Vegans of BYC!!

[Callender Girl]

I've never heard of thisisntbacon; I'll have to do some research.

I have almost trained all the cashiers at the local farm store NOT to ask if I have a farm tax exemption; all of my ruminants and poultry are purely pets. Everyone gets a name, no one gets eaten. This seems to amaze them since I buy a LOT of feed.

I am not sure about feeding dogs a purely plant-based diet. One of my old rescue dogs had idiopathic seizures and I prepared "people" food for her in a slow cooker because there was some thought that commercial food might be triggering her. The homemade stuff was about 80 percent veggie but also included some meat. But, I do either buy or bake vegan treats for my rescues.

I have not yet found a "burger" that I really like, but some of the chicken replacements I can get locally -- it's not a major metropolitan area -- are pretty good.

Avoiding dairy has been much harder for me than not eating meat. I have found some reasonable substitutes for (most) cheeses, although none are so good that I would want to just eat chunks of them plain. In a grilled cheese or melted on a casserole, they are fine.

BUT, my morning routine has long included a sweet and creamy iced coffee. I have finally found a flavored non-dairy creamer that makes my homemade coffee tasty enough to replace the commercial iced coffee that I love. Plain coffee is too bitter for my taste, and me without caffeine gets a little bitter, too!

 

[BelovedBirds]

I've never heard of thisisntbacon; I'll have to do some research.

I have almost trained all the cashiers at the local farm store NOT to ask if I have a farm tax exemption; all of my ruminants and poultry are purely pets. Everyone gets a name, no one gets eaten. This seems to amaze them since I buy a LOT of feed.

I am not sure about feeding dogs a purely plant-based diet. One of my old rescue dogs had idiopathic seizures and I prepared "people" food for her in a slow cooker because there was some thought that commercial food might be triggering her. The homemade stuff was about 80 percent veggie but also included some meat. But, I do either buy or bake vegan treats for my rescues.

I have not yet found a "burger" that I really like, but some of the chicken replacements I can get locally -- it's not a major metropolitan area -- are pretty good.

Avoiding dairy has been much harder for me than not eating meat. I have found some reasonable substitutes for (most) cheeses, although none are so good that I would want to just eat chunks of them plain. In a grilled cheese or melted on a casserole, they are fine.

BUT, my morning routine has long included a sweet and creamy iced coffee. I have finally found a flavored non-dairy creamer that makes my homemade coffee tasty enough to replace the commercial iced coffee that I love. Plain coffee is too bitter for my taste, and me without caffeine gets a little bitter, too!

I can relate a little on the coffee note! Although I have pretty much given up on finding a good milk substitute for coffees (though I found an *amazing* cream) But tbh I have grown to enjoy a black coffee! Whenever cooking or baking I just use soya and cant tell the difference

 

[Iluveggers]

Former vegan, now what I like to call a localtarian lol. I eat about 90% plants, and buy local/grow my own as much as possible. I was vegan for about a year and started having health problems that disappeared completely after adding in some animal sources. I don’t like tofu, and finding enough protein was difficult for me. If I do eat any animal products, I will only eat from my own (eggs), or locally raised where I can visit the farm and see how the livestock are kept (cheese was a biggie after I read how babies are whisked away from nursing moms and they mourn for days…) so I have a local source of cheese where mom gets to live in the pasture w her offspring. I am what my family describes as “picky”. I won’t eat animal products from anyones home/restaurant since I think it’s rude to ask where they bought their meat. So vegan out of the house lol. We also make about 90% of our meals from scratch so I know exactly what I am eating. This was why veganism was super hard, a lot of the “fake meat” products have a lot of ingredients. I’ve found my happy compromise now.

I don’t think most consumers are aware of where their food comes from or think about the animals lives.

 

[BelovedBirds]

Former vegan, now what I like to call a localtarian lol. I eat about 90% plants, and buy local/grow my own as much as possible. I was vegan for about a year and started having health problems that disappeared completely after adding in some animal sources. I don’t like tofu, and finding enough protein was difficult for me. If I do eat any animal products, I will only eat from my own (eggs), or locally raised where I can visit the farm and see how the livestock are kept (cheese was a biggie after I read how babies are whisked away from nursing moms and they mourn for days…) so I have a local source of cheese where mom gets to live in the pasture w her offspring. I am what my family describes as “picky”. I won’t eat animal products from anyones home/restaurant since I think it’s rude to ask where they bought their meat. So vegan out of the house lol. We also make about 90% of our meals from scratch so I know exactly what I am eating. This was why veganism was super hard, a lot of the “fake meat” products have a lot of ingredients. I’ve found my happy compromise now.

I don’t think most consumers are aware of where their food comes from or think about the animals lives.

The two staple ingredients in my diet are probably tofu, and nutritious yeast!
I hated tofu for years until I started using it as egg replacement, scrambled tofu tastes a lot like scrambled eggs, but slightly different which I prefer- also vegan quiche! I looove it. blended tofu with all the seasonings added in, its full of flavour.

Nutritious yeast is also full of key nutrients I find, I definitely feel healthier after adding it into my meals!

But a compromise is better than a full meat diet! The commercial industry is pretty terrible, so it is definitely better to know where everything comes from- same goes for vegan foods- it's important to know what you're actually eating and in what quantities to make sure you know what youre eating!
Honestly in truth I am a *little* bit of a junkfood vegan, I could definitely be healthier

 

[Callender Girl]

I can relate to the "junk food vegan" thing. I bake -- and eat -- too many cookies. I convince myself that since they contain oatmeal, oat milk, unsweetened applesauce and raisins, they are healthy. Of course, they also contain, among other ingredients, white flour and both white and brown sugar!

And, hey, are multi-grain tortilla chips made with flax, brown rice and sea salt considered junk food? If so, I am terribly, terribly guilty!

 

[BelovedBirds]

I can relate to the "junk food vegan" thing. I bake -- and eat -- too many cookies. I convince myself that since they contain oatmeal, oat milk, unsweetened applesauce and raisins, they are healthy. Of course, they also contain, among other ingredients, white flour and both white and brown sugar!

And, hey, are multi-grain tortilla chips made with flax, brown rice and sea salt considered junk food? If so, I am terribly, terribly guilty!

same! Salted and garlic roasted beans are my weakness though

 

[Callender Girl]

I am so happy to find some folks I can "talk vegan" with ! Vegans and vegetarians seem few and far between here in the heartland where pork, beef and poultry are big money. And, any suggestion that it's possible to live healthy without eating meat or dairy products -- or even limiting them -- is met with disdain at the very least.

 

[BelovedBirds]

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I am so happy to find some folks I can "talk vegan" with ! Vegans and vegetarians seem few and far between here in the heartland where pork, beef and poultry are big money. And, any suggestion that it's possible to live healthy without eating meat or dairy products -- or even limiting them -- is met with disdain at the very least.

same! It's very refreshing! Even just in this community! Its good to meet people on here who care about their animals, regardless if their own beliefs or diets! It's nice to talk to people who are open and friendly

 

[Brooks_]

Interesting thread. Not vegan--far from it. I am not a fan of factory farming and have been buying more ethically raised meat. I've found the meat to be better and not really cost that much more than other stores. All of the vegan baked goods that I've tried have been just fine. The gluten free pretzels I tried were better than regular. For a microwave sausage, I think morningstar is better than regular. Not sure that says much as those pre-cooked sausages are just nasty. I am happy to never buy eggs- tho I'm not saving money there, I know what is meant by cage free and outdoor access. I also know what they eat sans what they catch.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Not vegetarian or vegan here, but we have started shifting our consumption to only our own eggs and a good portion of our chicken is from our own birds. We don't have the space or connections to get 4H meat anymore unfortunately though.