What I Learned:
- I love not having to take lactose pills with meals!
- Plant-based foods are not as calorie-dense as meat, eggs, and dairy, so I have to eat more and more frequently to feel full. I love eating and food, so this discovery was a positive for me.
- Paulie Gee’s has the best vegan pizza in Columbus. They make their own cashew ricotta and also keep ooey-gooey vegan mozzarella from Follow Your Heart on hand. It is delicious.
- Vegan junk food is still junk food. Eating a vegan burger (e.g. Impossible), while delicious, has the same nutritional impact on my overall health. Just because a food is vegan doesn’t mean that it is “healthy”. Moderation in all things!
- I have a never-ending craving for mushrooms. My body can consume massive quantities of mushrooms at one meal and still crave more mushroom-centric meals at the next.
- Meal planning for 9 meals is enough to carry me through two weeks without additional grocery shopping when combined with a couple of staple pasta dishes and weekly takeout. I had assumed this number of meals would be enough for only 1 week, but I was wrong.
Will I keep eating vegan after January 31?
More or less! Even before this experiment I ate vegan or vegetarian for 90% of my meals. I will meal prep and choose vegan recipes, and I do not plan to buy cheese, meat, or seafood at the grocery. Both of these decisions I believe will encourage me to eat vegan more often because it will make vegan cooking easier. However, I do plan to eat meat and dairy if ordering takeout or if buying pastries at my all-time favorite patisserie, Pistacia Vera.
How can you eat more vegan or plant-based?
- Plan ahead. Pick recipes and create a grocery listed based on those recipes when you go grocery shopping. This way you’ll know where to start and will feel less overwhelmed.
- Tell a friend about your goal to eat more vegan foods. Maybe they will try eating vegan with you. This system of accountability will keep you on-track.
- Try new foods. The human mind and gut microbiome thrives on food variety. Never tried a rutabaga? Check out the produce section at your local grocery or farmers’ market and see what catches your eye.
- Give yourself some grace. Trying to eat vegan will include trial and error. If you “slip up” and eat something that is animal-derived, try again next meal. The whole idea is that you reduce your consumption of animal products and improve your own health outcomes and reduce your carbon footprint in the process. Perfection is not required!
Did you try any vegan recipes during this month? Do you have questions for me about my plant-based journey? Please leave your questions and comments below!
