Some questions and advice needed!

[Guiltyexomni]

Hi guys and gals,

I am in the process of transitioning to veganism. I last ate meat a week ago now. I having been cutting down on my meat consumption for a year as I have friends that are veggie/vegan and I am convinced by their arguments.

I know that this makes me the worst kind of meat eater. I know its wrong but willfully ignore my conscience to pay for conveniance. It is time to change. determined never to touch meat again.
I am watching lots of documentaries to strengthen my resolve. Milk and cheese are easy and I dont like them much anyway.

it is just eggs that I would struggling to kick. I have a half dozen that I am working through and then will ditch those as well.

i guess the really hard part is hidden animal products . For example, I found out that some lentils and bran flakes I bought aren't vegan. I have an app now but I am really looking for advice on difficult to spot products. I only know gelatine. also toiletaries and stuff. I never thought these items werent vegan. Some general pointers would be great. thank you all.

 

[Veganite]

I know that this makes me the worst kind of meat eater.

First off, welcome to the forum. Secondly, don't be too hard on yourself. We all started somewhere. The way most of us were brought up makes it very difficult to just change over to veganism overnight. In other words, it is sometimes easier said than done, but perseverance will prevail. So just be proud that you have finally found your path, and enjoy the journey getting there.

Pretty much most non-vegan foods and cuisine can be "veganized". Even eggs can be veganized. The Internet will be your best friend in finding these veganized versions of your favorite dishes. After a while, you will not miss them at all.

*

 

[Forest Nymph]

I would say if you're just now transitioning, or you're someone on a budget where you can't afford to go out and buy new stuff, if you have boxes of bran flakes or lentil soup with trace amounts of animal products - you should go ahead and eat them if your conscience allows it, because realistically it is a trace amount (like whey or butter as an ingredient lower down on the list, right?) and you already paid for it. You aren't saving any new animals by throwing out a pre-purchased box of cereal that is mostly wheat and water.

Even people who have been vegan for a while occasionally make this kind of mistake with a loaf of bread, or because they are in a situation where they have to accept food from a charity food bank.

However, I would not recommend you ever flagrantly keep eating meat, eggs or milk. That's very different than making an allowance for a trace ingredient because then you're rationalizing why it's okay to eat animal products as a meal.

If you can afford it and it makes you feel better, give away your can of lentils to a homeless person or to a food bank and go buy vegan lentils. Otherwise, good luck.

 

[Guiltyexomni]

thanks for the replies. You have helped me feel more confident now. I will spent a bit longer in the shop and figure things out piece by piece.

 

[Lou]

Hello and welcome to the forum.
So far you have gotten some good advice. I'm just going to add my 2¢. Mostly its just reiterating and emphasizing what you have already heard. but maybe with just a little different perspective.

Guilt can be a pretty good motivator but I see it as a negative emotion. So try not to feel guilty. The best way to avoid this is in your own mind focus on the positive.

You are not the "worst kind of meat eater". Lets reserve that label for the guy who eats animal products at every meal. Maybe you are not the best vegan. But even the worst vegan is like 100 times better than the typical meat eater. So don't feel guilty. Instead, feel accomplished. Every meal that you eat that does not include an animal is a little victory. Yea!

There is a strong argument to be made to transition to veganism as fast as you can. There is the formation of good habits, the addictions that need to be broken, and the adjustment your body will make. And if you can make the effort I think that a fast transformation is worth doing. However many people are more comfortable and still very successful with a slow transition. And it looks like you are already on that path. So embrace it.

Another "trick" that is often mentioned by people who successfully transitioned to veganism is to stop thinking of sacrificing the food you want. Think of better alternatives.

and yes, the animal products they sneak into foods is a real challenge. I remember a time where I spent like ten minutes in the bakery aisle looking for dinner rolls that did not contain milk, or eggs, or butter. it gets easier. But it never really stops. I remember one time the brand of rolls I had been buying then changed the recipe and started adding butter.

It's still worth checking. But it's not worth losing sleep over.

The documentaries are great for motivation. but I think you might shift gears and look more at the "how-to" videos.
There is a good 3-week course that covers almost every aspect of veganism. It's called the
21-Day Vegan Kickstart
It's free. And if you start on the first day of the month, there is a forum of the current students - so there is a social media aspect. I'm sure you can join it today or tomorrow and catch up.

If you like books, The 30-Day Vegan Challenge by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau. You can buy it used for $10 at Amazon.
(there is also a video course that goes with the book. It's optional. It costs $30) Or just see what is in the library. The first book I read was the Dummy's Guide to the Vegan Lifestyle, which was surprisingly good.

If you like podcasts, I recommend Patrick-Goudreau's Food For Thought podcast.

Anyway, maybe the best advice is to take your time and enjoy the ride.