Welcome to my very first blog! This is the start of a journey on which I will drastically change my diet from that of a carnivore to a vegan. Today, I eat meat...tomorrow, it's tofu time!! Well...not quite that fast...
Becoming vegan is not an overnight achievement. It will require research, planning, hunting for recipes/meat and dairy replacements, and many other challenges. The goal is to be completely vegan by January 1, 2011 when I will no longer consume any animal products or by-products. The goal, is to continue this for one full year - until December 31, 2011, and maybe beyond...
Many people become vegan or vegetarian for different reasons - ethical, dietary, health-related or a combination of these. I have always felt strongly for the humane and ethical treatment of animals - even for those of us who consume meat or diary, it has always been my preference that these animals be raised and treated the best possible, even if they inevitably end up on a dinner plate.
In some climates, hunting is the only way to survive as vegetation and farming are not available; greenhouses and the transportation of goods to these remote areas is costly and not affordable for the average person. To be a vegan and live in Nunavut, now that would be a serious challenge!
Living in the downtown of a major city, raising three kids, balancing life's challenges, activities - as well as the budget - is always a huge challenge. Finding healthy, organic food = very expensive. The availability and demand is here, and so the price is often high, but this will be part of the goal - to meet the challenge of going vegan on a reasonable budget. I try to buy organic when it's affordable, but that can't always be done - sometimes it's the plain tofu from Chinatown, or the gourmet smoked organic variety from the St. Lawrence Market.
As I discover new ideas, recipes, inventing or re-inventing recipes - I will post them here. The road to veganism will be done in stages, by process of elimination, until the new year. If I make a change, move up a step in the plan or try something new, I will post it here. Even if I cheat - oops - I will admit it. There are many vegan-friendly places around the city, but then there are the cheese shops, sushi bars, delis and gourmet burger shops.
Today I start with one step: no more red meat! That means no more steak dinners, no more beef burgers or meaty pasta sauce. It's soy ground round instead! I can do this...I can do this...
For every meat there is a meat replacement!
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