Going vegan

For humans to exist in a sustainable way, we will need to move to a plant-based lifestyle. The dairy and egg industries are responsible for serious animal suffering, and the dairy industry is also impacting on the environment in a significantly detrimental way. Clearly, Earth cannot support the animal-based diet of our ever-growing population.

We support the goal of a vegan New Zealand and encourage everyone, whether just starting on that journey or who has already reached that goal.

Going vegan is not as hard as people think! If you’re already vegetarian, then you’re half way there.

For some, taking the transition step by step is easiest. First you might give up meat, then ease off the dairy, finally replace the eggs. Perhaps you stop eating obvious eggs and drinking dairy milk and when that’s second nature, start avoiding the hidden animal ingredients. Maybe you’ve been vegetarian for decades and are now ready to go further.

Or you might have suddenly come to the conclusion that you can no longer be involved in the animal industry in any way, and want to make the jump from omnivorism to veganism right now.

Everyone does it differently and the first rule is: be kind to yourself. Don’t be overly harsh or judgemental about your efforts. Even if you can give up everything except cheese or milk chocolate for now, think of the huge difference that change makes.

Secondly, it takes time for your taste buds to change. But they do change. What you might initially not like, you may well learn to love. And what you love now may well, over time, become completely unappetising. Believe us, you change with your diet.

One thing to know for sure – vegans do not starve! Nor do they miss out on decadent and delicious food.

On the contrary, a whole new world of food awaits discovery. There’s so much to try, you’ll never be bored.

• Cheese

  Often one of the hardest things to give up, cheese has been the sticking point for many. However, there are now some excellent vegan cheeses available, including melting “mozzarella”. Try NZVS Approved Angel Food cheeses.
  Or, for a cheesy taste, tahini and savoury yeast are fantastic. Try tahini thinned with olive oil on your pizza.
  You can also experiment with making your own cheezes – Check our Recipes page.

• Dairy Milk

  Very easy to replace with many plant-based milks now available. Some are more suited to certain uses than others, and there are so many varieties that you need to experiment and find the ones you like best.
  Replacing dairy in tea and coffee can be hard – they do taste different. Give it time – one day you’ll be shocked to realise you actually prefer plant milk in your cuppa.

• Chocolate

  Another favourite that stops people taking the step! Several dark chocolates are vegan, but check the labels because not all are. Sweet William makes dairy free milk and white chocolate.

• Eggs

  Eggs can be replaced in cooking quite easily. There are many options – see Eggs for details. As a general rule, if there are more than 2 eggs in a baking recipe, then it’s probably better to look for a new recipe.
  Scrambled tofu makes a good replacement for scrambled eggs. Tofu can also be used in place of eggs in quiches. Aquafaba can be used insted of egg whites and makes great meringues. Orgran makes an egg-free egg product.