It's been approximately 19 days since I went vegan. I say approximately because I had to cheat while on vacation in Arkansas and there have been a few times here and there where I've not been a vegan purist. But overall I'm only eating plant-based foods, which mainly include vegetables, fruit, grains, and Dr. Pepper.
On to the update.
What have I eaten?
My breakfasts aren't that different from before - cereal and (soy) milk, or waffles with peanut butter and syrup, etc. Really simple. For lunch, I usually stick with a salad of spinach, grape tomatoes, and cucumbers, topped with raspberry vinaigrette. One of my FAVORITE creations is a sandwich with sliced tomatoes, avocados, and cucumbers. Or I'll just eat leftovers from whenever. I've found that I'm not particularly putting meals together that make sense, and I think that's okay for now!
My breakfasts aren't that different from before - cereal and (soy) milk, or waffles with peanut butter and syrup, etc. Really simple. For lunch, I usually stick with a salad of spinach, grape tomatoes, and cucumbers, topped with raspberry vinaigrette. One of my FAVORITE creations is a sandwich with sliced tomatoes, avocados, and cucumbers. Or I'll just eat leftovers from whenever. I've found that I'm not particularly putting meals together that make sense, and I think that's okay for now!
Dinner has been: pasta & tomato sauce, broccoli and carrot stir fry, bean burritos, smoothies and sandwiches, or whatever I can find in the fridge to put together. Again, my meals don't make a lot of "sense" or look pretty together, but they fill me up and keep me eating healthy!
What have I learned?
I'm a rule-follower, so having boundaries and instructions are the best ways to produce obedience in me. I eat rather healthy, but have the propensity to eat junk a lot, justifying it by saying that I eat healthy other times, I work out a lot, I'm young, etc. I've learned a whole bunch about being creative with vegetables, that eating healthy tastes AMAZING, and that it's not as hard as I thought it would be. In fact, it's fairly simple. When you only have 3 food groups to choose from instead of 5, it tends to simplify things a bit!
I'm a rule-follower, so having boundaries and instructions are the best ways to produce obedience in me. I eat rather healthy, but have the propensity to eat junk a lot, justifying it by saying that I eat healthy other times, I work out a lot, I'm young, etc. I've learned a whole bunch about being creative with vegetables, that eating healthy tastes AMAZING, and that it's not as hard as I thought it would be. In fact, it's fairly simple. When you only have 3 food groups to choose from instead of 5, it tends to simplify things a bit!
On a more TMI note, I've learned that a major increase in fiber has drastic effects on your GI system. I've apologized profusely to my roommates and coworkers, but no one seems to fess up that they notice. Yay! :)
Will I keep doing it?
I will continue to eat a vegan-style diet as long as it is convenient. Before you snicker, here's the rationale. I'm doing it just to eat healthier, and if a situations arises in which I have limited choices on food (eating with friends, family outings, vacation, etc.), I'm not going to be in the pain in the butt who requests plant-based stuff only. I'm doing this solely to feel better about my dietary choices and have more energy, and "everything in moderation" is a great phrase to use here. I'm not sure how well this will work into winter when fewer vegetables are available out of season, but we will see. I have no moral motivations, so cheating every once in awhile is fine with me!
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