Questionable Experiences with Veganism
Vegan food.
Need I say more?
An increasing trend with growing groups of both supporters and opposers, it does have some perks: I am acutely aware that I consume perhaps more meat than I should, my love for eggs strong and unrelenting, and with a risk of high cholesterol running in the family it leads me to wonder whether I should reduce my intake of meat, or at least become a lot more aware of it.
The other day I bought a portion of pork to cook, and a serving of 100g for a meal between my sister and me cost a minimal $1.70 - cheaper than a head of broccoli, or a portion of green beans at the best of times. Sure, mass-by-mass $17 per kilogram of meat had nothing on $3 for carrots, but it was one of very few times I considered the cost it takes to raise an animal, to feed it and transport it for slaughter, to prepare it for consumption and have profit left over, and it only reminded me of the huge issues regarding meat-eating that surpasses just animal rights.
And yes, eating meat introduced a new source of protein in ancestral human forms that caused a sudden and rapid progression in evolution through a major development of the brain, yet at the same time, in a world where extra nutrients can be synthesised in a laboratory, and many alternate sources of protein are available, it makes me wonder whether there may be huge benefits for the world's resources in switching from eating meat.
Setting aside such dire topics, such a dilemma was soon solved through accumulating knowledge of a vegetarian and vegan eatery near the university campus, of which, conveniently, I had a voucher. So, arranging a time with my sister, we headed down to see what vegan food really was like. I had no idea what to expect, as my experiences with vegan food was limited to eating fresh fruits and, surprisingly, Oreos (although this is debated, and claimed otherwise by Nabisco themselves), but I assumed a relatively open mind, and, after a painstakingly slow decision-making process, we settled on ordering a tofu curry, a mushroom and lentil dahl, and a boysenberry and cashew smoothie. The two meals were accompanied by side salads, of which we chose a pumpkin risotto and a Thai curry-inspired salad, all of which were not only vegan, but also gluten-free. The portions were huge, and we knew from the moment they were served we would not finish half of it (which we were right about).
Vegan food, I discovered, is very much a roller-coaster of flavours and emotions, unexpectedly. Like a bad television drama, my opinions of everything changed frequently with every mouthful I took. The first thought I had was that vegan food is extremely refreshing, likely due to a good variation of vegetables and legumes present, the opinion slowly wavering as I tried the other dishes, fluctuating between, Veganism is definitely manageable and a great possibility for me in the future, down to, I want to cry, because perhaps not so strangely, a lack of meat for a person who eats dairy, eggs, or animal at least once per meal made it extremely unsatisfying, the best of which I can explain is the feeling of doing a chore which I should be doing anyway but really, really, didn't want to do.
In other words, vegan food made me feel vindicated, and very, very sad simultaneously. Clearly, an unrealised addiction to meat has me craving it even within hours of a scrambled-egg breakfast, and this was only supported by my feeling quite queasy a couple of hours after my meal. Whether this was a result of the food itself or my personal well-being that day I won't know, but I doubt I'll return to a full vegan meal within the foreseeable future.
Perhaps going vegan was too much of a step up. At least in the future, I may consider going vegetarian to improve my health, if even just part-time.
Vegan food? I give it 7/23, at least for now (let's wait until my palate matures, if ever).
Need I say more?
An increasing trend with growing groups of both supporters and opposers, it does have some perks: I am acutely aware that I consume perhaps more meat than I should, my love for eggs strong and unrelenting, and with a risk of high cholesterol running in the family it leads me to wonder whether I should reduce my intake of meat, or at least become a lot more aware of it.
The other day I bought a portion of pork to cook, and a serving of 100g for a meal between my sister and me cost a minimal $1.70 - cheaper than a head of broccoli, or a portion of green beans at the best of times. Sure, mass-by-mass $17 per kilogram of meat had nothing on $3 for carrots, but it was one of very few times I considered the cost it takes to raise an animal, to feed it and transport it for slaughter, to prepare it for consumption and have profit left over, and it only reminded me of the huge issues regarding meat-eating that surpasses just animal rights.
And yes, eating meat introduced a new source of protein in ancestral human forms that caused a sudden and rapid progression in evolution through a major development of the brain, yet at the same time, in a world where extra nutrients can be synthesised in a laboratory, and many alternate sources of protein are available, it makes me wonder whether there may be huge benefits for the world's resources in switching from eating meat.
Setting aside such dire topics, such a dilemma was soon solved through accumulating knowledge of a vegetarian and vegan eatery near the university campus, of which, conveniently, I had a voucher. So, arranging a time with my sister, we headed down to see what vegan food really was like. I had no idea what to expect, as my experiences with vegan food was limited to eating fresh fruits and, surprisingly, Oreos (although this is debated, and claimed otherwise by Nabisco themselves), but I assumed a relatively open mind, and, after a painstakingly slow decision-making process, we settled on ordering a tofu curry, a mushroom and lentil dahl, and a boysenberry and cashew smoothie. The two meals were accompanied by side salads, of which we chose a pumpkin risotto and a Thai curry-inspired salad, all of which were not only vegan, but also gluten-free. The portions were huge, and we knew from the moment they were served we would not finish half of it (which we were right about).
Vegan food, I discovered, is very much a roller-coaster of flavours and emotions, unexpectedly. Like a bad television drama, my opinions of everything changed frequently with every mouthful I took. The first thought I had was that vegan food is extremely refreshing, likely due to a good variation of vegetables and legumes present, the opinion slowly wavering as I tried the other dishes, fluctuating between, Veganism is definitely manageable and a great possibility for me in the future, down to, I want to cry, because perhaps not so strangely, a lack of meat for a person who eats dairy, eggs, or animal at least once per meal made it extremely unsatisfying, the best of which I can explain is the feeling of doing a chore which I should be doing anyway but really, really, didn't want to do.
In other words, vegan food made me feel vindicated, and very, very sad simultaneously. Clearly, an unrealised addiction to meat has me craving it even within hours of a scrambled-egg breakfast, and this was only supported by my feeling quite queasy a couple of hours after my meal. Whether this was a result of the food itself or my personal well-being that day I won't know, but I doubt I'll return to a full vegan meal within the foreseeable future.
Perhaps going vegan was too much of a step up. At least in the future, I may consider going vegetarian to improve my health, if even just part-time.
Vegan food? I give it 7/23, at least for now (let's wait until my palate matures, if ever).
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