Monday, September 26, 2011

Day 2 and Day 1: The First 48

My meat/egg/dairy-free diet debuted yesterday for Sunday football at the boyfriend's favorite bar (just a few hours in, vegan diet inspires me to peacemaking and compromise).  My lumberjack of a man who loved bacon when I met him and secretly still does (don't we all?) has been mostly vegetarian for a year and started testing the waters of this experiment a few days before I did.

Whenever the vegan (or vegetarian, for that matter) topic comes up, there's always the "But what about..." conversation.  Is there dairy/egg in the dough of your cheeseless pizza?  Is there any non-vegan hot sauce?  Can you still eat honey? (The consensus was no one better dare take away my honey.)

There may have been milk or egg in the dough of our cheeseless pizza, but if there was, it was a long shot and unnecessary.  My beer may have been not vegan.  How does this work; do I ask for a list of ingredients for everything that might have animal somewhere along on its path to my plate?  I'd rather not.

"When it comes down to it, you're cutting out 99.9% of what you should, and the rest is kind of inevitable."

I've shied away from the word "vegetarian" for the past year or so because then you launch into the lacto-ovo-pesca-convo, which is exhausting.  I just quietly order the meatless option and call myself a "I don't really eat meat."  With vegan, it's a little harder.  I want to talk about it, but I don't want to invite contention.  I want to make a lifestyle choice and be proud of it, but I don't want to make a statement.  When I see groups leafleting the horrors of factory farms, I'm reinforced in my decision because it really is an awful industry, but I also find the whole scene a little amusing.  Like giving small plastic fetuses to kids at my Catholic high school or picketing Planned Parenthood with graphic posters.  It's either proof or propaganda; awful or amusing.

Today I ate...
Cocoa vegan overnight oats
Wrap with hummus + tomato + roasted green chile
Wee hmong cucumber (cute, crispy, sweet)
Apple
Tortilla with almond butter and agave nectar (not because I can't eat honey, because I CAN and I WILL... anyway...)
Daiya quesadilla (lots of tortillas today)

I didn't feel like mid-morning and post-lunch naps, and I didn't feel hungry.  I feel ready for bed but not exhausted,  despite having woken up at 5:10 for Ultimate Booty Body Camp.