I myself don’t go by what nomeatnodairynoprob1em said b.c hey, I’m vegan and I’m proud to say so.

Anyways, I guess the most simple advice to give you is that if your finding it ever overwhelming at times to make the switch to veganism, focus on what you usually have but just tweek it so that it fits the vegan criteria.

@moosedahummusguy, Welcome to the street team! I am so sorry about your grandfathers passing.

The real horror within the egg industry is how the animals involved are treated. Baby chicks have been put through grinders, left in garbage bags to die and so forth. It is a very horrific and sad industry.

“What is wrong with eggs?

While both male and female chickens can be raised for meat, only females can produce eggs, so about 280 million male chicks per year are disposed of by being shoved into plastic bags and left to suffocate at hatcheries. Conditions at egg factory farms are atrocious. Cage floors are made of wire mesh, so waste falls from the upper tiers onto the chickens below. A single cage, roughly 16 by 18 inches, holds five to six hens, each with a wingspan of 32 inches. Hens bred to be “super layers” experience so much stress that their accelerated laying span lasts only a year and a half—two years at most—compared with the 15 to 20 years that hens produce eggs under natural conditions. Hens today lay about twice as many eggs per year as hens laid several decades ago, before factory farming, and their tired bodies pay the price.”

Read more: http://www.peta2.com/about/frequently-asked-questions/what-is-wrong-with-eggs/#ixzz2FT94ntrT

If you’re looking for something to eat when you’re out and about, you might want to check out these guides to help you find some things:

http://www.peta2.com/lifestyle/find-vegan-food-anywhere-with-happycow/
http://www.peta2.com/lifestyle/restaurants/

I’m not big on meat substitutes myself, but I do like some of the Boca products and I <3 Daiya vegan cheese. Worth trying!

@VeganCaramel your comment just sent a shiver down my spine! is that true about the eggs causing as much harm to live chickens as eating meat does? how is that possible? i mean the eggs arent born yet, so its no worse than aborting a human baby, IMO.

@moosedahummusguy, about eggs – they cause just as much harm to live chickens as eating meat does. Check out this video for a little more information: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJ–faib7to

For meat substitutes in the grocery store, there’s yves, boca, tofurkey, Amy’s has some but be careful to read the labels. There’s lots of stuff in the same section. For when you go out, you can always call ahead of time and ask if they have anything vegan or if they don’t, ask if they’ll make something special for you. Otherwise just stick to something simple. I normally get French fries or pasta, but you can have potatoes without butter, and you can even bring your own to put on. Stuff like that. I hope that answers your question but if not let me know.

@rachel-s, thank you for the links! @nomeatnoproblem thank you for the less common advice! @trae93 do you have any suggestions for meat substitutes? yesterday was very difficult. i always go to Cracker Barrell with my family on Sunday mornings. so yesterday i wasnt sure what to order. i ended up just going with the eggs in basket (fried egg inside of a piece of sourdough bread). i rationalized it that the egg was unborn, so it was better than eating a chicken bisquit. i was quite conflicted though and i think thats why i had indigestion the rest of the day.

I’ll give you a less common, but very important, piece of advice.

Avoid calling yourself vegan.
Ignorant people love applying labels to other people because it makes it very easy for them to prejudge, disregard and discriminate.
By self-applying labels, you’re making things really easy for them.
It’s best just to say things like:
“I’ve dropped animal products from my diet”
“I’ve dropped meat & dairy from my diet”
“I’ve given up animal products”
etc.

If you really feel the need to use the word vegan, just say that you adhere to a vegan diet (or a vegan lifestyle) rather than saying that you are vegan.

Congrats on the great choice! I’ve only been vegan for just under two years, so I don’t have too much advice. But I’ll do my best. Try not to let anyone get to you. People will judge you and make fun of you, there’s no way around it unfortunately. Just stay strong and don’t change for other people. Also, look up plenty of recipes. That helped me a lot in the beginning. As long as you have lots of recipes, you can always stay strong in veganism. Get lots of fruits and veggies too. If you have money you can buy vegan products, but if you’re like me, stick to cheap meals. Fruits and veggies! That’s all I can think of right now, but if you have any other questions, I’ll do my best to answer!

hey guys, just stumbledupon this site. loving it so far. my grandfather passed away two weeks ago when he choked on a rib eye bone. gross! so that inspired me to give up meat (animals arent ours to eat, right!) and go vegan. i just started so any tips or advice would be appreciated. thanks guys!