Had some interesting chats at work. 99.9% of folk are like “why?’,”I couldn’t give up cheese”

Amazing the anger that talking about other people being vegan brings out.

Heh. There’s a compelling argument for everyone going vegan for a month just to find out first-hand what defensive, patronising shits everyone else can be when they find out.

Something something bacon hilarity.

Has anyone mentioned bacon yet?

You must justify every decision with references!!!!!!

Yes, it is absolute hell. So I don’t get the do everything in January thing, big deal.

Anyway, I wish the OP well and hopes they keep it up. I went from vegetarian (35 years) to vegan last year but only lasted a few months as I found it pretty restrictive compared to vegetarian diet.

Something something bacon hilarity.

I mentioned a veggie/vegan/whatever January to a colleague and he took about 15 seconds to say “I’ve got bacon sandwiches for lunch”. That said, he’s German so pork for lunch is pretty much compulsory.

Any recipe ideas? My OH has gone vegan for Jan also. Ideally meals that are easy and my kids (5&7) will like.

Also MalvernRider what were the 5 items in that diet? I’m hoping to lose 2 stone ish this year and a kick start sounds like a good idea.

Last night I did (and please bear with me, it sounds a bit hippy bullshit) a sort of spag bol where the meat was replaced by lentils and the pasta by courgette done thru one of those spiraliser jobbies. I didn’t go the whole hog and buy hemp parmesan, sometimes you can go too far. It wasn’t meat (obviously) but it was tasty, took about 25 mins from start to picking up a spoon and was just veg plus a tablespoon of oil and a little bit of cheese.

You could do a sort of courgette pappardelle with a peeler if you aren’t like me and don’t buy stupid gadgets you use once every 3 years. The sauce was super easy, limited amount of oil and other than the meat it was more or less a normal (English-style) bolognese so you could guess it. Loads left over for lunch and tonight too.

Also MalvernRider what were the 5 items in that diet? I’m hoping to lose 2 stone ish this year and a kick start sounds like a good idea.

2 stone in a year is relatively easy, but better managed slowly IMO, then you’ll get less chance of batwings and flap-belly unwanted effects of weight-loss. I wouldn’t recommend what I did – it wasn’t a weight loss plan but an elimination diet to discover what was aggravating (literally crippling) arthritis

Why not just do the 5:2 and calorie count with MFP? Much healthier way to lose weight. My rapid loss was a by-product.

Here’s what I ate tho:

Carrots
White fish
Kiwi fruits
Sweet potatoes (yams)
Mollasses (stirred in warm water with a spoon of cider vinegar)

I mostly (lazily) steamed and mashed the carrots and sweet potatoes and microwaved the fish (frozen blocks of pollock) then seasoned with only a little black pepper. Was only ‘allowed’ to boil steam or microwave. Oils not allowed.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner was fish and mash. Or just mash. Or sometimes baked sweet potatos and steamed carrots with a nicely-steamed plaice and a little squeezed kiwi juice. Mix and match to a very limited degree!

Important bit: This daily 5-foods was supplemented by:

A glass of protein formula (have a look at pea protein formulas etc) and a raft of supplementary vits/minerals etc via caps and tablets. Sorry I don’t have the exact data for those as it was 20 yrs ago and was formulated and directed by a nutritionist.

Still recommend 5:2 and keep MFP diary

Good luck OP and others taking on Veganuary.

I’m aware that we eat far too much meat in this house, so we’re going semi veggie (will still eat fish) for January. I know it isn’t anywhere near the same committment as going vegan, but it’s a step in that direction. Also, we keep chickens and love our eggs 🙂

Good luck OP. I’ve been considering going veggie for a while. I could never become vegan though, I’d miss my leather arseless chaps.

All good under the hood on day 4, sleeping better too.

Farting like a good’n though!

Thanks MalvernRider, I asked because I was considering something similar. 5&2 is a good thought, I’m a bit impatient.

Anyway OP good for you my OH is feeling very positive about Veganuary. Kids not best pleased with peanut butter tofu and rice last night lol- but they ate it!

Best day yet. Feel great. Watching Cowspiracy with my son!

I asked because I was considering something similar. 5&2 is a good thought, I’m a bit impatient.

In that case just set yr own loss targets/timescale in yr MFP app. Easypeasy

Best day yet. Feel great. Watching Cowspiracy with my son!

good stuff! tbh i’ve not watched any of the “new” documentaries, it’s not like i need convincing these days but yeah, pretty bonkers stuff.

What about the thousands of insects killed with pesticide to produce those vegetables, and knock on effects on surrounding ecosystems? There’ll never be an Insoctober. #charismaticmegafauna #doeyes #fingersinears

Watching Cowspiracy

While it’s heart is in the right place there’s serious errors in the statistics used in the film people should be aware of –

https://newint.org/blog/2016/02/10/cowspiracy-stampeding-in-the-wrong-direction

also some of the references are decidedly sketchy and most definitely not peer reviewed science!

What about the thousands of insects killed with pesticide to produce those vegetables, and knock on effects on surrounding ecosystems?

Are they different to the ones killed to grow feed for animals?

Trolls dont care about those ones

Speciesism. What right have humans got to eat the flesh or drink the milk of another Earthling?

Not that I don’t agree with you, but apex predator that’s found ways to dominate most other species.

Are they different to the ones killed to grow feed for animals?

no but meat eaters don’t wail on about not killing animals while eating food that has required the killing of many animals

One for the herbivores…

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/jan/08/tesco-launches-own-brand-vegan-range-amid-rise-in-plant-based-eating

I just made/am currently consuming this: http://www.mygreekdish.com/recipe/authentic-greek-fava-recipe-yellow-split-peas-puree/

Ultranom!

Vegan for 9 days now. Food has been great, have eaten really well. Have a stinky, stinky cold now though. I rarely get colds!

Thumbs up! (to the OP, not the cold). What was yr favourite meal so far? Least favourite?

Plenty fruit/vit C? And don’t forget to eat yr greens!

Get well soon look fwd to updates.

Loads of veg, and I mean loads! Made really tasty vegan chilli, a bolognase and a curry all with some sort of bean, lentils or chickpeas. Did a vegan BBQ on Sunday and made cauliflower steaks, very nice! Inch thick slices of cauli drizzled with olive oil, Malden salt, pepper and chilli flakes then thrown on a super hot BBQ. Worst thing so far Linda McCartney farmhouse pies, very disappointing. Eating lots of porridge made with soya milk, sultanas and almond flakes for breakfast and homemade soups for lunch.

if you can find em (holland and barrett or morrison’s, or ocado are best bets), then Fry’s pies are better than the linda mccartney ones. the pepper steak ones in particular.

also, almond or oat milk makes better porridge too, in my experience.

but good on you! veggie chillies, curries and whatnot are so easy, nutritious and damn tasty too! my go-to curry is spinach, chickpea and mushroom. easy enough to wing it on the spice blends too.

^. +1 Frys stuff. Their frozen schnitzels* make a better ‘fast food fix’ chicken-burger than 99% of actual chicken burgers IMO

Cooked in oven, then in a burger bun topped with lettuce, fresh toms, ground pepper and vegan garlic mayo (I use Plamil brand, or else homemade aquafaba one if can be arsed)

Have to limit self with these as would eat ‘fast food’ every day other 😳

20 days. Lost 6lbs. Food tasty. Missing eggs but not much else.

Just shows that calorie restriction works.

Well done, and hopefully it’s still easy to stick with over the year.

Last day of Veganuary today and I’ve decided to stay vegan. Feel great and my conscience is clear. Nothing died a painful death to feed me.

Anybody considering trying Vegan, watch ‘Land of Hope and Glory’ on Youtube.

Well done, takes some effort.

The next hard bit is not buying any leather goods (i.e. shoes) and other materials so nothings dies a painful death to cloth you

Cheapest eating month ever for me. No booze or sweets either – had a banana on Saturday that tasted like heaven :). A bit of abstinence now and then makes you appreciate the good stuff.

Vegbruary is harder to say, but won’t be any harder to achieve.

Okay so I’ve been vege for 30 years, every now and again I get pangs of guilt at the amount of dairy I consume… I stopped having milk on cereal etc about 15 years ago but I still have it in Tea. So what is the best milk replacement for a nice cup of tea (ah go on)?

Not interested in some herby tea or warmed up fruit cordial, I like a proper Northern cup of Tea.

Ta.

How can you ell if someone is a Vegan…..?

Just wait they will tell you.  Why is that?

Tried it for a week found it impossible, pulses play havoc with my digestive system.

<span style=”color: #444444; font-size: 0.8rem;”>So what is the best milk replacement for a nice cup of tea (ah go on)?</span>
<p style=”margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; line-height: 1.2em; color: #444444;”>Not interested in some herby tea or warmed up fruit cordial, I like a proper <em style=”margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12.8px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent;”>Northern cup of Tea.</p>

A proper cup of tea has cow’s milk in it, sorry. Soy milk never quite tastes right – it’s drinkable, and I dare say you’d get used to it over time, but it’s not right. You could also drink it black – but again it’s not a proper cup of tea.

Fair play and good on you.

The thug kitchen book looks interesting.
Not veggie or Vehan but regularly cook veggie meals. Quite often have friends round who are veggie or vegan. So may be worth a look for some new things.

I find it odd that people struggle so much cooking without meat.
Easy to make veg&pulse based curry/stew/stir fry or pasta etc.

We use Morrisons sweetened Soya milk in our tea. Can’t taste the difference. If out with no Soya then I take it black.

Good for you ermmm lambchop and I mean that.

🥓

Nice one lambchop, I tried it for a month almost 6 years ago after being long term veggie and it just really clicked with me.  I never think of it as giving stuff up, just eating differently.  Other people are the hardest part 😉