Monday, December 31, 2012

My Websites for the Vegan Project

http://www.vegsarasota.com/index.php

A locals guide to vegan and vegetarian living in Sarasota.


http://www.vegweb.com/

I'm going to use this to look for new and exciting recipes to try.



Veggies I love

1. artichoke
2. asparagus
3. green beans
4. beets
5. bell peppers
6. broccoli
7. brussel sprouts
8. cabbage
9. carrots
10. cauliflower
11. cucumber
12. garlic
13. kale
14. lettuce
15. radish
16. rhubarb
17. spinach
18. potato
19. sweet potato
20. spinach

The Challenge

I figured I should start my journey by describing the challenges I will face. Mostly A: How picky I am with foods and B: The foods I will be giving up that I might really miss.

A: Foods I will not eat -that are vegan-:
1. bananas (any form, even in smoothies)
2. onions (raw form, potentially some cooked forms)
3. peas (any form)
4. celery (any form)
5. corn (raw form, canned form, cooked form)
6. leek (any form)
7. mushrooms (only cooked with other food items, not by themselves)
8. chickpeas (only in hummus)
9.

A: Foods I'm unsure how I feel about:
1. beets
2. pickled vegetables (that aren't pickles)
3. eggplant
4. squash
5.

and

B: Foods I want to eat but will not for three weeks:
1. chocolate
2. dairy based baked goods
3. chicken
4. turkey
5. candy
6.

*These lists are in no way complete and will be added to as time goes by*

A New Veginning

What’s up: I like to cook and I love to eat. From now until my birthday I will eat vegan and learn about the lifestyle. What does it take to eat vegan? What will I have to give up? Can I pull through?

The purpose of the blog: Document the project and my feelings. Share pictures and create solidarity and accountability. Like anonymous motivation.

Why vegan? Since I graduated from college and started heavily using netflix instant, I have watched quite a few documentaries on the food industry and the food we eat. Most of the news is not good news. I feel like I eat fairly healthy and try to capitulate on the foods I enjoy that are healthy. I take the healthy food opportunities. What I’m doing at this point with this project is to make those opportunities a full-time (temporary) commitment. I also enjoy a good challenge and would like this experience in order to fully understand the lifestyle.

How vegan? This is more difficult to answer than the why. I am a picky eater. Just ask my grandparents. For Christmas one year I gave them a list of foods I wouldn’t eat for a present. Maybe I should try to work on integrating these foods back into my diet, or at least giving them another chance. The foods I do like I am passionate about and conveniently a lot of them happen to be on the vegan (or at least vegetarian) friendly list. Also, I love to cook and try out new recipes.

Here is my plan:

1. Supplements
The reason for going vegan is partially for health so I wouldn’t want to skimp on necessary nutrients, especially if I’m too picky for the vegan substitutes.

2. Materials
The internet is loaded with information. It’s like the work has been done for me! I need a plan for what supplements I should get and what kinds of foods I can and can’t eat on this diet. I also want some good recipes and hints for snacks.

3. The food
Time to hit the grocery store! Publix, Whole Foods, and the Saturday Market

4. Eat