If you read my previous Flip or Flops, you may know that I am a picky eater. Usually, I only eat dairy-based meals, such as mac and cheese, pizza and grilled cheese. So perhaps a diet change is exactly what I need. Luckily, this week I lived vegan. Unluckily, veganism has a lot more steps than “meats” the eye.
Veganism extends beyond not consuming animal products in food; its disciplines affect all aspects of a person’s life. Shampoo, conditioner, lotion and my meals were suddenly dictated by this choice. Before this challenge, I did not realize that products I used in the bathroom had anything to do with animals. I was horrifically wrong.
Aveeno and Dove, companies I trusted for all of my fifteen years of life were suddenly evil. Upon research I found they were guilty of animal testing. I needed to buy new soap, new lotion and get a new view on the world.
Besides changing my bathroom products, I also needed to change my diet. Milkshakes and milk were now a no-go. Dessert was cancelled. Cheese was deleted. Honey could not enter my thoughts. Meat was off-limits. But meals? Well, as I learned from last week, I need to eat. Now it was time to learn how.
The problem with veganism for a busy person, I realized, is that food requires thought. As someone who eats unhealthily, it never occurred to me to think before I ate. With veganism, it is a requirement. I needed to plan my foods, research my meals. Read the nutrition facts. There were a lot of options, but they were far away or had to be homemade. My goal was to find everyday foods vegan-style.
Vegan burgers tasted good, while vegan pizza did not. Coconut milk ice cream has a distinct taste. It tasted good but felt like normal ice cream drowning in water. I immediately realized that my tongue needed to be curated to a specific flavor. This became discouraging; I started staying in my room later so I would not be tempted to snack. I ate when I needed to, but only when I needed to.
Really the only thing I missed was milk. My bland white walls looked like milk; the clouds looked like milk; I just wanted to drink milk. Then fate smiled on me and junior Isabelle De Allende Silva recommended Ripple’s Pea Milk. I was skeptical at first but upon first taste I could not believe it. Milk? Milk! The thing I was missing.
Now, veganism was not for me in the long run, but everyone is different. Plan a meal and try it for a week. Then you can see if veganism is for you.
