I’m – shh - vegan.
I drop f-bombs louder than this word.
When I must say it, I dilute the connotation by tagging on a line detailing that, “it’s a trial period to see how I like it.”
Every time I skip the baked goods in my office or ask about the ingredients in a meal I find myself nonchalantly passing off an expression about my firm choice to avoid animal byproducts.
I have chosen this lifestyle for a number of reasons – health, our mass-produced food system and frankly, a challenge.
Regardless of my reasons, each individual should have the right to make choices and live freely without infringing on others’ rights to do the same.
While my choice does not necessarily harm others, it can often leave others feeling obliged to accommodate my choice out of politeness.
While I appreciate their kindness, this makes me feel like I constantly owe people for the bother and makes me feel guilty. I’ve even had a few generous helpings of pity. In turn, I am constantly worried about what people think of my choice and their accommodation of it. There is pressure to uphold some mighty standard to which I cannot cave because of the added contribution by those around me.
It’s a stubborn circle of worry about being an inconvenience, about being judged and of failure.
My choice isn’t harming anyone. In a utilitarian way, there is less harm being done to those who are accommodating my choice than to breaking my own ethics.
After thinking all of this over, I believe it has something to do with it being a choice.
I chose my lifestyle, so it’s on me.
I chose to make my life inconvenient. I chose to skip out on that deliciously stringy cheese. I choose to eat salad every time I go to a restaurant.
I feel if I told people I was lactose intolerant and allergic to the steroids in meat I would get more sympathy.
If I had no choice, would it be more socially acceptable?
To that I say, who chose meat as the centre of attention in every meal or eggs as the breakfast hero?
You’re hungry because you’re being picky over what you eat? First world problem.I feel I am being told that I choose to be tempted and choose to be inconvenient.
But I have come to accept a universal truth to this choice – it’s difficult. It takes a lot of willpower to put up with such a high maintenance lifestyle.
You’re essentially choosing to reject the everyday societal norms for a basic primary need.
You’re going head-to-head with the food system – not an easy battle when food is essential, all the time.
Like sleep. And pooping.
Not necessarily in that order.
When you mess with primary needs, you are rocking the entire boat - because they come first. If it came down to your willpower or food, food would win every time.
Before anything else is satisfied, primary needs must be met. So when you win by outsmarting the norms of food, it’s a big win.
It makes me feel like if you can take on the food system you can take on the world, and, in a sense, you are.
This empowerment seeps into the rest of my life. It makes me feel bigger, stronger and more resilient.
It gives me confidence and the determination to keep fighting the other battles in my life.
While I miss a lot of my old favourite foods, like steak, Clamato Juice, eggs benedict, and sashimi, I am changing the way I think about food.
I don’t focus on what I’ve given up, I focus on exploring new, creative ways to cook, eat and think about food.
I’m a huge foodie, and I always have been. It’s why a lot of my friends and family were surprised to hear of my decision.
But if anything, it’s made me more of a foodie because I have to find ways to creatively come up with tasty food and not rely on creamy delicious cheeses or a nice cut of juicy red meat.
I have learned to cook a lot of new food and research exactly what I put into my body.
There are even variations on my old favourites. Believe it or not, you can even make Macaroni and ‘Cheese’ (with soy cheese).
But while my friends are less excited to give up their boxes of Kraft Dinner for my version, the real truth is, I like it.
It’s just a three-month trial period.
But, I’m vegan.
