How I gradually moved towards veganism and how it has blossomed my life — part 2
I am almost 22. If you have read my previous article, you will know that I ate meat for the previous 20 years before becoming a pescatarian. I followed a pescatarian diet for a year. Then I became a vegetarian, and am now a plant-based vegan for the past 5 months. I eat mostly natural, whole foods and try to avoid processed foods such as cheese substitutes and artificial meats.
If you would like to get started on a vegan lifestyle, I highly recommend examining your options and doing your research first. For one month, I researched topics such as plant-based nutrition, sources of plant-based protein, supplements, and transition food options (soy milk, plant-based yogurts, vegan butter etc.)
The following books contain a lot of useful information:
· “How not to die” by Michael Greger
· “The Plant-based athlete” by Matt Frazier & Robert Cheeke
· “72 reasons to be vegan” by Gene Stone & Kathy Freston
· “Proteinaholic” by Garth Davis
Next, I asked myself why I would like to switch to a vegan diet as well as what are some of the disadvantages (which later turned out to be just misconceptions).
The ability to explore different foods and drinks, educate myself on healthier options, leave a smaller carbon footprint and avoid killing animals is my why.
What is your why?
I also wrote down vegan foods I was interested in trying and checked the online menus of my favorite restaurants to see what they offered. Knowing that I had all those foods I would enjoy prevented me from focusing on the ones I wasn’t eating and made the transition easier.
I bought two plant-based recipe books that provide ideas for quick, easy, and affordable meals:
· “Speedy Bosh” by Henry Firth & Ian Theasby
· “Jackfruit & Blue Ginger” by Sasha Grill
My only concern is the name choice of some of the recipes such as “carbonara, butternut squash with crispy sage”, “meatball pasta” or “no-tuna salad”.
Why is this undesirable?
In my mind, carbonara is eggs, hard cheese, and cured pork. However, my recipe does not contain those ingredients and has a much more unique taste. The Butternut squash’s beautiful natural flavor is the focus of the recipe. The crispy sage complements the squash perfectly. The dish is thick, creamy, and irresistibly unctuous, yet it is far from carbonara.
In my opinion, using meat-related words for plant-based products misleads customers. Thus, labeling foods in a more creative way that highlights what a dish will taste like is preferable. People would be able to tell what type of plant-based food it is, taste it, and judge it on its own merits rather than being led to believe it should taste like eggs, bacon, or tuna.
If I was disappointed, what about someone who is new to plant-based eating and expects this dish to taste like carbonara?
Coming back to the disadvantages that were later proven to be just misconceptions:
- “Vegan food is more expensive”
As I previously mentioned, I try to avoid processed foods which are undeniably expensive. On Sundays, I plan all my meals for the upcoming week. Farmers’ markets are where I get the most affordable and fresh fruits, vegetables, and nuts for the weekly recipes. Whole grains and other essential ingredients are always inexpensive. Overall, I can confidently say that I spend less money on food now than I did before starting this “diet”.
2. “You are lacking protein”
I can tell you that foods such as vegetables, beans, chickpeas, seitan, quinoa, lentils, tempeh, and tofu are great sources of protein. But as I am not an expert, please see the books I mentioned earlier in which trustworthy specialists provide in-depth explanations on the subject. Or check other relevant sources.
3. “Being vegan is extreme and is too hard”
It is a lifestyle change and it might be difficult to implement, as with any new habit. It takes resilience and structure. However, the more you learn about it, the easier it becomes, and before you know it, it is second nature to you.
When it gets hard, remember the why that brought you on this path.
And that you are not alone!
4. “Vegans hate all non-vegans”
I have to agree that some of them may dislike non-vegans and unintentionally make the non-vegans feel bad about their food choices by bringing up the cruelty towards animals argument as if they were born vegan (which rarely happens) rather than emphasizing the diet’s benefits. This, however, does not represent vegans as a whole population. They are almost always communicative and understanding. So next time you encounter the so called “angry vegan” remember it is hard not to passionately share something you know when it is so important to you.
For me, veganism has blossomed my life because of how much it enhanced my mental and physical performance. Energy through the roof, a greater sense of mental clarity, and physical strength, more control over my mood, and improved performance during the day. I am also grateful for all of the delicious foods I have discovered that I would not have otherwise had I not made this change. As well as for the amazing people I met along the way.
My favorite vegan recipes:
- Black bean mole with salsa
- Greek-style eggplant with chickpeas
- Tempeh toastie with caramelized onion
- Creamy spinach curry with crispy tofu
- Butter bean tikka curry
- Pecan stuffed-dates
If I am craving something that isn’t vegan such as the irresistible freshly baked cinnamon buns and honey goat cheese, I don’t penalize myself. There are no rules for eating plant-based, mainly because I don’t consider it a diet, but as a lifestyle change that made me compassionate in all areas of my life!
I hope this article is useful to you on your journey!
Thank you!
