Lots of questions

[Sho]

I have been a vegetarian for a year and I want to transition to veganism. I understand the basics there are tons of youtube videos that cover what to eat and how to shop. I purchased a b12 supplment that happens to be 5000 micrograms. Then i read online that you barely need any b12 a day. This is methyl jarrow brand b12 this crap cost me $20. Then i look on the back ans it says its 208,330% daily value. So i tries to ask my doctor how often to take it since its such a large amount and she didn’t know. So what do i need to take one pill a month or what?

So the issue that i have is not giving up eggs, mik and cheese. I already use almond milk, vegan butter and chao cheese. I also dont like eggs. But everything under the sun has byproducts of these things. Like i love the almond milk silk vanilla creamer but its 5$ for one thats not very big and i have to drive 20min. Where as i can get a coffee creamer that has a milk derivative for way cheaper right in my town. Its not expensive to eat a vegan diet i get that. I just dont want to be reading every single label. I have an app to scan barcodes and i know the basics. Giving up eggs,milk and cheese isn’t the hard part its all this other stuff. Even the app i have says “may be vegan” or “may contain”. Its like a really grey area of monoglycerides and diglycerides. Also no spell check this is kind of a nightmare.

Also trader joes and whole foods are like an hour away from me. I understand that there are tons of snacks and foods that are vegan and say it on the label. I just call myself a vegetarian because if something may contain trace amounts or 0.0001% of something i cant be bothered.

 

[Jamie in Chile]

I take a 5000mcg tablet and I take it once a week. I did my research by checking vegan nutrition experts online and if it is 5000mcg once a week is the way to go.

I am the same as you. I don't eat meat, fish, eggs, cheese, butter etc but do sometimes eat things with small amount of dairy or other animal products in. I do read ingredients generally, and if it says something that is obviously an animal product I don't buy it. If it is says something I don't know what it is I just buy it. Remember - the ingredients are listed in order of the amount. Anything that is not in the first 5 ingredients will be in a small quantity, and anything not even in the first 10 will be in a very small quantity, possibly with a correspondingly very low animal suffering.

All of which means I am not technically vegan and so don't call myself as such. I say "vegetarian and mostly vegan" although it can be a bit confusing. I don't want to say only "vegetarian" and then have to refuse eggs or cheese. I tend to say "vegan" in restaurants only.

Just take the best guesses for now. Eventually if you want to become a vegan you can steadily transition into it, learning over time, but don't stress out! I think it's great you are already taking these steps.

Give yourself a treat and get to whole foods a few times a year.

Also eating more whole plant foods is a way to make it easier to be vegan as well as healthier. So, if you mainly eat basic staples like lentils, beans, pasta, rice with veg and fruit, and minimal processed foods, in any case your animal suffering has decreased a lot. (As well as environmental impact.)

 

[Sho]

Wow thanks so much for the one freaking replay forum

 

[Deleted member 2819]

So what’s the question?

 

[amberfunk]

It's a small forum and we may not be online to respond to you right away. I make most things myself. Buying substitutes is what gets expensive. Why not try pure cane sugar and plant milk in your coffee? You can even add a little bit of vanilla or peppermint if you like flavored. This is what I do if I don't have the extra money to buy creamer. It's not the exact same but it does the job.

For things that say may contain milk or whatever else I don't worry about it. It's the products that actually do contain animal products that I stay away from. Over time you will find products that are vegan and might not have the label on it. It's a learning process. Reducing is the greatest goal I believe. If you don't want to read labels you can make things yourself from scratch such as pizza dough or bread for example. Make dishes yourself. Make big batches and freeze and eat throughout the week. If time is an issue get a instapot (I've heard good things) or a slow cooker. Make a day to prepare and portion out meals and meal plan. Buy whole foods such as veggies, fruit, grains and such and just cook. There's a ton of vegan cook books out there and yes youtube is wonderful for finding new recipes. Find what works for you. It gets easier over time as you learn.

 

[Sho]

Ok but who is actually 100% vegan ? I met some vegans through my job then on popcorn day I see them eating popcorn slathered In butter or pizza day and they eat cheese pizza. It seems more of a label and most people are just vegetarian.

 

[amberfunk]

Ok I don't think you had an actual question and just seems like you want to argue and debate people. Have a nice day!

 

[Sho]

Ok I don't think you had an actual question and just seems like you want to argue and debate people. Have a nice day!

I understand reading is hard. I clearly asked about b12.

 

[Sho]

It's a small forum and we may not be online to respond to you right away. I make most things myself. Buying substitutes is what gets expensive. Why not try pure cane sugar and plant milk in your coffee? You can even add a little bit of vanilla or peppermint if you like flavored. This is what I do if I don't have the extra money to buy creamer. It's not the exact same but it does the job.

For things that say may contain milk or whatever else I don't worry about it. It's the products that actually do contain animal products that I stay away from. Over time you will find products that are vegan and might not have the label on it. It's a learning process. Reducing is the greatest goal I believe. If you don't want to read labels you can make things yourself from scratch such as pizza dough or bread for example. Make dishes yourself. Make big batches and freeze and eat throughout the week. If time is an issue get a instapot (I've heard good things) or a slow cooker. Make a day to prepare and portion out meals and meal plan. Buy whole foods such as veggies, fruit, grains and such and just cook. There's a ton of vegan cook books out there and yes youtube is wonderful for finding new recipes. Find what works for you. It gets easier over time as you learn.

So if alot of vegans ignore things that say may contain then no one can be 100% vegan. Its not possible

 

[Veganite]

I don't see this going anywhere positive. I am closing the thread. You can message me if you feel a good reason to keep it open. Thanks