Going Vegan: Week 1 Review

The first week went well despite a minor slip up.

We discovered a number of recipes, meals, and ingredients we enjoyed.  I'll post links to recipes below.

Sara Beth realized she likes almond milk almost as much as real milk.  She won't admit it, though, because she feels like it's being unfaithful to her first love.  A couple times I've caught her sipping it from the carton.

I slipped up going out for drinks with SB's coworkers.  I had a poor man's black velvet, which layers Woodchuck Hard Cider and Guinness.  Guinness uses isinglass (a fish bladder) as a fining ingredient, but they filter it before bottling.

We didn't have access to the internet to check Barnivore if it was vegan.  This isn't a violation according to my introduction post, but I still feel stupid for not knowing or checking.  I won't drink Guinness again until after February.

The hardest part so far has been meal planning.  We can't make our quick, go-to meals that used cheese or egg, but I hope it'll get easier with each week.

This difficulty, though, lead me to a realization: meat, dairy, and egg substitutes are a crutch for the newly vegan or vegetarian.

I didn't start as a healthy vegetarian years ago.  Most of my diet was Boca and Morningstar substitutes.  My diet has become progressively healthier, though, the more comfortable I feel cooking veggies and vegetarian dishes.

This doesn't mean, however, I've stopped using meat substitutes.  Whenever I feel like being the "dietary-normative," I'll eat a substitute.

Here's a list of the vegan recipes and substitutes we've enjoyed:

Easy Vegan Pancakes
Vegan Blueberry Muffins
Quinoa Pilaf and Crimini Mushrooms
Tofutti Cuties - Ice Cream Sandwiches
Spaghetti with Tofurkey Italian Sausages and Pasta Sauce
Oatmeal with Blueberries and Walnuts