Vegan for January

Good luck. I have been vegetarian all my adult life and am gradually taking up veganism. I don't eat butter, eggs or drink milk. Slowly cutting cheese out

We unintentionally have meat free days, and having had a DD who was vegetarian could manage that without too much problem, but I don't think could manage to go vegan for more than a couple of days.

I’m doing dry January and am already veggie, but think veganuary might be a step too far. I do quite often have vegan meals , I buy almond and soy milk from Aldi, I make porridge with that, I will try to buy more dairy free stuff, so may do a few days here and there.

It is difficult to get all the nutrients you really need. I would not do it. I am a vegetarian.

If you have calcium, Vitamin D, Vitamin B12, and multivitamin supplements, eat a healthy diet including plenty of green leafy vegetables you'll be OK. Some GP's
assume vegans are likey to be anaemic because of meat avoidance and although that's possible it's not the norm. B12 deficiency is possible so you do need to take that.

You don’t need supplements! My DGS aged 2 is an accidental vegan because of multiple allergies. His diet is monitored by a dietician and they are very happy with it - no supplements whatsoever. He is happy, healthy, and full of beans (yes I know).

I’ve been a vegetarian for 50 years but I’ve learnt so much from my DIL because of this, and she wasn’t even a vegetarian so it’s been a very steep learning curve for her. There are many myths about the need for or the value of animal products in our diet.

Give up cheese?!?! No way!

Doing dry January, that's enough for me. Why are people going vegan? Is it for health reasons or other?

We live on home made veg soups thro January and beyond, helps keep the weight down ?????

I have been vegetarian for about 40 years. Last year my DD decided to go vegan for Lent. I thought I would join her. We have never looked back. She was a total cheese addict so I never thought she would stick at it. It seems to be the next logical step to being vegetarian and I wish I had done this sooner

I hate meat, am veggie by preference and like vegan food, but my family are all carnivores and, try as I will I cannot persuade them to join me, so tend for the sake of an easy life to buy veggie ready meals. Told them yesterday that I was going to go complerely veggie and, where possible, vegan and you'd think I'd suggested eating slugs or tadpoles! Ordered new veggie and a vegan cookbook yesterday and looking forward to a healthy and kinder lifestyle. My 3 problems are milk (hate soya milk and scared that almond etc will be as bad, and like Channel Islands milk, especially for home-made yogurt), eggs (one of my obvious staples, having grown up with boiled and scrambled since babyhood and don't know what alternatives there are - I've seen "scrambled tofu" recipes, which sound interesting, but not necessarily a perfect alternative) To a lesser degree I will miss cheese, which makes a tasty and quick cheese on toast, can't imagine pizza without mozzarella or pasta without parmesan. Where I live there are only the 4 big supermarkets and a H&B and the range is not inspiring, hence the feeling that I can't go the whole way at once. Anyone got any ideas that might make the transition easier? Much appreciated. Good luck with NYR, everyone!

My DD & DSL have become vegan moving on from being vegetarian. They have become very evangelical about the switch, both medics. Trying hard to convert us. We have decided to adopt a healthier eating plan to go with dry January in the hope of losing some weight. Butternut squash stuffed with quinoa tonight?

Skweek I believe Waitrose and Sainsburys are introducing a new vegan line this month.

good for you - I'm kind of vegan except on those days when I have some goats butter (less intensely farmed? or occasional bit of stilton) I don't think people should be over worried by hard boundaries but do their best towards veganism. Then less people would give up. I mean just meatless days is a good start. It is such a healthy delicious diet. and I certainly am happier not having a dead animal on my plate - the other good thing is that quorn and Stella McCartney are really raising their game in choice and the Vegetarian Butcher makes delicious food. Meat without cruelty. way to go

good for you - I'm kind of vegan except on those days when I have some goats butter (less intensely farmed? or occasional bit of stilton) I don't think people should be over worried by hard boundaries but do their best towards veganism. Then less people would give up. I mean just meatless days is a good start. It is such a healthy delicious diet. and I certainly am happier not having a dead animal on my plate - the other good thing is that quorn and Stella McCartney are really raising their game in choice and the Vegetarian Butcher makes delicious food. Meat without cruelty. way to go

I could never be totally vegitarian never mind vegan. I don't eat a lot of "red meat" but love chicken & fish. Eggs are often on my menu & as for cheese, no I could never give that up. Milk I only have in coffee, can't drink it any other way, not even Almond Milk although I love cream, yogurt is a totally no no for my (think about the taste of sour milk - yuk).

I do love vegetables & do have "meat free days". I don't want to replace meat with tofu etc.

I admire those of you that have gone vegitarian or vegan but it's not for me

Sorry but could not or want to be vegan. We eat mainly fish, about 3 times a week, meat on 2 days and veggie the. Other two. I believe we eat a good healthy diet.

Oh no I couldn’t be vegan! I like most foods. Moderation is key as we all know..... ? And who knows what is put into these ‘substitute’ foods to have them taste ‘like’ cheese/sausage/chicken etc?

My eldest DGD is vegan. She is 16 and went vegetarian at 13 and vegan soon afterwards.

I do find it difficult to cater for her when doing a family meal - I try to do something special for her so she knows I respect her choice and also that I love her enough to do that! It is a faff though and I coped with vegetarianism more easily. It seems to be a fashionable thing to do amongst her friends though and I wonder how many will keep to it. (Suspect she will!)

O have been veggie for 38 years. I cannot give cheese up (vegan cheese is awful and so salty). I enjoy the occasional egg. I don't drink cows milk...way too sweet. I love unsweetened almond and soy milks. I too have been thinking of trying again. I do have a lot of cheese to use up though so think February might be better for me. Am thinking of giving up alcohol for the rest of January though. There is one glass left in a bottle...will have that tonight...hahaha...then quit. Will buy some nice fruit juices to fill my wine glass after work

We eat veggie, vegan and fish meals. I do like rice milk very much but it's all about giving yourself time to acquire a different taste. I thought dairy milk would be very hard to give up, but persevere for a few weeks and then dairy milk begins to taste awful, surprisingly. As plant milks did originally!
Last night we had the pleasure of eating out at our vegan friend's house and a delicious meal it was too.
I have also tried the vegan cheese making kit using cashew nuts and the cashew mozzarella cheese was delicious on a lasagne I made. I'm trying the Parmesan recipe next and our friends made cream cheese last night.
Livestock farming is often very intensive which doesn't allow the animals to have any quality of life so, as someone else said, it is very satisfying to cut down on any animal product consumption.
I am just reading ''The secret lives of cows' - well worth a read.
Good Luck to anyone who's going vegan/ veggie! I haven't made it 100% yet but pleased to be eating more and more.