Do you ever get obsessive?

[Annie]

I try not to buy foods with things in the ingredients I don't recognize but when I do...lately I've been insanely obsessive about making sure each ingredient isn't derived from animal products.

I just looked up an ingredient I didn't recognize to make sure it wasn't animal derived. I checked it on a few different search engines a few times....

Do you ever get obsessive about ingredients in food like that?

[eve]

it's very easy to become obsessive if you don't watch it. If I buy a packet of something, I check out the first several ingredients, but the remainder are in such minute quantities, such as a 'trace' of something, that it's not worth bothering.

[Tigerlily]

No, I am not obsessive. I was when I first went vegan. I had almost a panic attack at every meal time or every time I bought something. I realised it wasn't worth it and I am no longer obsessive about ingredients.

[herbwormwood]

I try not to buy things with more than a few ingredients. I prefer things without ingredient lists at all. Does that make me obsessive?

[Melanie]

I get a little obsessive sometimes

[Tigerlily]

I try not to buy things with more than a few ingredients. I prefer things without ingredient lists at all. Does that make me obsessive?

No, not at all. I'm drifting away from highly processed foods too. It's a very smart way to *not* be obsessive with foods!

[jamboxrock]

That's how I go about it...I try to stay away from products with long ingredient lists and lots of chemicals. When I do buy stuff like that I just do my best to check the list, I'm pretty familiar with what things are and aren't animal derived. I'm less obsessive at restaurants, just because I don't want to be a big pain in the ass.

[yasha]

I try to purchase mainly raw, organic, fruits and veggies and whole wheat products that have been minimally processed. Large ingredient lists scare me and I notice that after I eat them, I feel bad.

I think it may be mental (i.e. obsessive) but I don't care I just feel like it's bad to eat overlyprocessed, potentially-animal-byproduct-containing stuff.

[howdawg]

I check out the first several ingredients, but the remainder are in such minute quantities, such as a 'trace' of something, that it's not worth bothering.

What if the 7th ingredient is "Pork Fat"??

I don't neccessarily get obsesive, but I read every ingredient and if there's something there I know to be animal based, I won't buy it.

[erynSky]

I've also been moving towards shorter ingredients lists when I buy things. It's scary what they put in a loaf of wheat bread! High fructose corn syrup?! Anyway, it's important to scan the ingredients, and the shorter, the better.

[DancingWillow]

i like shorter ingedient lists as well, because usually there are fewer chemicals and unhealthy ingredients in those products.

i do read the complete list of ingredients for new products i buy.

the ones i buy on a regular basis, i know are vegan so i don't read the ingredients every time i buy them. i might read the ingredients once in a while, to make sure that the company hasn't changed the ingredients.

for products i buy irregularly, i read the ingredients every time since i don't remember which ones were vegan and which ones weren't (sometimes some flavors of a product are vegan and others are not).

[thecatspajamas1]

I read over the ingredients list at least 2 times when i go food shopping.

[Imapeach]

I actually really enjoy learning about what foods (or chemicals) I'm putting into my body.

It's odd because before I became vegan I didn't give two hoots about what the different numbers meant on the ingredients list. Now I find it fascinating.... so maybe that's the same as obsessive, I'm not sure

[LittleNellColumbia]

.

[fiamma]

I make everything from scratch so it's not really an issue. If you move towards a diet that consists mainly of veggies, fruits, grains and so on, then you'll find it becomes less of a proble. I get the feeling that US food is more processed than the stuff in the UK, or am I being unfair? But even if you do end up with something that has an animal ingredient in it, don't beat yourself up about it, just put it down to experience and avoid it in the future. Life's too short IMHO

[Tigerlily]

It's hard to know. I do know barely anything is labelled suitable for vegetarians or vegans. The only things that are labelled are stuff like fake meats or soy ice cream.... Stuff that are generally always veg*n.

[yasha]

Just something to add to this thread, even though I have already posted:

Since I have been vegan, about every other night or so, I have dreams that I am eating non-vegan foods like cheese and pizza and ice cream (made from MILK!!) and that I go and weigh myself or something and I have gained a lot of weight. The other night, I looked at the scale (in my dream) and it said I was 341 pounds! I always awaken from these dreams worried and feeling guilty.

I guess that constitutes obsession, right?

[howdawg]

Hey yasha, that's very interesting! When I quit smoking, I would dream almost every night that I was smoking.. I think it's part of coming off the addiction for some. I dreamt that I was sitting in a chair, puffing away! I would tell people that it was easy for me to quit because I still smoked in my sleep! It lasted maybe a month or two and then started becoming less frequent. How long have you been vegan? My grandmother (who passed when I was young) had the same dreams when she quit smoking! She was a vegetarian from the time she was 18 too!

[Risker]

I try not to buy foods with things in the ingredients I don't recognize but when I do...lately I've been insanely obsessive about making sure each ingredient isn't derived from animal products.

I just looked up an ingredient I didn't recognize to make sure it wasn't animal derived. I checked it on a few different search engines a few times....

Do you ever get obsessive about ingredients in food like that?

I don't get obsessive, however I do exactly what you have described. I'm vegan and as a vegan I do not eat animal products, in order to ensure that I will check ingredients and if I do not recognise them I will look them up. If I'm still not sure about it then I won't eat it.

It's not obsessive in my opinion, just necessary. If you continue to do it then over time you will come to learn what the ingredients you don't recognise are and will have to look less and less up.

[jamboxrock]

I make everything from scratch so it's not really an issue. If you move towards a diet that consists mainly of veggies, fruits, grains and so on, then you'll find it becomes less of a proble. I get the feeling that US food is more processed than the stuff in the UK, or am I being unfair? But even if you do end up with something that has an animal ingredient in it, don't beat yourself up about it, just put it down to experience and avoid it in the future. Life's too short IMHO

I wouldn't say products are more or less processed in the US or UK...it's probably about the same (I've shopped in both). But what Tigerlily said is true, 'round here they don't label things as suitable for vegetarians or vegans unless it's a specialty product, and even a lot of those don't. I think that may be one slight advantage those of you in the UK have.

[yasha]

Hey yasha, that's very interesting! When I quit smoking, I would dream almost every night that I was smoking.. I think it's part of coming off the addiction for some. I dreamt that I was sitting in a chair, puffing away! I would tell people that it was easy for me to quit because I still smoked in my sleep! It lasted maybe a month or two and then started becoming less frequent. How long have you been vegan? My grandmother (who passed when I was young) had the same dreams when she quit smoking! She was a vegetarian from the time she was 18 too!

I have only been vegan for a month and a few days so I guess this will pass... the dreams I mean

[howdawg]

I have only been vegan for a month and a few days so I guess this will pass... the dreams I mean

I would say definately! Does it bother you? You said you feel guilty about it afterwards... Maybe if you goto bed thinking about the most delicious vegan meal you've ever eaten, you can then have that instead for dream dinner

[lozza]

I still always check the ingredients of everything, sometimes twice over. Cos when I dont check properly, I usually end up buying something that isnt vegan.

But my eyes are trained to scan over an ingredients list and can pick out/spot an animal ingredient right away.

Also..I try and stick to mostly products that I know, or I try and shop at my vegan wholefoodstore as much as poss, to cut down checking ingredients. Cos stuff from there, its usually marked as vegetetarian or vegan anyway so, yeah.

Its a good idea to step away from processed foods anyway.

[sandra]

Yes, I always check ingredients because you never know what they could be putting in some things, I once found ice lollies with 'fish oil' in them!
I used to be so busy looking for milk, cheese or eggs in the ingredients that I didn't notice the fact that it wasn't even suitable for vegetarians at times! So, now I check first if it's vegetarian and then read the ingredients to see if it's vegan. I'm not obsessive about it, I've got really good at it, infact, I can spot suspicious things a mile off! [Well not really 'a mile off' as I have to be close enough to read it, but you know what I mean].

[Tigerlily]

Yeah. When I buy new products or products I don't usually buy, I quickly scan the list. If there doesn't seem to be any animal products, I will take a closer look and read the list more slowly.

[herbwormwood]

Just something to add to this thread, even though I have already posted:

Since I have been vegan, about every other night or so, I have dreams that I am eating non-vegan foods like cheese and pizza and ice cream (made from MILK!!) and that I go and weigh myself or something and I have gained a lot of weight. The other night, I looked at the scale (in my dream) and it said I was 341 pounds! I always awaken from these dreams worried and feeling guilty.

I guess that constitutes obsession, right?

You can't control what you dream about. If you are feeling guilty and weighing yourself a lot in waking hours, then maybe you are obsessed. Perhaps you should seeks help. But I don't think you should worry too much about dreams.

[Mystic]

I wouldn't say I am obsessive. I am vegan and concious of that. I buy whatever I like, as long as it is free from animal products. I think being obsessive is when you go beyond your values and try to be perfect and eat perfect. There is nothing wrong with a little junk food as long as it is vegan