Let me start by saying, to all the vegans who probably clicked on this post expecting to eye-roll their way to the end of my feeble attempt, that I admire your lifestyle. I think it’s great how you can eat in a way that does not harm any being, and somehow order a soy latte from Costa whilst resist the tempting treats on display before you.
I’ve been a vegetarian of nearly 3 years now, but as much as I hate meat, I love dairy. Yogurts, ice cream, cake, cheese, cheesecake. These are my weaknesses, and what prompt me to say “I could never go vegan”. However, for one week only, I attempted to put this behind me, prioritize the rights of the cows and their calves, and go vegan.
I did my due research beforehand, and planned my meals accordingly. I’ve read similar posts where the participant always under-eats after being used to consuming calorie-dense animal products, and then complains of feeling fatigued when relying upon plant-based options.
However it was only whilst conducting my first grocery shop that I discovered all the Quorn products I’ve grown to love and trust are actually only vegetarian due to containing egg, and I’d have to do without my blessed Swedish meatballs for the week. The challenge ahead suddenly seemed a lot harder, but I was ready to go.
Day 1:
This was my first venture into the world of non-dairy milks. I subbed my regular porridge with soymilk and there was a certain weird after-taste I can’t quite describe. It wasn’t the greatest start to the week, until I discovered that Jacob’s CREAM crackers are in fact vegan.
I met a friend for lunch on campus and, after double-checking the status of baked beans, enjoyed some with a jacket potato for lunch. I’ve become panicked over everything around me in case it somehow has egg or milk hidden inside, conspiring against me and my efforts – looking at you, QUORN.
I snacked on a nakd bar, grapes and rice cakes throughout the afternoon before impressing myself with a tasty dinner – soy chicken pieces pan-fried in a hummus, carrot and salad wrap, plus veggies on the side with salsa! Not sure what you’d call it but it was a tasty combo.
I followed it up with a banana (which was oddly one of the best I’ve ever had – clearly Freelee was looking down on me) before heading to Goose Fair with friends where I was confronted at every turn with delicious food I could not partake in. However, at the end of day 1, I’m feeling good!
I’ve also somehow managed 9 portions of fruit and veg today – am I a proper vegan yet?
Day 2:
It began with more of the soy porridge, which honestly tasted weirder than yesterday. However the day went fairly well, having a hummus and salad sandwich for lunch with rice cakes. I’m weirdly finding that I never really feel completely full after my vegan meals though.
I made a sweet potato stew/curry/concoction complete with chickpeas, rice, eggplant and spinach for dinner, which was tasty enough before my housemate made pancakes. Serious willpower was necessary but I held out for my dessert.
Here Alpro truly redeemed themselves with a yummy hazelnut pudding pot that tasted just like any dairy version. I was content. UNTIL MY PANCAKE-MAKING HOUSEMATE BROUGHT IN CHEESECAKE TO EAT IN FRONT OF ME. Not sure how we can ever get past that.
Day 3:
Porridge was much improved this morning after I masked the soymilk taste with the addition of water. The day just got better from there as my housemates and I visited Dough-Notts where I was thrilled to discover they had several vegan offerings, and their Oreo donut was possibly the best I’ve ever had!
The weird “Am I full or hungry?” vibe continued throughout the day as I’d go from feeling bloated to peckish in minutes. Don’t know if this is veganism food digesting faster or my stomach just being weird, but my huge pasta dinner seemed to evaporate within 30 minutes. I could have made a convincing before and after photo collage and had people think I’d spent months in the gym in between the two. Or given birth.
Day 4:
I find once again that I’m needing a higher volume of food than normal; especially after a 45 minute gym session. I received some good news in the afternoon and wanted to celebrate with my old friends Ben and Jerry. However I had a banana and some chickpea puff crisps (sort of like wotsits?!) instead and felt very vegan.
Dinner was a sweet potato with more of those soy chicken pieces and veggies. I’ve passed the halfway mark and honestly it hasn’t been hard at all!
Day 5:
I splashed out on a Boots meal day for lunch as I spent the day on campus, and it was definitely worth the £3.39. I had a Cajun style fritter sandwich which was a solid 10/10.
I also had to walk solemnly past a free donut stand in Portland building on multiple occasions, with the guy giving them out asking me the second time if I “still didn’t want one?” I must have looked really sad the first time for him to have remembered me.
Day 6:
By this point, whilst I definitely feel I’m eating enough and snacking often, I’m craving something that’s not fruit or nuts! All my usual go-to granola bars and flapjacks have honey in them (a contested item amongst vegans) so I find myself having a Clif bar mid-afternoon, which is far more than I needed, just to get away from having another apple or banana.
I have a lazy load-up pasta dinner before a night out and come very close to nabbing a few squares of chocolate once I get home. Close, but I resisted.
Day 7:
The soy milk in my porridge doesn’t even taste weird anymore – I’ve somehow gotten used to it?! – but, as I struggle through 4 hours of classes on little sleep, all I want is a granola bar to snack on. The past few days have been hard, not because what I’m eating I’m not enjoying but because I’m always wanting something more, and the choices I had available weren’t calorie-dense enough. I’m shamelessly excited for a Go Ahead bar tomorrow morning.
So that’s the end of this 7-day challenge and I have to say that it was so much easier than I’d initially thought! On reflection, I already ate a fairly vegan diet coming into this apart from the dairy milk and snacks between meals.
This may be why I haven’t noticed any radical changes in my health as others have previously claimed – my skin did seem a bit clearer, but I don’t know whether that was due to this change in diet or the fact that I’m no longer consuming Disney theme park treats on the daily as I was all summer.
The main issue here wasn’t the food I was having but the fact that other food existed and other people were enjoying it. There’s nothing wrong with vegan food – it’s tasty, varied and not just salad as many may think – and perhaps if I’d done more research I could have found better carb-based snacks to keep me going.
However right now, veganism isn’t for me. The anxiety around checking the ingredients lists on packets, labeling foods as ‘good’ or ‘bad’ and having to always think about food ahead of time in case there’s not a vegan option is far too reminiscent of restrictive eating patterns I suffered with in the past.
Despite this, as I made my post-challenge grocery shop and finally got the yogurts and honey-packed bars I’d been craving, I spontaneously decided to give Alpro another try and sample their almond milk. Maybe this one will work out a little better.
Gif Sources
Images all author’s own