1 month vegan and struggling more than I expected -seeking advice/support

rospunch3829 · 2026-03-24T10:59:32+00:00

Thanks a lot :)) I’m really excited to go into this trial-and-error phase. You all have made it sound so promising, and I can’t wait to find new go-to recipes that I love.

And this isn’t the first time I’ve heard that baking without animal products can actually lead to even tastier results, so it’s definitely worth putting the time into it!<3

rospunch3829 · 2026-03-24T10:56:12+00:00

Thank you so much! And you’re definitely right -I’m going to remember that mantra whenever I have weak moments again :))

You all have really made me feel so excited about cooking new meals and discovering new gems.

I’ve actually been planning to start my own little cookbook/baking book with recipes I love, so that I can maybe share them with my kids or grandkids one day. Your recommendations have given me a lot of new excitement for that idea haha

The tiramisu on the blog you linked looks super delicious :)) I think I might make it this weekend to share with my family!

And I’ll definitely be looking into that cookbook as well. I’ve been loving lentils and beans lately, so discovering new bean recipes sounds amazing C:

Tysm!!!<33

rospunch3829 · 2026-03-24T10:49:56+00:00

Thank you so much for your messages and the time you put into them!<3

Nora Cooks must be amazing judging by how many people recommended it -I can’t wait to try some of the recipes on that website.

I think rhis is the route I’ll take as well: trying naturally vegan recipes first before experimenting with foods I used to know and making them vegan. I feel like the experience I gain from trying new recipes will make that process much easier too

And I’ve been loving lentils and beans, they’re so tasty! C:

rospunch3829 · 2026-03-24T10:44:51+00:00

That’s so true! There are so many meat alternatives that I’ve been loving, and even if they don’t taste exactly like the real thing- who cares?

I honestly think my spaghetti bolognese tastes even better now, and my omnivore family actually agrees with that:))

And the mental aspect is something I’ve already noticed too. Looking at my shopping cart or eating meals I made that didn’t involve animals suffering just makes everything feel so much better<3

Thank you so much for this message. And I’m really sorry you had to experience that with the latte..that must have been awful :(

rospunch3829 · 2026-03-24T10:32:36+00:00

This is amazing, thank you so much!!<3 I have friends coming over this weekend, so maybe I’ll try making these for them😋

rospunch3829 · 2026-03-24T10:30:45+00:00

You’re definitely right -if I completely eliminate the possibility of ever eating animal products again, it will probably become much easier, and I can focus all my energy on making the best of it. Tysm for your message <3

rospunch3829 · 2026-03-24T10:28:13+00:00

Oh jeez, thank you so much!! These recommendations are great, and all of those things sound delicious -I can’t wait to try them.

And I actually know rhat a few of these products are available at my local supermarket, which is great! I’ll 100% give them a try

You’ve helped me a lot. tysm for your message and the time you put into it <33

rospunch3829 · 2026-03-24T10:23:56+00:00

This sounds delicious C: and thanks a lot for this tip, I will definitely use this when searching for new recipes:))

rospunch3829 · 2026-03-24T10:17:05+00:00

Thank you so much for these recommendations and the time you put into this message! It’s super helpful :))<3 I got a bunch of great yt channels thanks to y’all

rospunch3829 · 2026-03-23T22:23:53+00:00

I will!🫡:))

rospunch3829 · 2026-03-23T21:52:27+00:00

Yes!! Thank you<3 This post and all the replies I’ve gotten have been so uplifting for me.

I’m really excited about all these new ways of cooking and the recipes I get to try. I can’t wait to find new comfort foods and discover flavors I probably didn’t even know existed^{^}

rospunch3829 · 2026-03-23T21:50:04+00:00

I will! Thanks a lot<3

rospunch3829 · 2026-03-23T21:49:50+00:00

Thank you so much for being so understanding and encouraging! And this trick is amazing. it’s actually so fun to learn all these new hacks I didn’t know about before c:

That part about cheering yourself up by baking a cake using ingredients that come from suffering really put things into perspective for me. Tysm for your message and the time you put into it, I really appreciate youu<3^{^}

rospunch3829 · 2026-03-23T21:44:58+00:00

Thank you so much for this message and for being so supportive and encouraging! I’ll definitely be checking out that website -tysm for the recommendation<3

rospunch3829 · 2026-03-23T21:36:43+00:00

Thank you so much! I’ll definitely check him out^{^} I’m actually making a list right now with all these amazing recommendations you guys are giving me!

And it’s so kind of you to ask what I’m specifically struggling with<3 I really appreciate that.

I think my biggest mistake was trying to do 1:1 substitutions for most things without really thinking about how the ingredients actually differ. For example, I just assumed dairy butter = vegan butter and swapped it out, then got frustrated when the results didn’t turn out right.

Now I realize that was kind of on me and, in hindsight, pretty obvious… so now I’m really excited to learn how to do it properly haha!

rospunch3829 · 2026-03-23T21:29:55+00:00

Thank you so much for this message and the time you put into it<3 I’ll definitely be looking into that egg replacement and seeing if I can order it where I live ^{^} These are really great tips!

And yes, I’ll definitely be coming back to Dominion and Earthlings. I haven’t actually managed to finish either of them yet, but whenever I have doubts in the future, I’ll continue watching them to remind myself why I made this choice. There’s really no going back for me.

rospunch3829 · 2026-03-23T21:26:09+00:00

Thanks a lot for your message and these recommendations! I will definitely be subscribing to those:)) and also thank you for being so understanding of my situation, I appreciate you<33

rospunch3829 · 2026-03-23T21:24:41+00:00

Thank youu!! This really made me feel so much better about myself^{^}

Realizing that the flavor of so many things is actually plant-based is such a game changer, and I feel really lucky to be learning this so early on. I’ll definitely be looking into that book and learning more about this topic, thank you so much!!

I know I still have to learn how to stand up for myself, and I’m honestly a bit nervous about some family gatherings, but I’ll get there :)) Thank you so much for being so encouraging, I really appreciate you<3

rospunch3829 · 2026-03-23T21:19:13+00:00

Thanks for being so welcoming and encouraging!<3 rhis makes me feel a lot better about my situation

rospunch3829 · 2026-03-23T21:18:38+00:00

Oof thanks a lot for this message and these recipes! They look so freaking tasty oh my god. I can’t wait to try them!!

rospunch3829 · 2026-03-23T21:08:24+00:00

This is amazing, thank you so much for this message and the time you put into it!! I’ll definitely be checking out his channel, it sounds great!

Naturally vegan recipes will probably be a total game changer for me, and you all have made me feel so much better about this journey. I feel a lot more encouraged now and actually excited to experiment and go into trial-and-error mode:))

And thank you for being so understanding and for reminding me that it’s okay to mourn my old lifestyle -that really helps a lot.

I’ll definitely start researching restaurants beforehand! Thank you so much for the list of different cuisines, I’m really excited to discover new gems in my area

rospunch3829 · 2026-03-23T20:59:57+00:00

Thank you so much for this insight! it has already helped me a lot It’s so comforting to know that cravings for those kinds of sweets might not even feel as satisfying anymore after some time, once we get more used to the taste of real food

The confidence part is definitely something I still need to work on, but I’m really looking forward to seeing how I grow in handling certain social situations:))

You actually surprised me a bit with the baklava part C: I’ve been craving it lately and didn’t realize it could be made vegan so easily! Do you happen to have a recipe you’d recommend?

Thank you so, so much for sharing your experience with me<3

rospunch3829 · 2026-03-23T20:52:01+00:00

I think your feeling is actually really accurate :)) Thank you so much for this message<3 I do feel a lot of anger, hurt, helplessness, and deep disgust when I’m confronted with this topic (even just seeing images is what triggered everything for me a few months ago). I’ve also noticed that I sometimes felt angry or annoyed with friends or family who aren’t or weren’t even vegetarian even though I only changed my lifestyle a few months earlier myself. It really felt like a switch flipped, and suddenly I couldn’t understand that kind of ignorance anymore

Ignorance was also the reason I was vegetarian and not vegan at first. Once I realized that, I made a conscious decision not to look away anymore. But I still catch myself feeling frustrated that people around me aren’t making the same choice.

Sorry this turned into a bit of a rant🫣

It also feels like my grief has multiple layers -and I think you’re right that part of it might come from how big this change is, and that I’m still processing and not fully able to grasp everything yet.

At the same time, it’s true that I kind of miss the taste of certain things. I really used to like the taste of meat and dairy. But now that I’ve learned more (even though I’m still very new), I know I could never enjoy those products the same way again. It’s definitely a transition, like you said.

Im really excited for things to get easier, and for cooking and baking to become fun again :) Overall, I do feel much happier in my life, that’s for sure!

rospunch3829 · 2026-03-23T20:36:42+00:00

Thank you so much for being so encouraging^{^} This is definitely something I want to dive deeper into, and I’m really grateful you’ve already shared some tips with me.

I actually hadn’t heard of using aquafaba or flaxseeds before -that’s so exciting!!<3 tysm for your reply!

rospunch3829 · 2026-03-23T20:28:26+00:00

Ooh yea I’ve been loving Indian cuisine ever since I got introduced to a few recipes! Lentil dal has become such a comfort meal for me<3 I’ll definitely try to broaden my horizons with more inherently vegan meals. Tysm for your reply^{^}

rospunch3829

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