Vegan Food Haul

[HyperSquirrel]

So, over the last week, (seeing as it's mid-term, so we're off and have time to do these things) my mum took me to a vegan cafe close to our home; called 'Raw.' They do things like vegan cakes, vegan milkshakes, salads, stews and soups (which is ironic, given the cafe's name) and I got a rather large supply of vegan goodies. To be honest, I was surprised that such a place would be open in Northern Ireland. We're not known for being a particularly.... progressive society. She also got a solid kilogram of raw fruit and nut bars, known as nakd bars (and, yes, that is how they're spelt) just today.
Also, I've basically refused to drink dairy (I did a bit of research into the industry and it's WAY more messed up than I thought. I knew that the female cows got raped, but I didn't know that electronic ejaculators were things that... well... even existed). I now have an abundance of soy and almond milk. I also have 1kg of milled flaxseeds.
However, it hasn't been all sunshine and rainbows. My mum is fairly accepting (for the most part) of my desire to not consume flesh, cow's puss and the literal menstruation of hens- my dad however, slightly less so. His justification for consuming meat, dairy and eggs basically boils down to "They're just animals, why should I care?" He, alongside my brothers, might as well be a lost cause at this point. My mum's vegetarian friend has given me a few vegan recipes as well.
My overall goal is (hopefully) to be a vegetarian by the end of 2016. It seems like a while away, but if I can convince my family, I might as well be a miracle worker. I might just ask to be a vegetarian and use that as my birthday gift whenever the time comes, although, it isn't until November.

[Allison-vega]

Good for you! If their worried about your health refer them to the best sources you find on the internet such as 80/10/10, the starch solutions etc... Ask them to look up Dr. McDougall, Dr Esselstyn, or Dr. Michael Greger. I think if you are willing to show your parents that you're mature enough to understand the issues, they would eventually accept your choice. Just be firm on this issue. But in my opinion, why not just go vegan? It's not as hard as you think. Their is so much good information out there, and people who would help you. Check out meetup groups in your area.

[HyperSquirrel]

Thanks for the reply I would be aiming to go vegan by the end of 2016 if I genuinely thought it was realistic. My family aren't exactly open-minded regarding the topic i.e. "They're just animals, why should I care?" My dad and brothers think that veganism is 'too extreme' and they basically just churn out fallacy, after fallacy, after fallacy. Because they all agree with each other, they will back each other up and basically take what I'm saying to be nonsense. My mum is fairly open-minded, so most of my convincing should be directed towards her. While I may be mature enough to understand the issues, my brothers and my dad; are not. Anyway, thank you for the help!

[brimstoneSalad]

That's great news!

If your mom is starting to become more supportive, you should be safe to go vegetarian, or maybe ostro-vegan.
That is, you can go vegan except for oysters. Since rope grown oysters are environmentally friendly, and oysters are probably not sentient at all, it could be a great way to reduce your harm footprint, but still satisfy your family that you're eating some animal products (it's a lot better than milk or eggs in terms of ethics and health).

Greger is a good source.
I would avoid anything from 80/10/10 completely, Graham is a lunatic and he has nearly killed people.
I would also avoid McDougall and Esselstyn, although they aren't as bad as Graham, those are all pseudoscience-heavy and without evidence. Nuts and Avocados are healthy foods (watch Greger's videos on these).
Things like the starch solution, which irresponsibly advocate avoiding healthy plant proteins and fats, is a dangerous scam which could ruin your health and only prove to them that veganism is unheathy -- when in fact, it's just starches that are unhealthy.

A bean and vegetable based diet with ample nuts, some whole grains (except rice), and B-12 supplementation and either vitamin D supplements or sunlight is pretty much the healthiest diet there is.

[Allison-vega]

If this is important to you (and it sounds like it is) then you have to be stubborn about it. I am not saying go and argue with your parents but be firm with them. Maybe teach them about what's vegan and what's not around the house. Maybe learn some recipes and cook them a meal to show them that it's not some weird cult you're joining. You're smart, you'll figure something out. At any rate most people don't listen at first. You might have to take the first steps before they start to go along.

[HyperSquirrel]

I do have a few vegan recipes lying around the house, alongside an entire book filled with recipes. Luckily, my mum bought 2 bags of quinoa; so hopefully I'll be able to cook those up with some rice, veggies and a meat-free chicken substitute so it will appeal to the whole family. I think this dish will be a good start, but I doubt that I would be able to persuade them to let me go vegan just from preparing this dish. However, I think it'll be a good start. I won't tell my skeptical brothers that it isn't real chicken though, normally vegan versions of non-vegan foods seem to be an instant turn-off for them; which is really closed-minded and frustrating. With any luck, this will at least help me a little bit.

[Allison-vega]

That sounds fantastic! Maybe you could tell them after they eat the chicken. I think people sometimes need to get familiar with something before they can accept it. Just keep at it and be patient with them. You will be surprised how people can come around.

[miniboes]

I do have a few vegan recipes lying around the house, alongside an entire book filled with recipes. Luckily, my mum bought 2 bags of quinoa; so hopefully I'll be able to cook those up with some rice, veggies and a meat-free chicken substitute so it will appeal to the whole family. I think this dish will be a good start, but I doubt that I would be able to persuade them to let me go vegan just from preparing this dish. However, I think it'll be a good start. I won't tell my skeptical brothers that it isn't real chicken though, normally vegan versions of non-vegan foods seem to be an instant turn-off for them; which is really closed-minded and frustrating. With any luck, this will at least help me a little bit.

Good luck. When I was trying to convince my parents I literally sat down with them and using a whiteboard went over all the nutrients one could say a vegan could miss, how I was going to get them anyway, and why animal products are unhealthy. I did stuff like calculating how much cow's milk I would need to drink to reach my daily B12 needs and how much saturated fat that would bring as baggage. I basically showed them I did my homework. I later went to a dietician and basically showed them the diet is healthy through visible results. So, my advice would be: see a dietician, and explain to your parents exactly why a vegan diet perfectly healthy and you won't miss any nutrients.