May Challenge

After much dabbling and acclimatising, I have decided that I will finally take the plunge. May will be my first full-on vegan month. I’ve been using soya milk instead of dairy for months now, and I would say that I eat vegan food about 90% of the time anyway. There will be challenges due to the fact that we have a holiday planned (therefore lots of eating-out opportunities). It’s weird that the most difficult thing isn’t not eating dairy or eggs, but having to go through the rigmarole of explaining to others what I eat and don’t eat. Not to mention how much detail I should go into if they ask why! Basically that’s the difference between being ovo-lacto veggie and vegan: these days most people have cottoned on to the concept of vegetarian, but vegan - well that’s still a bit “out there”. But what’s more important, doing what I consider to be the right thing, or the opinions of others?

Somehow actually declaring oneself vegan means making a statement, one that may make others feel uncomfortable. I consider myself to be a tolerant person, I don’t want to lecture folks about their dietary habits or start going on about slaughterhouses while they tuck in to their steak. However, I have to be true to myself and maintain my principals without being a total pain to others. I don’t want to be that sanctimonious vegan bore at the dinner party.

I think this month will be a learning curve socially more than the actual preparation of vegan food itself. I’m up for the challenge, anyway.