My Vegan Summer
|My Summer so far has mainly consisted of lazing around, with minimal responsibilities and minimal clothing. Not too different from Summers of the recent past.
What has been different and therefore memorable this Summer has been the unique experience of inviting people to come over to see my newly-renovated house. Upon walking into the main living area, the unanimous initial reaction of visitors is: “Wow . . . (pause, look around a bit more) . . . WOW!” — which makes all the effort and expense seem so worth it!
Another unique Summer experience has been trying to achieve the goal of eating a more plant-based diet. I had set a goal that as of July 31 I would no longer have meat, eggs, or dairy in the house. That goal was not met, although progress was made — for example, there’s almost no meat in the freezer or eggs in the fridge. What really shocked me has been the almost insurmountable challenge of eliminating dairy. I’ve been unable to wean myself from my morning whey (milk)-type protein shakes and post-workout whey-based protein bars. And, each and every time I go grocery shopping, I have to consciously decide all over again not to buy ice cream, yogurt, or cheese. I cruise the dairy aisles looking for alternative plant-based products. I’m finding the soy yogurt products to be particularly disappointing. But, I discovered a wonderful, albeit caloric, substitute for ice cream: Almond Dream Chocolate Indulgence Gelato. Yum, yum, yum — Yep, being vegan just got a little easier!
Have you tried the coconut ice cream from Trader Joe’s? I just bought some yesterday and it is pretty good.