Day 5 - What I Miss

I know, it hasn't even been a week yet. All things considered, I think we have done well with finding lots of varied foods to eat. It's definitely helped that we ate a lot of healthy stuff to start, which made the transition to veganism pretty seamless.

I can't say it is perfect though. Most people advocate for a "break-in period" before taking the vegan plunge. They advise making small adjustments to your diet and lifestyle so that you don't go into some kind of tofu-fueled shock. It's a great idea, but I definitely didn't do it.

The day before the experiment, I had TWO sausage, egg and cheese bagel sandwiches, a french dip, and a massive plate of tandoori chicken. My plan was to make myself sick of meat so I wouldn't be tempted before starting my month. Good idea? I wouldn't recommend it, but I definitely wasn't too keen on meat the next day.

That being said, there are a few things Katie and I actually do (and will) miss. Things that we won't get for at least a month. We pulled a list together of what we will (and won't) miss during our month.

WHAT WE WILL MISS

Pizza

This will be tough. We don't eat it very often, but I freakin' LOVE pizza. Vegan alternatives are available, but it's just not the same. We'll probably avoid it.

Sushi

Yeah, sushi can be vegan. You can have cucumber rolls or asparagus rolls, but it's tought to beat the tuna/avocado combo. And when you add in the sriracha/mayo on top... don't get me started. We both love and will miss Sushiland, which we have visited almost weekly for months.

Desserts

For some reason, there are brownies in the lunch room at work at least once a week. I don't know how this happens (or who the heck keeps bringing them), but passing them up will be tough. We can always make our own if we get too desperate. Vegan baking is actually pretty easy and there are some killer recipes out there. How about chocolate mousse? Serve it to people and wait till they're done before you tell them it's tofu. They won't believe you. I sure didn't.


WHAT WE WON'T MISS

Saturated Fats - Not too many of these in veggies...

"Bad" Cholesterol - Only found in animal products.

Lethargy - Ever notice how lions and tigers are always sleeping? You don't see giraffes and antelope laying around all the time, right? Which ones are the herbivores?

Feeling Sick - Lactose is rough on a lot of people, since they lose the enzyme to digest it as they age. Take out the dairy, lose the lactose.


With all the alternatives out there, we will be able to find a replacement for almost everything. Even my customary midnight snack. Good thing vodka's vegan ;)

Be Healthy,
-Brendan