I am a non-vegan that is thinking about trying veganism in the new year. I have no clue how to go about it though. There is currently only a handful of veggies I will eat and well they are cooked with some kind of animal fat thus I am not in any way getting the vitamins and things I need to keep me healthy. I am lactose intollerent so I dont consume dairy I just need to find a way to balance a vegan diet with work and school. Im a funeral director\embalmer plus Im still in college and Its far more convenient to just grab a burger or taco or something while Im running between body pickups and classes than it is to take the time to compose a meal. Also what is the easiest way to stop eating meats? Should I go cold turkey or do it gradually? I am a meat and potatoes kind of girl and being raised in and living in the south with a meat loving family only encourages that. How do you working vegans balance this lifestyle with everyday activities like that? I do find that I do prefer to eat fruits and veggies in their raw state. I kind of hate the mushy texture some of them take after they have been cooked. Is eating fruits and veggies raw ok? Yes I have loads of questions but I wont bombard you with them all tonight.
Welcome! My name is iclimb and I am also new. Yay to newbies.
Ooh, might I say, your job sounds fascinating. Okay, down to business: it is perfectly safe and super healthy to consume fruits and veggies in their raw state. Cooking as in microwaving, broiling and all forms of heat applied to food lowers the nutrients so raw is always best. I lack a colon…my large intestine was removed at Mayo Hospital in 2011 and therefore I cannot consume raw fruits and veggies. It kills.
As for as no meat goes…it gets easier. Again because I lack a colon I don’t consume meat. I can’t digest it. Its pretty easy to consume a vegan breakfast some examples are:
oatmeal and fruit
cereal and soy or almond milk
waffles and peanut butter and banana slices
Lunch is also easy:
hummus filled wrap with veggies
salads
vegan pasta salads
vegan grilled cheeses and soup
Then comes supper: For busy schedules I grab a frozen vegan meal:
my favorite is Amy’s meals google it 
I have already typed a lot. Lets start with that and continue. Let me know what you think.
Cheers 
Hey there iclimb, I am LittleSquirrel. I was dubbed that name by my family when I was 2 and it (and anything with squirrel in it) stuck. It is interesting, especially considering I am only a college age female. I get some very mixed thoughts on my profession though. It really messes with you dating\married life though. It totaly freaks guys out. It kind of sounds like there is a lot of ahead of time prep with this. I have some stomach issues such as stomach ulcers and IBS and someone recommended I go this route so that I am not in such pain after I eat. I will check into trying what you suggested. I know frozen foods will come in handy for my busy days when I dont have time for a real lunch or supper. I already love waffles and peanut butter. Actually I prefer the peanut butter and almond butter to the waffle. I can eat that by the spoonfuls lol. I recently read Veganize This and found some ways to make things I dont normally eat sound like they taste good. Do yall recommend any cookbooks or anythang that I go find to help make meal choices a little easier?
I grew up collecting the Nancy Drew books and that started a love for mystery stories. I don’t care for anything too dark but if you tie history and mystery together for instance like the Black Dahlia and Jack the Ripper…well you get quite the tale. I hope as time goes that it gets easier with relationships.
I’m sorry to hear about the abdomen troubles. I have been there. I’m still trying to balance my diet so I don’t have to spend trip after trip in the bathroom. As far as cook books go, well I’m still hunting for some good ones. I love to cook so a lot of things I just whip up. My favorite chef is Rachel Ray. I’m constantly stalking recipes in books and on the web for my boyfriend who loves meat. Speaking of meat…I still cook with it for my boyfriend and I think that’s where a lot of vegans would be appalled.
I would check out books at your local library. A magazine that is good is called Gluten Free Living. I don’t know if you have gone on a gluten free diet at all. Some people are allergic to the protein in wheat and things like pizza, cereals, crackers, and other things made with flour are off limits. I went on a gf diet for nine months…this was before I knew that I would have to have surgery to take out my colon. It didn’t help me because my colon was dead tissue.
We’ll chat soon!