(first in an occasional series)
I’m often asked why I’m a vegan. Or to list the things I can’t eat. Or my favorite, “What do vegans eat anyway?”
The implication of the odd looks accompanying this question imply polite withholding of the rest of the question: “Roots, bark and twigs, right?” Or, as Andrew Jones asks Jamila in Violet’s e-comic “Why Are You a Vegan?”: “Does your mother make you eat raw seaweed and swallow your apple pips?”
While I find the questions mildly annoying, I try to use them as a teaching opportunity. I try to find the best in people and like to assume that the questions I get about veganism are out of genuine curiosity and interest.
Gourmet answers to the question “What do vegans eat anyway?” can be found all over the Web. Unfortunately, many of them require ingredients unfamiliar to me such as agave nectar or tamari. And virtually all of them assume at least a basic ability to cook. In other words, they are inapplicable to one such as myself who can barely boil water. Fortunately, both my wife and mother-in-law generously prepare basic vegetarian items for me on a regular basis. Other dishes I have learned to prepare on my own with the aid of our trusty microwave.
So without further ado, I present to you a small sample of what this vegan eats.
Tomato soup with rice
Beanie soy weenie tacos
Baked potato with chives, garbanzos and marinated artichoke hearts
Baked cabbage
Rice and soy dogs
A Map of California 
saturday, sunday and monday this vegan ate: avocado, finn crisp (dry bread), soy yogurt, tofu, gluten-free muesli, coffee, banana, almond milk, soy milk, oat cream, red lentils, chick peas, millet, potatos, turnips, sweet potatos, butternut squash, cucumber, tomato, crushed tomatoes, cilantro, red onion, yellow onion, garlic , scallions, rice noodles, soy protein, jackfruit, cashew nuts, kiwi, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, rolled oats, tahini, coconut oil, olive oil, sriracha, tamarindpaste, tamari, maple syrup, lemon, zucchini, carrot, bell pepper, bean sprouts, wakame, red wine, apples, mushrooms, candy, kimchi + a lot of spices
🙂
Oh wow, Maria, now you are making me hungry! Most of the stuff I eat is rather plain, just like most of the items on your list, so I didn’t think it worthy of mention. I enjoy most of the items you mentioned, except that I am unfamiliar with tahini, tamari, jackfruit, wakame, sriracha, millet and tamarind paste. And I have yet to try kimchi! And I will have to try those rice noodles. I absolutely love tofu in any form, the super firm variety being my favorite.
Thanks so much for reading and commenting!
This is the reason why I love jackfruit 🙂
http://forksknivesandspades.blogspot.se/2013/10/vegetarian-pulled-pork.html
Looking at Mr Guacamole’s pictures, my first reaction was YUCK!!!!! It would be so depressing to get up in the morning and look forward to those entrees for the day… Now bacon and eggs, and a juicy medium rare steak, YUM But to each his own, and if that diet makes you happy and content with your life, then more power to you! All the vegans will probably live to be 120!
Hi there, Belle!
I really like what you said about “to each his own.” I deeply believe in multiculturalism. Variety is the spice of life!
Personally, I can’t see eating the corpses of dead animals and stuff that comes out of the rear ends of birds. As disgusting as that sounds to me, it’s been explained to me as follows: Just don’t think about where it comes from and enjoy the delicious taste. Then there is the fact that so many of us are led by our noses by Madison Avenue. We must have that Big Mac because, hey, “I’m lovin’ it!” It is sad to me that millions of people don’t care a whit about cows, pigs and birds who are mistreated and killed for the pleasure of their taste buds. These creatures want to live and don’t want to suffer. But it seems that, in today’s culture, it’s all about money.
Still, it takes all kinds, and that’s good. But I do get a laugh when people are ready to vomit when they hear about dogs and cats being eaten in Asia. It’s clearly a cultural thing, and no different than killing and eating gentle cows and happy pigs.
Wow, Maria, that certainly is an interesting use of jackfruit! I think I’ll have to pass, though, for the same reason mentioned in the article. Anything that looks or smells like pork is just disgusting to me. As a (somewhat) observant Jew, I’ve never eaten pork, even back in my carnivorous days. So eating something that looks like it just doesn’t appeal to me.
I have been vegetarian for about four years and one of the first things people ask me is-“What do you eat?” What a great post! I invite you to check out my blog: http://veggiechica.com/