Betty313 Asks:

I just recently turned vegan, i was a vegetarian for 6 years, and decided to take the plunge! But i am still ignorant about what products both food and mercantile, that are harmful to animals like Jell-o and what not. Thank you for anyone with info on this matter.

Congrats on making the switch Betty!

The best advice I can give you is to take your time and don't beat yourself up if you make a mistake. Just by removing the majority of dairy from your diet you are already making an impact.

There are many great products that make it easy to replace dairy and eggs.

Soy Milk

I use many of these products for everything from baking, breakfast and cereal, to mini-milk juice boxes that are shelf stable out of the refrigerator. The shelf stable mini-boxes are great for trips!

White Wave Silk

Edensoy

Westsoy

Rice Dream

Vegan Ice Cream

This is actually the part that scares many vegetarians away from making the switch. How can one survive without Ice Cream! Fortunately there are tons of great flavors of soy based ice creams to help you get your fix. You may also want to look into Sorbet - many (but not all!) are dairy free and make a nice refreshing summer treat.

Tofutti

Soy Delicious

Vegan Cheese

Vegan cheese is a sticky subject. Faux cheese has come a long long way in the last few years, and you'll probably need to do a little experimenting to find the vegan cheese that tastes best to you. I personally use a different cheese depending on if I am baking, having a sandwich or making pizza.

Speaking of Pizza, many Pizzerias can make a vegan Pizza by just omitting the cheese and piling on every veggie imaginable. Makes an easy dinner.

Tofutti

Vegan Gourmet

Galaxy Rice Cheese - They even have a Soy Parmesan!

Vegan Rella

Vegan Butter

You can also replace butter in baking with things like canola or vegetable oil (you may have to experiment, I usually have to use less oil than the butter the recipe called for.)

Earth Balance

Fleischman's Unsalted margarine

Vegan Yogurt

I wasn't a fan of Yogurt when I was younger, but now I have one almost everyday as part of my breakfast. There are tons of flavors available - this is an easy switch.

Silk Soy Yogurt

Whole Soy Yogurt

SO Delicious Soy Yogurt

Vegan Egg Replacers

For vegan baking there are many options - Flax seed oil, Bananas, Tofu, Ener-G Egg Replacer Powder, even Soy Yogurt. Experiment and have fun with it!

For cooking eggs, tofu makes a great replacement for scrambled. There are even some great pre-made mixes for flavoring like Soy Scrambler or Amy's Tofu Scramble which you can just heat up.
It seems like a big list, but just take little steps at a time. Save this post to your favorites to check back on. View some of the recipes on the site, get involved with some other local vegans and have some pot lucks. Experiment converting some of your favorite vegetarian recipes. Above all have fun and enjoy yourself!

Questions?

Let us know if you have any more questions! Please send your questions to veganfood@gmail.com - we love to help!

Did I miss anything? Add your comments about your favorite vegan foods below.

Additional Resources:
Accidentally Vegan - many things you eat may already be vegan.
What the Hell does a Vegan Eat Anyway?
Vegan Lunchbox
Veganfood's Users Favorite Recipes
Vegan Feast Kitchen
Squirrels Vegan Kitchen

Posted By mincus

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Tracy from A Veg*n For Dinner sent over three new recipes that we are happy to feature on vegan-food -
- Red Wine Pasta Sauce
- Quinoa-Cocoa Cupcakes
- Summer Pasta and Vegetable Soup

Be sure to check out her site for more great recipes (and some wickedly funny posts.)
Thanks for sending the recipes over!

Posted By mincus

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Just got back from a wonderfully relaxing birthday weekend at Gramercy Mansion.

As a vegan, it's nice when you go out to a restaurant and the chefs or cooks will work with you to make something vegan. But even better is when you go out to eat and there is a menu with all vegan options on it waiting for you. At Gramercy this weekend, they had a vegan breakfast menu waiting for me in my room. I couldn't wait to sleep so I could wake up for breakfast!

Planning a trip soon? - Happy Cow has a great list of veggie friendly B&B's. If you're ever looking for a place to stay near Baltimore - take a look at Gramercy. And try the French toast, its amazing!

Posted By mincus

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Robin Robertson provided some fun and quick recipes from her book Quick-Fix Vegetarian.

- Creamy Tortilla Soup
- Sicilian Couscous
- Polenta and Pinto Bean Pie
- Ginger Sesame Noodles with Broccoli
- Lemon Sorbet Pie with Toasted Almonds and Fresh Berries

Thank you for sending them over! We love easy recipes that anyone can jump into that shows off veggie food.

If you are a vegan recipe whiz and want to be featured on Vegan Food let us know! Send an email to veganfood@gmail.com.

Happy eating!

Posted By mincus

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