-scientists-discover-second-topic-of-conversation-%E2%80%A8-20170515127653 ]Vegan you say? They never usually mention it[/url]

😀

Mostly, I miss sausages! I'm not really vegan as I occasionally eat seafood/fish too, which makes eating at restaurants etc... way easier. Avoiding meat is pretty easy but dairy really is difficult and I add more restrictions by heavily limiting saturated fats too so no coconut for me, which tends to be a cream substitute that recipes call for.

I like a good burger and there are loads of different vegan burger options. I definitely enjoy cooking most of the time, finding recipes can be slightly arduous now though but I like the deliciouslyella website for good vegan options.

I do it for quite specific health reasons rather than animal welfare although I am quite conscious of environmental impacts of foods too. Been doing this for around a year now, eating away from home is still by far the hardest part.

No one told me out this and i thought vegans were meant to go on and on about it
So any recent converts?No
Long timers? Yes
What do you like? I tend to cook mainly Indian type food and some Italians moving over to stews - root vegetables- and thick soups in winter - usually add some form of pulse to all of that
What do you miss? Ability to be able to eat something other than crisps when out and I need food - eating out and cream doughnuts though I make my own

Recipes?Moroccan stew, Dahl, various curries, Potato dumplings [ and normal ones] Tofu "scrambled egg", Buddha Bowls, rissottos, middle eastern dishes - foul, falafel, tabbouleh etc . Tons of cakes, rice puddings, pancakes [ not savoury] I also like making pulse pate so Humous , Kidney bean ones and Mushroom ones for sarnies.
Chips at least once a week. Pizzas for treats or "greek style feta cheese flan with tomatos if feeling posh. Also like making sausage rolls and various pasties for when riding.

If that does not convert anyone nothing will 😉 Not a fan of fake meat in the main

I feel for you – I love cooking too and would hate to feel like that.

It is crap. Used to be able to fall back on Sainsburys soya mince for spag bol, chilli etc but they changed the recipe and it is minging now. All the rest are crap as well.

I do however make a mean vegan lemon drizzle cake.

edit: should add that even though I am not the vegan I do most of the cooking which is why it pisses me off so much.

I would miss eggs and diary too much to ever contemplate it

It is crap. Used to be able to fall back on Sainsburys soya mince for spag bol, chilli etc but they changed the recipe and it is minging now. All the rest are crap as well.

I use lentils in place of mince for most stuff, for chilli I use beans and throw some chick peas into a food processor briefly to give it texture.

I would miss eggs and diary too much to ever contemplate it

[url= http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/health/woman-quietly-swaps-veganuary-for-enormous-amount-of-ceddar-20170114120210 ]Indeed[/url]

STW is nothing if not predictable 😆

I like a good burger and there are loads of different vegan burger options.

Made some nice ones the other day based on a recipe in Scott Jurek's book, bit of a faff though. And had a really nice takeaway falafel and mushroom one in Tenby last week too. Don't miss the beef.

granose and various other companies only do vegan stuff - cannot comment as i dont do the fake meat as a rule.

personally i found the variety of what i ate increased when i became vegan over veggie as i was no longer thinking of cheese based dishes

I also enjoyed cooking more as I started doing different things. I used to find being a veggie a bit samey - again due to my reliance on cheese

northernmatt - I do however make a mean vegan lemon drizzle cake.

Vegan cake is the best, had it for our wedding and multiple birthdays.

At the risk of creating the inevitable argument but if you owned chickens and kept them well, what is the issue with eating their eggs?

if you kept slaves and treated them well what is your issue? 😉

When I went vegan i had chickens - they were in a natural habitat in a woodland and not fenced in so could leave if they wanted to - and i ate the eggs till they died but did not replace the chickens - rescue ones from battery farms.
Its certainly the nicest/least cruel way to partake of animals but vegans - by definition- dont have or use animals.

Do these hypothetical chickens eggs cast a shadow?

If so, you can't eat them

Which side of the road were the eggs on?

At the risk of creating the inevitable argument but if you owned chickens and kept them well what is the issue with eating their eggs?

TBH I think everyone has their own reasons for eating what they eat. If you've researched it and you're happy with it then go ahead. Bit like honey really, some vegans think it ok, others don't.

OK binners you have done this many times and the after the first 50 times the same joke has got less funny [ good mash link to be fair].

Any more of this and i am getting you a vegan gluten free pork pie.

I can see free-range sausage rolls frolicking in open fields behind my house. Might have to go and give one a big hug shortly

I am a massive carnivore, and I will defend it forever.
However I have a few vegan mates, these are the things I have noticed.
1) They never go on about it, I tend to raise it more often as I am curious as to how they manage.
2) I've never had a dissatisfying vegan meal from any of my vegan mates, in fact their food is amazing, varied and tasty, which is why I tend to go on about it.

Remind me again, why do we need to bait other peoples choices all the time?

STW is nothing if not predictable

I’m genuinely curious. An ex gf was vegetarian, then found out she was lactose intolerant, so was forced into it. Cooking was a nightmare and the one meal we had with vegan ‘cheese’ is to date, the most vile tasting thing I’ve eaten.

Junkyard - lazarus
No one told me out this and i thought vegans were meant to go on and on about it

Of course not, preaching to another vegan involves zero gain in smug moral superiority. The telling everyone* is saved for us filthy morally bankrupt omnivores.

(The above may contain less truth than the average trump tweet)

Hmm I'm beginning to suspect that there might be some meat eaters on this thread...

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I’m genuinely curious. An ex gf was vegetarian, then found out she was lactose intolerant, so was forced into it. Cooking was a nightmare and the one meal we had with vegan ‘cheese’ is, so date, the most vile tasting thing I’ve eaten.

Does take a while to get your head around shopping and cooking. Look at a menu or open a cookery book there will often only be a couple of headings, Meat and Fish. So that's often our mindset and takes a fair bit of work and research to change that.

Its not great[ the cheese] but it has got better - you can do ones that melt though they dont taste of much and no on vegan is ever going to buy it

I use lentils in place of mince for most stuff, for chilli I use beans and throw some chick peas into a food processor briefly to give it texture.

Can't stand the texture of lentils. I do the bean chilli thing though. Hardest part is trying to get a 5 year old to eat it.

granose and various other companies only do vegan stuff

Granose falafel mix is okay. Their sausage mix is vile though.

Remind me again, why do we need to bait other peoples choices all the time?

[url= http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/society/vegan-just-happens-to-mention-it-in-every-other-sentence-20160509108690 ]Because JY would secretly hate it if we didn't[/url]

He loves it, the hairy wee scamp 😀

Ah well if it's just banter between mates that's OK, I don't know who is friends on here and who isn't, is there a sort of organogram?

Tried being a vegan and it lasted about 6mths, essentially tried and chose to give it up.

MrsBouy is a veggie and it’s easy to knock up a meal, in fact I’d say easier than including anything meat based. But over the years she’s dabbled and I’ve restrained, but about 5 years ago we both decided to give it a whirl. It was a lot easier for her to adopt than me, I’m not a veggie but my meals are predominantly veggie unless I have some of our own farms organic beef lying around.. then I go all feral.
It’s easy living in Town where there are about a million vegan restaurants you can choose from, walk down any street and you’ll find one.. so back to our 6mths... I found it bloody hard reading all the ingredients on packets and packaging and deciding what was/is/isn’t allowed and so we ended up eating out 99% of the time, which is nice but both expensive and boring.
So we gradually binned it and reverted to type.

It’s a harsh regime, take away the Indian spice influence and I reckon your gonna starve.

my daughter is vegan. I dont find cooking when she is about a problem. I dont try and cook 'traditional' style dinners though.

we do alot of stir fry/roast veg etc anyway. we dont buy alot of packet stuff which makes knowing whats in yer dinner much easier.

Hang on how can you eat unborn chicken children if you are vegan? That's like my dairy free vegan mate who eats feta and farmed salmon.

Why you moaning to us about your mate? you picked them not us.

Vegan(ish) family here for 25 years including 15yo and 11yo boys.

The ish bit comes from having a great source of eggs and honey from a family member and the odd thing bought out.

It's easier to say vegan than the reality of vegetarian, non-dairy, no wool/leather/silk 🙂

Can't say I really miss anything. Restaurants are soooo much better than they were 25 years ago, although you would always be fine in big cities and curry houses.

Vegan discussions on here always remind me of the early years when it seemed a novelty and I was always having to answer questions. Doesn't seem to happen in the real world very much these days.

Vegetarian here. I would like to be Vegan, but I travel a lot and eat out with clients. Incredible number of restaurants just don't have anything for vegans and salad is often not on the menu. Plus I like to steer the discussion away from what I eat. Seems to be an immediate point of discussion as soon as I order something non-meat off the menu.

Further complicated by my fiance eating meat, so cooking at home is often compromised at vegetarian dishes.

The biggest thing I hate is when meat eaters feel they have to argue, prod and interrogate me about what I eat. Frankly, I don't want to talk about it. I don't ram it down their throats, so I don't expect them to ram it down mine. Live and let live.

Vegan discussions on here always remind me of the early years when it seemed a novelty and I was always having to answer questions. Doesn't seem to happen in the real world very much these days.

Common comment is 'you don't look like a vegetarian'..

Was vegan for about a year, couldn't live without butter and cheese. I'm still veggie and about 80% of what I cook at home is vegan, more by accident than design, I eat a lot of Asian and Middle Eastern food, which tends to be pretty vegan friendly anyway.
I'm not super strict about it and don't really go on about it too much. I went to Iceland last month and managed to stay veggie for a whole 2 hours whilst there. We ate out nearly every meal and veggie options were a bit limited, so I had a week off, which probably makes me a hypocrite.

I think I had been vegan for about 6 months when a colleague at work found out. He cracked the whole "how can you tell if someone's vegan? They'll tell you about it" joke, despite the first thing I said being, "yeah, I've been vegan about 6 months, not something I make a big deal out of, really".

I also do not "look like a vegetarian".

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We ate out nearly every meal and veggie options were a bit limited, so I had a week off, which probably makes me a hypocrite.

My sister was veggie for nearly 20 years. If I remember rightly, it was Morrisey's fault. She had to work in Paris for about a month. After the first week eating nothing but omelettes or salad and being looked at with disdain in restaurants when requesting a vegetarian option, she decided to have a week off.

By the end of that week, she was no longer a vegetarian

She came back home and the first thing she did was have a massive barby where she eat here own bodyweight in sausages and burgers, then the following day cooked beef wellington 😀

My sister was veggie for nearly 20 years. She had to work in Paris for about a month. After the first week eating nothing but omelettes or salad and being looked at with disdain in restaurants, she decided to have a week off.

By the end of that week she was no longer a vegetarian

After Iceland, we went to Amsterdam, which caters for veggies much better, so I went straight beck to being veggie. It's easy as long as you remember why you're veggie or vegan, no big deal.

I had forgotten how good ribs are though, bloody delicious they were. When people ask me what the best bit of my holiday was, I say "Ribs".

I've been veggie since New Year, and have found it really easy.

I'm not a huge cheese eater and I don't take milk in tea or coffee so going mostly vegan shouldn't be too much of a jump. I think I'll start that this New Year.

I'm veggie for environmental reasons, so I'm not fussy about using different spoons, etc. and I'll probably continue to eat honey and the eggs that our rescue hens lay.

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The biggest thing I hate is when meat eaters feel they have to argue, prod and interrogate me about what I eat.

thi is what generally happens

1. What do you eat
2. Why
3. A discussion on protein - they have no idea how much protein you need per day but they are sure you dont get enough- or some such other health angle they dont get - quite often from folk as svelte and healthy as binners.
4. I could never be a vegan because - list all the meat they like- though apparently only we go on about it/our diet.
5. Do you wear leather shoes etc
6. Why do you [ or someone else]- something pointless

Its not all the time[ 15% ish?] but these threads show you ho often meat eaters just want to have a go - ever read one where they were not ?

The worst I ever got [ at work] was accused of child abuse for making my kids be vegan.

Junkyard - I was making the point about vegetarianism, not veganism. I accept there are more people that would be more likely to prod someone about veganism.

It's definitely worse when you're vegan, but I do find that people can take an intrusive level of interest in my dietary choices even as a veggie.

I find telling them to keep their ****ing nose out of my business works pretty well, but then I'm lucky, I don't particularly like people anyway.

I miss bacon. Actually I don’t but someone had to say it. I actually miss doner kebabs, but can now just about replicate them with fake chicken from the Chinese supermarket so it’s not as bad these days.

Unlike JY I’m not much of a vegetable fan and regard myself as a connoisseur of processed fake meat. The most amusing thing is how some people can’t get their head around me eating meat flavour crisps.

I've been vegan so long I can hardly remember eating non-vegan food so I don't really miss it.
Vegan things I miss are: Vegebanger mix - since its discontinuation no other sausage mix has come close and vege sausages nowadays are all frozen palm oil and tvp concoctions, and Cauldron Foods smoked tofu - other smoked tofus are available still but that stuff was food of the gods
I like simple bold flavours, carbs, generous use of olive oil, things containing lots of alliums and umbellifers, things you can serve with roast potatoes, chilli, garlic and fresh thyme.
I imagine trying to please children is a nightmare.

The most amusing thing is how some people can’t get their head around me eating meat flavour crisps.

And won’t eat cheese and onion (veggies anyway)

Recently I had to share an office for a while with a couple of "meat scientists". They were really nice and we got on fine.

I imagine trying to please children is a nightmare

Last time i asked them what they wanted as a treat they agreed on apple and fenel salad - I suspect that is rather uncommon.

Certainly had a lot less problems than meat eating friends....could be luck, could be great parenting I genuinely dont know.

I don't think I could ever be full vegan unless I had to for medical reasons (if that's even a thing) but I do like to (mostly) ensure the food I consume comes from reputable sources where welfare is high priority. If it is a choice between eating a vegan meal or eating cheap crap meat then I'll choose vegan.

JY - we’re all just jealous of your long flowing locks and boyish good looks, and our inner rage at the injustice of it all compels us to drown our sorrows, crying into our steak bakes and sausage butties

ensure the food I consume comes from reputable sources where welfare is high priority.

😆

😆

Why would you get pissy about someone trying to find out more about what being vegan invloves?

Anway I had some Vegan Brownies from a friend a few months back, he was very happy to share why he went vegan and what it involves. He didn’t get pissy about and gave a very good insights, he misses bacon though.

I have nothing against vegans as a group, but I detest the ones that like to force it on you, my wife's friend turned vegan last year, and tried to convert my wife, and along the way myself too by sending far left vegan videos to my wife with the line make Jim watch this!
I'm all for folks making their own choices in life, if I want to try something I'll look in to it, but try and force something on me and it just gets my back up.

Why would you get pissy about someone trying to find out more about what being vegan invloves?

It often goes like this (at least in our family and certain friends)

'I just don't get it?'
'You don't have to, really - I'll just have the vegetables'
'No, but I mean, you say you love animals but what difference does one person make? If you don't buy meat then someone else will'
(Thinks - this again? We went through this last asked, but hey-ho here we go) 'You could say that about a lot of things, I mean, why don't you drop litter, or buy illicit drugs - I mean because others will continue to do it regardless we all have our own choices about what buy, not buy, support/not support?'
'Now that's just being ridiculous'
'Well, you did ask'
'I couldn't do it, I mean I just couldn't'
'Not asking you to'
'I could never give up bla bla bla'
'No, of course'
'I mean, what do you eat? I don't even understand that fake meat , if you don't want to eat meat why eat fake meat?'
'I like eggs, some meat, especially fish and cheese. I do/did like the taste. And I sometimes eat goats cheese that our friend makes, and eggs from a local supplier where I can see the chickens are happy.
'See, that doesn't make sense!'

Etc,

Etc

Etc.

With the general unspoken but inferred, s****ing focus being on what a total PITA the family 'pet vegan' is for their choice not to eat the frikkin cheese or meat. That's two types of food that our family cannot seem to do without. As (mostly) vegans we eat a list of foodstuffs as long as both our arms while the family eat mostly potatoes, pastry, cheese and meat. But we are the 'awkward' ones for eating a wider variety of 'foreign muck'. We also take our own food to family get-togethers - this is met with the conspiratorial 'looks' between the self-appointed 'normals'. Best to just stay away and 'face the music' from afar.

There I went against my better judgment and posted, gargh!

The worst I ever got [ at work] was accused of child abuse for making my kids be vegan.

It can be and has been prosecuted as such. If your kids are not being fed the right nutrients which you can't get from a vegan diet then you are not doing your duty as a parent. I don't force my kids to eat meat but the eldest doesn't eat beef so supplement his diet with extra protein, thiamine and DHA.

The problem is alot of vegans (historically aswell) have basically knackered it for everyone else: taking themselves way too seriously, defining themselves by their dietary choices and the end result is they get the piss ripped out of them. Just stop banging on about it, it makes you look mad!! Same with the roadies who will act like arseholes at any excuse: you do us no favours! Wouldn't make my kids be vegan though.

Same with the roadies who will act like arseholes at any excuse: you do us no favours!

Yeah there's nothing worse than being a cyclist. Just ask those sensible anti-cyclists who have latched on to 'those that do us no favours'

And around it goes.

Best thing to do is say

[s]'I have to ride a bicycle because the doctor recommended it[/s] I can't eat animal products because I have a medical condition'

Problem solved.

Worst of the lot are those who campaign in support of increased [s]cycling[/s]animal welfare. They make me want to [s]drive a belching V8 to the local shop on the corner every day just for a cheap sausage roll[/s] throw a half-digested bacon sarnie up on their self-righteous plate. Or sneak some meat gravy into their bleating mouth. They give the rest of them a bad name.

I can see why you would in that case Malvern but asking genuine questons like JY posted less so.

It can be and has been prosecuted as such

Meat eaters lose their kids due to malnutrition it does not mean the diet per se is child abuse. Think FFS

If your kids are not being fed the right nutrients which you can't get from a vegan diet

I don't force my kids to eat meat but the eldest doesn't eat beef so supplement his diet with extra protein, thiamine and DHA.

Vegan for two years here and I don't miss meat, eggs or dairy at all. Being vegan has made my life simpler because I usually only have a couple of options to choose from when eating out. I also feel 'better' physically, mentally and emotionally for having made the switch.

I cook a lot of Mexican style food - the books Thug Kitchen and Vegan Tacos are awesome.

Actually scrap that I can now see why you might get pissy sometimes.

Junkyard, b12 deficiency affecting your ability to spot a troll? 😉

POssibly 😳 lets see if he takes the edinburgh route 😉

This place does appear to be less bright than it used to perhaps its just that I am more gullible to the troll

The problem is alot of vegans (historically aswell) have basically knackered it for everyone else

News flash: It's not knackered, it's never been easier to be vegan and don't worry, your kids will tell you when they're ready 8)

If your kids are not being fed the right nutrients which you can't get from a vegan diet

Whilst not wanting to engage with such bellendery, it's possibly worth telling the story of when my Mrs asked the GP for advice on both our kids being vegan (they're 13 and 10 now and still alive strangely). The GP said that compared to some of the specimens that crossed her path who are fed on big macs and chicken nuggets, our kids were perhaps the healthiest she'd ever seen and that we really shouldn't worry about any diet related problems.

Interestingly our kids are also the least fussiest eaters I know. I'm not wholly claiming that's down to being vegan but it's probably a big part of it. Also good parenting I guess, which is probably another vegan trait 😉

Interestingly our kids are also the least fussiest eaters I know.

Gonna call bullshit.

Kids are weird. My (vegan) 4 yo is super fussy, probably should be a meat eater tbh as he loves his fake cheese slices and tofu chorizo etc. But he'll down an enormous portion of chana masala which an adult would struggle to finish....

Interestingly our kids are also the least fussiest eaters I know. I'm not wholly claiming that's down to being vegan but it's probably a big part of it.

Funny that as my kids are exactly the same but not vegan.

Gonna call bullshit.

Ok, they won't eat mushrooms. Even if I chop them really small. Thai, chinese, mexican, indian, pretty much any vegetable (apart from mushrooms), tofu etc they'll eat the lot with no complaints. They main thing they won't eat is fake meat, which is a shame cos I do a great fake doner kebab but you can't have it all.

Remind me again, why do we need to bait other peoples choices all the time?

Same reason that some motorists bait cyclists: it's a minority group making a different choice.

Ok, they won't eat mushrooms.......

.....and

Chicken Korma?
Lamb Bhuna?
Beef Madras?

Kids are weird... fake cheese slices

Ours prefer the fake ones to the real ones. Now that is very weird.