"Honestly: Do you think vegan food is as tasty as the food you ate before?"

[Korn]

Sometimes people ask if it's possible to make as good food without animal products as it is with. For people who are used to put butter, milk, cream, cheese etc. in their meals it's a very natural question to ask, because they simply don't know without having tried other ways of getting the results they want. What do you think?

[Love]

No!It is NOT as tasty... it's infinitely tastier
With love from Love.XXX.

[Miel Miette]

Honestly? It's about the same.

[veganblue]

Took me awhile to think about. I said 'as tasty' but then all those other things have strong taste but I see it in a very negative light now. Is the food I eat now bland? No way! It is certainly tasty but in a good way and I enjoy it more in a wholistic sense than merely eating.

[chakra]

I cannot honestly say that vegan fare tastes better, but it definitely feels better.

[Gorilla]

it's hard for me to say whether vegan food is tastier than non-vegan food, as i haven't eaten meat for over 12 years, barely remember what it tastes like, and i think my tastebuds have changed since going vegan so that things i used to like eating e.g. cheese would probably taste disgusting to me now.

there are some vegan foods i don't enjoy, such as vegan cheese, seitan, tempeh, mostly 'substitutes' really. it took me a while to get used to soya milk, i used to hate it but i never really liked cows' milk much so i wouldn't say that was tastier either but i really enjoy the food i eat now, i eat a lot less processed food and it tastes so much fresher and healthier.

[Kim[ba]]

Considering that pretty much all animal products are falvoured with plant based seasonings, I have to say I don't think there's a big difference. You can put steak sauce on tofu, seitan, veggie burger, etc and it will "taste like steak" but really it's that omni's are trying to make steak taste like veggies.

[feline01]

I truly do think my food tastes better now. I eat much less processed foods, more whole foods and there most certainly a difference in taste. Even vegan sweets are better to me, a slice of vegan cake is not as greasy and heavy as non-vegan desserts used to taste to me. There are certain vegan foods that I'll never jump for joy over like tempeh (ugh) and soymilk (it's ok) but there were loads of non-vegan foods I didn't like either. I doubt I will ever give up missing cheese though. Vegan cheeses can be decent but nothing like dairy cheese. I know I can have dairy cheese but I truly don't want it and the concept makes me ill.

[Tash]

It's gotta be better.. Guilt sucks all the flavor out...............

[DeathOfDecadence]

i think it is better, but part of that is also because i didnt eat so many different diverse foods before being vegan.

[Kiva Dancer]

The vegan food I'm eating is much, much better than what I ate as an omni. IMO, there's no comparison between the two. Vegan food is better.

[FR]

Vegan food is waaaaaaay better.

[Tofu Monster]

surely this all depends on your culinary abilities. or in my case, lack of. i'm so crap at cooking. there's so much variety of good food out there for us vegans - which we know but others totally don't realise - but i just don't know where to start with 95% per cent of it so i miss out on so much good stuff. i'm sure if i was a skilled cook, or maybe just more imaginative, i'd be much more confident in saying that vegan food tastes way better - i just haven't tasted so much of it yet.

[Leigh]

I voted that I think it's about the same. Eating out isn't as much fun as it used to be, more for the cheese aspect than meat, but at home I eat a much more varied diet than I used to and I've been introduced to some new flavours. To me, that kind of balances it out. It certainly does feel better, physically and emotionally, though

[Leigh]

Tofu, I've never been particularly interested in cooking, so I usually will only make the most basic things but they can still be yum! I have a chick pea curry recipe that is so easy it's almost a joke.... I could post it if you're interested. It's got lots of yummy spices in it. I realise it's only one thing, but it might just be another thing to add to your repertoire

[Tofu Monster]

Tofu, I've never been particularly interested in cooking, so I usually will only make the most basic things but they can still be yum! I have a chick pea curry recipe that is so easy it's almost a joke.... I could post it if you're interested. It's got lots of yummy spices in it. I realise it's only one thing, but it might just be another thing to add to your repertoire

yeah please do! there's actually a tinned chick pea curry i eat a lot, especially at work (it's called 'thai temple curry' if anyone's heard of it) but if there's a good and simple one i could make at home that would be great! i love chick peas!

[Hasha]

It's the same. Actually, taste doesn't count for an awful lot with me. For me, taste is really a matter of habit. For example, when I first started drinking soy milk, I thought it tasted terrible. Now, I'm drowning in it. So yeah. I like what I'm used to. Which means that if I want to change my eating habits, I can. Just give me a little time, and I'll love the new stuff. (As long as it's not salty or greasy; but that's not a matter of taste, that stuff actually makes me feel sick.)

[Leigh]

Tinned chick pea curry?? Poor Tofu! I'm at work right now, so I'm going to write myself a note right now so I'll remember to bring the recipe with me to post tomorrow

[Hasha]

By the way, when I said that it's the same as before, I wasn't comparing it to meat. Meat has been out of my life for over five years now and I really don't see it as food anymore, just as a dead animal. I was comparing vegan food that I eat now to the foods containing dairy and eggs that I used to eat.

[phillip888]

Hmm, I didn't learn how to prepare my own food very well until I went vegetarian in my early twenties anyway, but when I went vegan I did notice a big change in taste. The thing I find with vegan based and especially raw food, is that there is no longer a delicate balance between the right and wrong way to prepare things. I can prepare twenty dishes that I create on the spot, and they all turn out great. It just seams so easy to make vegan food, cooked or raw. I even accidentally made a vegan cheese loaf recently. It was awesome.

Food in vegan restaurants though, is almost always better than anything I've eaten in a mainstream restaurant.

Oh, and the thing about dead animals spiced with plants, true true, about the only thing that stuff has going for it is the fatty taste people seem to think is 'good'. Maybe my tastes just became more sophisticated when I started eating a variety of foods... I can't stand the thought of eating a hamburger now, even if it was made from cloned tissue, convincing soy, god, etc... I just wouldn't be interested. Give me a falafel burger with tahini sauce, lettuce, tomato, mushroom, and onion however... mmmmm...

[englishvegoboi]

Ok I am not totally vegan yet, I phased out eggs a long time ago but I still use a bit of whey powder in my smoothies. However that will stop once I finish the pack.

I think that giving up non-vegan food is much like giving up sugar in tea. It may be uncomfortable for a short time but it eventually reaches the stage whereby sweet tasting tea is undrinkable (at least in my case).

When I converted to soy yoghurt it took a bit of getting used to but I now really enjoy it. I tried some cows milk yoghurt a few days ago and it no longer tasted right. The same is true with cows milk; soya milk tastes a lot better to me. As for eggs, the smell of them alone is enough to put me off my lunch. I am looking forward to my final transition to veganism.

[Imapeach]

After the amazing vegan lasagne I had for dinner last night at my favourite cafe... It'd be hard for me to say vegan food is any less tastier than omni food. Also, the portions are generally much bigger as you *need* to eat more to get the same energy intake Well that's what i tell myself anyways... I never had to use a doggy-bag before I became vegan! And thinking back on my favourite foods to eat even when i was an omnivore, they were still all plant-based foods anyway!

[Spiral]

It's gotta be better.. Guilt sucks all the flavor out...............

Couldn't agree more

From a young age I disliked the taste of meat, and the thought of pizza covered in fatty cheese - yuck!.

[John]

All I can say is that I never enjoyed the taste of food as much as I do now. I know that no omni could believe that, but it's true.

[Kiva Dancer]

I'm so glad I don't have to arse with internal tempratures or resting things at the end of cooking so the blood (they call it "the juice" ) can sink back into the fibres. I always hated that part as an omni so I'm really glad I could leave it behind as a vego.

[Evilfluffbunny]

I voted that it tastes better (apart from the chocolate anyway ) but I've found that my tastebuds have totally changed so it's kind of hard to say. Since turning vegan and also using less salt, sauce etc, I find that I can eat things now that I would have found tasteless a few years ago but are really tasty to me now.

I'm more aware of 'subtle' and natural flavours now, but these things would probably seem tasteless to a person who eats lots of artifically flavoured, processed foods.

[Peas'nHominy]

When I first began the switch, I thought vegan was not as good as vegetarian. Then I started trying out new dishes and recipes, even from other cultures. That's when I discovered there's SO much culinary variety, and baby, it's GOOOOOOD.

My tastes have actually changed some, too - cheese just doesn't taste (or even smell) like it use to for me. And I just found out by mistake the other day that the same is true for milk shakes, too (I was eating out with family, accidently sipped the wrong straw; it was SO YUCK! ha, ha )

[kohlrabi222]

It's much better. No oily, fatty, gristly stuff. I used to feel so heavy after eating meat and stuff and sometimes even sort of sick to my stomach if I let myself think about what I was really eating..yuck.

[ChartT]

This was a difficult call.

I haven't eaten meat, poultry or fish in 18 years; and no dairy or eggs for five. I've forgotten flavors. I've tried a lot of new foods and spices - that is, found a lot of new flavors. I found I love to cook (provided it's not every night). I found new ways to cook (wok and crock pot, to name a couple). Along the way, I grew to like most ways of having tofu (although not tempeh or seitan). I learned to bake wondrous vegan cakes. The quality of vegan substitutes improved wondrously (although not all of them).

I gave the nod to "slightly better" because I tend to eat a wide variety drawn only from foods I really enjoy - whereas when I ate meat, I was eating what I grew up with.

[littleTigercub]

I voted slightly better. You miss some very yummy things but gain other yummy things which you never would bother trying if you weren`t looking out for them.

littleTigercub

[Nivvie]

I asked my family about this, and after umming and ahhing they think it's better, as now meals are more intersting, cooked from scratch, and not just some frozen vegetarian fare.

I playing more with herbs and things, nuts and weird veg, and it's definitely worth the effort.

My only problem is when I'm stuck somewhere, sent away work wise, and the only place to get food is a service station. There's only so much stuff you can take with you, before you are at the mercy of what's available by the side of the motorway.
I fond myself eating a lot of slightly bruised apples previously pawed by salesmen, and crisps....lots of crisps....

[puffin]

I say better, thats because i was a rubbish veggie cook. When i became vegan i had to learn to cook and i now love inflicting new things onto my poor family that have to put up with my cooking

[Scarlett Ecks]

I think it's way better, but it's probably because I can't be so lazy about what I eat. I have to plan out what to buy, and plan out meals, and critically think about what I'm putting into my body, whereas before I'd just eat whatever and not think about it, and never feel well afterwards. Now it's all tasty, though I really do miss pizza. Soy cheese is just -not- the same. Though I forgot all about chocolate when I was introduced to baklava. Yum!

[puffin]

Now it's all tasty, though I really do miss pizza. Soy cheese is just -not- the same.

I made my first pizza from scratch at the weekend and it was so easy, and you really dont need to put much cheese on, just a sprinkle grated is enough, if you put enough toms, peppers or whatever else you like on it tastes lovely and you dont get that horrible fatty base you get when you use normal cheese.

[Realfood Mary]

I am a much better cook now than I used to be - and I am a coeliac vegan, so can't have wheat, which knocks most of the meat substitutes out. And still the food is much better. I eat tonnes of Asian food, mainly Indian, and cook up soups, stews of my own at home. I am also looking forward to the shepherds pie I have planned for tomorrow.

When I am not too busy that is! I have always forgotten to cook when I am too busy. But when I do cook I love it. And I always love to eat when there is food in front of me.

Yesterday I made vegan sushi with my son. Wow, it was good. I never ate like that when I was a flesh eater. And I now know that I adore sushi. It is fantastic stuff. Mmmmmm...

[Scarlett Ecks]

I made my first pizza from scratch at the weekend and it was so easy, and you really dont need to put much cheese on, just a sprinkle grated is enough, if you put enough toms, peppers or whatever else you like on it tastes lovely and you dont get that horrible fatty base you get when you use normal cheese.

What kind of cheese do you use, can I ask? the only soy cheese I've really tried is from Galaxy Nutritional Foods, and if you don't eat it while it's hot, it gets really...weird. there's no reheating that stuff.

[puffin]

I use the one by redwoods called cheezly, but i only use a small amount

[Scarlett Ecks]

I use the one by redwoods called cheezly, but i only use a small amount

awesome, I'll have to see if that's available here. Thank you!

[Korn]

Our cheese thread:
http://veganforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=357

[lolamako]

I totally agree with death of decadence, I eat way more variety and way better quality, so its for sure better.

Banana-try Wildwood probiotic yogurt, it comes it a larger container and its about $3.00-$3.50(plain and vanilla I just got this yesterday and its a little to sweet for me I like the plain with preserves added) It is the closest if not better than regular yogurt, its so thick it almost has a cream top when you open it.

[feline01]

Banana-try Wildwood probiotic yogurt, it comes it a larger container and its about $3.00-$3.50(plain and vanilla I just got this yesterday and its a little to sweet for me I like the plain with preserves added) It is the closest if not better than regular yogurt, its so thick it almost has a cream top when you open it.

That's funny you mentioned Wildwood, I just bought a huge container today, the plain because I don't like sweet yogurt. It is the best I've ever tried. But I doubt banana can get it, she lives in Australia .

[sugarmouse]

It's gotta be better.. Guilt sucks all the flavor out...............

i have to agree with you there!!!!

i didnt eat that much differently anyways..its abotu the same slightly better

[aubergine]

I really enjoy the food I eat now. When I stopped eating meat, my taste buds slowly became more sensitive. I'd hate to think what all that alimal fat was doing to my tongue.

[Mystic]

I think it is about the same. I enjoy the taste of my food just as much. But I can cook now, and I eat healthier

[Caitlin]

I guess it depends. I think a lot of vegan foods taste just like the 'real thing', I would much prefer the vegan alternative. But certain stuff.. like cheese..it's hard to imitate, but still some tasty alternatives.

[rainbow]

My jury is also out on this one. I really enjoy my food and have discovered some fantastic vegan fare that I would simply have ignored had I not been a vegan. My wife, who is an omni, thinks that Swedish Glace icecream is tastier than dairy, and also prefers vegan cheesecake (when made with tofutti cream cheese). She enjoys a seitan meal just as much as a meat one, and will happily scoff most things that I cook her.
It's true that there is no adequate substitute for cheese. Having said that, it is a very long time since I ate dairy products, and even longer since I ate meat (I've been vegan since I was 11) so I'm going on vague memories here. I do miss the texture of melted mozzarella cheese, and the taste of a few other things eg toffees. However I have been vegan so long that anything too reminiscent of dairy products makes me feel suspicious and sick unless I am 100% certain that it is vegan.
The only time that vegan food really falls short is when it has been prepared by someone who does not understand veganism. Hence, on the rare occasions that i have been forced to eat in hotels/ catered events etc, I can generally anticipate a starter of raw fruit or salad, followed by a main course of greasy vegetables, finished with a dessert of raw fruit. No imagination, no protein, hardly any calories - and that's assuming I'm lucky enough to get anything at all. Likewise, I was once stranded at a hospital by a loved one's bedside for five days, and had nothing to eat but crisps and chocolate, which made me feel very sick very quickly!
However, this isn't the fault of being a vegan, but of being a minority. As someone else said, if there were more of us, the choice would be better.

[tipsy]

vegan food rocks the tasty scale!!!!

plus knowing all the little furry ones that i am helping makes it soo much tastier!!

[kimmyk]

I find now that im vegan I cook everything from scratch. My ingredients are all fresh, I get to choose all my seasonings, it's great and tasty!

I'm going to try and post an image for the first time, hope it works!






by the way if anyone would like to know more about this dish you can PM me and I'll tell you more about it and share the recipe!

[kimmyk]

you know that after a while of drastically changing your deit in this way your tastebuds change and things you might not have liked before you might love now, in my opinion you develop a "hightened sense of tase"

[catmogg]

I think vegan food is slightly tastier. When i was a meat eater i ate the same things a lot and wasn't very experimental but when i went veggie i quickly tired of cheese sandwiches and began to really experiment with food. I discovered new things, had loads of fun cooking and suddenly started to really taste food and take into account the different textures, flavours, etc, wheras before i would just woolf it down! I didn't miss meat at all, after my research i was put right off it!!Now i'm vegan i admit i do occasionally miss dairy(stilton and milk chocolate mainly...) but its as veganblue pointed out, now i've developed more of an understanding of the politics of food and know more about nutrition in general eating vegan food makes me feel good. I understand the origins of the food i eat, i know it's health giving properties so i appreciate it more and thus, it tastes better.