So trips to the grocery store are taking longer as a vegan.
I usually clog up the aisles saying “sorry. opps. sorry. sorry, i just want to look at THIS box right… here….. sorry. ok. thanks.”
and then i do three basic scans of the ingredients. first looking for milk, or eggs or butter. then a second scan where i read. each. ingredient. alone. and figure out what it means. and if the item gets past those tests, i read it all one. more. time. just to make sure. and then, about nine times out of ten i have to put the item back on the shelf.
and then the clerk asks if there’s any thing he can help me find.
‘do you guys carry soy ice cream?’
‘no, that’s really more of a specialty item. we have soy milk though.’
(note to clerks, that’s NOT the same thing. if you asked for strawberry ice cream and the clerk told you the store didn’t have it but the next aisle over there was some milk, would you be all OH! ok. great! thanks!)
‘oh, ok thanks,’ i tell the clerk.
and then i cry a little on the inside. just a little.
bein vegan is hard.
It’s sounds like you’re doing great at being vegan. It does take awhile to get use to, but I think in the long run you’ll find yourself willing to try a much larger vareity of foods than most of your friends (including me). While most non-vegans focus on what vegans ‘can’t’ have, you’ll start finding frints, vegetables and products that you can cook up in creative and satisfying ways.
Last night I dreamt about a pineapple-melon, a new hybrid of fruit. It was shaped like a pineapple, but green and juicy inside. In my dream it was delicious. I’m sure you’ll be the first to find it in real-life and let me know how it is.
I’m buying the book today!
An event on the expressway with a chicken truck (on their way to slaughter, I presume) led me to the PETA website and their video “Meet your Meat”.
Since then, I’ve been considering going vegan. I’ve read your blogs and know you’re new to this whole vegan thing–so I was wondering if you or any of the other people who read on here could point me to some interesting websites or books that basically describe what IS and ISN’T vegan? I understand it’s a lot of work, and I don’t know if I’ll just ever naturally assume that something as seemingly innocent as Ramen noodles has animal byproducts in it!
first, you should know that I’m just a plain old vegetarian now. I’d been vegetarian since 2002 and then I was vegan from Feb. 2008-late July 2008. my desire to go vegan was spurred by the book “skinny bitch” which i talk about a lot on my blog. it’s very convincing.
however, to say that being vegan is hard would be the under statement of the decade. i imagine that in places like california, where they say vegan food is plentiful, it’s a little more realistic. but in the mid-west it basically means rice and vegan chik’n every night.
if you do go vegan, you really have to commit to the choice, because there is always a temptation lurking.
also, you should know that when i first went vegan i had a lot of trouble concentrating and i’ve talked to other vegans who had similar problems. it eventually subsided (mostly) but it was still rough.
i’ll tell you that one: im much happier now that i eat dairy, but two: if I’m ever rich i’ll probably try to give the vegan thing another go.
let me know if you have any other questions and what you decide to do.