The Beginning of my Thirty-day Vegan Adventure

I became a vegetarian at university, 18 years ago, and I remained a strict vegetarian (lacto-ovo) for 13 years. Because of low iron levels during my first pregnancy, I began eating meat again. We’re careful to get our meat from a known source, avoiding factory-farmed meat. We also keep chickens, so know that our eggs and chicken meat are free-range.

That being said, eating meat doesn’t sit comfortably with me, and my husband has been slowly moving towards a meat-free (or at least, a meat-lite) diet for the last two years, after reading Dr Ehret’s book “A Scientific Method Of Eating Your Way To Health.” That is too extreme for my tastes, but the idea of going vegan has appealed for years. My reasons for not doing it are that it seems too labour intensive, too complicated, too difficult, and too easy to get wrong.

So why now? The coming year is going to be very busy. I’m teaching full-time, raising two lively children, keeping house, AND beginning the DELTA (Diploma in English Language Teaching). So WHY is now the right time to add a “complicated” diet into that mix?

Health. That is the main reason. In September I had my gallbladder removed after many years of trouble. I hoped that would solve the other issues (mostly digestion-related), but it didn’t. Then I found out that I have a hiatus hernia as well, which probably explains a few of those other issues, but still not all. While doing this challenge, I’m going to be monitoring these things: the acid reflux, the aching knees, the brain fog, mood swings, hair-loss, and general energy levels. I'm hoping that weight-loss will be a welcome side-effect, so will be monitoring that as well. 

There is another reason why “NOW” is the time. I found this article by Steve Pavlina while in the “going vegan right now” mindset, and it really lit a fire under me. I know about creating habits from being a flybaby, and so I know this works. 30 days? I can do anything for 30 days. Then I can reassess the situation. No harm, no foul, as Steve Pavlina says.

My goals for this month are to KEEP IT SIMPLE. I’m not looking to replace meaty meals that I make now. I’m trying to keep things as easy and healthy as possible. I’m going to be thinking about cooking methods (steaming, stir-frying, slow-cooking), ingredients (heavy on vegetables, low on processed “vegetarian food”). I’m also going to be experimenting with making soy milk, making vegan “cheese”, and making our own bread – starting with this wholemeal pita bread recipe.

The main recipe book keeping me company on this month-long adventure is The Veganomicon, by Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Romero, and I’ll be reporting on recipes I’ve tried, and the reaction the family has had to them.

Oh -  the family! I’m not making my family do this with me. I still am not convinced that children should be vegan (which may sound strange, considering that I am doing it for MY health). I think my children have a very healthy diet, with lots of fruit and vegetables, and hardly any processed food. I think they will benefit from the changes I’m going to make, but they will still be getting everything that society thinks they need. If we do decide as a family to go vegan, I’ll be taking them to a doctor who specializes in children’s diets, and making sure we do it right.

The Challenge So Far:

Day Zero:

Breakfast was Overnight Oatmeal (delicious! A keeper for sure!)

Lunch was not vegan. (mother-in-law made lunch).

Dinner: I steamed cauliflower and pumpkin cubes, grated a carrot, and mixed them together to make a warm salad. Sprinkled with sunflower, pumpkin and linseeds, and made a dressing of tahini, lemon juice and a little soy sauce. I thinned it down with the water from the steamer, to add back in some of those nutrients which may have been lost. I loved it. The rest of the family (who had pan-fried halibut with carrot sticks and a little taste of my salad) were not so keen. Hubby said that there were too many tastes mixed in there for him. He prefers cauliflower alone, just dressed with olive oil. I like it like that, too, but wanted something that looked and felt vegan for my first real vegan dinner.

Today is the first full day (Day One), and although I have my menu planned, nothing is carved in stone, so I will write the menu for each day the day AFTER, as a record of MY THIRTY-DAY VEGAN ADVENTURE.

Any questions, comments and advice much appreciated.