Tips for new or would-be vegans

I have been vegan for more than 15 years and thought that maybe sharing my experiences  might help others who have just become or are thinking of going vegan. I went to a Vegan Fair yesterday, something I haven't done for a while.  I was there a couple of hours and when I left people were still queueing around the block to get in. So many people caring and sharing inspired me to share too, so here goes:

1: Being vegan is a lifestyle, not a hobby, and if you really want it to last make sure you are clear about why you are doing it. For me it's not just about what you eat or don't eat, it's about being able to see the big picture: helping create and maintain a sustainable environment for every living thing on this planet. If your motivation is compassion for animals then that is a great starting point. Go vegan today, keep your ears and eyes open and from this point on you will gradually tune in to everything that is wrong with the world due to human greed and selfishness. You will connect the dots and begin to see things differently and hopefully you will get beyond the "oh but I like cheese" argument. Although whatever reason you have for being vegan is a good one.

2: If you like talking about being vegan, make sure you know what you are talking about, and if you find yourself in deep water during a discussion just be cool, no one likes a smart arse. Remember your argument is water tight, you are just being out manoeuvred by some smart arse. 

3: When you first go vegan, don't eat out for a few weeks, or at least until you know you are not going to slide. You will want to show off your new resolve but until you know exactly what you are doing, don't do it, it could get complicated and you might look like a complete newbie and annoy a lot of people. It is better to be safe than sorry in my opinion.

3b: When you do eat out remember you are an ambassador for all vegan kind. Never cheat when eating out: this is very important. If you are going to cheat, cheat at home on your own. I once ate with my (vegan) partner at a restaurant in which the waiter, when we announced we were vegan, treated us with faintly concealed contempt throughout the meal. He managed to wait until he had show us the dessert menu, from which we chose the sorbet, before launching into his anti vegan story. He had served some vegans just a few days before. They had phoned ahead and given 24 hours notice that they were coming. Rising to the challenge the chef had pulled out all the stops and made them something fancy. All was going well until the dessert course when they announced they didn't want what he had prepared, they were going for the black forest gateau - "just this once" - as a special treat for themselves. You really don't want to be that kind of vegan.

I don't usually tell the place I'm eating at that I'm vegan anymore, I say I have a dairy intolerance and then just avoid anything that might have an egg in it and my partner has what I have. 

4: When you first become vegan and you are cooking at home, keep it simple. You will be tempted by all sorts of amazing dishes, there is a lot of cooking advice out there, but if you go all elaborate you will soon get fed up of holding a ladle in one hand and a iPhone in the other. You need to figure out the basics first. This will vary of course depending on taste but it's a good rule: keep it simple. For instance I have a good wok, a pressure cooker and an oven proof casserole dish. I always have in soy sauce, wholemeal flour, spices and herbs, garlic, fresh vegetables, pasta, rice, pulses and soy milk. I can always whip something up in 15 minutes at a moments notice.

5: Probably goes without saying but make sure you are getting a balanced diet. If you think this might be a problem get some advice. I know some people struggle with a vegan diet, and if you do, my sympathies. You should always put your health first. A vegan diet is a healthy diet if you do it properly.

6 and final: A cautionary tale to entertain as I feel this has all been too heavy: If you want to be a long term vegan, never go out with anyone from Switzerland. My friend was a committed vegan for quite a few years but then, alas, he started going out with a girl from Zurich. He would fly out their quite regularly for weekends etc. Then one day he came back with the faint whiff of cheese. It had been too hard for him. She was a non vegan and was taking him to all the wrong places and laughing at him. It was either that or starve, he said. Unfortunately he is no longer a vegan.

Party Fail

Since our son started school last September there have been a few birthday parties to attend. Because everyone is new and none of them know who their friends are yet the whole year gets invited, which is great, it is good to see him socialise. We had one ourselves. Pirate Pete came along to entertain everyone and then we laid on a ship's banquet. All our party food was vegan. We didn't announce that fact, we just laid it on and nobody commented or even seemed to notice.

Last week our son went to one where parents had to just drop their kids off and leave them to it. It was Pirate Pete's girlfriend. He went, had a good time and then we picked him up. When we got home we asked him what he'd eaten. It was sausages and cake. We had forgotten to mention he was vegan and of course, being five, he just assumed that what he had been given was vegan. We had taken our eye off the ball. As far as I know that was the first time he has eaten anything that wasn't vegan.

I looked at him carefully for any signs of contamination but he didn't look any different. I felt vaguely disappointed. I remember about 10 years into being vegan I bit into and then swallowed a mouthful of meat burger I had been served by mistake. It was years ago but I still remember. I went bright red and broke into a sweat but that was probably guilt.

Will my young son and daughter be vegan when they grow up enough to choose? I hope so, but for the right reasons.

In other news: our two year daughter can't make the "qu" sound yet. She was singing 'The Ugly Duckling' yesterday. It was: "twat, get out, twat twat, get out, twat twat get out of town."