I've been a vegetarian for over a year now and I want to start eating vegan. i wouldnt call myself a true vegan since I'll just be eating like one and not dressing like one...i dont really know what to eat and i'm not one hundred percent sure what not to eat also.
can someone who is a vegan or knows a lot about eating as a vegan please help me??
if all you're planning on doing is saying that i should eat meat and whatnot, dont answer!

oh god....ha ha ....ok don't eat anyting ...but vegetables...and fruits...

(no grease)

i couldn't never be a began

no recess no yogurt cheese milk chocolate no gelatin products

Don't eat anything that is made from an animal, so now milk, eggs, etc. That means soy and tofu. there is usually a "vegan" part of grocery stores. At least here there is. Fruit, veggies, nuts and berries.

"i wouldnt call myself a true vegan since I'll just be eating like one and not dressing like one"

You don't have to dress any particular way to be a vegan! I know a lot of vegans they all dress pretty different.
No dairy, meat, or eggs, even if baked into say bread or cake. Personally I don't find it to be the healthiest diet for me, but that is just me.

Vegans eat no animal products of any kind. That includes honey. Being a vegan is very strict. There are many foods that you cannot buy because they contain an animal product of some kind. It is best to check out the PETA website.

Eat a LOT of variety. It is possible to be a healthy vegan, but you can't live on salads alone. You will have to start eating different grains, beans, spinach and kale for calcium, etc. Just have a varied diet. Also, drink almond milk. This is a pretty good substitute and tastes better than soy milk.

No meat of any kind, including fish (obviously of course)

No dairy (i.e. milk, yogurt, whey & cheese)

No eggs

No honey

These are the major three categories.

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Yes to bananas

Yes to beans

Yes to salads

Yes to avocados

Yes to whole wheat

Yes to quinoa

Yes to seitan

Yes to cucumbers

Yes to carrots

Yes to raspberries

Yes to apples

Yes to walnut

Yes to cashews

Yes to peaches

Yes to Tempeh

Yes to Tomatoes

Yes to potatoes

Yes to pasta

Yes to veggie burgers

Yes to not dogs

Yes to better than sour cream/butter/ cream cheese

Yes to Soy/Oat/Hemp/Almond/Rice/multi-grain milk

Yes to brocolli (40% protein)

Yes to peanut butter

Yes to Almonds

Yes to Strawberries

Yes to passion fruit

Yes to melon

Yes to celery

Yes to beats

Yes to edamame

Yes to vegan sushi

Yes to vegan baked beans

Yes to vegetable stir fry

Yes to brown/red/wild rices

Yes to carrots

Yes to oatmeal

Yes to vegan chocolate chip cookies ( ;


And the list can go on for quite some time too. Anyway ou get the point. Basically your options are as limitless as the imagination.

Like you, I went from vegetarian to vegan. I went 'cold turkey' but for some, it might be easiest for you to take it slow and cut out the obvious first. Decrease your intake of known dairy products like eggs, milk, cheese.

You can order a free vegan starter kit online:
http://www.veganoutreach.org/starterpack/free-vsp.html
http://www.afa-online.org/starterpack.html
www.mercyforanimals.org/vegan_starter_kit.asp

You can print off these lists and take them to the store to help you start off. They are products that are most likely processed but are vegan according to PETA.
http://www.peta.org/accidentallyVegan/

Look for vegan recipes online. There are a lot out there- free and easy ones at that!

Use substitutes and read labels. Not all meatless products are vegan. More and more companies are putting a vegan label on their products- slowly but surely....
A big tip is to look at the nutritional label. If it has cholestoral in it at all, I would avoid it. Also avoid gelatin- it's another ingredient you see often on labels.

I suggest using Stevia Clear in the bottle (a plant-based sugar substitute) instead of sugar or honey. You could try agave too.

Here is a list of ingredients to watch out for as well:
http://www.veganwolf.com/animal_ingredients.htm

Grab a book like "Becoming Vegan" which has a lot of good information on it. Read as much as you can.

It's pretty easy to substitute vegan ingredients in place of traditional ones when cooking. You can use bananas, tofu, or a product called Ener-G in place of eggs (Ener-G is awesome if you like to make pancakes!). Smartlife, Yves, Morningstar (vegan burger), Boca, and some others are well known for their vegan/vegetarian products but make sure they are vegan- not all of them are.

Consider consulting a dietician/nutritionist who specializes in a vegetarian diet. You want to make sure you get all your nutrients.

Here is a version of the Vegan Food Pyramid (and you can create an account on the FDA Food pyramid to help you track your servings):
http://www.veganfoodpyramid.com/

For a list of vegan-friendly restaurants you can look at sites like Happycow.com

Join a group of local veggies. You can meet up, exchange info/advice/recipes, have a lot of fun, and I'm sure you'll learn a lot more.

Keep reading on the internet or in books. There is a lot of info. out there but make sure you're getting the right info.

GOOD LUCK!

P.S. I'm not sure what you mean by not dressing like one. Each vegan makes their own choice in this matter- clothing. For instance, I still wear clothes I could wear ten years ago. Made from animal or not, I'm not going to clog up landfills or throw them out when they can be used. When they can no longer be used and I have to purchase something new, I will buy something vegan. A lot of vegans do decide to get rid of anything that came from a possible animal source immediately. I can still comfortably call myself vegan because I am no longer contributing to the eating or cruelty of animals- however, whatever made my shoes is already over an done with and to just throw it out would be wasteful as well. Once you make the transition, it can be easy to purchase vegan-friendly ware.

congratulations on choosing the vegan lifestyle!
my advice would be to gradually work your way into the vegan diet.
for example, next time you go to the grocery store, get some but not all soy products. then gradually get more and more.
and make sure that you get all of your vitamins.
it's much tougher, being a vegan and only eating plant-based foods, so i suggest taking some supplements.

good luck!