Becoming Vegan: to Be or Not to Be?

I have been flying through the pages of Marion Nestle's What to Eat (much faster than I did for Hamlet), and I just finished reading the sections discussing dairy. While she does not even mention veganism in these sections, what she reveals about the dairy industry has gotten me thinking. Apparently, some of the claims that the Dairy Council makes about the alleged benefits of milk, cheese, and yogurt are nothing more than marketing ploys. Nestle also mentions that it is indeed possible to get adequate calcium and protein from alternative sources; dairy is not essential. Furthermore, conventional dairy farms feed and inject their cows with multiple hormones and antibiotics that I would rather not ingest. All this is probably old news to you vegans out there, but it has led me to this: either I should consume only organic dairy or none at all.

I have toyed with the idea of veganism for the past few months (as demonstrated by my "vegan lunch" goal), but there are a few factors to consider: 1) It would be near impossible to thrive off of campus options; all vegetarian options here include cheese. 2) It could potentially increase my food bills even further. (Correct me if I'm wrong). 3) I have a history of anorexia (~4 years ago), and cutting out another food group might not be the best idea for my health in general or for my bones. Any advice on this matter would be greatly appreciated.

OK, now that I got that off my chest, I can get to the fun stuff.

Tuesday

Last night for dinner, I attempted a pseudo-BLT with nothing other than tempeh (I gotta use this stuff up!). I don't happen to have any liquid smoke lying around, so my "bacon" was merely tempeh cooked in some Bragg's and chili powder. This rather tall sandwich also included some spinach, cherry tomatoes, and a dose of mustard. Salad and an apricot-mango yogurt completed the meal.

One of my splurge items from Monday's trip to Whole Foods was some Soy Delicious in espresso flavor. I had tried the "black leopard" flavor before for a VegFamily review and enjoyed it, so I decided to give another variety a taste. I enjoyed it last night with some dark chocolate chunks (70% cacao), and it was delectable! I was tempted to lick the bowl. I especially like that it is fruit-sweetened:)

Wednesday

I have officially broken out of my smoothie rut! This morning's flavor was strawberry banana: frozen banana, fresh strawberries, and some almond milk. I had some raw almonds on the side.

Lunch was eaten on the run today--I just had a few minutes between class and tutoring appointments. I had some Justin's Natural PB (in a cute little packet!) on Ak-maks, peaches with cinnamon and wheat germ, and some raw veggies. So tasty!

And finally, my afternoon snack for today, which I am enjoying as I type. It's a "flavor bowl" with plain nonfat yogurt, pumpkin with cinnamon, and some Nature's Path granola.

I will leave you with a picture of my oh-so-attractive ankle brace...