Also, although I’ve not had problems vit D or vit B12, apparently these can be difficult for vegans to find. I’d suggest a multivitamin but most soya/ plant based milks are fortified with these things anyway. Curries, stews, stir frys, lasagnes, lentil cottage pie etc are all good shouts

.
If I remember right B12 is the only thing a vegan may struggle with, it’s not found in plants and your body can’t make it. Fungi are the only viable natural source for a vegan, so plenty of mushrooms (and lots of marmite)
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For the OP, speaking as a veggie of 26 years rather than a vegan (I get my B12 from eggs and cheese) it’s just a coincidence that she’s poorly now, just the time of year I guess. I’ve been off work sick twice in my life, and one of those was a post-Relentless tonsilitus. From my entirely unscientific method of just looking at my collegaues those who eat the least meat are off sick the least.

If I remember right B12 is the only thing a vegan may struggle with, it’s not found in plants and your body can’t make it. Fungi are the only viable natural source for a vegan, so plenty of mushrooms (and lots of marmite)

Mushrooms really aren’t a viable natural source.

https://www.vegansociety.com/resources/nutrition-and-health/vitamins-minerals-and-nutrients/vitamin-b12-your-key-facts

as well as the B12 above, she will need DHA’s for brain development.

Been vege for over 20 years. There’s loads of good resources out there now. See above.

As for the sickness, I imagine the body is adapting and she’s more susceptible to the plethora of nasty little bugs flying around at the moment.

Guinea pigs aren’t actually pigs.

Hamsters aren’t actually made of ham.

Yet nothing quite prepared me for the disappointment of Ginsters.

at 12 the leap from full on omnivore to vegan is quite extreme, and I’d have a few concerns that someone is manipulating her to make that jump. Personally if it were mine I’d have encouraged a transition to ethically sourced meat, veggie then vegan over a longer period.

I was going to suggest this. Any hypothetical “shocks to the system” aside, I’d hazard it’s much easier to get used to mentally so she’s much more likely to stick to it long term. More likely to ensure that she’s still getting a balanced diet too. And it’ll easier for you to feed her, ofc.

I think Oreos are vegan, can she not just live on them?

My daughter says she will cook herself

Well that’s hardly vegan is it?

Whilst the healthy home cooked stuff is obviously a good and responsible thing to do, do not underestimate the veggie frozen food section in the supermarket. There’s loads of stuff there like veggie fingers, beanburgers, veggie sausages etc which are great quick things for kids to eat if you’re struggling on the multiple meals front. One of the benefits of a vegan diet is that the junk food is far better for you than it’s carnivorous equivalent. My vegan kids are often fed on chips, veg fingers and beans when we can’t be arsed pretending to be Yotam Ottolenghi.

My mate has been vegan for a few years now and although i haven’t taken the plunge fully (I’m not even vegetarian) I’ve tasted some of his recipes and they are very good indeed. As someone who used to get upset if there was no meat on my plate this is high praise indeed! He’s on facebook and twitter and instagram as Plantsbefood. Worth checking out – even if its only to find meals you would all like rather than having to make two separate meals.

Plantsbefood

One of the benefits of a vegan diet is that the junk food is far better for you than it’s carnivorous equivalent

TBF if its healthy its not junk food

TBF if its healthy its not junk food

Vegan ‘convenience’ food then. My point is that veganism need not necessarily be synonymous with slaving away in the kitchen for hours cooking dried pulses etc and making everything from scratch.

Have a look at the Aldi range of vegan foods – where others tend to inflate prices, theirs are always reasonable. Good range of ‘meat’ alternatives. I don’t believe you can ‘ethically source’ meat products… killing is killing… sorry. Milk is meant for calves not humans and therefore it’s bi-products. Much better being vegan from a health point of view.

different strokes etc but I don’t see kitchen time as slaving away. I am partial to the Fry’s stuff mentioned by LGB but I’d need to double my salary to be able to feed a family on that kind of thing.

ALthough if I lived in the UK I’d probably exist solely on Linda McCartny frozen pies…

Much better being vegan from a health point of view.

That’s a bit of a rash generalisation. We’re natural omnivores and can find sustenance in all manner of crap, a vegan diet isn’t automatically more healthy than another.

It’s possible to eat healthily as a vegan, and equally possible to eat really very badly indeed. It’s also possible to eat healthily as a carnivore, and equally possible to eat really very badly indeed.

It’s possible to eat healthily as a vegan, and equally possible to eat really very badly indeed. It’s also possible to eat healthily as a carnivore, and equally possible to eat really very badly indeed.

I think that this is true. Whilst we’re on the topic of easy vegan foods, are there any good vegan sausages? I’ve tried standard quorn ones and cauldron lancashire/cumberland and none of them appeal to my tastes. The cauldron ones are too oniony in taste for me.

I don’t believe you can ‘ethically source’ meat products… killing is killing… sorry. Milk is meant for calves not humans and therefore it’s bi-products. Much better being vegan from a health point of view.

you drank milk when you were a baby and cows milk is an excellent source of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, zinc and fats so why wouldn’t you want to drink it?

Being a vegan is so not better from a health point of view.

good vegan sausages

I quite like vegie food made from beans but needs to have jalapenos in it

I think that this is true. Whilst we’re on the topic of easy vegan foods, are there any good vegan sausages? I’ve tried standard quorn ones and cauldron lancashire/cumberland and none of them appeal to my tastes. The cauldron ones are too oniony in taste for me.

Most of the Quorn and Cauldron sausages are not vegan, they contain egg and milk. Cauldron have some new vegan sausages, not tried them yet.

I quite like Granose Sausage Mix. Doesn’t take too long to make. You can add extra herbs if you want.
Or Vbites have a few types of sausages, the hotdogs are nice.

There’s a horrible cold virus been going around for weeks, it’s probably coincidence she’s caught that. Cutting out meat and animal products won’t have a big effect on her immune system. Not even because of bacon.

Most of the Quorn and Cauldron sausages are not vegan, they contain egg and milk. Cauldron have some new vegan sausages, not tried them yet.

That’s interesting as egg yolks and milk are two things that I’m definitely meant to avoid, good job I don’t like them haha. Don’t know how that one slipped by me. Thanks for that, shall avoid! I’ll see if I can find a sausage mix that’s not quite so high in saturated fats (I’m also meant to avoid generally, although not entirely…).

poah – ref your question re milk and health (dreadful click bait title but interesting content)

12 Frightening Facts About Milk

OP – well done for allowing and trying to help your child to make this sort of life choice. Cool parents!

Vegan househould here.

Tonight’s ‘quick’ recipe – baked spuds and veg balti.

Method:

Kick start spuds in microwave for 8 mins turning once halfway thru.

Meanwhile break some cauli into florets
Slice a red bell pepper
Thick slice three mushrooms

Put these veg in oven tray, drizzle with oil ( I use rice bran oil) and cook on 180 in centre of oven until soft and beginning to brown on edges

Add potatoes to oven on rack and leave cooking

Remove veg when done and put in saucepan
Add balti sauce (I buy Pataks or Lloyd Grossman) always check sauces ingredients for milk/butter etc. Balti, rogan josh or dopiaza seem normally not to have dairy added.
Heat in pan until simmering then leave simmering for 10 mins.
Sprinkle in a few dessert spoons of Savoury Yeast Flakes w/B12

For extra flavour stir in some coconut milk/coconut cream (I buy those cans from Lidl, contents tend to be a thick cream rather than half water typical in the Blue Dragon stuff)

Spuds get Koko dairy-free spread (prefer this than Pure Soya although that’s good too) and a touch of salt.

Serve with curry.

I tend to add steamed savoy cabbage or cavolo nero with most hot food. Less fuss to steam with a few tablespoons of water in the microwave. How to: prepar a few handfuls of the veg and add to water in a re-used plastic chilled soup container or similar. Don’t seal but rest the lid on top and zap on full for about 4 mins. Careful of steam when removing.

I do the majority of cooking and really enjoy it. Cooking vegan has made me think much more about a balanced diet, full taste and also develop many shortcuts. I might be weird that way but don’t find it at all arduous. Chilled food and frozen crap tastes mostly rubbish after home-cooking.

Tato tip! If you have a shed or dark cool place then buy the spuds in a sack from a local farmer in and store. IME They taste 5 x better and cheaper than the supermarket

Malvern Rider – any leftovers? That sounds nice!

Still on the stove, leftovers usually get made into something else* 😉

*Last weeks leftovers roast cauli and kale soup got turned into a small puy lentil and chicken** casserole.

**I’m not a vegan 8)

Edit: done! a virtual taste…

not the peanut butter ones

Biggest shock to my body is the lack of cake

Can you not bake
I eat about three a week – i think you can buy strudels as well if you look but it take about 20 minutes to make a cake and 17 of those is cooking time

IMHO the best thing to do is to avoid a UK tye diet

The best bit i did was move to a more eastern curry based approach to eating as a vegan
Main diet is pulses though I do also make my own bean burgers for “western” tye dies and pizza and the odd bit of Pasta and Polenta

I advise making sure plenty of greens are eaten- B!” is added to cereal so no need for a supplement IMHO.

Loads of recipes out there and VIVA will give you loads of help

As of the shock to her systems there is not enough evidence to support this hunch and there is even less to assume she has been groomed to be a vegan

Ethically sourced meat, that’s a good one.
The cow walked into the kill room were it seen it’s mate die in agony. Then offered itself freely.
It really wanted to die for the sake of human desire.
hemp seeds, b12 fortified foods. Plenty of lentils an fresh veg. Maybe the occasional supplement. Job done.
I’m about 10 months vegan lost nearly all my paunch, fitter less lethargic and feeling great.

vdubber67 – Member
poah – ref your question re milk and health (dreadful click bait title but interesting content)

Oh look who it’s written by lol

interesting read but I’ll take it with a pinch of salt.

The cow walked into the kill room were it seen it’s mate die in agony.

Your thinking of halal slaughter.

you drank milk when you were a baby and cows milk is an excellent source of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, zinc and fats so why wouldn’t you want to drink it?

Er, actually I didn’t drink cows milk…. and why wouldn’t I want to drink cows milk? – it also contains cow pus

You’re
Okay non Halal cows want to die then?
Do me a favour.

Cake?

Free From aisle if desperate, otherwise tons of cake recipes online. SIL once made us some big old chocolate brownies using black beans. I couldn’t believe it, delicious.

Talking of desserts recently been getting the sugar fix by making a vegan rice pud that I invented last Xmas:

Add Koko milk or almond milk to rice instead of milk. Fistful of sugar. Add a couple of capfuls of almond essence, a pinch of salt and half a tin of coconut cream. Handful of raisins, pinch of nutmeg and cinnamon. Stir well. Boil and simmer (ocassionally stirring) on stovetop until mushy, adding more almond milk if drying out.

Be warned. Addictive.

“A man can live and be healthy, without killing animals for food.
Therefore, if he eats meat. He participates in taking of animal life. Merely for the sake of his appetite and to act so is immoral “.
Leo Tolstoy.

Can you not bake
I eat about three a week – i think you can buy strudels as well if you look but it take about 20 minutes to make a cake and 17 of those is cooking time

The issue for me is also avoiding saturated fats, which rules out things like coconut and various other binding agents. However, I am more than happy to pointed in the right direction here because I’m more than happy baking.

Now you have me – cakes are not healthy IMHO.
Google says 14% of veg oil is saturated and I tend to make batter mix cakes- is that too much?

if they are of interest i will post up some ideas.

I do my rice puddings in the slow cooker – still need to stir but does not require constant attention

Yeah I’m supposed to avoid veg oil n all, if this diet doesn’t actually help me then I’m gonna be mighty unimpressed!

Tahinopita / Sesame Cream Cake

http://minimalistbaker.com/vegan-gluten-free-black-bean-brownies/

There is a veggie cafe here in Inverness.
The guy who runs it. Makes some proper vegan cakes.
It is called Nourish. Church St. By the second hand book shop.
It is now my only source for cake.
To all the vegans in this thread.
What is your favourite vegetable?

I’m well into fennel but I’d probably go for carrots for cheapness, versatility and flavour. Or onions. So much depends on onions.

Yes, Nourish in Inverness is nice.
Also try Blend cafe (Drummond Street), they have some great vegan cake. And Velocity is not bad as well.

As for vegetables, I like beetroots. Nice for making purple hummus. Or beetroot chocolate cake.