***Editor’s Note- In this column, Rose addresses more questions about veganism. Submit questions to her here!
I’m a milk-lover. Is there any kind of vegan substitute? What else washes down sweets as well?
You’re in luck! Milk is the easiest-peasiest thing to replace. No, really, it is! Because so many people are lactose-intolerant, non-dairy milks can be found in every grocery store (that I’ve ever been in). There are a few different kinds and I’ve tried most, if not all!
My least favorite to favorite (out of the common types):
Rice milk – just like it sounds, it’s milk made from rice. I’ve had it a few times and never liked it at all. It’s so thin, it may as well be rice water. Kind of gross but some people like it, I guess. Why else would they still be selling it? Definitely not going to replace milk for you as a milk-lover though. It’s not close at all.
Coconut milk – this is actually great to cook with and is essential for many southeast asian dishes. I’ve seen it in a carton for drinking, which is confusing to me because it’s such a thick and rich milk. Either way, coconut milk tends to be high in fat and calories so I never drink it, but save it for cooking. If you love coconut and don’t care about your weight whatsoever – go for it! It’s definitely delicious, but a rare purchase for me.
Soy milk – Ah, of course. Classic. Soymilk is pretty awesome and many brands are vitamin-fortified. When I get soymilk, I always get vanilla because the original flavor is a bit bland for my tastes. My sisters, who are omnivores, prefer chocolate soymilk to chocolate (real)milk by far. I like getting soy creamer for my coffee – you can’t tell the difference at all. However, I don’t buy soymilk very often because I prefer…drum roll please..
Almond milk – I love this stuff. I generally get the vanilla flavor and it’s so yummy. It really depends on your own tastebuds, but soy milk or almond milk are probably your best options!
In terms of other dairy products, you can easily find vegan cream cheese, sour cream, yogurt (coconut milk yogurt, despite what I said before, is the best) and cheese. The cheeses aren’t that great, to be honest.. but Daiya isn’t terrible when melted. (I know, why don’t they pay me to advertise this stuff as well as I’m doing, right?)
“What else washes down sweets?” More sweets, duh.
Why do some vegetarians still eat fish? They can’t be vegetarians for reasons pertaining to animal cruelty then.
I honestly have no idea. It’s one of the mysteries of life. They shouldn’t be calling themselves vegetarians though; there’s another word to describe their diet, which is “pescetarian”. Some argue that sea creatures such as clams and oysters cannot feel pain, and I guess that’s all well and good if you only care about animal cruelty. However, when you consider the environmental impact of eating fish, and how awful large-scale fishing can be (not to mention how many dolphins and other sealife get caught in nets and are thrown back in dead). To each their own, though. I’m sure living in Florida might also be a factor for some of them!
I’m a poor, busy college student. How do I incorporate veganism into my lifestyle?
Oh, you have no idea how much I relate. Poor and busy are two words I could definitely use to describe myself. It depends on your diet at this moment. Look at your fridge and cabinet and see what you have. Do you eat meat? Dairy? Eggs? If you’re vegetarian right now, simply using the non-dairy milks I recommended would help ease your way into veganism! If you eat meat and all the above, don’t worry. I know very well how veganism seems overwhelming at first. Do it slowly, start planning your meals a bit and go vegan one day, or a few meals, per week (Meatless Mondays! It’s a thing, I swear. Google it).
DO NOT go to Whole Foods and spend $500 on mock meats. My soul cries a little whenever I learn that people think this is how to go vegan. I rarely use mock meats. Rarely! They’re processed and while they aren’t horrible for you per se, they aren’t as good as beans and other protein sources. The only mock meat I ever really use are veggie crumbles (like ground beef, great for chili). Every once in a while I get Tofurky slices, but they aren’t that great (I won’t lie). Gardein products are quite convincing and you can find them in the frozen foods aisle! Kind of pricey though.
So yes, start small and simple. Start with dishes that are “accidentally” vegan and always delicious, like pastas, bean chili, soups and veggie wraps. You’d be surprised by how good pizza does taste without cheese and with more veggies! If your budget permits, go ahead and try the mock meats, but don’t depend on them. Instead I’d go more for veggie burgers and things that don’t try too hard to look like meat. The less overly processed, the better. Buying DRY beans is cheaper by far (every bag is, like, ten cans. I swear) but it requires some planning – you’ll have to soak and cook for hours. I wish I could do this more often.
I also cannot recommend this enough, but try growing your own food – it’ll really help you save money. If you’re a USF student, you can get a plot at the vegetable garden at the USF Botanical Gardens (all the way on the same side of campus as Juniper Poplar.) I think some plots are about to open up – if you get plot #2 you’ll be next to mine and we can be dorky garden buddies…or not. You can always steal some of the ridiculous amounts of dill I have though!