Vegan for a Week

I don't know why I'm so proud of myself. I've been trying to do it for what...three years? Knowing of the incredible suffering that factory farming and animal testing causes, I ought to be ashamed that it's taken this long. But for the last week I have actually done it. Eliminated every possible animal product from my diet, and shopped cruelty free to the best of my knowledge. No giving in to the kids' requests for store-bought brownies with "just a little" eggs and dairy (and a heap of preservatives, artificial flavorings, corn-syrup, trans-fats, and colors). Man, you eliminate a lot of junk when you buy vegan. I didn't really realize how much the little things add up until I started to absolutely refuse it all. I can't even find a loaf of bread at the grocery store, so today I'm baking lest John should have to go without a sandwich tomorrow. I've made pizza from scratch and tempeh and white bean sausage patties with whole wheat biscuits. We've had burritos with those amazing Central Market whole wheat tortillas, and I even made vegan nachos with homemade nacho cheeze sauce from The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook which is so wonderful! Lowfat, made with mostly whole foods, and so delicious that even John likes it (not as well as Velveeta, you understand, but well enough!)

Now I just have to deal with the kids' love of ham. They accept change pretty well if they understand the reasons for it. But they don't know that they've ever eaten pigs, I've never told them that's where ham comes from. And they really, really like ham. I'm partly afraid that it will gross them out and make them feel bad for ever eating it, and mostly afraid that they'll think ham tastes so good that it's worth it. They really like ham. I know I'm the mom, but it's their body and ultimately their decision when I'm not around. We live in a world where there's ham in nearly every fridge. I've ordered Earthlings. I'll have to review it when it comes in, I don't know if it's too graphic to show them. It probably is for Annie, but John Aubrey might be old enough to handle and digest some of what goes on.

Even more challenging for me than making ham undesirable is being prepared. There is no such thing as stopping off for a quick bite when you're out and about. And kids get hungry. Like all the time. And when they get hungry, they get cranky. This is a giant stumbling block for me. I have always struggled with being organized and vegan food that the kids will actually eat isn't always terribly portable. I wouldn't want to have to explain that to a hen who just had her beak sliced off though, or to a newborn calf who had just been ripped away from his mother at the dairy farm. Inconvenience is not enough of an excuse. Not anymore.