After procrastinating by watching Lucie Fink’s “5 Days of” videos on Refinery 29, I was inspired to try one of my own. I was having one of those weeks when my body felt like it needed a cleanse, and I know a bunch of people who have had success with going vegan and so I decided to try it! Each day I journaled about how I was feeling, what I ate, and the challenges around being vegan at St. Lawrence. Here is a mock day: Day 1: Breakfast: The whole “grab and go” idea from the Pub as you run to your 8:50 may not be too difficult when you aren’t vegan, but it takes serious planning and time to find a quick vegan breakfast option. After perusing my options, I decided on a small carton of Soy Milk, Kashi Heart to Heart Oat Flakes & Blueberry Clusters Cereal, and an apple.
Lunch: I found that lunch is actually easier than breakfast. One of my favorite vegan lunches from the Pub was a make-your-own-salad with sprouts, tomatoes, cucumbers, shredded lettuce, and a black bean burger on top. It turned out delicious. I topped it with a packet of balsamic vinaigrette dressing because the other options (Ranch, Caesar, and even Italian) contain non-vegan animal products.
Another one of my favorite lunches was avocado toast. Yes, the DIY Pub version isn’t exactly insta-worthy but it definitely is a great option in Canton. I ordered 2 pieces of whole wheat toast, bought an avocado, a lemon, grabbed some salt and pepper, and put it all together. Snack: I was actually really surprised the amount of vegan snack options, most pretzels, chips, etc. are vegan! Dinner: Most nights I made myself a salad with veggies, topped with a vegan chicken cutlet and a mix of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and lemon juice at Dana. P.S. ****Don’t go to Cactus if you’re a vegan unless you want to just eat a bowl of guacamole and salsa. Being vegan was really difficult and frustrating at times, but it also was very rewarding. I felt very energized and overall very healthy. It was an awesome experience, but when Day 5 ended I was more than excited to eat a piece of Sergi’s and say goodbye to my week as a vegan.