Vegans are men and women, boys and girls of nearly every ethnicity, race and religion. Vegans are young, old and every age in between. Vegans are married, single, straight and gay. Vegans work in all sectors of society and belong to almost every socio-economic group. Some vegans are bodybuilders and some even Olympians. Some vegans are famous, but most are not. Some vegans are extremely fit and others, not so much. I know vegans who have celiac disease, some that don’t eat soy and some who don’t even like vegetables!
Research shows that on average, people who eat plant-based diets live longer and healthier lives than those who consume animals and animal by-products. I am not saying that I personally will outlive any specific person who eats animals and their by-products. I’m simply talking “averages.” Irrespective of the length of my life, I’m glad I eat a plant-based diet for the many added benefits.
To begin, my digestion has improved significantly since I stopped eating animals and animal by-products. No more bloating, indigestion and stomach pain. No more popping antacids and other pills to eat foods I don’t need and are not healthy.
Another bonus of eating a vegan diet is knowing that I am doing something positive for the environment and the planet the next generation will inherit. I feel good about that.
Eating a vegan diet has also introduced me to an incredible array of grains, vegetables, fruits and legumes. Foods I never even considered eating when I consumed animals and their by-products. Whole grains like grano, farro, wheat berries, sorghum, millet, couscous and quinoa - to name just a few. And all sorts of cruciferous and composite vegetables, as well as those from the grassroot, goosefoot and buckwheat families. Of the 40,000 different rice varieties, I’ve sampled lots more on a plant-based diet than I did when I ate animals, although I still have a long way to go. And don’t even get me started on fruit and legumes!
I would eat a plant-based diet even without any added perks because I don’t want to support the cruelty inherent in modern day factory farming practices. Practices that are the inevitable result of eating animals and their by-products. I live and eat quite well without it, thank you very much.
So, if you (or someone you know) think vegans eat just salads and seeds, or that a plant-based diet is boring, THINK AGAIN! Nothing could be further from the truth. Just consider this condensed list of the plant-based foods I have eaten in the past two months alone:
·
au gratin potatoes, almond cheezecake and alfredo
sauce on quinoa pasta,
·
BBQ Berbere Bake, biscuits & gravy and burgers
(mushroom, lentil and many others),
·
creole, corn chowder and casseroles (several varieties),
·
dumplings, date-walnut bread and dirty rice,
·
enchiladas, eggplant caponata and ettoffee,
·
fajitas, frittata and french toast with blueberries,
·
Greek food, gumbo and garlic roasted summer vegetables,
·
hors d’oeuvres, hot pot and huevos,
·
Irish pudding, Indian food and ice-cream,
·
jambalaya, jam doughnuts and jerky,
·
kabobs, kung pao and kafta,
·
lasagna, lavash and lo mein,
·
milkshakes, moo shu and mushroom palmiers,
·
nachos, New England boiled dinner and noodles
romanoff,
·
onion soup, one-pot and oven roasted vegetables,
·
pizza, Pad Thai and pineapple coffee cake,
·
quiche, quesadillas and quinoa salad,
·
risotto, ratatouille and root beer floats,
·
scrambles, stroganoff and spring rolls,
·
tempura, tamales and tandoori,
·
udon noodles, upside-down cake and ultimate
7-layer dip,
·
wantons, wellington and wraps,
·
yaki soba, yogurt parfaits and yellow curry.
I could go on, but hopefully you
get the point. The variety of plant-based foods is nearly endless and a vegan diet is anything but boring. Think
about it.
Kris
VegansEatWhat.com
PS - I also ate some salads and seeds.
