“I can finally eat McDonald’s again!” I blurted out to my friend Natascha as we sat eating gelato at Dolcezza in DC last night. This wouldn’t have been true if I were speaking only a month ago.
The summer before my senior year of high school, I attended a workshop about veganism. I had already known for several years about the cruelty involved in the meat industry, but I had no idea about the inhumane practices going on in the dairy and other animal industries.
Immediately after attending the workshop, I was hooked and inspired to change my eating habits. Thus, I became a vegan.
That was over two years ago.
Needless to say, I was excited to begin my new journey. Making the switch to a vegan diet wasn’t difficult either since I had been a vegetarian on and off throughout high school and I already had a strong dislike for cheese. I was really proud of what I was doing. By simply changing how I ate, I wasn’t contributing to animal abuse and supporting the horrendous industries that promote it.
When I first began my diet, I was lucky to have the Internet and my mom, who had majored in dietetics, as important resources. I learned to take my daily vitamin supplements and made sure to eat enough protein every day. Since I was approaching this new diet the right way, eating vegan made me feel great. My skin cleared up and I was naturally eating more fruits and vegetables than I had been before.
I also made a effort to not to draw attention to my diet, and I tried as much as I could to avoid having the “preachy vegan” stereotype attached to me. Despite my efforts, however, it seemed like everyone around me made a big deal about it. At parties and family events, people would worry more than I did about what I was going to eat. Although their concerns were well-intended, these situations were unbearable for me since I don’t like to draw too much attention to myself and be considered high maintenance.
From the beginning, I was very strict about my diet. Whenever I would go out to eat, I always asked if something was made with eggs, milk, butter, etc., and I checked the ingredients of everything I consumed. Over time, I became more relaxed about the food I ate. If I accidentally had something with milk — no problem; it wasn’t an issue. During my first year of college, though, I began to consciously cheat at my diet. I didn’t cheat out of necessity, but rather just because I felt like eating ice cream or pizza that day. I never regretted any of those actions either.
This past week, however, things changed. I was absolutely craving meat so I decided to have some. I ate chicken noodle soup and it was the first time I had consumed meat in several years. Frankly, I thought I would never touch meat again. I remember being a vegetarian and sobbing in my mom’s car after I ate a chicken burrito from Chipotle. Oddly enough, I didn’t react the same way about eating the soup. It was simply an action—a part of my day.
I decided from then on to abandon veganism. Though the act of eating meat after a long period of time was not a big deal, I realized then that my life is going to change drastically. No longer do I need to obsess and plan over what I’m going to eat when I go out to dinner or be the odd one out at family gatherings. These issues, though they may seem petty, gave me enormous amounts of anxiety when I was vegan.
Although I am no longer vegan, this experience of the diet still had an incredible effect on me. When I discussed my transition to becoming an omnivore with my mother, she made a good point: Food is such a big part of our lives that it’s something that we encounter on a daily basis. There’s no avoiding it.
It sounds like I’m talking about a religion, right? But it really felt that way when I was a vegan. Even though my diet has changed, it has definitely influenced me, my interests, and my tastes. It sparked my interest in cooking and I enjoy trying new vegan recipes. I love tofu and I still prefer almond milk over regular cow’s milk.
I’m not making a claim that being an omnivore or a vegan is better than the other. I changed because I simply lost my will and passion to keep up with my diet. I became apathetic toward it and I really didn’t care anymore. I feel happy, though. Now that I no longer have to abide by the restrictions of a vegan diet, I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I realized that I need to take care of myself first and eat whatever makes me feel good, whether it be tofu or a medium-rare steak.
