One of my latest experiments is eating vegan—for two years and counting.
Discovered veganism at age 16 from my classmate Helena while studying art at Governor’s School West. As a pet owner and lover, I’d considered vegetarianism. Became more interested in nutrition and curious about whether that lifestyle could work for me. Limited my meat consumption in college, and began eating vegan at the start of 2008. This works for me ethically, and I think it’s working well nutritionally.
Ethical reasons for eating vegan: I’ve kept pets, loved animals, and do not want to cause them pain. Read descriptions of the treatment of animals for slaughter in the commercial meat industry, and decided I cannot trust the industry to treat animal commodities in an acceptable manner.
Nutritional reasons for eating vegan: I eat a lot of fruits, veggies, grains, legumes, nuts, and dark chocolate, and that’s a diet low in saturated fats and high in vitamins and minerals. The most common question I receive is “Do you get enough protein and calcium?” From what I’ve read, I get enough of both. I’m lactose intolerant, and removing dairy from my diet relieved previously frequent stomach aches.
My favorite dishes: lentils and quinoa, kale, peanut butter sandwiches, red beans and rice, cheese-free spanakopita, hoppin john, ratatouille, steel-cut oatmeal, veggie jambalaya, chick pea curry, zucchini garlic ginger soup, sweet potatoes, spaghetti squash with a tomato-based sauce, white bean spread, butternut squash soup.
The difficulty in vegan eating is eating with others, and therefore I often bring food or dishes with me. I try to not cause offense when declining non-vegan dishes. I’m grateful that several of my loved ones have asked me about vegan eating and prepared vegan dishes. My boyfriend has introduced me to several delicious, new vegan dishes.
The only vitamin supplements I take are a multi-vitamin now and again and a B-12. I should have my blood checked for vitamin and mineral levels, but I’ve felt fine so far.
My favorite vegan recipe sites include: Fatfree Vegan Kitchen, VeganYumYum, The Post Punk Kitchen, and VegCooking.
Have you tried any new experiments lately?
