by Sofia Estela ‘20

For the entire month of November I decided to challenge myself to go vegan, and the main reason as to why I embarked on this journey was to complete my overall goal of being healthier. I decided that clean eating would be my first step. There was no specific source for my idea besides the fact that I had always wanted to give veganism a try, and it was much more difficult than I had anticipated.

Day 1: This vegan thing might be easier than I thought because more food is vegan than I expected, and I like the meat substitutes. However, it seems very expensive (we spent almost $200 at the grocery store!), and the fresh food that I have chosen to incorporate into my diet goes bad very fast.

Day 3: I am doing well with this experiment, but it is difficult to stick to it when my friends and family continuously offer me food with milk or cheese in it.

Day 7: A week down and three more to go. I’ve been living off of a strict diet of veggie burgers and fruit smoothies, but I don’t mind.

Day 12: Eating out is a lot trickier than expected because I don’t know what products are involved in the preparation behind the scenes. I’m pretty sure I ate broccoli with butter on it, but I was very hungry and I couldn’t resist.

Day 15: Halfway done with my vegan adventure and I’m considering doing this for longer. I find that I have fewer headaches and maybe that’s because I’ve been cooking with better food products. I’m beginning to like this lifestyle and might even consider picking up yoga and campaigning for PETA . Just kidding, my mom is eating chocolate right in front of my face and I might cry.

Day 17: We’re running out of food, and I’m getting anxious. What else can I eat? At the moment I’m forced to eat dry Cheerios and spoonfuls of peanut butter. Send help!

Day 23: Thanksgiving. It was a mess, both the vegan and the traditional meal didn’t work out and I was confined to chips and guacamole. It sure didn’t feel like Thanksgiving. I really wanted to binge on a huge glob of mashed potatoes, but I stuck with it. Although I feel much better physically being vegan, my heart tells me to eat a whole wheel of cheese.

Day 27: We went out for Chinese food this evening and it was pleasantly surprising. They had a ton of vegan and vegetarian options that were all very tasty. A plus for Hunan Delight.

Day 30: Finally this is over. It was not so bad, but I really do miss all of my favorite foods. To wrap up the month I ate a cheese quesadilla. Overall, I felt way better mentally and physically, so maybe it’s time to make some permanent healthy changes in my life, even if the changes are not completely vegan.