vegan cheese: I'm a vegetarian, and not yet a vegan because my parents are against it, and says it is going a step too far. However, I turn 18 in 3 weeks and am planning on going vegan then, but I want to know everything I can about it. What are some good replacements for dairy, and eggs? Like can I still make brownies, and just use something instead of the egg? What are some good vegan recipes? What are your reasons for being vegan, if you are one (I need a little more information on why it's worth going vegan)? Is it difficult? Are there any hidden non vegan things that can be hidden in food (like gelatin)? Has anyone tried vegan cheese fondue, and is it good? Any input would be much appreciated, except for putdowns ;) this is a personal choice.|||Good for you! This first poster says that it's really hard to get nutrients that you need. YEAH RIGHT! It's easy. You just eat food and your body does the rest. Vegans rarely get sick from the diet unless they are deliberately eating only cabbage. Here's an animal ingredient list that I found really helpful: http://www.happycow.net/health-animal-in鈥?/a> Also, on that website above are listings for all sorts of veggie restaurants and health food stores around the world. It's pretty easy being vegan. WAY easier than I ever thought it would be. Listen to those that have experienced veganism, not someone who "thinks" they know what it's all about. When baking there are different things you can use instead of dairy and eggs. It depends on the recipe. Some recipes will call for applesauce instead of egg for moisture, some will use tofu or egg replacer powder, such as Ener-G, so they baking will hold together well, even ground flax powder mixed with water can be used instead of egg. Soy or Almond milk is usually the stand in for regular dairy. Cheese is more hard to duplicate and not many places carry vegan cheese alternatives. WARNING: Most soy or veggie cheeses are not vegan, so check the ingredients for casein, which is a milk protein. http://www.vegweb.com/ has a ton of vegan recipes with ratings from other users.|||Not worth it to me. It's really hard to make sure you are getting what you need, if you don't have someone who knows a lot about this, or are not able to talk to a nutritionist, you can make yourself very sick if you're not careful. Research this completely before jumping in!|||This site may be of benefit to you ~much information; recipes, books etc:http://www.living-foods.com/|||well theres always soy products. like soy milk [not that bad acutally] also go to www.peta2.com they have recipies! ive tried go vegan. lasted like 20 minutes lmao. im 13 and i coudlnt give up ice cream and i dont know if id like soy ice cream [i dont know what its called]|||Today, there are several replacement choices available for dairy and eggs. The best product for margarine I've found is Earth Balance, which is completely dairy free and can be found at popular grocery chains. Vegan baking tastes wonderful and there are plenty of recipes on-line and even completely vegan baking cookbooks. They will give you exact ingredients so there is no guess work or confusion about products or substitutions. You should also try to do your own research about being vegan that way you can make your own opinion based on facts that you've learned. There are plenty of vegan information sites, blogs, cookbooks, and books on going vegan that you can find. Just do a quick search in google or amazon.com or your local library. Or check out the following sites on making a transition and why you should become vegan: http://www.vegcooking.com/makingthetrans鈥?/a> http://www.veganoutreach.org/whyvegan/ |||The word, 'vegan', means that you don't want to exploit animals. There is a vegan alternative to virtually anything. I've seen vegan sea cucumber and vegan black pudding(blood pudding). Vegweb.com has an endless supply of recipes but I usually take traditional recipes and veganize them. Bread, pasta, cereal, rice, beans, peas, lentil, nuts, seeds, fruits and veggies can easily offer everything that you need except B12. http://www.veganhealth.org/sh http://www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo All vegetarians should take a B12 supplement regularly since most people eat meat, dairy AND fortified cereals yet still have a B12 status that is lower than recommended. http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/b12 It may help you if you see proof that vegan people have the same potential as anyone else. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/sto鈥?/a> http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/phpBB2/鈥?/a> http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/phpBB2/鈥?/a> http://www.macdanzig.net/bio.php http://www.scottjurek.com/career.php If you need meat or dairy during any stage of your life or to live any certain lifestyle, why does the American Dietetic Association say otherwise? http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada鈥?/a> If you are new to being vegan, it may help you to read this: http://www.veganoutreach.org/howvegan|||Congrats! Making the change to veganism is not only great for your own health, but for the health of so many animals. Here's some websites that I like.....good luck and it's not as hard as some people would like you to believe. :o) The first link is for common products that are "accidentally vegan" The other links are for AWESOME vegan recipe sites.|||i am vegan because: it is healthier i am against animal slavery as it is unnatural it is a more efficient way to use land to make food