Sacrifices

When considering a Vegan lifestyle, take a good look at your regular routine and note just how much of your social life revolves around food.

Drinks and apps with friends at the bar, dinner dates, quick lunches between class, nachos on a good movie night, barbecues, family dinners, picnics, ice cream runs, Birthday cakes, the list goes on and on.

Now take a look at those situations and think about how often the food exposed to you during those times are vegetarian, much less vegan. And for that matter, how many people in your party are vegetarian or vegan as well? Will they think to include a vegan dish for you? Are they thinking about what you can or can't eat when choosing a restaurant for dinner? Do they have an obligation to adjust their meal, appetizer, or dinner location to your eating habits? Or better yet, would you expect them to?

If you're having trouble finding a place to go out with your non-vegan friends, try Triple Rock Social Club. Not only do they have fantastic vegan food, but they have great All-American meaty choices for your carnivorous friends, paired with a fantastic atmosphere that will keep up with any of your social groups.

I've also added a couple links under the Vegan Quest Sites section of the blog (look to your right) that have very decent vegan/vegetarian recipes. Because Lord knows one of my biggest obsticals within this diet change has been discovering what to eat. I have definitely discovered that convenience food is rarely suitable for a vegan diet. Almost everything that is fast food contains meat or dairy; whether from a restaurant chain or just grab-and-go items from the grocery store. Convenience is certainly one of the things that has to be sacrificed by adopting a diet such as this. No more quick stops at Taco Bell or Wendy's, (unless of course you want a terrible clone of a salad or bean and onion burrito). If I don't plan the meals and snacks ahead of time than I am usually left without eating.

So here's a bonus to my newly adopted eating habits, forced discipline.