It has been brought to my attention all the things I will be missing, now that I have decided to follow a vegan diet. Many of these foods have been part of my life for, well, most of my life. And thinking about them makes me realize the emotional connection we can have to the food we eat. In fact, I've already had a couple experiences in one week that make me realize the awkwardness that can come up when you tell someone you are making a choice to not eat certain foods (as opposed to telling someone you have a specific food allergy--no one ever questions that). Some of these foods include...
1. New York/New Jersey-style pizza (sigh)
2. Salt bagel with cream cheese (unbelievably a fixture in my NJ diet since third grade)
3. Dunkin Donuts coffee with skim milk and sugar (not a big deal since I can find other things to go in my coffee)
4. Emily's frozen custard (!)
5. Traditionally made cakes, cupcakes, and certain pies (double sigh)
6. Two breakfast dishes that my dad makes for me every time I go visit--florentine omelet with spinach and feta cheese and his yummy blueberry pancakes (although as we found out this morning, there are pretty good vegan recipes for pancakes)
There are more, of course, but these are the ones that stand out. First of all, I don't want anyone to be offended if I refuse something they make because of what it's made with. It's nothing against the cooking (you all know from past experience how much I love these dishes). Also, don't feel like I am deprived by not eating something or that you have to go out of your way to make something special. I (and most vegetarians/vegans) have made this choice for my own health as well as the health of animals and the planet. I will miss these things, don't get me wrong. But I feel very comfortable with my decision and I'm sticking to it!
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