When I was sixteen years old, I took an environmental science class to test out of a science requirement, after I scraped by in biology freshman year and had to retake chemistry sophomore year. While in that class, we discussed sustainability, and a part of that conversation meant watching a documentary called “Food, Inc.” where they go in depth into what your food is made of and what it’s like in factory farming.
Not to get too graphic, but they literally kill baby chicks to make chicken nuggets. As in, throw them into grinders while they’re still alive. I was horrified and disgusted and didn’t want to eat meat for a while.
That summer, I went to Spain on a group trip and was left to my own devices to feed myself for about a month. I avoided beef and poultry and stuck mostly to pasta and fruit during the day, treating myself to hake (a type of fish) and tuna pizza when I felt like it. At the end of the summer, we all went to dinner where I had some cheese wrapped in ham.
Have you ever had food poisoning on a transcontinental flight? I have. Just thinking about it makes me dry heave. I genuinely can’t remember the last time I had pork. Pig meat was the easiest for me to say farewell to, between my semi-Kosher upbringing and the movie “Moana.”
THAT IS THE FACE OF BACON. YOU WANNA EAT THAT LIL’ ANGEL? Aaron indulged my love for this little wonder and got me a stuffed plushy of Pua that I just sat cuddling with and I thought to myself: why eat these little sweethearts when you can snuggle with them?
I got food poisoning again about three years later when I ate a meatball pizza in my dining hall. Beef and I got beef!
I had gotten the pizza as a treat for myself for getting into the study abroad program I wanted in England. The following semester I walked through London to get to class on time, and it was awesome! I was living on a shoestring budget during that time. I often thought to myself, “If you only spend a minimal amount of money on food, you can use the extra money to go on another weekend trip!” I fed myself on around $20 a week, eating mostly bananas and pasta. I’d go to Pizza Express every once in a while but on one such trip, I had a hot fudge sundae and spent the following evening in pain. When I could finally move, I grabbed a pen and scribbled: “NOTE TO SELF. YOU ARE LACTOSE INTOLERANT. GET IT THROUGH YOUR HEAD AND STOP NOW.” My trips to Pizza Express mostly ceased after that, and I started to prefer burrito bowls from Chipotle over takeaway from… everywhere else!
I lost a lot of weight that semester, and when I got back to the US, I decided to give that vegan thing a try. I’d fallen down multiple rabbit holes on Youtube about the vegan lifestyle, and I decided to see if it was right for me. For about a year, I ate fruits, vegetables, and plant based alternatives to the foods I loved. There were plenty of hits (ALMOND. MILK.) and plenty of misses (Daiya cheddar shreds. After a while I just couldn’t take it), but I learned a lot about cooking and what I liked to eat!
These days, I’m not vegan. I still have my animal/environmentally friendly preferences (like cruelty-free makeup and requesting only “pleather” products), but I also will enjoy most fish, poultry, dairy, and occasionally eggs. I genuinely can’t remember the last time I had pork, but I know I’ve had beef at some point in the past year. I just genuinely can’t remember when it was.
From an ethical standpoint I feel guilty a lot of the time. Heck, I feel guilty just writing out that I’m not vegan! I don’t like assigning labels, but come on. Everyone knows where our food comes from at this point, and factory farming is really hazardous to the environment. Not only that, but the dairy industry is really mean to cows.
From a health standpoint, my dairy tolerance is still minimal. I can do a pint of Halo Top, but a four cheese pizza is just a death sentence. I blame my return to cheese and regular eating of fish to a lack of discipline (of course sushi tastes good, but gosh, at what cost)?
I think the human population should try to eat one vegan meal a day (I accomplished this three times this week so far!). I think just that one move of having a smoothie for breakfast or a big bowl of spaghetti and tomato sauce for dinner would make a world of a difference. I am living proof that not everyone wants to eat plant based 100% of the time, but I think that seven meals a week would make for a healthier, happier planet.
Here are a few of my favorite Vegan options:
- Gardein products. Their Orange “Chicken” and Meat(less) Crumbles are a staple to my diet. The Meat(less) Crumbles are great as a protein source for a plate of pasta or to bulk up some tacos!
- Mac and “Cheeze”. If you come in thinking you’re going to have that Velveeta golden goodness, you will be confused. “Cheeze” bases can be made of a variety of things, but personally, I love a good cashew sauce. I’ve used a butternut squash base before, too, and that sauce is good enough as a thick soup! Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.
- Pesto. I know what you’re thinking: “Doesn’t pesto contain Parmesan cheese?” It certainly does, unless you make it yourself! Just a bit of garlic, pine nuts, avocado, basil and olive oil. Here’s the plot twist: NUTRITIONAL. YEAST. I will sing the praises of “Nooch” until the cows come home. Add a bit of that instead of Parmesan and you are made in the shade. Heck, I’ve even made pesto without nutritional yeast and didn’t even notice a difference.
- Bananas. They’re a controversial fruit, but they’re my absolute favorite. Eat them as is, or freeze them to use as a thickener in a smoothie! I like making a nice ice cream bowl with two bananas, some cocoa powder, a splash of almond milk, and some peanut butter. The calorie count can get pretty high, but this one’s more about the ethical implications. Plus, with the nutrients in the bananas, milk and nut butter? You can TOTALLY have ice cream for dinner!
- Vegan Harvest frozen pizza from “American Flatbread.” “American Flatbread” hails from Vermont, and I’ve been to their location in Burlington a handful of times. It made my heart skip a beat when I found their vegan pizza in the frozen section of Whole Foods. If you haven’t figured it out, I take my cheese very seriously, and I take my vegan substitutes for cheese even more seriously. THIS is the pizza for you. PS: If you live in the Burlington area now and want another vegan pizza to try, Leonardo’s Vegan Salvation is the best vegan pizza I’ve ever had in my life.
- Eggplant bacon.
I can hear you doing this to your computer!
But trust me on this one. It’s like a cleaner, prettier version of what bacon already is. I haven’t made this at home yet, but a vegan restaurant in Burlington called Pingala makes a great batch. HIGHLY recommend trying eggplant bacon if you ever have the chance. - Dairy Free Chocolate Salted Fudge Truffle ice cream from Haagen Dasz. This has kicked Ben and Jerry’s Phish Food out of the position of my favorite ice cream flavor. A GAME changer kids, though no love is lost between me and the dairy free flavors Ben and Jerry’s provides. They walked so Haagen Dasz could run. Halo Top does make a few vegan flavors, but I’m thinking it’s high time they add more. Fingers crossed their next one is Vegan Red Velvet!
Honestly, I could continue this list for another seven items, but I think I’ll save that for another post. My point is that eating plant based options can be fun, and certainly can be tasty! One bite really can make a difference. I recommend giving “one vegan meal a day” a try, if you can! Depending on what you choose, it isn’t as pricey as it seems. If all else fails, Oreos are vegan.
This post makes me want to try harder with my own vegan lifestyle. I think maybe I’ll make vegan mac n cheeze for dinner this weekend!