I feel like chicken tonight

Inspired by two vegan friends, I ate a vegan diet for a week.  Both of my friends have been vegan for over 5 years and I was curious…what would it be like?   For those of you unfamiliar with the term vegan, it means a diet that seeks to exclude animal products of any kind (i.e. meat including fish, gelatin, dairy including eggs, cheese, milk, etc).  Day 1…I was somewhat rattled because I didn’t make it to the store yet and had to grab a bit to eat for lunch.  I wanted soup but both soups I thought of were made of chicken or beef broth.  I settled for an eggplant burrito and was surprised it tasted pretty good or maybe I was just hungry.  Now, while I don’t eat red meat on a regular basis, chicken and turkey are common staples in my diet.  That night I went to the store to stock up on vegan items so I wouldn’t be in a predicament again.  I bought a variety of things and found a number of vegan substitutes for just about anything (i.e. tofu tacos, tofu hot dogs, tofu deli meat, etc.)  I went to two different stores to get everything and was set for the week.  A few days went by and no big deal, but day 3 was a challenge.  My work had a lunch event at an Italian restaurant where all kinds of pizza and appetizers (i.e. calamari, antipasto and bruschetta) were served.  There was nothing  I could eat and I filled up on 2 diet sodas before heading back to work where I ate tomato soup.  During the week I noticed a lack of energy in the morning but was fine throughout the day.  Day 5…My friends took me to a vegan restaurant.  The original plan was to try vegan soul food but upon entering the restaurant it smelled like a wet mop so we decided to go elsewhere.  The second place had a lot better atmosphere and a wide selection of vegan dishes.  I ordered a BBQ tofu sandwich and came with vegan potato and macaroni salad along with corn on the cob.  The meal was very tasty and topped off with a vegan German chocolate cake.  My friend introduced me to seitan which is wheat gluten but I didn’t like as much.  Day 6…I did a 180.  I was feeling in the need for something with more substance.  After a long swim workout I stuck to the plan and ate tofu tacos but they just didn’t cut it.  Evening of day 6…I caved.  I got a freshly made chicken sandwich with French fries and it was delicious.  I ate without remorse and savored bite by bite.  Afterward, I felt some guilt and watched the movie Food Inc., a documentary about the treatment of animals and how food is made.  The movie was an eye opening look at the food industry and made me think the next time I went to the grocery store.  Overall, this eXperiment made me appreciate and understand a vegan’s personal choice more and I commend anyone that lives a vegan lifestyle.  As for me, I adore a cute little chick or a teddy bear like calf but I still plan to eat meat and dairy products.  However, this experience has taught me to make smarter decisions when buying food (i.e. more organic and locally grown products) and inspired me to incorporate some vegan dishes into my diet.

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Tags: comfort zone, food inc., vegan, veganism