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Post by leelee342 on Jan 21, 2008 2:58:39 GMT
Hi
I have been a veggie since i was 13 but have recently decided to go vegan. Im pregnant at the moment so dont want to make any drastic changes untill after the baby is born, so i think i will cut foods out over time. I dont drink milk although do use it in cooking, can soya milk be used in cooking the same way as cows milk? I also wasnt aware of how many personal products ie toothpaste, soap ect used animal produts so can anyone sugest vegan friendly products? (im on a tight budget)
I also have a 3 year old son who is a veggie but i am very worried about converting him to vegan as milk is so important to a growing child, does anyone have children who are vegans?
Cutting out meat seemed such an easy thing to do but i feel this i going to be very hard, although i cook alot from scratch looking through my cupboards just now it seems alot will have to go!!
any advice would be great.
lisa
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Post by Pob on Jan 21, 2008 11:05:55 GMT
Co-op is good for toothpaste, liquid soap, shampoo, washing powder (fabric conditioner isn't vegan), bubble bath, custard powder - all well priced.
Astonish household cleaning products are vegan, and often available from pound shops.
Original Source is all vegan - shower gels, shampoos, etc.
Soya milk can be used in recipes instead of cow's milk - eg custard. If you choose a soya milk fortified with vitamins, there will be no issues with calcium or vitamin D. Iodine you should get from seaweed, multivitamin, or kelp tablet - the main source in the UK is cow's milk, to which it is added. No foods except seaweed and sea animals are a natural source of iodine.
In some ways it's easier to go from omni to vegan than from veggie to vegan, because fake meat is more palatable than fake cheese.
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Post by sluggie on Jan 21, 2008 15:42:43 GMT
Hi leelee. I would try to get your son off cows milk as soon as possible. It is full of female pregnancy hormones, residual antibiotics and pus. It is also a bad source of calcium for humans as we cannot absorb it from dairy products. Studies have shown a direct correlation between consumption of dairy products and the development of osteoporosis in later life. It has also been linked with acne, the early onset of puberty and development of breast tissue in teenage boys. Nice huh? Don't forget that the use of milk has until recent years been confined to Europe. Our perception of it as a necessity for growing children is largely the result of half a century of very effective marketing from The Dairy Council. As Pob said, fortified soya milk is a good choice. If your son is resistant to the change, you could start mixing a little soya milk into his cow's milk, and gradually increase the proportion of soy:cow over the period of a couple of weeks. Alpro do some very nice snack foods, like yoghurts, ready-made custard and dessert pots, which are stocked by many supermarkets. Best of luck. Let us know how you get on.
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Post by leelee342 on Jan 21, 2008 23:31:05 GMT
Thanks so much for the advice guys, James (my son) is a great eater and i doubt i will have any problems switching him over although things like chocolate and sweets might be a problem. I worry about him at nursery though as he has his lunch there twice a week and although he is veggie i dont know if they will cater for vegans. My mother in law might have a few things to say though as she does tend to sneak him chicken nuggets and things (which makes me very angry)
not sure if there is a co-op near me but will have to have a look, its great that origanal source are vegan! i thought i would have to order alot of the internet its fab i can get things at the shop.
do you guys know of any good egg replacements? also are any fabric softners vegan?
thanks so much lisa
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Post by sluggie on Jan 22, 2008 0:10:05 GMT
You can buy Egg Replacer in Holland & Barrett or other health food stores. Alternatively, Isa Chandra Moskowitz recommends the following in Vegan With A Vengeance:
2tbs ground flax seed + 2 tbs of water= 1 egg. This works well for cookies and pancakes. The flavour can be a bit strong.
1/2 Banana = 1 egg - works in cakes and muffins
3 tbs blended silken tofu = 1 egg - cakes and brownies, especially if they have a delicate flavour as tofu is fairly tasteless.
4 tbs soya yoghurt = 1 egg - cakes, bread.
You can buy vegan sweets from Julian Graves (though the range is a bit limited). Jelly Tots, as mentioned elsewhere recently, are vegan. There are also vegan alternatives to milk chocolate, made by Plamil and Organica. These can sometimes be found in larger supermarkets, health food stores or online. They are expensive compared to Cadburys, etc. though.
Good luck with the Mother-in-law. Families can be the biggest stumbling block to giving a child a healthy diet. Mine introduced my kids to all sorts of sugary garbage, despite my best efforts when they were tots. As far as the nursery goes, you may need to send in a packed lunch, but it's worth talking to them, as they may be open-minded about it. They must have to deal with children who have food intolerences, so they may be more prepared to be accommodating than you fear.
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sal
Vegan Munchkin
Posts: 95
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Post by sal on Jan 22, 2008 8:49:11 GMT
Re the fabric softener, I don't use it anymore. My dad got me these drier balls that are fantastic. Just shove them in the tumble drier and you don't need fabric softener anymore. www.dryerballs.co.uk/ I think woolies sell them! No good if you don't have a tumble drier though!!
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Post by wobblymoo on Jan 22, 2008 13:21:19 GMT
Lisa, i'm new to the vegan world, but have tried to be dairy free for a long time and it really is a myth that children need cows milk for strong bones. My youngest son used to be always full of snot and when we first went dairy free this cleared up totally. Read up somewhere like here www.milkmyths.org.uk/htbdf/calcium.phpI have huge problems with my MIL, that eventually I just turned round and said you either accept us as we are or don't bother coming round and we wont bother coming to you. It worked!! Sort of anyway. She used to bring the boys some sweets and I always gave her them back and said they weren't allowed them, she'd then leave them on the side somewhere and I'd throw them in the bin. I got a bit fed up of this and eventually started saying thank you and putting them straight into the bin, took 3 weeks but she stopped lol. I'm just thankful my oldest son now asks if something is vegan. Makes a change from him standing in front of certain cereals in Tescos shouting at people not to buy them Denise
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sal
Vegan Munchkin
Posts: 95
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Post by sal on Jan 23, 2008 15:51:21 GMT
I saw Astonish stuff in my local cheapo shop today, most things are £1 each! So I'm sorted for when I move into the flat!
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moon
Vegan Munchkin
Posts: 62
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Post by moon on Feb 14, 2008 11:19:45 GMT
Im knew to going vegan as well,but havent drank milk or anything 'milky' for 15 years,went to the docs a few months ago,had tests done,one which was a calcium test.....it was better than most!!! So the calcium thing in milk cant be true,doc said I must being getting it from other foods such as leafy greens,which I do eat alot of. Viva! have some great advice and leaflets/books on bringing up children vegan give them a ring or visit the web site.
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Post by charlielikesfolk on Feb 15, 2008 2:32:00 GMT
Right, for chocolate, Green & Black's is good! (most dark chocolate is vegan actually).
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Post by clowe77 on Mar 24, 2008 4:38:53 GMT
Hi, I despise animal cruelty to the highest degree. And to suddenly wake up now to my hypocrisy and my ignorance after all these years of being a carnivore and a fashion sleeper...I'm ashamed of myself. I'm here because, I'm seriously making the move going vegan. I've met someone who is vegan. She and the Earthlings documentary(which she told me to watch), have opened my eyes. To the harsh and cruel practices(understatement) of the food chain, the everyday products we buy. Whether it be clothing, a fragrance, household products, The government and military, zoo's pet stores, so called entertainment and last but not least the environment. I recommend if you are a carnivore and you give a s**t about all animals to watch this video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1282796533661048967 I need to ask the people who frequent these boards vital questions and to be of assistance in the present and future. I could ask my friend, but i fear, I'm a pain in her a**e already. I have done research and ascertained many links provided by my said friend. The question i have (possibly in the wrong section...my apologies in advance) That she nor the vegan society(and webpages) cannot answer. What is the perfect vegan alternative for sterilised milk?(i'm a big tea drinker and fussy by taste, where milk is concerned) probably the best answer to this would probably be. to go out and try the vegan alternatives and i apologise for my question sounding "stupid" Thank you in advance for taking the time to read this post and any answers will be highly appreciated
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Post by Pob on Mar 24, 2008 10:15:08 GMT
As long as you take your tea strong, any of the unsweetened soya milks should be fine. A fortified version will help you to get plenty of calcium and b12. We have Alpro or Morrisons own make generally.
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Post by sluggie on Mar 24, 2008 10:25:49 GMT
Soya or rice milk are probably best. Let the tea cool down a little before you add the milk, to prevent it curdling.
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moon
Vegan Munchkin
Posts: 62
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Post by moon on Mar 24, 2008 10:48:56 GMT
Co-op is good for toothpaste, liquid soap, shampoo, washing powder (fabric conditioner isn't vegan), bubble bath, custard powder - all well priced. Astonish household cleaning products are vegan, and often available from pound shops. Original Source is all vegan - shower gels, shampoos, etc. Soya milk can be used in recipes instead of cow's milk - eg custard. If you choose a soya milk fortified with vitamins, there will be no issues with calcium or vitamin D. Iodine you should get from seaweed, multivitamin, or kelp tablet - the main source in the UK is cow's milk, to which it is added. No foods except seaweed and sea animals are a natural source of iodine. In some ways it's easier to go from omni to vegan than from veggie to vegan, because fake meat is more palatable than fake cheese.
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moon
Vegan Munchkin
Posts: 62
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Post by moon on Mar 24, 2008 10:52:26 GMT
co-op's fabric conditioner isnt vegan,i didnt know that! thats what ive been using as well,never checked ingredients,just asumed it were ok as co-op is backed by buav. anyone know of a fabric conditioner that is vegan and where i can get it from?
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sal
Vegan Munchkin
Posts: 95
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Post by sal on Mar 24, 2008 11:21:10 GMT
I found eco-friendly laundry liquid and fabric softener in asda and both carry the vegan soc sunflower. I bought their eco-friendly washing up liquid too, but i'm not sure if it's vegan. It doesn't have the sunflower but it doesn't list any animal ingredients on the bottle?
I know sainsburys and morrisons both do vegan washing up liquid so I'll buy that in future.
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Post by Pob on Mar 24, 2008 12:27:53 GMT
ASDA do a laundry liquid and a fabric conditioner that both have the vegan society logo, and are environmentally friendly.
ETA: I missed your post!
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Post by clowe77 on Mar 24, 2008 16:27:51 GMT
As long as you take your tea strong, any of the unsweetened soya milks should be fine. A fortified version will help you to get plenty of calcium and b12. We have Alpro or Morrisons own make generally. Soya or rice milk are probably best. Let the tea cool down a little before you add the milk, to prevent it curdling. Thank you so much for the replies i'll give those a try
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