Denise suggested that I make a list of tips to help make a Vegan's life a little easier, as well as making living with a vegan easier as well. She always has such good ideas, so here they are. If you have anything you would like to add you can always send it to me.
Contributed by:Nick Ventrillo: When buying cosmetics/hair care products do not assume that just because
there's a "cruelty-free" symbol (i.e.: the rabbit with the double bars
across it) that the product has no animal products in it.
*be especially cautious when buying Nature's Gate products...they often
contain animal products*
Contributed by:Jennifer Russell-Fenus: It is a good idea to look at both the Nutritional information information
and ingredients lists. I have seen a few products that say there is no
cholesterol in their product on the nutritional information label or on the
front of the package, and yet, when I look through the list of ingredients,
I find such offensive ingredients as whey, casein, dry milk, honey, lard,
etc. Now correct me if I am wrong, but all those ingredients are animal
derived-there is no plant that produces cholesterol, so I would have to
claim false advertisement!
When shopping...always...ALWAYS take a look at the ingredients. Even if you have bought the same item a hundred times. You never know when they are going to change the formula and you don't want to get stuck with something that you can't use.
This is for the meat eaters. When introducing the vegan diet to your friends and family be upbeat and positive about it. Don't dismiss it as bizzare and "hippy-crap". If you (a normal person in their eyes) have good things to say then maybe they won't be so leary and judgemental.
This tip is also for the meat eaters out there. If you are new to the vegan game, start out slowly. Try a few vegan deserts, they are usually less of a change than if you dive into the baked tofu surprise. You can ease into that stuff later. Most times you can't tell a vegan desert from one that has animal stuff in it.
When friends and family give your food a try, avoid using the words "tofu" and "soy". These words usually turn people right off to whatever they are eating. People have gotten tofu and soy associated with food that is disgusting altho the cooked flesh of an animal is apealing.
Contributed by Karen Albers: When making a vegan version of something normally non-vegan (say, pumpkin pie or muffins) for the holidays, try bringing it without announcing its recipe, especially if your family is adamantly non-vegan and leery of "weird things" like tofu in their pumpkin pie. Then after everyone has oohed and
ahhed over your pie, you can sweetly inform them that it is entirely animal-free.
Keep some vegan margarine, nayonnaise, and vegan substitutes for common non-vegan ingredients around at places you go such as a friend's or parent's house. That way it's handy if you want to make things that are
normally vegetarian, but not vegan, like garlic bread or potato salad.
When going out to eat, remember a salad bar is your friend. It can turn a bad resturant into a possibility.
If you're going to be dating and cooking for a Vegan go shopping together, they know what to look for and what to steer clear of. Believe me you'll only have to go shopping a couple times before you start reading labels and understanding what to stay away from. Plus you'll learn a lot about what you've been eating all these years.
