what I learned from switching up what I’m eating
I’ve always wondered what it would be like to be vegan. I recently decided to explore it after feeling a little tired of having the same dining hall meals over and over. I wanted to do it just for a few days to see what it would be like and whether I would feel differently in any way. I’m already vegetarian, so it definitely wasn’t as difficult and new for me as it would be for many people. But it still changed my meals a lot and helped me form some new habits!
Through the course of the days I ate vegan, I felt way more excited for dining hall lunches and dinners! Thinking about what sounded best on the menus and how to combine options for my meals brought a lot more excitement to them and helped me avoid eating pasta or burrito bowls for every meal (which are so yum, but I really needed to diversify!). I had stir fry, curries, salads, grain bowls and A LOT of sweet potato fries. So much good food that I’ve always had occasionally but am just starting to realize that I really love.
I also found myself feeling better in general. Eating more variety of foods made me more genuinely interested in my meals and I stopped getting as tired of the dining hall. My stomach didn’t ever feel upset after eating like it did sometimes before, and I felt like I had more sustained energy throughout the day. There were for sure some positive changes in how I felt, both physically and mentally!
One aspect of this change was that I had barely any caffeine during this week. Before, I had coffee or chai almost every day, and I definitely didn’t fully rely on it but I did notice myself making a habit of getting it whenever I had a long day ahead of me. Sometimes it made me shaky or made my stomach feel off. I did get one latte with almond milk, but to be completely honest it was super gross. So I don’t think vegan coffee is for me! But I realized that maybe coffee in general doesn’t have to be for me either. I was just as productive and alert as I usually am, even without my normal amount of caffeine. So now, I don’t get drinks as much because I’ve learned that I don’t need to make my stomach upset just to supposedly be more awake. I wish I didn’t have negative effects from caffeine because I absolutely love a good cafe study sesh, but now I know I can still do well without it.
The main thing I didn’t like about my vegan journey was the very disappointing lack of dessert. I did find some vegan cookies and candy, but it just wasn’t the same. I thrive on my daily sweet treats, and being vegan really got in the way of it. When I did find a vegan dessert in the dining hall, I ate more than my stomach wanted because I hadn’t had anything sweet for a while. What I realized is that having sweets in smaller amounts (or sometimes not so small amounts tbh) more often is a way better habit for me. And, more importantly, that I could not be vegan full-time because I would miss desserts way too much!
The biggest takeaway from my very brief vegan journey is that I love a good balance! I loved eating my meals mainly vegan because it made the food more exciting and made me feel better mentally and physically. But I love a good treat and a lot of my favorite snacks have dairy. I didn’t like feeling like I couldn’t eat foods that I was craving, and I feel that it’s important to listen to what my body is telling me. Everyone’s habits and needs are completely different, but I’m so glad I’ve been able to reflect on mine. After this experiment, I’m trying to implement more balance! I’m not quite sure what that looks like yet but I know that I’ve had both some very good vegan and non-vegan meals recently!