Kale smoothies, acai bowls, avocados and quinoa are the current "it" foods. These foods will sound familiar if you have any form of social media on you'll find the accounts of models, celebrities and of course your average basic girl. However, though these items may be “food” for an Instagram photographer’s perfect #foodporn flick, they are also popular for a different reason. That is, simply, that these super foods are the basis of a healthy, plant-based diet. However, this lies in the realm of a taboo called veganism, which is a word that may inflame certain people for a number of reasons, the main one being the general misconception about veganism in general. Oftentimes, claiming that one is “trying to be vegan” is seen as pretentious, even preachy.

I have heard (and I kid you not) that vegans are a different species altogether. Some people believe that vegans only eat lettuce and survive off of handfuls of carrots. Some may even be afraid of vegans, because they believe vegans are just a bunch of misanthropic cavemen and cave women who will condemn anyone who lays eyes on any type of animal-based product. However, from what I have seen and experienced, veganism is a movement, and being vegan is a lifestyle that one choses for oneself. I see the vegan community as a whole as one that tries to promote health and happiness for both people and animals. Not all vegans eat extremely cleanly and win humanitarian awards every year. They are, after all, just people with different dietary preferences -- whether for religious, health, environmental or any other personal reasons.

As a child growing up in an Asian household, I have always been told that if I am full, I should at least eat all the meat off my plate instead of wasting it. Historically, since animals were expensive to slaughter, only the elites, and not the farmers, ate pigs and cows. I know my parents were right when they insisted I eat the meat on my plate -- it would be wrong to waste the good food provided by an animal slaughtered in vain. The benefits of cutting animal products from your diet include a better working digestive system because there is less fat and oil flowing through the system, better absorption of nutrients from your food, and (perhaps most importantly) scentless excrement!

Now, you may be wondering why, after stating all these amazing reasons to be vegan, I have said that I will never be able to go completely vegan. Aside from my general love for spicy tuna and In-N-Out, as a college student, it is extremely difficult to control my food consumption. With the stress of school, work and just being worn out from a neverending flow of tasks, every spare minute is spent trying to maximize my free time, which is not necessarily best spent in the kitchen for me. Due to the fast-paced lives of college students and the general time crunch, even if I were able to spare time in the kitchen, I would prefer to make something quick and filling. This usually involves some type of meat or egg. Of course, there is always the option of a vegetable-based ramen, but eating ramen every day would defeat the purpose of pursuing a clean, healthy vegan diet for me.

So as much as I would love joining the ranks of the meat and dairy-free eaters out there, I know that may never be possible for me. I will always choose the meatless option when I can, and I'll try to buy more greens instead of meats. I also encourage you to make conscious decisions on the behalf of your health and the environment the next time you eat out or go grocery shopping. Who knows? Maybe you will actually enjoy the taste of veganism, just like this little fella.