Adventures in Veganism - Part 1
Since reading my March 6 post (Am I Becoming a Vegan?), several of you have asked how our attempt to convert from carnivorism to veganism, skipping altogether the transitional step of vegetarianism, is progressing. Well, after getting off to a somewhat rocky start, both Dawn and I are still on program. Of course, we’ve been subjected to some mild heckling and a generous amount of good natured ribbing from family and friends. My son, Rick, for example, called last night from San Diego to describe how great the steaks he had on the grill looked, smelled and were definitely going to taste. Yet we’re undeterred. In fact, we’ve both commented that, now that our bodies are becoming better adjusted to certain foods (no, we haven’t revisited brown rice), we’re feeling great!
However, our conversion hasn’t been without its share of obstacles. Aside from some pretty impressive grumbling from our digestive tracts, learning to be a vegan entails frequent trips to the grocery store with long lists of unusual ingredients neither we nor many store employees have heard of. Searching for unfamiliar items and reading labels to assure they contain no animal products takes far longer than we’re used to.
On one recent shopping outing to our local Nugget Market, I was armed with a lengthy list of twenty-five or so necessary ingredients for recipes Dawn wanted to try. After scouring aisles for nearly forty-five minutes with only marginal success, I ran into Store Director Randy Wehman who offered to help. After perusing the list and scratching his head (I couldn’t even tell him what recipes the ingredients were for!), he recruited two more employees, one a vegan, and between them found most of the things on my list. That’s customer service with a capital “C” and yet another reason we love this store!
So we’ve persevered. And we have to admit, almost all the meals we’ve prepared so far have been delicious! Of course, I’ve admittedly avoided revisiting the dreaded brown rice since nearly exploding after eating it the first time. But I know I can’t avoid it indefinitely; my appointment with the evil stuff is looming. And there have been a few other unpronounceable things I suspected of causing digestive problems since we began our quest, but I can’t say with certainty which parts of the meals were actually the culprits. So trial and error have become additional necessary adjustments along the road to veganism. I’ll keep you posted as we continue the journey.
By the way, I’ll be preparing “Popeye Pasta” for dinner this evening. Wish me luck!
Doug
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LOL!! I love some of your posts! This is great, keep us posted!
Congratulations on making a wise life choice! It sounds like you and your wife are well on you way to success.
Finding good recipes can be a challenge. May I suggest a great cookbook? Vegan Fire & Spice: 200 Sultry and Savory Global Recipes, by Robin Robertson is filled with recipes from regions all over the world. I think you will find its recipes as fun and delicious as our family does.
http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Fire-Spice-Sultry-Recipes/dp/0980013100
Keith
Congratulations on sticking with your commitment! I'm not so sure I could do it, but I admire you both for doing it!
And I love the post! In fact, I laughed out loud a couple of times while reading it. I took the liberty of emailing it to some friends, and I made a copy for some friends at work.
Thanks for providing a good read on an otherwise hectic Thursday!
I commend you for doing this. We tried it a few years ago and lasted about a week. We just didn't have the time to do all the shopping and learning what you can and can't eat. And giving up hamburgers, steaks, fried chicken just was too hard. I know it is better for you, but don't you miss meat?
Felix, you are killing yourself!!Fried chicken? Steaks? You have no idea what they are doing to you. At least cut out fried foods!! You will live longer.
We really eat mostly pretty healthy stuff. Fried chicken just once and a while and steaks the same. Hamburgers we eat more often but still not too much. We also eat fish and chicken and turkey which aren't as bad. And we have fruit and a vegetable with supper and lunch. We belong to a gym. Over all we are pretty healthy.
Not everyone can or wants to be a vegan. If it works for you, that's good. I am just saying it didn't work for us.
Ahem. Did I read that you have banished all things animal from your diet? Does that include fish and other sea life? And have you ceased wearing leather shoes, belts, or anything made from animals?
I read your column often enough to know you are neither an animal activist nor religious fanatic. So technically speaking, we need to find another name for your new lifestyle, something other than "vegan", at least according to wikipedia.
I'm just messing with you, I don't care what you call it, if you are eating healthy I applaud you. But we still need a new name. If you tell people you are a vegan, they are liable to think you are a whacky tree hugger/animal activist and slit the tires on your car. We don't want THAT, do we?
Well, no, GC!
I looked at the wiki and it appears you are right on several counts. We eat fish, wear leather shoes and have leather sofas, even leather seats in our cars. I'm afraid we'll be drummed out of the vegan corps no sooner than we thought we had joined.
I told Dawn and she said. "Well then, we must be vegetarians. But they apparently don't eat seafood either. So what are we?
I'm open to suggestions...
Doug
If I understand, you guys eat no meat or poultry, no dairy, no animal or poultry by-products, no processed foods. Just vegetables, soy, tofu and certain foods that aren't excluded above. You do eat fish and seafood. But you don't shun animal products like leather. You are just doing this for health reasons, right?
I don't think there is a name for that but I will think on it.
I was picturing you wearing a long hemp robe with a rope belt, with long unkept hair, maybe dreads, hemp sandals, chanting between bites of your organic brown rice wrap, waiting for the paint to dry on your "Save the Seals" sign so you could join the protest in Marin County.
Not a pretty sight. Glad to learn you are just eating healthy foods.
Len.
Sisko says she's going to miss cooking meals from her kitchen for you two. A sad time. I'm sacrificing a wonderful New York steak tonight in the memory of past gourmet meals with you both. I guess a Squeeze with Cheese is not in our future, my brudda.
Admittedly, there is something to be said for the fact that when you pass on, as we all eventually do...you should stay fresh for a long time!
Well, happy days lie ahead for Sisko! Most everything we are eating is cooked in a kitchen! (Give me a big "Amen!") And the recipes we've tried have been nearly as labor intensive as some of the wonderful gourmet presentations we've been privileged to share from her kitchen. So tell her not to despair for all is not lost; we can still dine together! (Give me a big "hallelujah!")
As for that most certainly delicious NY steak, I direct your attention to the next to last sentence in my March 6 post, hereinafter referred to as "the wiggle clause": "I’ve reserved the right to enjoy an occasional steak or a good buffalo burger from time to time..."
Oh yeah! Give me another "hallelujah!" and a double "Amen!"
Doug
You can't be a vegetarian and eat fish as vegetarians don't eat animals.You're just a more selective omnivore.
Some one who eats fish is not a vegetarian. the correct word is Piscivore. Fish is meat too, so being a vegetarian that eats fish just doesn't make sense.
There is no such thing as a vegetarian who eats fish. A fish is an animal and vegetarians do not eat animals. You are thinking of a pescavore, which is a form of omnivore.
A "Piscivore" (correct spelling) is a carnivorous animal which lives on eating fish.
Since he is eating mostly plant foods with only some fish, he isn't a piscivore.
"People who don’t eat red meat but do eat chicken or fish are making a very important first step, but they aren’t vegetarians. We usually call such people meat-reducers."
"Vegetarians don’t eat:
• Meat
• Poultry
• Game
• Fish, shellfish and crustacea
• Slaughterhouse by-products such as gelatine, rennet and animal fats."
There is no such thing as a "vegetarian" who eats fish. This is a popular notion but not acceptable to most vegetarians who draw the line at eating something that has to be killed to be eaten.
I'm an ovolactovegetarian; I eat eggs and milk. You would be a pescetarian, a vegetarian who eats fish. Contrary to what some others have said, there is a word for everything.
My brudda, please direct your lovely wife's attention to the repeated mention of the word OMNIVORE.
"Your honor, thank you for your time. Prosecution rests. Good day to you sir. I SAID GOOD DAY!"
Pork fat rules.
Omnivore (from Latin: 'omne', all, everything; 'vorare', to devour) is a species of animal that eats both plants and animals as its primary food source. They are opportunistic, general feeders not specifically adapted to eat and digest either meat or plant material exclusively. Pigs are one well-known example of an omnivore. Humans are gererally omnivores.
However, the definition refers to a species and doesn't accurately describe his (and his wife's) choice of dietary lifestyle. Pescevegetarian seems more accurate.
All right, let me be the first to ask: How did your Popeye Pasta turn out? Are you going to share recipes?
Pork fat rules? Definitely spoken by an an omnivore. Eats anything.
My husband's Popeye Pasta was MAGNIFICENT!! We had it with garlic bread and red wine and went to bed fat and happy! tee hee
Thanks everyone for your comments and suggestions. I'll mull them over and let you know what to call us.
Lisa, Dawn's been coming up with the recipes, so I'll ask her if she'll be a guest blogger and post some of them. I know she's gotten a few online and others from a cookbook or two she's found at Border's.
Have a great weekend all!
Doug