What I'm here to blabber about today is the Vegan Challenge that is going on right now in the little ole blog world. While I have never wanted to label my eating style, I think it's safe to say I don't usually eat a lot of animal products. I'm not sure why, but I have never been overly carnivorous and I tend to not eat some animals because I think they are cute. My perception of dairy is usually pretty passive, unless ice cream is involved- then we're talking. So when the challenge came up, I decided that one of the richest and most powerful women in the world could do it, this challenge was my next step to ruling the world.
Challenge accepted. But I would have my own rules:
1. I would eat whole foods including fruits, veggies, and grains
2. I would be soy free
3. I would still maintain my gluten free and food combining as much as I could
4. No fake meat
5. Limit of 2 substitute products (described below)
The reason behind all my rules is that I wanted to see how normal people did it, without relying on Whole Foods and other specialty markets or frankenfoods that don't make any sense in my head.
I did choose to experiment with a couple of items that I have been wanting to try and had fairly recognizable ingredient lists. I purchased both of these items with my own money and these opinions are my own.
SO Delicious Coconut Milk Yogurt
The other product I tried was Daiya Vegan cheese. The ingredients in it are below:
Filtered water, tapioca and/or arrowroot flours, non-GMO expeller pressed canola and /or non-GMO expeller pressed safflower oil, coconut oil, pea protein, salt, inactive yeast, vegan natural flavours, vegetable glycerin, xanthan gum, citric acid (for flavor), annatto.
I was honestly freaked out by this 'cheese', but it melted. Not that I didn't believe other people, or the package, but I had my doubts.
Before:
I think that by trying these two substances early in my challenge, it will be much easier to just eat real food. I honestly enjoyed the roasted veggies I made today much more than the specialty products I tried.
I think the rest of my week will be filled with some of my favorite real foods and that's just how I like it.
Question for you: Are you doing the vegan challenge? If not, what are your personal food rules?
13 comments:
I don't have food rules. I think we live in a country where we're lucky to be able to be vegan, vegetarians, etc... Most people in this world don't have that luxury.
I'm sure you'll get used to the taste of the vegan products as you get used to them. Do you think you'll stay vegan?
i have always wanted to go vegan. a friend of mine went vegan for a month and decided to keep going becuase she had so much energy from the whole foods she was eating.
My problem: my budget. Its so sad taht in this society you pay MORE to eat better. it should be the otehr way around. Its a constnat struggle to fund my need for organic meats when i buy them. but as of late i am phasing out meat as its to expensive to buy on most days. The meat i have on hand currently is frozen from when they were on sale.
I really admire your dedicatioN!
I'm not doing the vegan challenge, but I've been thinking about it a lot lately!
@Melissa- I agree. This is all first world problems and I'm glad that I have the ability to make this choice for myself.
I am fairly certain that I will NOT stay vegan. I love ice cream too much!
@Mo- It's kinda backwards that it costs more to eat healthier, right? We also save with frozen meat and fish sometimes and I think it makes a lot of sense.
@Melissa, most people in the world are vegan by default. Their diets consist mainly of vegetables and grains, and unless they live in dire poverty and don't have enough food to eat, they live longer and are healthier than we are.
I'm not doing the challenge, because I went vegan after reading The China Study. Seeing the film Forks Over Knives confirmed for me that most of the chronic disease, obesity, and deaths in this country are linked to our animal-based diet.
I heartily congratulate anyone for taking on the 1-week vegan challenge. Try it for 3 or 4 weeks, and you won't believe how much your taste buds will change, and how much better you'll look and feel! :)
I am finding a happy balance as a vegetarian (not vegan) who eats a lot of raw foods. I don't like all the processed vegan foods, so I stick to real butter and eggs on occasion. I eat a pretty vegan diet, but don't want to put a label on it and have strict rules. Mainly I try to eat as many plants as I can. :)
I will say that I'd eat a tad differently (probably even cleaner) if I didn't have a family to cook for. My kids eat pretty well, but they don't do many of the ethnic and/or spicy vegetarian dishes that I love. And, although a clean diet gives me a lot of energy, I don't have enough energy to cook 2 different dishes 3 times a day.
What a great challenge - I know you'll totally rock it!
My food rules are just to try to stay away from fried foods, high-fat foods, food prepared by others, etc. I like to stick to my healthified meals - less calories and less tummy problems!
I did the vegan thing for 6 months. Honestly, I hatedddd that cheese. It just wasn't for me. (Honestly, I'm not a HUGE cheese lover anyway, but still.) For me, nutritional yeast was the best way to get cheesy flavor! (I made vegan "mac and cheese" a lot!)
I love the way you've taken on this challenge!
I've always been curious about Daiya. I am a cheese fiend however. I wonder if I'd like it. That coconutmilk yogurt is amazing. I like the coconut milk ice creams too!
The hubby and I are planning a vegan for a week challenge (probably next week), and we too are avoiding replacement meats. Ewwwwwww!
I love the coconut ice cream and Daiya..my girls love grilled cheeese sammies made with it!
I was going to do the vegan challenge, but I've been hanging around my a lot lately, and they do don't cook or buy vegan food.
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