Would love to be Vegan .. but

[Brydon2018]

I have huge respect for vegetarians and vegans, because I'm a great animal lover and hate all the cruelty that seems to accompany the meat industry. But I can't eat Quorn. I tried and it made me violently sick. Also I have to limit my intake of cheese and fats, though I guess Vegans don't eat cheese or eggs either. What about genuine free-range eggs? Bit confused.

[benwl Volunteer]

Nope, free range eggs are out for vegans too just because the hens are free range doesn't alter the fact that they are bred to produce eggs.

Also eggs aren't very healthy despite what the egg marketing board tells us, so there are good health reasons for avoiding them.

The vegan position is the simplest to understand in many ways compared to various sorts of vegetarian - if it's an animal product we don't eat it. Period. No exceptions. No confusion.

[benwl Volunteer]

Just as a follow up unrelated to eggs - if you need to limit cheese and fats anyway it sounds like the whole food plant based (vegan) diet would be perfect for you.

Have at look at the posts here and check out nutritionfacts.org

[Hidden]

Hi Brydon, why not give it a trial as that's what Veganuary was all about.

I have real restrictions on my diet as I'm a coeliac and I have osteopenia (thin bones) and worse I have bouts of microscopic colitis so the individual cells in my colon are prone to bleeding. So I have to avoid all alcohol and astringents like aspirin and I can live with it through diet but I've been paranoid about becoming anaemic.

Veganuary made me realise that I ate meat (free range) for the wrong reasons and now my diet is gluten free and vegetarian. I also use lots of vegan 'milk' alternatives so am open minded about going without dairy too.

I see the rise in popularity of veganism as an awakening from complacency that has led to obesity and poor health/well being and that to me what is so refreshing about it.

So I'd give it a try as you've nothing to lose and lots to gain.

[Agoodenough]

Hi if you choose to be Vegan Then one has to change their mind set around what you might have considered eating in the past and think of the animal. I also never eat Quorn. There are substitutes to eggs in cakes, for example ground flax seeds. I would have used to have egg on toast but now tomatoes or mushrooms. I mainly have vegetable based meals eg curry, chilli etc I have organic tofu, lentils instead of minced beef for lasagne, spaghetti bolognaise. Scrambled tofu and turmeric instead of scrabbled egg. Good luck. I used to love eggs and thought I’d miss them but now it doesn’t even cross my mind.

[andyswarbs Volunteer]

Be aware that some quorn products have egg in them, so it may be that egg that is causing your reaction.

A vegan, according to the core definition, is about reducing cruelty to animals. I expand that to think of it as a journey for life. I was a vegetarian for 40 years in total ignorance of the horrors of the dairy & egg industry.There is no such thing as a perfect vegan: this is why we call it a journey.

To reduce your ignorance research, research and do more research. There is plenty of easily accessible information out there, eg youtube.

People go vegan for various reasons, some ethical, some health. If you are feeling violently sick then perhaps yours might be in part health reasons.