I'd like to become a vegan

I know this is something that will be very hard for me to do, considering I love milk and pizza, however I have been reading this book Skinny Bitch that talks about how humans aren't supposed to consume milk.  Our mothers quit breast feeding us when we were babies and now we don't need milk.  Also, humans are not supposed to consume meat as our bodies don't have the enzymes to digest it properly, as well as not having the teeth like animals that do consume meat.

I am new to this and a picky eater.  Can anyone please tell me some good recipes that are not all fruit and veggies that I can eat.

Also, are all gym shoes made of leather?  What are good brands to buy that don't contain animal, as well as makeup and beauty products that aren't tested on animals?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks!

There are definately ways of going about veganism where you will find you aren't missing out on anything at all, and can have a clear conscience :) I eat more of a variety of food than ever before, and I never get bored.

VegWeb and Fat Free Vegan are both great recipe resource sites, you can also just search for vegan recipes and get tons back! I love pizza too! I just leave off the cheese and pile on veggies that I like. If you are ordering out from somewhere, you can easily check the websites or call in and ask if they use any dairy in the crust, or make it at home!

As for milk, I was never a big drinker of it to begin with, but I used it in everything from cereal to baking and making frappes and things. I just switched to vanilla soymilk (I like Light Vanilla Silk), and I use that in my cereal and baking and everything. I still don't like to drink it, but I will have a tall cold glass of Chocolate Silk every so often, I think it's good.

It is possible to buy gym shoes, just look inside at the lining for "All Man Made Materials"...You can also google vegan shoes on the web and find tons of information and websites. The same goes for products that do not test on animal products. Most that do not, love to put that right out there so all can see. There are plenty of lists all over the internet!

Good luck with everything, and feel free to ask questions :)

Thank you.  I also learned that only animal products contain cholesteral.  Is it safe to say if a product--like peanut butter--contains no cholestoral that it is animal free or can they somehow remove the cholestoral?

Are there any foods that you would think are vegan that are complete shockers?

What are some of the ingredients that mean "animal" but are words that I wouldn't know they mean that?

I'm not sure about only animal products containing cholesterol.  I know that for instance, avocados naturally have it. 

Also, here is a link to some animal products that PETA has on their site.  http://www.peta.org/MC/factsheet_display.asp? ID=72

It's hard to remember them all.  At one point I kept a small sheet of the most common ones in my purse.  I found out that 8th Continent soy milk is not vegetarian/vegan...at least last I checked as it contains an animal enzyme of some sort.  I go for Silk as well.

As for shoes, I usually have luck with Acsics and New Balance brands for my running shoes.  Like the previous post said, look for "All Man Made Materials." 

Make sure you read your labels.  A lot of packaged products that have "natural flavors" listed as an ingredient are not vegan, as the natural flavors often come from stock or animal fat.  Also, many products like to sneak cheese (pasta sauce is a big culprit here) or animal stock in there.

Look out for whey and lactose and caesin, as they are milk proteins.  Many soy and rice based "cheeses" contain caesin (this makes me SO mad, because really, what IS the point of making non-vegan soy cheese?)

If you're opposed to honey (some vegans are, some aren't.  I don't eat it) check cereal labels and bread labels closely.

My biggest "WTF??" moment so far into my veganism was that Cinnamon Toast Crunch isn't vegan (milk protein).  I wouldn't eat that stuff anyway (I'm a natural foods girl) but seriously, WTF?

Just remember that

1. You will screw up and eat things that aren't vegan sometimes, especially in the beginning when you're still learning.

2. An inadvertent screw up does not make you less of a vegan or a bad person.  Just make a mental note and move on.

After a while it does become second nature.  I've been vegan for about 2 years and I'm totally comfortable now.  I can scan a label in under 10 seconds :)  Feel free to message me and good luck.

Everyone here is right on, I would just like to add that if it seems like a lot of work to start eating a vegan diet- you are right, it is... at the beginning.

Star is right, it's a lot of label reading and things to think about but you'll be surprised at how quickly it all becomes second nature~ you'll also be surprised at how wonderful you are going to feel! It takes about 2-4 weeks to get the dairy toxins out of your system depending on how dairy heavy your diet was, you may feel like you are coming down with a cold and a little headachey but I promise it will pass and you will feel like a whole new person. Sleeping better, lots more energy and stamina, among other things are what you can look forward to after the detox.

In addition to hmarcos' suggestions, some great sources of information and food ideas are the http://veganmenu.blogspot.com and http://www.supervegan.com blogs. You'll be amazed by the gourmet meals Tofu666 prepares and shows off on the "What the hell does a vegan eat anyway?" blog (veganmenu.blogspot.com).

Congratulations for wanting to try the vegan diet and lifestyle, it is certainly one to be respected and the best way to make a positive, compassionate impact on our planet. Best of luck!

-A

Is it true I will have mucus issues for the first few weeks?

I've also read on this site, as you mentioned, that people changing over to a vegan diet go through a "dairy detox" but I didn't have that issue when I went vegan at all...I just drank lots and lots of water and over time so I'm guessing everything was just flushed out.