Shalyn Stack
10-03-2010
College Rhetoric II
Research paper RD
The Vegan and Vegetarian Transition
Becoming a vegan in today’s society is increasingly getting more popular. Oprah and Tal
Ronnen have confirmed that “Today is the best time ever to be a vegan.” (Vegan Transition
Foods. pg. 3 par.6) With this new lifestyle becoming more permanent, foods that are normally
produced “non-vegan” are being remade with vegan ingredients and supplements to make the
transition easier and tastier. This Vegan boom is closely linked to the organic rush that has swept
the nation right off of its feet. The processed ways of our food today is turning people to organic
food, which in many cases, leads to the new lifestyle: veganism. Who doesn’t want to be
healthy? “Healthy eating is becoming more and more popular with people who want to continue
to live an active healthy life” says expert author Ralph Willhelm (Ezine articles par.1). Eating
organically and vegetable based will save this economy from childhood obesity, and health
problems directly related to obesity. Many popular food brands have made organic and vegan
supplements, that taste just as meat or dairy would, or maybe even better. Eating vegan is also
considered a “cruelty free alternative” on PETA’s website (Dairy replacements. par.1) because,
when eating vegetarian, it saves animals from being slaughtered, and become a vegan for a
healthier lifestyle also takes a stand for animal’s rights. The transition from being a non-vegan to
a vegan has become easier and healthier because of all the vegan and vegetarian food brands that
the vegan popularity is only increasing.
Along with the U.S, many countries have taken part in the vegetarian rush. Countries,
such as India, have prepared vegetarian meals for centuries. Vegetarian cuisine is closely linked
to an Indian’s religion, and eating non-meat based foods is a spiritual occasion. Indians are aware
that their food and health are given to them by God, and that making these occasions spiritual,
brings them closer to God. Another vegetarian popular country is The United Kingdom. The
United Kingdom was hit hard with mad cow disease in the 1990’s, and today is estimating to
have around four million vegetarians total. Sauces in Italy, which were normally filled with
ground beef, are made with more spices and veggies such as squash. More and more countries
are making more vegetarian based meals that would normally include some type of meat. This
consistently growing popularity of vegetarianism is changing the way we think, cook, eat, and
feel.
In the vegan world, dairy is also given up along with meat. But luckily today there are so
many different vegan dairy choices to choose from that never existed before. Until recently,
nobody ever even heard of the term “vegan cheese” or “vegan ice cream. The older and more
popular vegan friendly dairy products are rice milk and soy milk, along with products for the
lactose intolerant. Vegan friendly foods used to only be sold in a few select markets and health
food stores, but are now being seen at your local Meijer or farmers market. There is a higher
demand for vegan and vegetarian foods in today’s health conscious society, and this looks like a
change for the better and healthier future.
Milk is a must in our society. We use it in so many ways, shapes, and forms. We need it
for our cereal, our hot chocolate, our cookie dunking. But, Vitamin D, 2% and skim aren’t the
only types of milk that are on the market. PETA’s website states that “Soy, rice, or nut milk can
replace cow's milk in any recipe” (Dairy replacements. par.2). Other vegan friendly milks are
almond, and coconut milk which are good for baking desserts. Drinking non-dairy milks are also
healthier for your body. “Soy-, rice-, and nut-based milks are generally lower in fat and calories
and contain no cholesterol.” (PETA.org. Dairy Replacements. par.1) Soy, almond, and rice milks
also come in different flavors such as; plain, chocolate, strawberry, almond, and vanilla, and
there are many non-dairy milk brands that you can choose from. ChooseVeg’s website chose
these different brands of soy and rice milks: “Silk • Vitasoy • Edensoy • WestSoy • & Rice
Dream” (Chooseveg.com.Vegan substitutes. Par.2). Becoming a vegan does by no means say you
can’t have your cookies and milk, or your cereal without milk.
Other massively popular dairy products are cheese, yogurt, and ice cream. These have all
recently been “vegan-ized.” Silk, the soy milk brand has made a vegan yogurt product that is
becoming notably recognized for its great taste, and healthy consciousness. Silk is one of the
most well-known vegan friendly brands known in the media today and is continuing to make
other vegan products. Another popular vegan yogurt brand is Whole Soy. A huge deal breaker
for people that want to become vegans, aside from meat, is cheese. We love our cheese! It turned
many potential vegans away from veganism solely because they weren’t going to be able to eat
cheese. Now there are many vegan cheeses that swear they melt, feel, and taste just as non-vegan
cheese does. “Vegan cheese substitutes have come a long way in recent years. They melt better
and taste more like dairy cheese than ever before” (Cheever, Jenney par.4) PETA’s website gave
many alternatives to cheese “Follow Your Heart brand comes in mozzarella, nacho, Monterey
jack, and cheddar flavors and contains no casein (a milk derivative)” (Dairy Replacements.
par.5). what’s nice about Follow your heart is that they took the time to develop different flavors
and kinds of cheeses to accommodate all types of cooking and/or taste buds. Another growing
vegan cheese brand is Tofutti. “Tofutti brand makes a wide variety of soy cheeses, including
nondairy cream cheese, as well as vegan sour cream and ice cream” (PETA.org Dairy
Replacements. par.5). Other smart ideas given to transitioning vegans from PETA.org is to
“Replace cottage or ricotta cheese with crumbled, seasoned tofu” (Dairy Replacements. par.5).
Ice cream has also been made into a vegan friendly food. Many rice and soy companies are
making soy and rice ice cream. Tofutti, the same brand that makes different vegan cheeses has
also made an animal product free ice cream, along with other brands like Soy Dream, Rice
Dream, and Sot Delicious. Eggs are essential to every day cooking, that’s why many organic and
vegan brands have developed many egg alternatives so that vegans can still bake cake and
cookies. Using tofu in place of eggs is actually popular, and GoVeg’s website says “For vegan
"scrambled eggs", try Fantastic Foods’ Tofu Scrambler” (Vegan Substitutes. Par.8). Cooking
with Vegan replacements are easy to cook with, and all of the vegan food brands have made their
foods taste the same or even better than the original dairy products. This truly is a revolution.
Meat: Chicken, fish, cold cuts, beef, steak, pork, and many more. We love our meat! It is
so addicting and tasty, and has become an every meal, everyday part of our lives. Everyone has
heard of a veggie burger, but has anyone heard of the new meatless meat that is coming out on
the market? Boca burgers are the latest and greatest thing that has been made for vegans and
vegetarians. But Boca burgers aren’t the only meatless meat brand out there. Many local grocery
stores now carry faux meat, and in mass amounts! Goveg’s website gives many faux meat brands
to substitute for all kinds of meat variations. For hot dogs there is: “Soy Boy’s Not Dogs,
Tofurky’s Beer Good Dogs, and Original Veggie Dogs” (Vegan Substitutes par.5.) For cold cut
substitutes you have your choice of: “Yves Veggie Turkey, Salami, Bologna, and Ham, and
Tofurky’s Original, Peppered, and Hickory Smoked styles” (Vegan Substitutes. Par.6.). There is
an option between “Trader Joe’s Soy Poppers, Health Is Wealth’s Chicken-Free Nuggets and
Buffalo Wings” (Vegan Substitutes. par.8) In place of chicken nuggets or wings! And the
original and beginner of this revolution: “Garden burger’s Garden Vegan, Amy's California
Burger and Texas Burger, and Yves Veggie Original” (Vegan Substitutes. par.4.) Every type of
meat that could be made vegan has been made vegan, and having this safety net is useful when
making the vegan transition to your life.
When becoming a vegan or just a vegetarian, protein can be hard to come by without
having meat in your diet. Your main new sources of protein are going to be tofu, soy, lentils,
Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP), seitan, and tempeh. While there are other protein sources
listed, tofu and soy are going to be your main sources of obtaining protein. As listed on
Life123’s website “Tofu, your new best friend. Tofu, Your New Best Friend: The single most
versatile staple in the vegan diet is tofu. This humble food is the workhorse of the vegan kitchen.
You can marinate it and use it in place of meat for your kabobs on the grill, you can make a tofu
scramble instead of eggs for brunch and you can even use silken tofu to make a delectable vegan
pumpkin pie for dessert. Because tofu doesn't have much of a flavor on its own, it can blend
seamlessly into any recipe.” (Cheever, Jenney.par.5). Tofu is separated into two groups; firm
tofu and soft tofu. Firm tofu is used a meat replacement in many meals such as stir fries, and soft
tofu is good for placing in desserts like pie and pudding. Soy can also be manipulated and made
into many vegan meals. TVP is actually “a dried soy product that can be used in place of ground
beef in stews, chili, tacos, pasta sauce and many more” (Vegan Protein Powerhouses. par.2.)
Lentils contain protein, and are a member of the legumes family. They are great in a variety of
soups, add flavor, and have no fat whatsoever in them. Seitan, code name “Wheat Gluten” which
is the part of wheat that holds protein. It is a chewy substance and is in many vegan granola bars.
Tempeh has a meat-like texture, which tastes almost nutty. Tempeh is also a derivative of soy.
All of these ingredients are used in many vegan friendly foods like vegan chicken nuggets and
vegan hot dogs. Soy and Tofu especially play a huge role in the vegan and vegetarian diet. It
gives a vegan the protein needed to be strong, and to build muscle. You cannot live without
protein.
Being a vegan doesn’t mean eating Boca burgers at every meal, you need to eat
vegetables and eat a balanced green diet to avoid any deficiencies. Thinking of becoming a
vegan isn’t as far-fetched of an idea as it was in the past. People think of veganism and say “I
just might try that.” All of these vegan and vegetarian replacement foods are here to help the
ambitioned vegan to make the transition as painless as and less sacrificial than ever before. These
foods are going to help you become healthier, and help the planet become healthier. As said
before, most of these vegan food brands can be found locally and don’t have to be hunted down
anymore, and using these vegan food brands will make it easier and less harsh on your body and
health. Becoming a vegan has to be done the right and healthy way, because any other way can
lead to illness and deficiencies which can severely harm your body. The perfect time to become
or just try veganism is today.