HOW TO

Examples of vegan alternatives to milk, yogurt, butter, and a dairy-free smoothie are shown that can all be found at a local grocery store.

My eyes scan the neat rows of organic, gluten-free, vegan friendly snacks at the grocery store. Nothing really catches my eye as appealing or worth the premium you have to pay to receive these supposed health benefits. Back in my car, I aimlessly scroll through TikTok, only to be hit with the same advertisements of different people demonstrating their healthy lifestyles and toned bodies through clean eating, keto diets, paleo plants, and more. It’s become an annoyance to see these diet fads and stark transformations on social media, especially while stuck at home during quarantine. Eventually I became fed up with seeing influencers’ promote their intuitive diets with drastic health changes that I needed to test out their claims for myself. I wanted to see if I could change my diet, how that would impact my overall health and discipline, and if this was something I could sustain long term. My goal for this month was to be a vegan for ten days, beginning Feb. 1. I had to do research at first to discover what being a vegan entails. Vegans do not eat any animal products, including dairy and eggs. Pollinated items such as honey are eaten by some vegans, but I chose to abstain from the natural sweetener in order to be strict and embrace the full extent of the diet. Clean plant-based eating is a sharp contrast to my usual meals and I had never restricted such a large food group before, but I figured ten days was doable and not something that would deter from my day to day doings. I wish I could say I had an organized plan of meals I was going to prepare, but that honestly did not happen. I knew the basics of being a vegan included a lot of grains, fruits and vegetables, so I stuck with those in the beginning. On the first day I skipped breakfast like usual and substituted my normal coffee creamer for an oat milk alternative, specifically the Oatly Barista Oat Milk. I didn’t mind the taste and oat milk alternatives are extremely popular, especially the brand Oatly which advertised recently with a Super Bowl commercial. I also tried out an almond milk creamer but that tasted like an actual nut, so I stuck it out with the oat milk. For lunch that day, I was craving Chipotle but I figured I could substitute my usual order for plant based alternatives. I got a bowl with brown rice, black beans, veggies, lettuce, mild salsa, and guacamole. I didn’t notice the lack of protein and was happy that I did not have to forgo their famous guac. For dinner my mom made spaghetti which I enjoyed with the rest of my family. So far, being a vegan was proving less of an inconvenience than I initially thought it would be. On days when I woke up hungry, I would make a bowl of oatmeal with oat milk and bananas, or toast some bread for avocado toast. My usual breakfast order consisted of eggs but I did not mind the substitution. I did notice that I was hungrier than usual throughout the day, which I can guess is a result of my change in diet. To satisfy my hunger I love to snack, so I had to find alternatives that were vegan friendly. Apples and peanut butter are a filling snack and I ate that a lot throughout the week. Popcorn is another vegan option, along with carrots and hummus. These are all really easy and convenient snacks that I made frequently because I knew they did not require a lot of prep time or ingredients. My biggest concern about this challenge was the inconvenience of making my own, specialized meals since as high school students we don’t have all the time in the world, and I personally do not have a passion or gift of cooking. However, after the ten days I can say that I enjoyed this change and did not feel like it took away from other doings. An initial concern of mine was wondering how I was going to make up for lack of animal product protein, since that is a large part of my diet and an essential nutrient for our health. Since veganism has grown tremendously within the last decade, there have been numerous plant based alternatives created to supplement and perform like traditional protein. Black beans, nuts, legumes, and veggie burgers are all great choices. I tried a Beyond Burger, which is a popular brand of plantbased meat alternatives, that I found at the grocery store. Once I dressed my burger with lettuce, tomato, and pickles, I could not taste any difference from a normal beef burger. I definitely will eat more plant-based burgers to switch up my diet going forward. Prior to going vegan, I had heard about the possible changes to your taste buds as a result of restricting animal products. Articles I read concluded that many vegan eaters are prone to sensitivity and the ability to pinpoint different tastes to normal foods as a result of their diets. For me, I did not have any of those changes because I only pursued these habits for ten days. I think it takes about a month to experience the anatomical changes because I did notice physical changes such as more energy, less bloating, clearer skin, and less snacking. Going vegan was something that I had always wanted to try and am proud of myself for committing to the diet for ten days. Though I do not see myself adopting veganism as my every day diet, I definitely can appreciate and respect those who are vegans.I encourage everyone who is willing and able to try new things to go vegan, but be sure to do it smartly which includes doing your research first.

24 | Perspectives

Venture Out Vegan

by Cedra Jazayerli photo by Cherise Lopez