Imagine baseball without ballpark hot dogs, still warm from the grill. Friday nights without gooey cheese pizza. The Fourth of July without succulent barbecue and sweet tangy strawberry ice cream.
It seems crazy to forgo those traditional American delicacies. It certainly did to me two weeks ago.
As someone who frequented at McDonalds and fondly recalls Five Guys as a larger part of my childhood than I’d like to admit, I was the poster child for food horror movies like Earthlings and Food, Inc—movies that unravel the darker, abusive side of the food industry. As such, I seemed like the perfect candidate to attempt a week-long vegan diet.
The Experience:
For the sake of the short time span, I cut off all animal meat and animal products cold turkey (or should I say… cold tofurkey). I do not recommend this method, as I experienced lightheadedness and lethargy the first couple of days. Full disclosure: I caved on the last day for Domino’s cheese pizza.
Though I struggled throughout the week, veganism was not as intimidating as I had previously thought it would be. Sure, dining out with friends and family was a hassle; being that customer can feel embarrassing, though it’s really no different than having to deal with a food allergy or a religious food restriction. Most people will be accommodating, frequently they will be amused, and more than often enough, they will be apologetic for the lack of vegan options in their establishment.
Armed with tortilla bread, hummus and, of course, tofu, cooking vegan wasn’t nearly as difficult as I’d been previously convinced. I found that a lot of food I loved could be vegan with some slight adjustments: substituting tofu for egg in fried rice or opting for marinara or pesto instead of meat-heavy spaghetti sauce. I found myself eating healthier as well. Instead of reaching for Cheez-Its, for example, I settled with carrots and hummus.
The most taxing part was likely the grocery shopping, which involved incessantly inspecting food labels that I normally ignore. True to popular belief, I found that being a vegan was indeed expensive. This trend was due in part to the fact that I had to compile a completely separate grocery list from my still-omnivorous family, but also because specialty vegan foods like mock meat and dairy products usually rest on the pricy side. Ten ounces of vegan cheese cashed in at the same price as 16oz. of its dairy counterpart.
What I Learned
Why do people become vegan? Cruelty and animal abuse in the meat and animal product industry are a major justification for the vegan diet. Sure, the animal is already dead, but in purchasing meat or animal products, you are financially supporting an industry that will repeatedly harm, abuse and kill animals. On a daily basis, thousands of us will swear never to harm a panda or eat a dog; we sign petitions against fur coats, animal testing in cosmetics and elephant hunting in South Africa, but animal abuse frequently occurs right on our plates. Being vegan for a week was a humbling reminder of the animal cruelty in the food industry. Although I lack the self-restraint to continue a full vegan diet, I am much more conscious about what’s on my plate. In fact, although I stopped being vegan two weeks ago, the majority of my meals have continued to be vegan, or at least vegetarian.