Forced To Go Vegan...

This past weekend, I was forced into a semi-vegan existence. I have allergy testing this coming Thursday, and the doctor gave me a list of foods/drinks that I’m not allowed to consume starting five days before the test. On Saturday (my 5 day starting point), I decided to look at the list thinking the only thing I would be giving up was Benadryl, bananas, and alcohol…boy, was I wrong. Here is the list that I read that morning…

Alcohol, chocolate, milk, shellfish, bananas, eggs, papayas, strawberries, certain nuts, fish, pineapple, tomatoes, anchovies, canned foods, eggplant, fish, mackerel, processed meats, sauerkraut, sour cream, tuna, wines, avocados, ciders, fermented beverages, herring, melons, salami, sausage, spinach, vermouth, yeast extract, beer, citrus fruits, fermented cheeses, jam preserves, plums, sardines, some oriental foods, tomatoes, vinegars, yogurt.

If your mouth is agape after reading this list, imagine what I looked like when I had to decide what I should eat for breakfast. My favorite items are “certain nuts” and “some oriental foods” – hmm vague enough? If I had celiac disease, I think I would be dropping dead in the next few hours. English muffins with vegan butter have saved my life. Thank God I live in the most diverse city in the world when it comes to food. There are vegan restaurants (but I can’t eat tomatoes) all over the place. I have been chowing down on hummus, dry cereal and apples. Last night, I had a frozen “Amy’s” dinner that was lactose free, gluten free and vegan – It was actually quite yummy, but talk about a complete lifestyle change at the drop of a hat. I grew up on meat and potatoes. My parents are going to see my food choices this Wednesday night when I head home for my test and regret their encouragement of my move (I can hear the hippie comments now). Of course, I can eat all things that are bad for you – French fries aren’t on the list, bread is a go and I’m pretty sure I can eat all the chips I want. Awesome. I want pineapples back in my life!

I’m using this experience to test out new foods. I don’t think I could ever go completely vegan, becuase I enjoy cheese too much, but perhaps I can make simple adjustments in my diet to live a healthier existence. Meat is unnecessary and hummus has tons of protein. Dairy is not good for you either – I found dairy free ice cream that tasted great (almost like the real thing). I’m sticking with plain vanilla until my testing, but once that’s over I’m going to try the cookie dough option. My roommate informs me that there is a bakery near our apartment that has tons of vegan cookies and cupcakes that are tasty as well. I’m trying to cut back on sugar, but a little treat here and there never killed anyone. There are also Indian restaurants that have plenty of vegetarian delights in the area…I’ve never had a falafel. Since my food changes are for health reasons and have nothing to do with morality, eggs will still be a part of my diet and I’m not going to fret if milk is used in a recipe or on top of my morning cereal. I’ll try all food once, so we’ll see if I can keep this up for a week or two. Thanks to my Ear, Nose and Throat Doctor for throwing me to the vegan wolves. I’m still not sure I want this, but what better time to try something new. And the added perk is the couple of pounds I’m sure to drop from munching on lettuce, grapes and black bean soup all week.