Listen to my struggle. Hear my cries. Not really – it was easy! I tried to make this experiment as realistic as possible by shopping and eating things I would be able to if I were to make veganism my new permanent diet. Here, I will document my week as a vegan which started last Tuesday, April 20.

Tuesday: Today went pretty much ‘by the book’ in terms of my expectations. I spent a lot more money on food than I normally do. But, I guess my usual $1.35 bean burrito is thrifty to begin with. I spent $4.75 on a vegan mini plate lunch at Govinda’s in the Sustainability Courtyard. The tofu vegetable stew-like thing (the meals all usually look the same) was surprisingly delicious and the meal was finished off with a sweet berry hallava. I never knew exactly what those cake-y squares were made out of, but the plate was advertised as ‘vegan’, so I knew my diet was safe. Later, I put down $4.00 for a soy latte at Papa Luck’s coffee cart near the Art Building. I am a regular coffee drinker and usually use non-dairy creamer in my cups-o-joe, but Papa Luck’s just had cream, so I opted for soy. Besides, with all this awareness now on the food I put into my mouth, I felt compelled to go just a little step further and support the local business.

Thursday: Today, I decided it best to stock on some vegan necessities and headed to Whole Foods market to check out their selection. Shopping for the right prices and nutrition took forever! Many items were advertised as ‘vegan’ on their packaging, but other didn’t say. I had to read the ingredient lists what felt like a million packages. I tried my best to buy things that would be practical if I were to really become a vegan for the long haul. In terms of price, calories, nutrition, and taste; choosing was difficult. I ended up buying a vegan macaroni and cheese package and some tempeh (soy protein). The Chreese, as the soy macaroni was called, tasted fine, just a little bland. The tempeh, on the other hand, was gross. I was disappointed because this was one of the least expensive sources of protein for my diet; and, I already bought two packages!

Friday: I bought soy milk at the store the day before so I was finally able to have cereal for breakfast again – my favorite! It was so bland and watery that it tasted like it was floating in dishwater, though, so I added some sugar and vanilla to sweeten the bowl. For lunch, I was resigned to eat my leftover Chreese and mixed dinner plate from Down to Earth. At a house party later I was pleased to find that I could munch away on all the chips there (BBQ and tortilla) as long as I stayed away from the overflowing bowl of peanut M&M’s. My friends all had a cook-out earlier, but I came late because I had to eat at home. I suppose I could have brought vegan dishes to share, but this would have probably been pretty expensive with so many servings.
Saturday: Again, I had watery soy and cereal for breakfast, now just because I need to use up what I already bought. For a snack, I made a peanut butter, banana, and soy milk shake. It was actually delicious, thanks to the peanut butter. I find myself eating spoonfuls of it throughout the day, convinced that ‘I need the protein’. I probably could use more protein in my diet, but peanut butter, in whatever form, has saved this vegan experimenter from disgust. Tonight, I made soy protein Sloppy Joes. This is a usual dish in my house, this time, though I had to leave off the cheese. In terms of taste, soy cheese, I heard, was definitely not worth the dollar-per-slice price.

Sunday: Today I had leftovers again. Nothing exciting to report. I miss ice cream. Vegan desserts are expensive! Soy ice cream was about $8 per quart.

Monday (today): I decided to jump off the vegan wagon this morning. I had milk in my cereal and cheddar on my burrito. Yum.

My five vegan days were easy to do for the most part. Taste was not the best, but it was a thrill of sorts to test my diet in this way. I felt like I belonged to something beiger than myself, as I contributed to my global responsibility with personal changes. Or, maybe I just need to get out more. Food is less important than we think. Anyone can make daily changes. They do not need a revolution to at least be responsible for their choices, and it doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing like my experiment.

I would like to continue being responsible with my eating habits but need to customize it to suit my beliefs better. Customization of your diet is better that sticking to somebody else’s definition of a vegetarian, vegan, or whatever. At least you know why you make the choices you do and understand their consequences – good or bad.

I would like to discuss, now, things I will consider for a long-term, “modified vegan” (as I coin the phrase) diet. I would eat beef or other meat and drink cow’s milk if the farm it came from used methods to contain its methane emissions. I would consider consuming dairy products from other animals, depending on the contribution to methane emissions. Eggs and poultry do not contribute as much as cows to greenhouse gases, but their industry pollutes. As another giant in methane additions to the atmosphere, I will not eat rice or its products, such as rice flour. Lastly, I will consider trying to adhere the best I can to the “100 mile diet”, one that encourages eating locally produced foods.