I was getting a little sloppy in my eating habits, sometimes leaving out vegetables entirely, and I thought a dietary intervention such as becoming vegan for a week would be useful. I was prepared to sacrifice my morning DIY latte to the winds, but besides from the coffee conundrum I found I didn’t miss meat, dairy or eggs nearly as much as I imagined.
Before my vegan week started, I hit up my local health food store to stock up all different milks, including coconut, hemp and soy; a range of yogurts, from almond to soy to coconut; a butter alternative, soy sausages and hummus. I already had plenty of whole grains, blocks of tofu, vegetables and fruit, plus some dark chocolate and wine to sweeten the deal. I was ready curious and prepared.
Here’s how my week on a vegan diet went down.
Day 1
I had soy milk in my coffee, and although I didn’t love it, it wasn’t undrinkable either. Getting over the coffee problem gave me a lot of confidence in my ability to follow through with the plan. The spread worked fine on toast—couldn’t tell it wasn’t butter—and the rest of the day’s meals were uneventful, as I often eat vegetarian. It made me a little more mindful about meal prep and I did not neglect my vegetables. I was off and running and a little bit proud of myself.
Day 2
Warmed up and frothed the hemp milk in my frother and found it acceptable. Learning to get over my coffee idealism. At work someone brought in a homemade ginger cookie (my favorite) but I was stoic. Chalked it up to the temptation of ordinary existence and found the virtue in restraint. Otherwise, was happy with my Hope hummus, salad and brown rice for lunch. Soy sausages over wilted greens a perfect dinner. Feel like I have a less of a sweet tooth somehow without all the animal protein.
Day 3
Had a minor fail with my coffee this morning as the coconut milk did not foam nor froth. The texture was way too thin and had to resort to my default soy milk, which does manage to retain its thick texture when heated.
Going strong and wishing the world would join me in becoming vegan. It would change the way we treat animals, lighten our carbon footprint, and help us conserve precious resources such as water. I went to the veganalyser to see what a difference one person makes, and it told me that being a vegan for a year would save 47 animals. Not bad!
Day 4
Had a few challenges today, I won’t lie. Made my kids buttermilk biscuits and they smelled so good coming out of the oven. I had a nibble and that was enough to let me forgo the rest. Feel like there are days when the onslaught of delicious dairiness is hard to withstand.
Day 5
To celebrate a coworker’s birthday, our team decided to have breakfast at Snooze, a restaurant that bills itself as an a.m. eatery, devoted to eggs, pancakes and the art of hollandaise. I went in fully prepared to blow it, but surprised myself by ordering a chai with almond milk and the quinoa bowl with tofu instead of eggs. I did try one bite of pancake, but loved what I ordered and had no regret whatsoever. There was no sugar or carb crash, and my breakfast kept me going all day long (I had the leftovers for lunch).
And then, this being Friday, we were invited over my daughter’s friend’s house for dinner. I didn’t have much control over the menu, which was squash bisque, fresh bread and bundt cake. I was hungry and felt like dining with friends was in a separate category than blowing it at a restaurant, where you can, at least in a town like Boulder, always manage to find a vegan option. Going over someone’s house for dinner was more along the lines of you can be right or you can be in relationship. I opted for relationship and was OK with going off the wagon.
The soup was divine, creamy as all get out, but instead of slathering butter on my bread went the dipping it olive oil and balsamic vinegar route, which I discovered I actually preferred. And we brought over an assortment of Hail Merry’s, a line of vegan and gluten free miracle tarts (made with coconut oil) that live up to their moniker. I didn’t beat myself up for compromising my vegan sobriety. I did see that to keep it, I would have to pot luck most of my dinner invitations.
Day 6
Besides coffee, my breakfast standby this week has been coconut or soy yogurt plain yogurt with fruit and granola. (I tried almond yogurt too but it did not work for me.) Most of the alternative yogurts have very high sugar counts, something to be aware of when purchasing. Even the plain versions have sugar—albeit less.
So be careful when it comes to the double whammy of sweetened yogurt alternative with sweetened granola—could add up to more sugar in a meal than what you should be consuming in a day (according to the American Heart Association, for women that amount is six teaspoons, for men seven).
Day 7
I finished my vegan project with a mixture of regret and eagerness. I loved exploring all the different milks in my coffee, including coconut, which became my favorite. But I conclude that something about cow’s milk makes it the best fit for coffee.
In all other food arenas, I liked the purity of the vegan diet and how satisfying it was, both morally and palate-wise. But I appreciate the flexibility that eating a moderate amount of dairy and some animal food gives me. I’m not quite ready to convert, but I might be closer than I realize. Stay tuned. Might have to give it a month next time round.
Here are the five main lessons I learned during my vegan week.
1. Watch the sugar
A lot of dairy alternatives are awfully high in sugar, so you have to be a label sleuth and look for the “plain” flavors that tend to contain more moderate levels of sweeteners. Many vegans tend to go overboard on the sweets—it’s a tendency you need to track.
2. Be flexible
Be willing to expand your palette and step outside your food comfort zone. The more open you are to unique sources of protein and a wide range of flavors, the more satisfying your diet will be.
3. Don’t be afraid to experiment
If at first you don’t succeed, then keep on trying. If you are not a fan of almond milk in your coffee, try other kinds of milks. If you are not a big fan of tempeh, give seitan a chance. Search for appealing and easy vegan recipes online.
4. Promote potlucks
If you are going over a friend’s house for dinner, either let them know you are vegan, or offer to bring a dish that you can eat. This makes your host’s job easier—and yours a little bit more labor intensive.
5. Indulge
There are so many delicious vegan sweets out there in the world—don’t be afraid to seek them out. Many vegan desserts are better than their conventional counterparts. Being a vegan doesn’t mean you have to be ascetic. Life’s too short to settle for tasteless treats.