Considering veganism

[Bigfella]

Thinking about ditching the meat.  Will still have an occasional fish supper and roll and sausage.  Shied away from the idea so far because I associated veganism with students and hippies.  White guys with dreads.  It also always seemed likd a South of England type of thing.  No offence!  Thoughts?

[Buelligan]

You can't really be a vegan if you eat fish.

[Nice Relaxing Poo]

Eating vegan food and the occasional fish supper or sausage in a bap is what is known as being omnivorous just like you are now.

[Poobum]

Eat other people's pets, not vegan admittedly, but reducing the carbon footprint. Guinea pigs and rabbits are famously delicious!

[Shit Good Nose]

Eating vegan food and the occasional fish supper or sausage in a bap is what is known as being omnivorous just like you are now.

Quite.

You can say you are eating less meat and dairy, but if you turn up at a local vegan meet with a fish supper and roll and sausage and say "I'm vegan me, it just happens to be my treat day", they'd probably publicly hang you.  At the very least kick you in the balls (with their vegan friendly DMs, obvs)

[Bigfella]

Eating vegan food and the occasional fish supper or sausage in a bap is what is known as being omnivorous just like you are now.

Point taken, mate.  I did think it was classed as something else if you ate much less meat.  I want to do my bit for the enviroment.

[An tSaoi]

If you eat fish you're not even a vegetarian. That's the easy one!

they'd probably publicly hang you.

No, that wouldn't be vegan. So he's quid's in!

[Lemming]

It's an absolute piece of piss nowadays. It was still pretty cheap and easy when I took the plunge years ago, but nowadays there's so many alternatives out there that you'll barely notice the change.

Just be prepared for a couple weeks of trying a wide array of the fake-meat variants on offer so you can find out which ones are ace and which ones are shit. Everyone seems to have a different answer as to which these are.

Personally I like Quorn Ham slices for sandwiches. Costs an absolute fucking fortune (£2 for like 10 slices) but nice as an occasional treat.

[An tSaoi]

Just be prepared for a couple weeks of trying a wide array of the fake-meat variants on offer so you can find out which ones are ace and which ones are shit. Everyone seems to have a different answer as to which these are.

Quorn mince: shite
Quorn fillets: alright
Quorn fish fingers: fine
Quorn sausages: fine, but not as good as Linda McCartney's
Quorn nuggets: good
Quorn pieces: great bunch of lads
Quorn southern fried bites: top class

[steve98]

Personally I like Quorn Ham slices for sandwiches. Costs an absolute fucking fortune (£2 for like 10 slices) but nice as an occasional treat.

£2 for 10 slices is hardly an absolute fortune... is it? (Not tryin' to be flash)

[Shit Good Nose]

No, that wouldn't be vegan. So he's quid's in!

Aye, true.  Just the bollock kicking then.

[seepage]

The Quorn vegan range is separate to their vegetarian range. I find most places don't do the vegan range, which counterintuitively I find tastes better.

[Pink Gregory]

Learn to like tofu.  Good with vegetables, fried in sesame oil and cooking oil; good crumbled with black salt, turmeric and alt milk as scrambled eggs.

[Shit Good Nose]

The Quorn vegan range is separate to their vegetarian range. I find most places don't do the vegan range, which counterintuitively I find tastes better.

Speaking as someone who is neither veggie nor vegan, but has tried a lot of what's on offer in terms of ingredients and ready meals (sometimes out of curiousity, sometimes just for a complete change - chez Nose doesn't eat meat every day of the week), I do find that vegan stuff typically has a lot more flavour than the veggie.  It's almost as if vegetarian also means zero seasoning, whereas vegan ranges always have lots of herbs and spices and salt.

That being said, I've not liked any of the Quorn stuff I've tried, vegan or veggie versions.  Sorry.

[An tSaoi]

That being said, I've not liked any of the Quorn stuff I've tried, vegan or veggie versions.  Sorry.

Imagine being raised vegan. You'd have no idea how bad it all tastes compared to the real thing. You'd be lucky.

There's one exception: oat milk is nicer than real milk.

[Shit Good Nose]

Imagine being raised vegan. You'd have no idea how bad it all tastes compared to the real thing.

It's not even comparing it to meat, I just think it all tastes pretty rank.  Like soft drinks with artificial sweeteners - would sooner go completely without rather than pretend.

[Cloud]

Best way to avoid criticism and the like is to just quietly get on with what you're comfortable with.  Don't claim to be anything like it's a badge of honour as even at the best of times that is just an invitation for people to poke around at your imperfections and see what they can call you a hypocrite for.  "Your car seats aren't certified vegan?  How dare you call yourself one" etc.

Dabbling with some elements of a vegan diet/lifestyle is good.  It's all a reduction in reliance on animals, all a step towards more widespread normalisation, etc.  Ignore the snarky "oh so you're FINE with MURDER as long as it's on a SPECIAL OCCASION" crowd and do your own thing.  That's all I'm doing.  Loving trying various 'fake' meats, vegan meals out etc and trying to be more aware when it comes to car seats and whatever, generally tend towards 'fake meat' for meals at home these days, but still omnivorous and am nowhere near "a vegan" yet and would probably never be in a position to claim to be.  It's almost like a biblical thing of claiming to be without sin.

[bgmnts]

Imagine being raised vegan. You'd have no idea how bad it all tastes compared to the real thing. You'd be lucky.

There's one exception: oat milk is nicer than real milk.

I was raised omnivorous and I honestly dont think there's much of a difference.

[Cuellar]

Everyone goes on about hoverboards and flying cars, where are the food pills I ask you?

[Bigfella]

Quorn mince: shite
Quorn fillets: alright
Quorn fish fingers: fine
Quorn sausages: fine, but not as good as Linda McCartney's
Quorn nuggets: good
Quorn pieces: great bunch of lads
Quorn southern fried bites: top class

You're preaching to the converted with the linda mccartney sausages, love them. Two quid in Iceland, often half price. Her burgers are nice too, but they have mozarella in them.  Christ, really going to miss my cheese and eggs.

[Cloud]

One of my favourite vegan sausages is actually Richmonds.  Worth a shot even if you don't like their normal ones.

[AngryGazelle]

Do it and don't associate it with any type of person. It's just a decision not to fund animal cruelty.

[Lemming]

£2 for 10 slices is hardly an absolute fortune... is it? (Not tryin' to be flash)

Depends if you wolf them down at the rate I do. Never make less than TWO sandwiches (four full A4 slices of bread) in one go, consisting of FOUR slices total, two in each sandwich.

Quorn mince: shite
Quorn fillets: alright
Quorn fish fingers: fine
Quorn sausages: fine, but not as good as Linda McCartney's
Quorn nuggets: good
Quorn pieces: great bunch of lads
Quorn southern fried bites: top class

This is all true, but disastrously, southern fried bites (objectively the best Quorn product) have egg in the batter, so they're not vegan. Their R&D people really need to get into gear and find some other way of making the same product, because they're absolutely mint.

[Pink Gregory]

One of my favourite vegan sausages is actually Richmonds.  Worth a shot even if you don't like their normal ones.

Richmond's, yes.  Taste and Glory (formerly Naked Glory), also yes.

[imitationleather]

I tried some of those Richmond vegan sausages and if they're the best available... Eeesh. Found them overly herby.

[Kankurette]

Seitan's pretty good as well if you want protein-y stuff.

[flotemysost]

Dunno what brand they are, but the last time I had a 'Spoons vegetarian breakfast, the sausages in that (which the menu stated were vegan) were pretty decent.

NB: it also included two fried eggs, so was definitely not a vegan option overall. Also just don't go to Spoons. Unless it's to ask what sausages they used in the vegetarian breakfast circa a couple of years ago.

And yep, agree with other posters that it's not worth getting hung up on perceptions of veganism or reducing your meat/dairy consumption, people from all walks of life do it, it's definitely not the sole preserve of poncey Southern wankers (speaking as an omnivorous ex-vegetarian, trying-to-reduce-my-meat-and-dairy-intake poncey Southern wanker myself). I have a friend who's been staunchly vegan for about five years now and openly admits she couldn't give a fuck about animal cruelty, the thought of eating flesh and milk etc. just makes her feel sick, so it's definitely not all a selfless mission either.

[Kankurette]

In my case, I hate the taste and texture of meat and I love oat milk. It's not really an ethical thing, else I'd have quit fish.

[Rizla]

Don't just learn to love tofu, become overly friendly with lentils and chickpeas. Get a copy of this - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Eastern-Vegetarian-Cooking-Madhur-Jaffrey/dp/0099777207 for the pancake section alone. Mung dal poora, spicy delicious tofu, thank me later - I even made her chickpeas recipe tonight; I am currently letting off like a baboon.

[flotemysost]

In my case, I hate the taste and texture of meat and I love oat milk. It's not really an ethical thing, else I'd have quit fish.

Same, I much prefer the taste of oat or coconut milk to cow's milk and likewise the only thing I think I'd struggle to give up is fish (which I eat maybe once or twice a week). I don't hate the taste of meat at all, but I pretty much never buy it from a supermarket or whatever, I'll occasionally have it if I'm out though, or on holiday etc.

I am currently letting off like a baboon.

I thought that questionable advert PETA did about how going vegan turns everyone sexy was a bit sus.