Spring Break
Adventures in veganism prove healthy for body, Earth
Sarah Paeth
Issue date: 2/27/09 Section: Forum
My introduction to veganism all began with a dare.
"You couldn't give up meat if it killed you," laughed my little sister over the dinner table. I paused, my hamburger stationed in front of my mouth, a dribble of ketchup oozing deliciously from the bun.
My sister, though not a vegan herself, continued to spout off facts about vegetarianism that she learned in school that day. For the record, I love hamburgers, raunchy PETA Super Bowl commercials disgust me, and I wear a leather jacket.
I smiled at my sister and took another bite of my burger - but I couldn't turn down a perfectly good dare. Not only did I accept the challenge of eating vegetarian for a week, but I one-upped her offer.
Before I knew what I'd gotten myself into, I'd pledged to go vegan for a week.
For those not up to date on the myriad diet options, break for a brief tutorial: most vegetarians don't eat any form of animal flesh. Vegans, on the other hand, don't eat any animal products; this meant that for a week I would be giving up meat, eggs, dairy, honey and my beloved hamburgers.
I went to Baja Fresh the night before my new regime was to begin for my version of the Last Supper: a burrito loaded with two types of cheese, sour cream and tender morsels of chicken. It was strictly un-vegan and probably fried in lard, but I savored every last morsel of animal by-product deliciousness. I left feeling full, happy, and wondering if there was such thing as vegan chalupas.
The next stop was Fred Meyer to pick up some groceries. In my na've state, I figured this vegan diet couldn't be too hard, right?
How very wrong I was.
While browsing the soup aisle, I found a can of vegetable soup, but realized it was made with chicken broth. I ran into a similar problem with organic whole wheat bread and trail mix, since both contained dairy products.
One hour and $35 later, I walked away from the store laden with tofu, brown rice and enough bananas to feed a monkey sanctuary for a year. Though my eyes were sore from scrutinizing so many food labels, I felt confident - even excited - at the prospect of my experiment.
"You couldn't give up meat if it killed you," laughed my little sister over the dinner table. I paused, my hamburger stationed in front of my mouth, a dribble of ketchup oozing deliciously from the bun.
My sister, though not a vegan herself, continued to spout off facts about vegetarianism that she learned in school that day. For the record, I love hamburgers, raunchy PETA Super Bowl commercials disgust me, and I wear a leather jacket.
I smiled at my sister and took another bite of my burger - but I couldn't turn down a perfectly good dare. Not only did I accept the challenge of eating vegetarian for a week, but I one-upped her offer.
Before I knew what I'd gotten myself into, I'd pledged to go vegan for a week.
For those not up to date on the myriad diet options, break for a brief tutorial: most vegetarians don't eat any form of animal flesh. Vegans, on the other hand, don't eat any animal products; this meant that for a week I would be giving up meat, eggs, dairy, honey and my beloved hamburgers.
I went to Baja Fresh the night before my new regime was to begin for my version of the Last Supper: a burrito loaded with two types of cheese, sour cream and tender morsels of chicken. It was strictly un-vegan and probably fried in lard, but I savored every last morsel of animal by-product deliciousness. I left feeling full, happy, and wondering if there was such thing as vegan chalupas.
The next stop was Fred Meyer to pick up some groceries. In my na've state, I figured this vegan diet couldn't be too hard, right?
How very wrong I was.
While browsing the soup aisle, I found a can of vegetable soup, but realized it was made with chicken broth. I ran into a similar problem with organic whole wheat bread and trail mix, since both contained dairy products.
One hour and $35 later, I walked away from the store laden with tofu, brown rice and enough bananas to feed a monkey sanctuary for a year. Though my eyes were sore from scrutinizing so many food labels, I felt confident - even excited - at the prospect of my experiment.
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