Veganism

I have been a vegan for almost six months and it’s been great. Making the transition to a plant based diet has made me realize that humans don’t need to eat meat, eggs, or dairy to survive. Like any other vegan, I am doing this for the animals. I love animals and have always been sympathetic towards them; as a result I think it’s cruel and selfish of humans to have to consume them just because it’s profitable and “they taste good”. 

                A lot of people ask me what I eat. I eat pretty much what everyone else eats, of course, without the meat, eggs, or dairy. As a substitute for any type of meat, I usually use tofu. Most people don’t know what that is or what it tastes like - and others think it’s weird to eat it, which makes absolutely no sense. Tofu is basically a cheese like food made of curdled soybean milk. It can be baked, broiled, deep fried, shallow fried, marinated, stewed, scrambled, added to soups and casseroles, stuffed into tacos, made into dips...the list is endless. I personally like how it tastes and encourage anyone to try it. For dairy I drink soy milk, rice milk, or almond milk. I make sure that foods like bread and dough don’t have any milk in them by looking at the labels. I eat non-dairy cheese, ice cream, desserts, sour creams, and cookies. There are also such things like “fake meats”, but I usually never buy them because they’re gross. I don’t have much experience in the kitchen, but I always try to cook my own foods. I usually just fry tofu and add random vegetables and spices to it, just to experiment. Oh and I forgot I also eat a lot of fruits, vegetables, and mixed nuts.

                One thing I really hate about people is that as soon as they find out I’m vegan they say things like “you’re such a pussy!”, “why are you being so hard on yourself?”, “I feel sorry for you”, “you’re going to die!”, or simply “you suck!”. I never thought people could be so closed minded until I heard things like this coming from people I thought I knew. I mean, if you don’t know why I’m doing it then why would it be appropriate for you to make comments like this? I don’t mind if people make comments, but they should at least have some meaning, not just insults. I hate it even more when people tease me about it, even if they’re only joking. Sometimes people would eat they’re burgers in front of my face and say, “omg this meat tastes so good! If only I had a glass of milk!” I am always super sensitive about these “jokes” and it makes me hate the person who is saying them. I just want to be understood! My parents and doctor don’t get it either. They always tell how important it is to eat meat and drink milk, but I’m not buying it. They don’t realize that I’ve proved to them that a person can be perfectly fine without it. Not only am I healthier as a vegan, I’m also happier. That’s what people just have to understand.