Just over a week ago, I watched a lecture called “101 Reasons To Go Vegan.” I have looked into veganism before, but I had never been moved so deeply as I was by this lecture. Clips of animals being slaughtered, images of cute little piglets, and explanations of the health benefits fully convinced me that going vegan is the right thing, even if it’s not the popular thing. Committing to veganism is a big decision, so I decided, why not try it for a week and see how it goes…
My mood was a little low for the first part of the day. It was as if I was suddenly cut off from a lot of foods that I used to enjoy. I felt very unsure whether or not I would ever be able to enjoy these foods in the same way again (even if I decide not to be vegan). Knowing the cruelty behind the meat and dairy industry makes the idea of stomaching certain foods terribly scary.
Fortunately, a mid-afternoon trip to Whole Foods did the trick to fix my mood. I found plenty of vegan things to eat, including sweet potato noodles, fresh raspberries and blueberries, and dairy free chocolate ice cream! Summary of the day? Maybe veganism won’t be so bad.
After a perfect vegan breakfast consisting of pumpkin fig granola, a banana, and almond milk, I impulsively decided to go to a 10AM yoga class. I left the class feeling SO happy that I had attended. Throughout the class, the instructor kept mentioning the importance of yoga; it helps you develop stability, awareness, and intention. This resonated with me very clearly, and helped me begin to solidify a lot of my feelings toward why I should go vegan. Awareness of my actions (including what I eat) is important to me, which is why I have a feeling that veganism has a good shot at becoming a new part of my life.
First thing in the morning, I put dry shampoo in my hair before work. After spraying it through my hair, I started thinking about how dry shampoo can’t possibly be vegan, considering that aerosol containers are terrible for the environment. This incident left me feeling very frustrated. There are so many simple things that people do every day without even thinking twice that are terrible for the earth.
Later that evening, four of my friends wanted to grab dinner at a hot pot place near our apartment building. I was a little worried about trying to eat vegan at a restaurant, but ultimately I did not want to let going vegan interfere with my social life. Good news- it was super easy to order! They had a vegetable/tofu option that came with rice noodles, so I ordered that. Some of the vegetables may have touched the chicken broth, but hey, for day 3 of veganism that wasn’t too bad.
By this day, going vegan started to feel a whole lot easier. I was more familiar with which vegan foods I like, and I could stick mostly to those those. Something I learned: vegan white cheddar popcorn and almond butter & jelly sandwiches are both delicious.
That night, I video chatted with my boyfriend for the first time since going vegan. Before I could even get the slightest bit anxious, he brought up a lunch place that he wanted to go to and said “I asked and they have a vegan option!” A lesson to take away from that story… Surround yourself with people who are going to support you in whatever it is that you do. Others having your back is the best feeling.
Fast forward to Friday morning, I was at my boyfriend’s house. His mom knows that I love Blue Bottle Coffee, so of course, being the sweetheart that she is, she bought five individual containers of it. It’s not vegan whatsoever, but I thought it would be rude not to drink it, especially considering I’m not an actual vegan yet.
Because we slept in really late that morning, our first real meal wasn’t until around 3PM. The restaurant we went to didn’t have any options without meat or cheese, so I wound up getting smoked salmon bellinis. We spent the rest of the night back at my boyfriend’s house, so eating vegan was much easier. I had a cranberry cous cous salad and sesame tofu (bf had steak), and we were both very content.
This day was actually surprisingly easy for being vegan. Aside from another Blue Bottle Coffee, the rest of my meals were vegan without a problem. We went to a cute lunch place at a country club, and I ordered the avocado toast with a side salad. That night, I had rosé (yes, it’s vegan!) and tomato basil zucchini noodles for dinner.
Ah, the day I actually started to love veganism! Before my train back to Boston, I ordered a sesame seed NY bagel with strawberry jam. After the four hour train to Boston, I was pretty hungry again, so I stopped at a salad chain called Sweetgreen. You can build your own salad there and make it vegan, or you can order one of the pre-decided vegan options. I got the Spicy Sabzi Salad, and it was excellent. They also give you complimentary buckwheat bread on the side. I definitely will be going back.
After spending an hour or so catching up with both my roommates on our weekends, I decided to go to another yoga class. It was such a calming way to end a Sunday. By this day, I had noticed that my whole mind seemed a bit calmer just in general. Cutting out cruelty from your life definitely has some psychological benefits.
I totally, whole-heartedly support veganism. I think it’s the best lifestyle out there for mental health, physical health, the environment, animals, and sustainability. Even since my one week trial ended, I have still been almost 100% vegan for the past few days. The only thing that is stopping me from announcing to the world that I’m fully vegan right away is that I need to make sure this lifestyle does not feel restrictive for me, and for the most part, it really doesn’t. As I go forward with my summer, I will most likely continue to eat vegan as much as possible… but I’m not going to feel ashamed or terrible if I have chocolate or pizza every once in a while.
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