Newbie needing help

[BronwynMendoza]

Hello all you lovely vegan people Im in a bit of a mess and would really appreciate any help you can give me. I have very recently jumped ship from vegetarian to vegan and having a few problems (probably all of which you'll have all heard before)

1. I think I'm addicted to cheese :-0 honestly I've been dreaming about it and I'm shocked at how much I miss it. Is cheese addictive or am I just being a cry-baby?

2. Would you recommend any specific vegan cheese or is it better if I just push through and allow cheese out of my life?

3. If a product like a cosmetic or toiletries always say if they aren't tested on animals? Or will I have to look up everything individually online? And does it stop at that, are kitchen products tested on animals?

4. Are bees stressed and hurt when made to make honey? What is the truth as I've heard so much on both sides?

5. I have a rather damaged tongue due to some past stuff and it hurts really bad to eat spicy food, as a vegan am I doomed?

Thankyou so much for taking the time to read all my questions x

 

[Moll Flanders]

1. I used to eat loads of cheese when I was a vegetarian and I really missed it at first. I didn't really know about the vegan cheeses at the time (or maybe there was less variety than there is now) and so I had a complete break from it and then gradually tried the vegan cheeses when I read which ones were available. Tesco has free from vegan cheese, in fact it has a whole free from dairy range so you could try that. Violife is another brand and there is Cheezly which you can normally get in Holland & Barrett.

2. I like Vegusto especially the melty cheese but it is quite expensive but they do have a new customer 40% special offer. Authentication - Vegusto

3. I usually buy all cosmetics and beauty stuff from Superdrug as they have vegan labels and I'm lazy and like to get everything in one place. I think that the Astonish range of cleaning products is mostly/all cruelty free and you can get that from £ shops.
The Co-op shops usually have a few cruelty free cleaning products. I use mostly white vinegar for household cleaning now so I'm not sure about shop bought cleaning stuff.

4. The Vegan Society has some information about bees here.FAQs | The Vegan Society Honey isn't vegan as it is an animal product and humans steal it from them so it counts as exploitation. Bees are sometimes harmed too. You can buy vegan honey or agave nectar or maple syrup as a substitute.

5. You don't have to like spicy food, pasta, rice dishes, vegan sausages and mash, baked beans on toast are all easy, vegan, non spicy meals.

 

[Second Summer]

Hello!

1. I think I'm addicted to cheese :-0 honestly I've been dreaming about it and I'm shocked at how much I miss it. Is cheese addictive or am I just being a cry-baby?

This is fairly common, and yes, it does appear to have some addictive qualities. Apparently, cheese (maybe animal milk products in general) contains some opiate-like compounds. Opium is obviously addictive, so it's possible these compounds have a similar effect.

2. Would you recommend any specific vegan cheese or is it better if I just push through and allow cheese out of my life?

You probably need to accept that you will never find a vegan cheese which tastes exactly like a dairy cheese. They are different. That said, I think some of them have a very nice taste. Also: cow udders. Yes, this is where dairy cheese comes from! (As I'm sure you well know ) Every time you see dairy cheese, remember cow udders!

3. If a product like a cosmetic or toiletries always say if they aren't tested on animals? Or will I have to look up everything individually online? And does it stop at that, are kitchen products tested on animals?

In the UK, I would think this will be the case in near 100% of the cases, i.e. it will say if it's not tested on animals. I'm not sure what kitchen products you have in mind, but I can't think of any that would be tested on animals. It's mainly cosmetics and medicine.

There was some good news about EU law a few years ago regarding cosmetics testing on animals. I think basically it will be phased out, but I can't remember if the law has gone into effect yet.

4. Are bees stressed and hurt when made to make honey? What is the truth as I've heard so much on both sides?

The ethics of honey production is a slightly complicated and controversial subject, so I think I will let someone else answer it for now. Honey consumption does seem like animal exploitation to me. That said, there are people who eat honey and identify as vegans. There are people who don't "actively" seek out products with honey, but still consumes a bit, and still identify as vegans. And then there are people who actively avoid it (like myself) who identify as vegans.

5. I have a rather damaged tongue due to some past stuff and it hurts really bad to eat spicy food, as a vegan am I doomed?

Sorry to hear that. There are plenty of vegan foods that aren't spicy. It shouldn't be much more of a problem as a vegan than as a vegetarian, I would think.

 

[BronwynMendoza]

Thankyou very much for all that information Moll and Indian Summer

Seems I wasn't imagining the addictive nature of cheese! Think I will detox from the yellow fiend then explore vegan options! And I never thought Tesco would have a selection like that, will be visiting poundland and superdrug as well on my next shopping trip to the city!

After reading about honey production in the link I will be very happy to switch to maple syrup, it's disappointing that most humans think they are better than every other living creature and should use them to serve whatever need they think up

I was just a bit concerned as I wasn't a terribly healthy vegetarian and a large portion of my diet was cheese based meals, as my tongue wouldn't let me get away with anything spicy. Also now with Quorn out of the question I think I was panicking = dafty! Haha

Thank you again!

 

[Calliegirl]

I was just a bit concerned as I wasn't a terribly healthy vegetarian and a large portion of my diet was cheese based meals, as my tongue wouldn't let me get away with anything spicy. Also now with Quorn out of the question I think I was panicking = dafty! Haha

Thank you again!

I didn't realize how much cheese I had been eating until I went vegan. It was a shock to realize I had been eating it with almost every meal. I went about 4 years without cheese until something came on the market that actually tasted good. It doesn't taste exactly like cheese but it does satisfy the craving.

I wasn't a very healthy vegetarian either, I ate a lot of junk food.....a lot.

You could also use agave syrup in place of honey.

One of our members made this video about honey, it has some interesting facts in it.

 

[Blobbenstein]

I like this Tesco one:

Tesco Free From Soya Strong 227G - Groceries - Tesco Groceries

which is a repackaging of the Sheese brand.

I think it is great in sandwiches, and melted into pasta.

It might help to have a break from real dairy though, then you might be glad of any vegan cheese you try...

The Tesco one is pretty cheesy though, to me.

 

[Andy_T]

Try the Vegusto, especially the "spicy" (original: "rezent") taste. iMO comes very close to mature Gruyere cheese.

 

[BronwynMendoza]

After watching that video I will most definitely be picking up some maple syrup or agave in my next shop! I'm really quite upset seeing what bee keepers do to them.

I'm so glad I'm not the only one admitting to serious cheese overuse! A friend brought round some cheesly Edam style the other day but putting off eating it as I think I need to have a decent break from it first. But it looks like I will have loads of options to try when I do Cheers guys!

 

[KLS52]

Sorry, but I've been cheese free for over ten years and I still crave it like mad. If I don't see or smell it, it's not so bad, but let someone come around with a slice of cheese pizza and it's enough to reduce me to tears. [emoji24]

 

[shyvas]

Sorry, but I've been cheese free for over ten years and I still crave it like mad. If I don't see or smell it, it's not so bad, but let someone come around with a slice of cheese pizza and it's enough to reduce me to tears. [emoji24]

I really crave blue chess, especially Roquefort.

 

[Trinity]

5. I have a rather damaged tongue due to some past stuff and it hurts really bad to eat spicy food, as a vegan am I doomed?

You've got some great support for everyone here, but I wanted to chip in too and say WELL DONE!
Anyway I've been vegan for ages and I really very rarely eat chilli - and I love eating delicious and good vegan foods. So in that regard you'll be fine.

I've heard so many vegan people say that they really miss cheese, including some of these guys here. You certainly are not alone on that one

 

[Andy_T]

I really crave blue chess, especially Roquefort.

Cheezly has a very nice "Blue style" cheese.
To be honest, it's the only Cheezly that I regularly buy, the others don't do much for me. But that one is quite nice.

All of those living in the US (or in Europe and have a Veganz close that will supposedly import it) - check out "Miyoko's Kitchen"
They have started artisan vegan cheeses that really look very promising.

 

[BronwynMendoza]

Thankyou for all your input folks it seems cheese is one of the things missed the most! Good thing they are options out there for ex-cheese'ohics!

 

[BronwynMendoza]

KLS52 and Shyvas - I feel your pain! x

 

[BronwynMendoza]

One of our members made this video about honey, it has some interesting facts in it.

Bitsize Vegan is one amazing lady! Loving her videos! *Instant fan!*

 

[Clueless Git]

Try the Vegusto, especially the "spicy" (original: "rezent") taste. iMO comes very close to mature Gruyere cheese.

Oooooh, YUSS!

I spent about £50.00 with Vegusto to load up with xmas goodies.

Had the walnut and blue cheeses. Both very good.

Not cheese related but I had the Porcini roast they do too. That was borderline sublime

 

[BronwynMendoza]

Cheesly Edam style is a definite winner!! Mmm

 

[Oasis]

So glad you found on you like, BronwynMendoza! It'll definitely make the transition easier.

 

[BronwynMendoza]

So glad you found on you like, BronwynMendoza! It'll definitely make the transition easier.

I'm actually quite shocked how good the dairy substitute products are, most of my vegan pals don't eat any at all because they didn't like the taste/texture but I'm finding everything I've tried so far really delicious. I feel very lucky

Do you have a favourite one Oasis?

 

[PTree15]

Hiya, BronwynMendoza, and congrats on going vegan!
I gave myself three years after going vegan to test out the cheese subs. I was totally addicted to cheese and it was the one thing that kept me from going vegan for years. That said, once I gave it up, I really didn't miss it, which sounds crazy, but it's true. I just exed it out in my mind as a food option. I use the Daiya shreds and slices and have been pretty happy with them so far. The cheddar slices are really tasty and go great with crackers.