Diet Water

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS from the ‘Why I’m Vegan’ post.

 
I’ve been veg for a while now, but as far as going vegan I’m trying to make the switch to being 100% animal free but like you I am a cheese addict, but also how do you know what’s animal based in your food? And beauty products? etc…

I wish it were always as simple as seeing the word “vegan” written across the label, but that usually isn’t the case. A lot of food items will say “vegan” or have a “V” labeled on it. Beauty products will either have a carrot symbol, bunny symbol or say: “vegan” or “cruelty-free”. I don’t buy beauty products unless they are very clearly labeled. For food: ehhhhh. I do the best I can. I try to stay with food products that have very little ingredients and ingredients that I recognize = less chemicals/less animal bi-products.  There are books and websites that you can reference. One book would be Animal Ingredients A to Z: Third Edition. It might be a bit overwhelming…. but you could def. go searching ingredient by ingredient. When shopping I search for key words that I stay away from such as: anything with “milk” in it, whey, albumen, egg-whites, carmine, carminic acid, cochineal, gelatin, casein, isinglass, rennet, keratin, lard, &pepsin.
I’m not a vegan but I enjoyed hearing your point of view on why you are. I’m curious to know if your boyfriend is also vegan and at what age you’ll let Marlowe make her own decision in that area?
 
Eric is not vegan &he will most likely never be. He is a lover or pork and cheese. With Marlowe, I’m kinda going to play it by ear. I would like to plan a certain age in advance, but we all know things and beliefs change to suite a child’s needs. I would like to say around the age of 7 she will be old enough to decide. But it could be much earlier or much later than that.



Yes, Interested in whether or not Eric is vegan and if not, how do you deal with the eating thing. What about Marlowe? Are you going to raiser her vegan? I, too, am very grossed out by eating animals. it actually repulses me. I am pretty much vegetarian and I would be vegan…but I have severe food allergies. i am allergic to most nuts. Wondering what I would do to substitute the protein? Any suggestions about food allergies and veganism?
 
Not vegan. Well, as far as “dealing with the eating thing”, it just kind of works. I’m not trying to change him to become vegan and he’s open minded when it comes to food choices. I’m lucky that since I’ve become vegan I’ve had two boyfriend’s (Eric/ Marlowe’s father) who both share similar views with me about food. I wouldn’t have dated them otherwise.  We usually have dinner together &if it’s something like pizza or grilled cheese, I use my vegan cheese and Eric uses non-vegan cheese. Other than that a vegan meal is prepared. When dining out he often chooses a meat option &that’s perfectly fine with me (as long as I’m not getting a big meaty kiss after a bite full of food).
As for Marlowe, I discussed it a bit HERE, but will mostly likely be writing more about it later. I would like to think she will be vegan or vegetarian, but I really have no idea what she will choose. For now, she will be my little breast-fed baby and then a little (not super strict) vegan toddler and kiddo.
I’ve been asked before about nuts and veganism. I actually don’t use nuts as my protein source. Sure I love a peanut butter sandwich (with soy chocolate milk mmmm), but other than that the only nut I ever purchase is cashews to make a cashew cheese. For non-nut protein: legumes (I’m obsessed with black beans or lentil soups), tofu, some types of tempeh MIGHT be okay, seitan, and protein shakes (rice, soy, hemp based).
 
 
Just my personal opinion, but I think that if people are going to eat meat, they need to get neck deep in the process and if that is too much for them, then they need to not eat meat. The only way we could make sure that the meat we ate was treated like it should be was to raise it ourselves. <3
 

Not a question ^, but I added this comment in here because I wholeheartedly agree.

 

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My #1 question that I have been thinking of all week {thanks to your blog} what kind of cheese can I buy for my daughter? What are your recommendations? {if any}
 
If you can purchase dairy straight from a (real) farm, I say dooo it. Even if you have to spend extra money and cut costs elsewhere (wherever) it’s worth it. If not, choose a cheese with the least amount of ingredients you can find. Organic milk, salt, and some sort of enzyme should be the only thing listed. If it’s a matter of lactose intolerance: goat cheese– it more closely resembles human milk than cow’s milk does.




Is switching to organic aisle in my grocery store really worth it? 
 
Absolutely. I mean, sure, this can be somewhat a matter of opinion… but for me personally: I don’t want chemicals in my body or my child’s body. It seems strange to me to be put something so completely unnatural in my body. Sure, maybe you wont instantly feel the effects, but long term: yes, you will be absolutely healthier. There are more cancers and health problems than ever before.. for generations chemicals have replaced natural foods and we’re suffering for it.
&Besides the important health related benefits, you will find the taste difference is definitely there.
Do you think you could share what a shopping list looks like for you? One of my big set backs with taking the plunge is money… I just feel like the only time I can get good deals on veggies and fruits is when the sun is out and farmers markets are open again… I also just don’t know what to shop for.
I plan on doing a whole post for this. If you shop by season and region you will find it much easier to stay on a lower budget. Here in Florida, you can find large Florida avocados for a buck in season. Out of season: it more than doubles in price at 2.50 for a hass avocado. My staple food items: canned tomatoes, canned beans, dried lentils, potatoes, onions, green onions, tomatoes, carrots, celery, lemons, a bread of some sort, frozen corn, peas, and then I will add whatever fruits and veggies I can find at reasonable in season pricing. Everything I just listed I buy organic, except for the onions. I try to have dinner ideas in mind and then work from there.
i love this post too, and while i’m not vegan (i eat chicken & cheese) but am trying to limit that even more…anyway, i’m 14weeks pregnant & have cut out chicken & cheese for now just cause I don’t even want them…but i’d love some ideas for some healthy, hearty snacks for a preggy mama!
 

I mean, you’re pregnant…. go with your cravings! Pickles with peanut butter? 🙂 I didn’t actually have cravings, but these were turns to snacks I loved (&still love): Cashew nut shakes, peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat with a glass of chocolate soy milk, fruit smoothies with greens (spinach usually) and avocado blended in— bananas work too, but I hate them and used the avocado to create a creamier texture and give more fat (preggos need the calories!) Don’t be scared of the avocado, just be sure to add enough fruit to balance it. Veggies or crackers with hummus, bagel/toast with cream cheese (I use tofutti) with tomatoes, green onion, and sliced cucumber on top. Or, this is completely not healthy, but my guilty pleasure snack: pizza bagels (I use Follow Your Heart Mozzarella) . Nom. &Really a lot of my “snacks” were “meals”. There’s nothing better than sitting down to eat a nice healthy-filling meal when pregnant.

I would like to introduce some fun alternatives to stay away from meat all together. I was wondering if you could help me in this department?


This is hard. It takes a lot of brain re-wiring. We all look at meat as the shining star in each meal with everything else as a side dish. This thinking needs to be re-worked. You’ve got to look at the meal as a whole with the vegetables as the star. Work on eating meals that are vegan without trying to be: pasta, some soups, ratatouille, bean tacos, a lot of indian dishes. Marinated grilled tofu is awesome… even my brother likes it… you don’t know him, but that say’s a lot. I’m going to work on posting more recipes.  🙂 

where can I find all your recipes?? Thank you 😉
 

I’m not great at using the label system on blogger, but some can be found HERE, others are scattered throughout the blog. I admit, I need to work on the “recipe” section on this blog of mine. &by that I mean: I REALLY REALLY need to work on it.

If I missed anything, I’m sorry &please let me know!

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I meant to post this video on my vegan post. Check it out.
A few other vegan/vegetarian resources:
 
The Vegetarian Resource Group or more specifically: a helpful list of ingredients.
Barnivore – because most white wine, and many many beers are not vegan or even vegetarian.
A huge list of vegan recipes.
Find a restaurant near you: Happy Cow

🙂

Also, if you wouldn’t mind giving us two clicks for a VOTE it would be much appreciated! Thanks loveys 🙂

6 Comments

  1. thanks SO much for answering my question!! You gave so many great ideas! I loved all the answers you had, too…and have learned so much from this post!

  2. Thank you for the answer! Every time a read a new diet water post I get inspired, can't wait to grocery shop this weekend.

  3. I actually just watched the Oprah episode yesterday where she challenged her Harpo employees to going vegan for a week!

    It was really interesting and had me thinking. I'm interested in leaning in and going "vegan-ish" as they called it. I need to watch the Mark Bittman video you posted when I get a chance, but he was on the show, as well as "The Veganist", Kathy Freston.

    Reading that perfectly "normal" 😉 people like you do this all the time makes me more into the idea, and I look forward to reading more posts about this. I mean, people think I'm crazy because I cloth diaper, so I'm used to criticism! Glad you feel the same way!

  4. Great article-I think we have a lot of the same thoughts on veganism. I have been a vegan for a few years now, and my boyfriend just turned vegetarian about 6 months ago. Cooking is easy though-most meals end up being vegan anyway. We've been trying to get pregnant-and I've been thinking about how to raise a child too. I would definitely raise a vegetarian-not sure about vegan.

  5. Wonderful post! I don't alawys shop organic, I can't afford it. Unfortunately my uncle USED to have an organic farm and he closed it down to move to the Philippines. It would have been amazing to have free access to organic produce like apples, cherries, strawberries, etc.

    I do my best to buy locally. I don't buy a lot of produce at the grocery store anymore. I usually end up buying from these 2 guys who sell fruit on the corner on the way to my house. It's always cheaper and much more fresh than the grocery store.

  6. Good post!! And thanks for quoting me! <3 I enjoy eating a primarily vegetarian diet, but we do eat meat a few times a week- typically in a side dish portion.

    Many omnivores, my family included, can find that just by switching to local/organic foods and rewiring their brains to see meat as a side item, not a main course, notice a hugely positive difference in their energy levels, digestive health, mood, etc.

    Oh, and as far as costs go, local farmer's markets are awesome places to score deals on produce. Some local farmers can't afford to be labeled "organic," but often are organic OR have higher standards than even the organic label suggests. The only way to find out about practices on the farm are to ask 🙂

    Again, Drea- love the Diet Water posts! Looking forward to the next one!