A more extreme form of vegetarianism, strict veganism eliminates all animal products from one’s diet (while ethical vegans reject the use of animal products and commodities for any purpose). Even within strict veganism, there different levels of commitment: some vegans will only eat fruit which fell naturally to the ground, while more extreme individuals won’t touch any food which casts a shadow. The mind boggles… As I wouldn’t know where to start living by these guidelines, I stuck to the more “classic” form of veganism, cutting all meat, fish and dairy out of my diet for 24 hours.
Breakfast was easy. Given that I normally only eat a piece of fruit in the morning, I was quite prepared for a vegan breakfast. After all the McDonalds on Day 20, finally getting some vitamins in me was a real relief and I ate my pear with pride. So far, so good.
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| An Innocent Little Lunch |
Lunch was equally straightforward. Without a set plan in mind, I headed into a local supermarket with a few buzzwords: falafel, bulgur wheat, quinoa. Unfortunately for me, these seemingly “kooky” foods were nowhere to be found on the shelves. I started looking around in desperation and quickly stumbled upon a vegan’s heaven. Innocent Veg Pots. You know the company that does the incredible smoothies? Apparently they do microwavable vegan meals too. Score! My lunch was what I like to call “commercial veganism”: a vegetable green curry, bean salad and hummus, all bought from a big global franchise supermarket. Evidently there are vegans in the City too. More fool me for assuming they all live in tree houses and wear tie-dye…
Mid-afternoon and I was hit by my first challenge of the day. To combat office boredom, a friendly colleague cheerily announced that she had bought some sweets to share. I love it when this happens: no better excuse to wander around and have a chat than where there’s free food on offer. As usual I ran to the bowl of sugary treats and was instantly hit by a wall of disappointment. The gummy freebies contained gelatine – a big no-no for vegans. I dejectedly walked back to my desk, watching my colleagues indulging in the confectionary. My day of green eating had turned me green with envy. So not cool.
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| So much food. So little meat. |
By evening, I had got over my sweet-related trauma and excitedly made my way to “Food For Thought”, an independent vegetarian / vegan restaurant near Covent Garden which offers a range of homemade dishes at bargain price. Together with my friend Alice (remember her from Day 13?), I descended the staircase of the restaurant into the dining room, which is decked with communal wooden tables and cool decorations. It’s a nice atmosphere and the staff are very friendly. Vegetarians generally are; they’re the loving type, after all. Since we arrived just before last orders, Food For Thought had unfortunately run out of their vegan curry and tagine, meaning that my only option was their butternut soup. Although this was delicious, I looked on jealously at Alice’s sizable portion of quiche which was off limits for me due to its cheese topping. Eating out as a vegan is a tricky business. My soup was accompanied by vast amounts of various salads, leaving my plate piled high with food. Despite the quantity (and quality) of my meal, I was left slightly wanting at the end and felt I could have still managed a good steak. I guess that’s what a completely meat-free day will do to a faithful carnivore…
Going vegan wasn’t the challenge I had initially expected it to be. Having said that, I did only do it for one day. Any more than that, and I’m sure I would’ve quickly cracked and eaten a cheeky chocolate/bacon sandwich/slab of cheese/all of the above. On the up side, I felt brilliantly healthy after my veggie day and would recommend it for anyone needing a detox. Try only eating McDonalds for a day and you’ll need one too, I assure you.
Day Twenty One: Vegan it up. CHECK!
Peace & Love,
Rich xx
Day Twenty One: Vegan it up. CHECK!
Peace & Love,
Rich xx
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