how to go vegan in three easy steps
there are some very hard things about being a vegan.
for one, you can’t be a party to hurting, killing, or maiming any animals. (sorry!) like, you can’t trade the pain of an animal for the satisfaction of your sweet tooth, for example.
it took me 21 years of being a strict vegetarian to finally take the plunge earlier this year and cut out those last two things: milk and eggs. ugh! i NEVER thought i could do it. mostly because of dessert, but also because of cheese, glorious cheese, so scrumptious and luscious! cheeeeeeeeeeese!
okay, so when i first became a vegan, i’ll admit, i almost starved the first month because i didn’t know what to eat. like, even many “dairy alternative” items still have dairy in them (read the label!), and a lot of the fake meats i love have eggs in them. grrrrrr!
but i figured it out and here’s how. three easy steps.
1. look at this.
now look at this:
“here, boy! come! let me show you how you can reach right into a cow’s stomach through this conveniently placed permanent hole in her side so that you can have yummier milk….and reese’s!!! mmmmmm, reese’s!”
sort of makes you lose your appetite for the greatest candy ever invented.
by the way…
vegan.
2. oh my god!!!!
to…”really, god????”
“Two 2-day-old male calves found discarded in the trash outside a dairy farm that had no need for them as veal. They were found this way, dehydrated after spending 24 hours in the extreme desert heat, in a trashcan. Male calves are a by-product of the dairy industry, which sells their mothers’ milk to make your ice cream sundae…”
or…they’re just turned into veal.
we all know meat is murder. did you know the milk industry is, too?
3. breakfast is served!
oh….those eggs!
ever wonder what use a baby boychick is to a hen house? clearly none.
okay…i’ve known this stuff since the minute i went vegan in april 2013. just three easy steps. and it still makes me cry…i have to type with my arms fully extended in front of me so the tears don’t ruin my keyboard.
oh, and one more thing…dairy cows…artificially inseminated repeatedly so they can literally be constant milk-giving machines for about three years. after which, what do you think happens to them? kept as pets, perhaps?
listen, i’ll be the first to admit that a life without cheese is one of the most depressing things i have to endure on a daily basis. (okay…so i have a pretty good life). but there’s always daiya, a pathetic globby sticky vegan cheese substitute that actually isn’t half-bad melted on a pizza. okay, maybe half-bad, but at least it’s half-good. and for me, that’s all good.
go vegan.
Well said. Btw you can buy an amazing vegan cheese called Happy Cow or even make it yourself from cashews.
yes. if, in theory, i could make ANYTHING edible…also, kite hill is the only manufacturer in america making almond-based cheese with a true cultured cheese-making process. only soft cheeses now, but 2-3 years away from real cheddar!
I mean Dr Cow not Happy Cow. Thanks, I didn’t know about Kite Hill.
http://www.kite-hill.com/ 😀
Congrats on taking the “plunge”. I can relate because I was vegetarian for about 30 years and finally took the vegan vow July 5,2012. My resistance was that I didn’t want to give up my daily cappuccino with cow’s milk. Soy milk didn’t satisfy me. Many of my friends are vegan and so I really began to question the hypocrisy of compassion towards animals but yet supporting the dairy and egg industries.What convinced me was the idea that for such a small sacrifice on my part I could make such a huge difference in the lives of other animals. The first few days of going vegan were hard as I realized all the prepared foods that I could never consume again because almost all of them contain just a smidge of dairy or egg.But I feel so much happier now because I am in line with my essential nature of non-violence and compassion towards others and reminded of that on a daily basis every time I bring fork to mouth.Plus oat milk is a great soy alternative in a cappuccino!
and it’s all with a free conscience! 😀
Great blog!! great information thanks Shana everyone needs to see this!!!!!
thanks! feel free to share! 🙂
Hi Shana and other vegans on this blog thread,
I do not mean to be be facetious. Of course what these meat and dairy industries are doing is cruel.
However have you considered the possibility that when we eat a plant , consume pea-protein, eat a tuber etc, we are inflicting pain and cruelty to a living being that cannot make a sound?
Does that mean we stop eating, period? Of course not. The answer, perhaps lies in humane and sustainable farming. Of everything. I think G’d intended us to eat things that we do eat (well maybe not the packaged stuff. That is entirely the wish of Kellogs or Walmart)
you make a good point that i have heard and considered many, many times.
however, animals are not only proven to have consciousness and feel pain (i can’t imagine anyone would dispute that fact), but as part of the animal kingdom ourselves, we should show a particular respect for other sentient beings.
the way i see it, if god intended to feed and nourish us, what way more miraculous and specific than to literally have beautiful fruits, vegetables, and grains emerge from the dirt of the earth?
You make a point that I have made several times (facetiously). One thing to consider-when people eat other animals, far more plants have to die to feed those “food animals” in order to convert plant energy to meat.So the most efficient and eco-friendly way is to only consume plant products – yes?
now there’s a perspective i’ve never heard before! 😀
Hi Shana. Have you made any blogs about what you eat?
hi pam,
i have not blogged about what i eat, as i hate to cook, so i can’t offer any recipes or anything.
i like simple dishes with only a few ingredients…
like a tortilla with kale and hummus, or simple beans and rice…and i love smoothies!!!
but you can find so many vegan recipes online from people who actually know something about preparing food.
🙂 shana