I have been vegetarian for about 3 or 4 years now and would like to go vegan but I am addicted to chocolate. Any tips to make the transition easy?
Here's a tip: Chocolate itself is vegan. Chocolate is made from cocoa butter, which is made from cocoa beans. While that doesn't stop most of the chocolate candy makers from adding milk to make it milk chocolate and non-vegan, there are plenty of sources for vegan chocolate: the brand Tofutti is one, they make vegan chocolate candy bars and soy ice cream and such. Also, as Rain Flower said, there is also a carob plant from which a chocolate-like powder can be derived. Some brands of soy milk makers offer carob-flavoured variety, like EdenSoy. It's really very good. Here are a few vegan chocolate things I've had recently: Reese's Puffs (yes, they are vegan, go figure), Tofutti chocolate bars, Baking choclate chips I'm sure you can find more unless you're on a crappy college campus like me. Depending on where you live, go to your nearest grocery super-duper-duplex market (for me, that's Wegmans), and check out the health and alternatives aisles.
do you like dark chocolate? true dark chocolate is vegan and it is delicious! another good thing about it is VERY rich so a little goes a long way.
Mmmmm I love dark choc! And it's cheaper than the vegan choc you get in health shops. Mmmmm... I have to get some now - thanks!
they sell this big dark chocolate bar at Walgreens for .99 cents I love to eat it with peanut butter... great ! now i got the munchies
Im also a veg going vegan. Im just interested in general on some great vegan recipies and food ideas. Im addicted to cheese, and from what I remember soy cheese wasnt that great. ---BE CAREFUL I was looking at the store at chocolate, and alot of even dark chocolate bars have milk fat. Just make sure to read the label.
carob, meh. you would be surprised how many chocolate items are vegan. look for bars, not al of them are "dark" either. Some commercial brands: Ghiradelli Double Chocolate and Semisweet chocolate chips. Wal Mart brand semisweet chocolate chips are, too. I love chocolate and I have been vegan almost 3 years. Congrats on your decision by the way.
Got this wonderful book over here called Animal Free Shopping - it's my bible! Found out that I can eat cooking choc without worrying! Just got to make sure I pick up the plain one, I can also buy Hobnobs - my favourite biscuit yay!
peanut chews are vegan- I eat them when I have a chocolate craving. Chocolate itself isn't an animal product- it's when they put milk in it that it isn't vegan. A lot of chocolate has cocoa butter in it instead of milkfat- I know shoprite store brand chocolate chips are vegan, and I use them to make choc chip cookies, or various other chocolate chips dont have milk in them. And if worse comes to worse, why can't you just give up everything but nonvegan chocolate? You won't technically be vegan, but don't let wanting chocolate keep you from giving up eating eggs and drinking milk- that's silly. It's not about having a label- it's about reducing animal suffering.
Im vegitarian and I will eventually go vegan. Carob is the way to go I once went to a carob factory and they would give you free samples....Score!