Veggies and fruit on the rebound

By Amy Staples

What a difference a month makes.
I thought back in January the first thing on my plate Feb. 1 would be a juicy cheeseburger with extra pickle, after eating like a vegan for 31 days.

Instead, midnight Jan. 31 I found myself with a box of fudge my roommate’s mother sent for the holidays. It had been sitting on the coffee table taunting me for weeks. An unrestrained, unapologetic chocoholic, I never say no to cocoa.

When I happened to glance at the clock at the end of January at the exact time it became February, the next thing I saw was the candy. I didn’t even have to think about it.
Dairy was one thing. Eating meat again, however, was a different matter. When I go out to eat now, I consciously avoid meat. I order tofu if it is an option.

I have eaten meat since the Great Vegan Experiment; shared dishes like pizza and nachos keep me from punishing my friends with selfish proclamations of vegetarianism. And let’s face it: I like meat.

But the arguments against eating meat are becoming more difficult to ignore over chicken nachos. The fact that some nutritionists argue that humans are historically not carnivores is harder to ignore when I see unappealing raw meat in the grocery store.
The point I am getting at is I am a vegetarian, albeit a reluctant one. But there it is. The door is open, I am stepping out of the meat-eater’s closet and I am proclaiming my vegetarianism.

As much as I enjoy meat and expect to be ostracized by family and friends who habitually gather ‘round the grill and sing the praises of top sirloin, I cannot ignore the reasons to refrain from indulging.
I have gone back to dairy and eggs. Soymilk is just as good as milk without the guilt, but half and half still reigns in the fridge for coffee consumption.

I expect eggs are on the way out. As soon as the carton of 18 at home is gone, I am picking up egg substitute and hope for the best. The fact the carton of eggs has been there since December should say enough about my egg consumption.
In all, I have to say the vegan experience helped me make a healthy decision for the animals, the environment, and myself.

Amy Staples authored a cover story about being a vegan for a month in the Feb. 24 issue of The Advocate.