ok vegans....

[Andy]

I had this all typed up a couple of days ago and didn't post it because I didn't want to seem dense.  I've stopped caring about that:

How the fuck do vegans sustain themselves?  And I'm not talking about getting enough protein, I'm talking about eating when you're not at home (or on the road, whatever the case may be)  It's got to be fucking difficult.  I'm thinking it might be impossible here in Oklahoma.

I gave up meat for lent a couple of years ago and it almost killed me.  I've never eaten so many bean burritos and cheese pizzas.

[TL]

A little extra thought and a little extra time is all it takes.
You get used to it.

[Andy]

also, I guess the point of this thread might have been missed.  It's more a "holy shit I admire your commitment" than a "you guys are weird" thread.

[Forrest]

Are there any items at any fast food establishments that would be considered vegan? Fries made with vegetable oil?

Please forgive my ignorance. Andy really did get my curiosity going.

[erika]

I Googled it:

http://www.vegetarian-restaurants.net/OtherInfo/FastFoodRest.htm

[Denim Gremlin]

what TL said.

[Beth]

almost every vegan i know that travels a lot is all about the taco bell. 

which proves that just because its vegan doesn't mean it's good for  you.

also, i believe cocoa crispies are vegan.

[Laurie]

almost every vegan i know that travels a lot is all about the taco bell. 

Ted Leo LOVES Taco Bell.

[Beth]

almost every vegan i know that travels a lot is all about the taco bell. 

Ted Leo LOVES Taco Bell.

yeah, because i have so many vegan friends who like taco bell, that incident struck me as particularly amusing.

oh and do most vegans abstain from eating honey? it's about a 50/50 split with the ones i know. it puzzles me a bit, i mean, i can understand cows and chickens, but bees?

[Sarah]

I understand it:  bees are enslaved and exploited for their honey.  And if the honey is wild, it's stolen.

Excuse me, my pizza is hot:  topped with peperoni and bacon, along with roasted red peppers and mushrooms. 

[Rainer]

* Yeast is OK because it is in the Fungi Kingdom (not the Animal Kingdom). 

* Fruitarians only eat raw fruit and seeds (Bryce, Unroided: "pulling a carrot out of the ground is an act of violence, man")

* If you want to be in solidarity with someone who has celiac disease (or sensitivity to gluten and casein), Tapioca bread (toasted) is not too shabby.  Brown rice bread is like eating a pizza tile.  The food engineer that stumbles upon a natural alternative to gluten (i.e. something that replicates the "poofy" quality of "regular" bread) will make many people very happy.   

* Swamp grass is delicious (stir-fried with tofu)

[erika]

I think I've had bread made with rice flour that wasn't terrible.

I could go veggie but not vegan. Life without cheese just isn't a life I want to live. Long live lactose!

[TL]

I understand it:  bees are enslaved and exploited for their honey.  And if the honey is wild, it's stolen.

Excuse me, my pizza is hot:  topped with peperoni and bacon, along with roasted red peppers and mushrooms. 

Now really, Sarah - was that snark necessary?
 

[Sarah]

I'm just mean, TL, that's all there is to it.

(Actually, I was merely trying to point out my hypocrisy,* since I absolutely do believe that bees are exploited and enslaved or at least robbed, yet I not only eat honey but shove dead animal flesh down my gullet regularly.)

*But you probably already knew that and were just being a funny guy.  Ho ho ho.

[ughwhy]

Though I am only a vegetarian, not a full-fledged vegan, I will say: it starts as a goal, and then it becomes a change, and then it becomes a way to keep you from laziness, and then eventually it becomes a way to, like, you know, get yourself. Once I started paying attention to my input/output levels, I got a hell of a lot better at staying healthy and on point.

Yeah that's right! my choice is both environmentally friendly and completely self-involved.

Also, recently, there's been such a proliferation of natural grocery stores and excellent vegan/veg cookbooks, I think the answers are infinitely more accessible than in times past.