For my last passion blog post, I’m really trying to finish off on a high note. Let me tell you, I’m a little sick of writing about veganism. It’s gotten increasingly difficult in previous week and I’ve had to really get creative. However, a couple of weeks ago, an opportunity just fell into my lap! My favorite (actually the only) vegan restaurant in State College, Café Verve, was serving The Impossible Burger! When I heard the news that for a limited time only, Café Verve would be serving up “The Impossible Burger”, the plant-based phenomenon itself, I practically ran over there with my roommate! Now what’s so impossible about this burger you may ask? Well, let me tell you!

For many people trying to transition to a plant-based diet, removing meat and burgers from their diet can be quite a challenge. At least for me, burgers were a food that I quite enjoyed eating when I wasn’t vegan, so it was a difficult transition to make. Especially at family barbecues!

But fear no more, because now there is a PLANT-BASED 100% VEGAN DELICIOUS BURGER for YOU!

Cleverly marketed as the “burger that bleeds” (don’t worry, it’s just beet juice!), the impossible burger both looks and tastes like a real hamburger! I know it may be hard to believe (that’s why they call it impossible 😉 !) but it’s true! I tried it myself, so just take it from me!

Just look at how it glistens in the sunlight! Truly a delicious AND photogenic burger!

But besides the fantastic taste, Impossible Burger is also a very sustainable choice for eating out! According to Impossible Foods website (home of the Impossible Burger), Impossible Burger uses 95% less land, 74% less water, and creates 87% less greenhouse emissions than does a burger made from beef! Now available at more than 1,000 restaurants across the United States and Hong Kong, the Impossible Burger is also extremely accessible.

So if I have piqued your interest in anyway about The Impossible Burger, I encourage you to try it! From my experiences, the concerns many people have with transitioning to a vegan diet or even simply limiting their meat intake often concern taste. Many wonder if they will be able to find good tasting food or if they’ll be stuck with salads for three square meals a day. I think that the Impossible Burger provides a wonderful solution to this dilemma. So whether you care about veganism or not, I challenge you to simply keep your eye out for the Impossible Burger. If anything else, take it as a new food experience. A novelty in the realm of food science. Even a way to lower your carbon footprint. For all of these reasons, and taste, the Impossible Burger truly is a cut above the rest…and for a vegan, the Impossible Burger has been like a gift from the food gods!

On March 20, 2018, the vegan community was forever changed. I remember exactly where I was when I heard the news: third floor of stacks and my phone had just buzzed from a group me message. The notification? Zac Efron had become VEGAN! (see my reaction below)

That day is forever marked in my calendar as a national holiday, a day that true honor was bestowed upon the vegan community. The day that dear Troy Bolton turned to our side and became yet another face of veganism and a figure to inspire all.

Zac Efron is just one of many celebrities who have recently turned vegan. Beyonce announced that she would go vegan to prep for Coachella 2018, Liam Hemsworth became vegan for health reasons as well, and even Ariana Grande. The kind of publicity that the vegan movement has been getting in the past couple of years is without a doubt a good sign. As more and more people see celebrities that they look up to praise the benefits of the vegan lifestyle, the vegan community will only grow. This is why Zac Efron’s decision to go vegan is absolutely huge, as he was undoubtedly one of the most iconic figures of the 2000s for Gen Z (well, in my eyes anyway). However, whether you like Zac Efron or not, someone in his position and with his celebrity, has the power to influence others in very impactful ways. His stance on veganism and animal rights is sure to be heard by the people who grew up watching High School musical, and hopefully, will serve as an inspiration to try veganism as well.

In a recent interview with Teen Vogue, Zac Efron explained how he has now been on a “purely vegan diet” and with “great results”. On his shift to veganism, he says: “That’s completely changed the way that my body works, and the way that I metabolize food, the way it turns into energy, the way that I sleep. It’s been brilliant. It’s been great for my exercise, and great for my routine.” In addition, Zac Efron has been a recent advocate for animal rights, preaching “adopt don’t shop” and adopting a pitbull from an animal shelter that was soon to be euthanized. With 34.5 million instagram followers, Zac Efron has completely changed the game for what the vegan movement used to be. I truly believe that as exposure for what veganism really is-not just some weird cult-ish type movement where people eat grass and/or conduct bizarre performance art acts that terrify people to no end (cough cough PETA!). Like Zac Efron said, veganism is life changing. It has real, meaningful health benefits, alleviates some of the environmental effects of the animal agriculture industry, and saves so many innocent animals. If other people would hear this message, the one that Zac Efron, other vegan celebrities, and so many others are spreading to the world, the stigma around veganism could be reduced. As we move to the future, I think there’s a lot of hope for the vegan movement.

Check out the article below:

Zac Efron Is the Latest Star to Embrace Vegan Eating in 2018

This week’s passion blog will be a bit different than previous weeks. Today, I’m writing to tell you about a true vegan inspiration, a chef extraordinaire, and in general, a really cool person: my sister Gina!! Gina is currently a senior in high school (she’s also coming to PSU next year!) and has been cooking vegan meals on her own now for about three years. During this time, she’s truly honed in on her culinary skills, taking inspiration from Minimalist Baker and Hot for Food, websites with lots of creative vegan dishes. For the past couple of years, she has accomplished great feats as a chef- cooking vegan Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners for my family, and keeping up a vegan food Instagram- @baby.chickpea! Regardless of whether you’re vegan or not, Gina’s vegan creations look to die for! I conducted a mini interview with Gina as well, asking her a bit about her cooking.

Pictured above: Thanksgiving dinner: shepherd’s pie, stuffing, acorn squash, rolls, mashed potatoes!

Q: What are some of your favorite recipes that you’ve made?

A: I would have to say the  “Lasagna with Tofu Ricotta” is one of my favorites. The last time our grandparents came over, I made this and they absolutely loved it! I also like my Red Lentil Dal. It’s like a lentil stew with a mix of spices- turmeric, ginger, curry, powder, cumin, and black pepper. It goes great with rice, and is super easy to prepare! I often bring it to school for lunch.

Pictured above: red lentil dal, black rice, salad, pasta

Q: What’s your favorite ingredient to work with?

A: Turmeric. It’s versatile and can be used in so many different dishes: rice, curries, soups, and even in oatmeal. Also, it makes things orange!

Pictured above: Vegan Paella made with turmeric!

Q: What’s your favorite vegan restaurant?

A: I love Bar Bombón in Philadelphia! It serves vegan Latin cuisine- something very different than any other vegan restaurant I’ve been too. Everything on the menu is delicious and there’s really something for everyone’s taste. I’m a huge fan of their mushroom empanadas, yucca fritas, and plantains!

Pictured above: a trip to Bar Bombón!

Q: Do you have any cooking hacks or secrets that you could share with us?

A: If you put full fat coconut milk in the refrigerator overnight/for a couple of hours it solidifies into cream. Then beat the cream with powdered sugar and vanilla extract for a delicious and easy to make frosting!

Q: Do you have a go-to smoothie?

A: Yes! I make this one all the time:

• Frozen bananas
• Cacao powder
• Maca powder
• Peanut butter
• Spinach
• Almond milk
• Dash of espresso powder

Pictured above: Gina’s favorite smoothie!

Thanks Gina! Hope you all enjoyed the blog this week, and make sure to check out @baby.chickpea! I posted some of her pictures below for everyone to check out as well:

I know, I know… It’s a “creamery” and there’s supposed to be milk in the products. However, I’d like to argue that the vegan student population on campus would be enormously satisfied with the addition of even just one non-dairy flavor. It could even be just as boring sounding as “Very Vanilla”. Really, I am that desperate.

When freshman year started, I went to the Creamery a couple of times because some of my friends were going and I didn’t want to be left out of the fun. The only issue was, what could I order off of the menu? I didn’t particularly want to just sit and watch my friends enjoy their ice cream in front of me while I had nothing to eat myself, so what was I to do? Well, I ordered a Starbucks black unsweetened coffee and watched sorrowfully as my friends got to enjoy their ice cream. To be clear, I don’t feel like I’m missing out on the ice cream part, although I’m sure that the Creamery ice cream is quite delicious. I simply feel like I’m missing out on normality of even just sharing a meal/dessert with friends at all. Sure, I guess I’ve gotten used to going out to eat with friends and picking a measly vegan meal off the menu, but it’s definitely not a great feeling (see me, pictured below).

There are a lot of non-dairy ice cream producers out there: Häagen-Dazs, So Delicious, Breyers, and EVEN Ben & Jerry’s. In fact, Ben & Jerry’s is the perfect model for Penn State to follow. Not a single tour of Penn State can go by without a mention to Ben & Jerry’s, who themselves learned to make ice cream at Penn State’s Creamery. So I urge Penn State to pull some strings and bring back dear old Ben and Jerry, and learn the art of non-dairy ice cream making themselves. Today, Ben & Jerry’s boasts nine non-dairy ice cream flavors and a variety of options at that, but Berkey Creamery’s own non-dairy flavors would in no way have to be as elaborate as Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia or Chunky Monkey. Again, I’m advocating for a simple vanilla flavor. Honestly, even just an almond milk base and artificial vanilla flavoring would really hit the spot for me.

So that’s how Penn State can implement the plan. Pretty easy, right? I also urge Berkey Creamery to just think about the profound impact that a non-dairy flavor would have on the community as well. I’m not going to lie- vegans are scarce around these parts. However, Berkey Creamery would be satisfying an underserved niche market and would likely bring in more revenue as a result. Humanitarian efforts and a larger margin of profit? Seems like a no brainer to me. Honestly, I might even be helping out the Creamery in the long run. According to an article in the New York Times, Americans are drinking 37% less milk that they did in 1970. As the years go by, the dairy industry is only expected to lose revenue. Therefore, it seems logical to start offering non-dairy options at the creamery, in the attempt to simply win back some of the population that no longer consumes dairy. I may be quite biased, but I think this is the right move for Berkey Creamery.

I’ve now been vegan for about a year and a half, but in many ways, I feel like I’ve never gotten over the discomfort of telling a new person that I’m vegan. It’s a bit disconcerting having people tell me I need to eat more, eat meat for protein, or simply tell me I need to be careful with my health.  I also worry about judgment, and often times I worry that people will scrutinize me and my food even more.  This has been a bit detrimental to me over the past year and a half, as I try to prove to others that I am healthy and I am someone who cares about veganism. Quite recently, I’ve realized this is no way to go about my daily life, and that it’s okay to make mistakes as a vegan. I’m doing my best, and that’s what counts. 

As sort of a testament to this new realization, I’ll be talking about some of the ways that I’m an imperfect vegan. 

I still wear leather and suede. Ever since I’ve been a vegan, I’ve honestly tried to buy clothes in other materials, but when I’ve received gifts from family members, it feels very rude to refuse them. I also have leather shoes that I wear quite often, because before I was a vegan, they were my favorite shoes. They still are, and I refuse to feel ashamed for this. Finding vegan leather or other vegan materials is not only difficult, but also expensive for a person with my budget. As much as I would love to live a life that excludes all animal products from it, I also see it as quite unreasonable and unnecessary to buy more things when I have clothes and shoes that still work properly. In regards to what I have, I recognize that animals suffered for the clothes I am wearing, but it feels like even more of a waste for me to simply give or throw away what I have. 

I didn’t become vegan because of animal rights. About a year and a half ago, my younger sister introduced the rest of my family to veganism, as a member of my family had been ill. Adopting a vegan diet is a way to improve overall health, so the rest of my family became vegan in order to support this person. Looking back, I’m glad I became vegan when I did, because I’ve started to see a lot of health benefits in my own life and I have also learned there are a lot of other ways that being vegan can help the world around us- including the animals and the environment. 

I’ve eaten different foods, enjoyed them, found out later that they weren’t vegan, and felt really bad. I guess this one isn’t really on me, but very early in my time as a vegan, I ate nonvegan things by accident on several occasions. It’s even happened recently with chocolate that’s had milkfat in it. However, I know that I can’t beat myself up. Some things are beyond my control.

I believe that the image projected by many vegans on social media and online in general is misrepresentative of how the majority of vegans are in real life. Not every vegan has flawless skin, vacations in Thailand, has access to exotic fruits for breakfast, or in my case, even knows how to cook. I hope that for anyone reading this, that you can see a bit of the other side of veganism. Someone who might not always make the best choices as a vegan, but someone who’s doing their best to keep it real (lol). 

As always, leave a comment if you’re interested in learning more about veganism, or just have anything to say on the topic. I appreciate it if you read this far 🙂

In one of my previous posts, I mentioned how many people think veganism is expensive to keep up with. Today, I’m here to challenge this misconception, and I’m talking to you not only as a vegan, but as a ~relatable~ broke college student. Sure, I have a meal plan, but I’ve got to snack don’t I? It’s very easy to break the bank as a vegan if you don’t know how to shop. Cruise down the frozen food aisle in any given Whole Foods and you’ll find a myriad of hippie meat substitutes and coconut infused popcorn (I’ve never seen this but I wouldn’t be surprised if it exists). In big cities, you’re bound to see tons of trendy restaurants that boast a menu full of vegan options like “Seared Maitake Mushroom” and “Portobello Capraccio” (Vedge). There’s even an avocado themed restaurant in New York City, but who really wants to be that pretentious? (Side note: I do. It’s been a dream of mine to go to the Avocaderia, and indulge in their disgustingly overpriced avocado toast and rub elbows with up and coming millennials and food critics alike. Anyways, that’s not really the point here, let’s get back to what this post was really about ). Veganism can be affordable and easy if you know a couple of tips! Here are some of mine:

1. Reduce your time eating out.

This seems like a pretty obvious tip to most but no one really keeps track of how much money they spend at Chipotle or Starbucks until it actually becomes a problem. I’m a big culprit of this, however I am beginning to change my ways. Instead of a daily Jamba Juice, I make my own smoothies in my dorm with my Nutribullet. If you have 8am classes like I do, I really do not recommend blending anything for breakfast! However, if you’re dead set on a smoothie for breakfast, be prepared to make some new enemies 🙂

2. Stock up on the staples.

Keep your dorm room stocked with good, healthy food. Some quick go-to breakfasts (that don’t involve angering your entire hall) are oatmeal, bagels, and bananas. I also am a huge fan of microwaveable rice and canned beans even though it sort of looks like I’m preparing for a zombie apocalypse underneath my bed. A lot of the time I make dinner in my room. I just microwave rice for 90 seconds, add pinto/black beans and drizzle hot sauce (Frank’s Red Hot…all the way). It’s a simple meal, but also delicious.

3. Learn the art of seasoning.

I’ve found that on my worst days, hot sauce will make anything better. This includes food. If you have a to-go box with leftovers from the dining hall, heat it up and just pour hot sauce all over it. Not only will you clear your sinuses and strengthen your immune system for the cold winter months ahead, but your taste buds will thank you for masking the flavor of yesterday’s “steamed broccolini”.

4. Always take fruit from the dining halls on the way out.

You paid for the meal, so you might as well take a banana or apple to go. You can always freeze the bananas once they’re ripe and use them in smoothies! Pro-tip: If you don’t have a nutribullet or other, befriend someone who does.

5. Stay away from expensive vegan “specialty” items.

This includes almond butter. Yes, it’s delicious but who has ~$16 to shell out for this luxury? If you’re like me, you’ll probably go through the entire jar in less than a week and then sit in the dark for a couple of hours, thinking how wonderful life was with a full jar of almond butter on your shelf and hating yourself for squandering it. Trust me, it will happen. Stay away from vegan ice cream too because it’s a trap. You’ll waste a couple dollars on a single pint of ice cream and then it will be gone the next day. You won’t even realize it’s gone either, because you’ll have eaten yourself into a food coma from the previous night. The point is, be reasonable with what you buy. Yes, buy something nice every once in a while, but don’t be surprised when you open your wallet one day and find nothing. Not even a nickel. Not even a piece of lint. Just a void.

That concludes today’s post! Hope everyone enjoys their weekend!

Vegan fast food. Almost sounds like an oxymoron, right? Well, not as much as you would think. As I’ve mentioned before in previous posts, it’s very possible to be a vegan and eat an unhealthy diet (Exhibit A: me!) While I strive to eat my best and get in my daily serving of fruits and vegetables, I’ve come to realize that it’s very difficult. Sometimes (actually very often) I find myself craving junk food and other times I’ve found myself at a restaurant that offers very few vegan options (let alone healthy  vegan options). Today I’ll be ranking fast food restaurants on their level of vegan friendly options and what you can eat at each of these places, if perhaps you’re a vegan, chegan (a.k.a cheating vegan), someone partaking in a “Meatless Monday” or even someone who has made it their New Year’s Resolution to eat less animal products! Even if you fit into none of these categories, well, you’re learning about this topic now so enjoy the ride!

Category 1: Trust me, you’re better off eating grass.

• Popeye’s- If Popeye’s was the only restaurant left on the planet, and you being the strong-willed vegan that you are have decided to commit to an animal product free life, I’m sure you wouldn’t exactly starve. However, I can assure you it would not be a pleasant experience. Just the thought of entering a Popeye’s is enough to make me shudder. Among Popeye’s vegan options are apple sauce and a “plain baguette”. Shame on you, Popeye’s. These are next to prison level standards. Please, if you’re a vegan with any self-respect do NOT lower yourself to attend such an establishment. *scoff*
• Arby’s-I took a look at the Arby’s menu recently, and I will tell you, it is PITIFUL! Unless you really want a so-called “fresh” salad or a  “veggie” sandwich, a.k.a. two pieces of soggy bread with just lettuce, tomatoes and red onions on it? Nope? Yeah, I didn’t think so.

Category 2: Still not great, but what did you really expect?

• Five Guys- Ah yes, Five Guys Burgers and Fries…From the name of this place, we already knew vegan options would be slim to none. Nothing meal-worthy here, but if you’re swinging by with friends, drop in for the fries! They’re actually vegan!
• Buffalo Wild Wings- I’ll be honest, there are a few scanty vegan options at Buffalo Wild Wings (fries and a side salad for example), but it’s sure going to be pretty darn awkward for you. While you’re nibbling on the celery sticks that came with your friend’s wings, you might start thinking to yourself, “How did I get here?” Ever wanted to feel more alone in the world than you already do as a vegan? Go to Buffalo Wild Wings, and I can ASSURE you, you will be the ONLY vegan there.

Category 3: Alright, I can almost swallow this food without gagging!

• Kentucky Fried Chicken- Never judge a book by its cover. Really, would you ever expect to walk into KFC and find anything vegan friendly? The truth is, KFC has some pretty cool veg options. Corn on the cob, potato wedges, green beans, and wait for it… even sweet kernel corn? I tip my hat off to you KFC. You have truly surprised me.
• IHOP- Vegan breakfast food is a little easier to pull off, I will admit. Maybe this isn’t impressive to anyone else, but IHOP has avocados and it’s common vegan knowledge that an avocado= instant meal. Plus, IHOP serves fresh seasonal fruit, English muffins, baked potatoes, fries, and of course the staple house salad. Not a bad breakfast if you’re asking me.
• Einstein Bros. Bagels- If you’re like me, you have no problem eating a bagel as a meal at any time of the day. Bagels for dinner? Sounds like a typical Tuesday night for me. Add a glob of peanut butter and you’ve got yourself a power meal, perfect for when you’re on the go.

The Runner Up:

• Chipotle- Ah yes, Chipotle. One of the main vegan food groups. Hands down, Chipotle is one of the easiest places to eat as a vegan. Just grab a burrito bowl and ask for all the veg trimmings! Don’t forget the guacamole either (it’s worth the extra two dollars).

AND THE WINNER IS…(in my belly and my heart):

• Taco Bell- You’ve got to be a little savvy to work your way around the Taco Bell menu and find vegan options that work for you, but trust me, once you find out how…it will be worth it. I love Taco Bell…they are just so considerate of my food needs :,) Taco Bell has a page on their website DEDICATED to how to modify the Taco Bell menu for a vegan diet. Honestly, who ELSE does that? You can now have your own veggie burritos and my personal favorite- a veggie Crunch wrap Supreme. I truly believe Taco Bell should win some sort of award for this great service that they are doing for the entire vegan community. It is great to see fast food companies go out of their way to make sure that EVERY customer is satisfied. Well done, Taco Bell (p.s. I love you).

If you’d like to check out more of your favorite restaurants and explore their possible vegan options, I encourage you to visit Happy Cow and Vegan Eating Out! Both are great resources, especially Happy Cow, which allows you to see all the restaurants in your area that serve vegan/vegan friendly options!

Almost 11 weeks into the semester and I’m already down to $152 in meal points. Yes, I know this is bad. I am a little bit concerned too, but I will be fine… Really. I mean I’ve done the calculations and it works out to about $25/ week and $3.60/day per meals… and yeah, I’m kind of screwed. So how did this happen? How have I gotten to the point where I barely afford one meal per day?? I really don’t know but I’m going to try to do a bit of analysis into my bizarre spending habits.

Jamba Juice

I love Jamba Juice and it’s pretty pricey, but health is wealth, amirite??? So by spending money on Jamba Juice I’m really investing in my immune system, therefore decreasing the cost of my future medical bills. Therefore, Jamba a couple times a week can be somewhat justified. Moreover, I honestly feel like I have to get myself Jamba Juice to cleanse my system of all the greasy dining hall food that I consume. It’s a vicious cycle: I need to eat food but then I go straight to Jamba to “cleanse”. Jamba has been my kryptonite. However, there could be worse things I could be addicted to, like caffeine or cocaine, so I guess that my situation could be astronomically worse. What’s not good is the fact that Jamba Juice has eaten up so many of my meal points. RIP Jamba, see you next semester :,(

Late Night

I don’t need four meals a day. It’s unnecessary, yet somehow I find myself at Late Night several times a week, filling my to-go box with more food than I could ever consume. Why? I don’t know. I’m not even hungry enough to be eating four meals a day, but somehow it’s just so tempting.

But wait, there is a shimmer of hope…

I have an untapped supply of microwaveable rice and soup in my dorm courtesy of my wonderful, kind mother. I’ve done more calculations and this supply of rice/ soup should be about 2 weeks worth of lunch and dinner so good news: I will not starve!!! 🙂 However, money is tight. If you see me at Redifer in anguish over the price of avocado toast at Off the Ground, you will know why.

I need your advice. How should I deal with my meal point/ food crisis?`

I blame twitter accounts like Common White Girl for tarnishing the good name of pumpkin spice. Once a seasonal beverage that everyone could enjoy in PEACE, the world has made the consumption of pumpkin spice into nothing more than a trite and childish meme. In the past I probably would’ve chuckled at a good old white girl “starterpack”, but times have changed. I’ve changed.

I was first introduced to the whole concept of pumpkin spice fairly late in my life. I was never one to go for crazy frappuccinos or pumpkin spice lattes at Starbucks (not by choice, it was the sugar content that scared my mom). After a while, I began to see a sort of craze surrounding pumpkin spice. “What’s so special about this limited edition seasonal flavor?” I thought one night, lying awake in bed. Was there some kind of mind control in the pumpkin spice? It was a thought that kept me up all night. I tossed and turned, until finally, I had persuaded myself to give pumpkin spice a try.

It felt as if I was having an identity crisis. After going to Starbucks that day and trying my very first pumpkin spice latte, I was left with mixed emotions. I looked in the mirror and I just couldn’t recognize myself anymore. What had I become? Just another white girl and her pumpkin spice latte??? Could it really be that I had turned into this stereotype myself? I had enjoyed the latte, but what about the shame that I felt inside?

I had gone back to my regular Starbucks order, a regular, boring latte, but after a while, I realized I was missing a certain spice in life: pumpkin spice (wow! that is corny). From that point forward, I vowed to myself not to care what anyone said about my fall-flavored beverages. Today I sit before my computer, furiously typing this blog post at one in the morning, and I can tell you, without hesitation, that I love pumpkin spice.

Here are some of my favorite pumpkin spice flavored foods/drinks! Feel free to comment on what your favorite pumpkin spice things are!

Pumpkin Spice Oreos- No Oreo will ever come close in my mind to the one and only Double Stuff. However, Pumpkin Spice Oreos are pretty decent I’d say. I mean they’re all Oreos, so it’s pure sugar anyway. You might as well just buy the pumpkin spice ones because why not try pure sugar, just in a different artificial flavor this time.

Vegan Pumpkin Sugar Cookies–  I got a little off topic this time being a hardcore advocate for pumpkin spice, but there are so many fall vegan recipes out there! My sister baked these cookies for me a few weeks ago, and they were DELICIOUS. So good that I about 5 of them for breakfast one day.

Pumpkin Spice Latte- No post about pumpkin spice would be complete without talking about the iconic pumpkin spice latte. However, Starbucks’ signature Pumpkin Spice Latte is no longer vegan and I am livid. On the upside, I have tried the vegan pumpkin spice latte from Café Verve, and it is fantastic!!!

Meme selection is a little weak this time :/

Today I’ll be talking about many common vegan myths! While I can’t speak for the entire vegan community, I can speak for myself, members of my family who are vegan, and vegan friends who agree that the following ideas about veganism are just not true.

1. Vegans love eating salads (and laugh hysterically while doing so!)

While salads can be a great healthy option for lunch, I personally find the taste of salads a bit…boring at times. Throwing a couple of cucumbers and tomatoes on some flavorless leaves and calling it a meal is just something I will never understand. Why don’t restaurants spruce up their “House Salad” a bit more? Throw on some more toppings maybe? Maybe some protein like beans? I don’t know but give me something to work with when I have to order off your menu…

2. The vegan diet is soooo expensive.

This really depends on how you spend your money. Yes, you could buy organic everything and drop a lot of money on homemade hand-churned almond butter from Whole Foods. You might also decide to try a trendy vegan restaurant and come to the conclusion that this lifestyle does not come cheap. HOWEVER, I feel that it is possible to be a vegan on a budget by living off the following staple foods: rice, beans, pasta, oatmeal, fresh fruit and vegetables (which also can be frozen to save extras). Vegan substitutes like “vegan sausage links” or “vegan ground beef” can be quite pricey, so it’s important to limit your purchases of these items. One of my favorite meals is just rice and beans with Pattie Labelle hot sauce and sliced tomato on top (great combo, 10/10 recommend).

3. Vegans can’t stop talking about themselves or veganism.

Well, I feel like I’m not a really good example of this. I’ve chosen to write my blog on veganism, which some poor soul has to read each week and leave a comment on, my civic artifact was literally a PETA ad, and vegan memes are a passion of mine. I might as well just get a tattoo directly on my forehead that says “I’m a vegan”, but unfortunately…tattoo ink is not always vegan and I’m not sure that I could take such a risk because I’m a vegan, as before mentioned, and animals and their rights are very important to me because I’m a vegan. Oh by the way! I don’t know if you know this, but I’m vegan 🙂 Wait, what are you eating? Is that m-m-m-mm meat?

Just kidding (lol). Not to say you won’t meet vegans similar to that^^ (I wish you the best of luck), but most of us know that preaching veganism to others and completely bashing anyone who eats meat is unnecessary, cringe-worthy and rude. There are many “chill vegans” out there in the world, to whom it doesn’t matter if you choose to eat meat or not. We often talk about veganism so much, because frankly, people ask questions about it.

4. Vegans are super healthy.

Wrong! I’ve found that pretty much anything can be made vegan: donuts, chocolate cake, ice cream…The list goes on and on. Actually, two summers ago I went to THE best vegan bakery of all time, Vegan Treats in Bethlehem, PA. I ate so much sugar that I got a migraine! I’m telling you, it was so worth it though. Moral of the story: be careful. Don’t fall into the trap of the “Oreos are vegan therefore I can eat an entire sleeve for breakfast” logic. Take everything in moderation, but know that vegan desserts are out there and can be a super delicious treat!

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