A few weeks ago I began what I have been calling “the vegan challenge.” A lifelong animal lover, I’ve always been disturbed by the inconsistency of loving animals and yet eating meat, so I have done a few stints as vegetarian, pescatarian, and flexatarian, but I had never gone all-out vegan. I decided to try it. I read a few books, most notably The Kind Diet, by Alicia Silverstone, and Eat to Live by Dr. Joel Furman. I recommend both without hesitation. I was surprised by Silverstone; she proved thoughtful and fun to read. Fuhrman is practical and backed by empirical evidence. The two validated my beliefs and gave me good information so I decided to give it a go. It proved easier than I expected it to be, and I was in for a few surprises along the way.

The only major challenge I faced, along with its accompanying concession, was eating out. I live in Belgium. Europe is not California, where vegans abound and Earthfare and other vegan friendly stores and restaurants are plentiful. The contrary is true; ask for vegan food and people look at you like you have two heads. On the other hand, ask for vegetarian, and they will give you the meal of your life. Tons of roasted veggies, a starch and…*sigh*…some sort of cream sauce; so au revoir, veganism. I conceded almost immediately: when eating out, you may have to eat a dairy product. And so I did, from early on, eat dairy perhaps once a week.

When eating at home, I had no problem. I didn’t miss dairy most of the time. I had thought I would miss eggs, and at first, I did, but I quickly learned that I don’t need them at all. Recently someone offered me some organic farm eggs, and I took them, thinking I would enjoy a frittata or some spaghetti with eggs, a former favorite. I learned, however, that after six weeks without eggs, I don’t really like them anymore. Good news for me since I have cholesterol issues. And I have learned to prepare some wonderful dishes that more than make up for eggs and cheese.

Ratatouille is my new go-to dinner. I make it on Sunday maybe once a month and eat some for lunch or dinner for three or four days. Eggplant, zucchini, onion, and whatever else I have, plus brown rice or my new favorite grain, quinoa. Quinoa is without doubt the best “grain” ever. It isn’t really a grain but rather a seed, and packs a higher protein punch than any other similar item. Quinoa has become a new staple for this starch-lover. Whole grain pasta with loads of spinach, basil and olive oil is a lovely meal. Roasted vegetables with olive oil are a favorite; frozen green beans, fresh eggplant, onion, zucchini, and whatever else I have are all delicious roasted. Any kind of dark green plant is very good for you, and very filling, so I try to use a lot of dark green vegetables.

Fuhrman recommends a pound of spinach or other dark green leafy vegetable a day: a POUND! That is so hard to do, but I have begun eating loads of spinach. My favorite breakfast either fruit or a smoothie. A bag of frozen fruit, about two large handfuls of raw spinach, half a cup of juice and some flaxseed — throw it in the blender and yum-yum-YUMMY! The spinach is tasteless but gives the smoothie a satisfying crunch. If I’m short on time, a half a bag of fruit, the same two handfuls of spinach, a tablespoon of almond slivers and some flaxseed equals delicious satiety until lunchtime. These are the two best choices for breakfast I’ve ever made in terms of feeling full and satisfied.

Lest you think this journey has been easy, I have missed one thing quite a lot: sour cream. It’s the only dairy product that I would love to have, especially when I eat one of my staples, something I call nacho salad. All canned products: black beans, refried beans, pintos, green chiles, and rotel, along with cumin and chili powder. Simmer a half hour or so then serve over tortilla chips and salad, along with sour cream to top. I’ve continued to eat this dish, but I have really missed the sour cream. Soy sour cream is hard to find here; perhaps you can find it but I haven’t yet. I hear you can make a good substitute using raw cashews, but I’m not that ambitious in the kitchen. So I’ve done without up to now but I tried a soy cream product and it’s a decent substitute. And about the tortilla chips: be careful, they are rarely vegan. Read the labels!

Speaking of reading labels…this fascinating pastime has become my new hobby. Well, not really, but in the grocery store I do wear my reading glasses now. You’d be surprised at the things that contain milk products. Like “veggie” cheese. Good grief. If I wanted milk products in my cheese, I’d buy CHEESE.

One final piece of good news: I’ve lost five pounds without even trying. It’s pretty easy when you’re eating so much green stuff. On the other hand, if I give up wine, I’ll lose five more, at least. So that will be the next challenge! Stay tuned!

And a post-script:
The above was written several months ago, and I’m no longer strictly vegan. I’ve added back in farm butter, an occasional egg, and farm or abbey cheeses. I’ve also eaten two tuna baguettes in the past couple months because I was totally craving one at the time, and when I was home in coastal NC, I ate calabash seafood. Twice. Or maybe three times. I’m not even a great vegetarian, much less vegan! 

In any event, I am continuing on the journey of more humane eating and while being 100 percent vegan would be the ideal, I’m not there at this moment. Nevertheless, this journey is one worth taking, and one I feel good about. Take a step or two toward a more plant-based diet. Save the planet and save your life. And the lives of a few of God’s furry creatures along the way.