On the Eve of the Vegan Challenge

For as long as I can remember I've been interested in a vegetarian "diet". I use the word diet not in reference to a specific time period where the goal is to lose weight, but rather as the way one eats on a regular basis. In junior high I remember going on my annual "Save the Turkey" campaigns at Thanksgiving because I was so disgusted at the thought of one animal dying for us as part of our celebratory meal. It's not that my mother didn't cook poultry frequently - she certainly did and lots of it as nearly every meal she cooked had meat of some sort or another. Thanksgiving always stood out to me as a horrifying though yummy meal because we would see the whole body of the turkey, minus the head, feet and feathers, lying out on a big platter, waiting to be eaten. In high school, I remember telling everyone that I was going to be getting a dog when I finished school and then the dog and I would be vegetarian together - I think all I got from those conversations were a bunch of people laughing at me and telling me that dogs, like us, were "meant to eat meat" and "didn't I know that?"

When I was in university I finally decided to take the plunge and went vegetarian for three years. Nearly every day of those three years I craved meat. I kept telling myself I was getting enough protein and eating a wide variety of foods, but looking back and knowing what I know now about the large variety of alternative proteins available, this certainly was not the case. My vegetarian crusade ended in 2003, shortly after my husband and I were married, when I decided to try out a "nameless" high protein diet that was popular at the time. My first few meals as a re-invented carnivore included such items as beef jerky, hamburgers, salmon and whole cans of tuna. I felt so sick, I think I lasted a week before I came to the conclusion that perhaps meat in moderation was a better way to go if I was going to re-introduce it back into my life.

Since the summer of 2003 I have continued to eat meat but have done so sparingly. Over the years I have become increasingly less enthusiastic about cooking and eating meat. In the last six months specifically, I have really felt a need in my heart and soul to explore the vegetarian way of life again and am also very intrigued in the more extreme vegan lifestyle. A vegan, for the unfamiliar, is someone who cuts out all animal products from their lifestyle - including food, fashion and body care products, to name a few. As a result my husband and I have decided to try a 30 day vegan food challenge for our family.

The rules: no meat, no eggs, no cheese or dairy of any kind. Oh and the kicker... no sugar.  Pure vegan, no excuses.

The challenge is set to begin tomorrow morning. We are both excited and a bit apprehensive - we love food and love to cook, but wonder how easy it will be to prepare a wide variety of foods that our children will love and will also meet nutritional needs for our bodies. Please stay posted to find out how our journey progresses . . .