30 Days of Vegan (Day 0)

This is Day 0. I just finished my last bowl of cereal with dairy milk in it.. at least for awhile.

You know what's weird? The dairy items I'm trying to 'squeeze in' are already tasting funny to me. No idea why. But I already feel like I shouldn't be consuming it.

In fact, yesterday, when I ordered a pizza, I went ahead and ordered it with no cheese. It was a full 48 hours before I was set to go vegan, but I did it anyway. As it turns out.. it was pretty good. As a kid, I used to eat all the toppings off my pizza, then eat all the cheese.. and then eat the sauce and crust last. So, I'm sort of just skipping the middle step. Didn't feel like I was 'missing out' at all.

All in all, I feel as prepared as I can be. Fridge is stocked with produce and vegan friendly products. I've already read one vegan cookbook, cover to cover.. and picked a few recipes I absolutely wanted to try. Then I ordered two more vegan cookbooks. ;)

But let's not pretend I'm super excited for Monday morning. I keep going over all the things I can't have, or that even if I try to have, will NOT taste the same. (People that tell you soy/tofu tastes or feels like any real food.. are liars, just fyi.)

You see, I'm a person who has milk almost every morning. Usually some cheese with lunch and dinner. And ALWAYS a glass of chai tea before bed. It's my ritual.. to the point that if I'm at a hotel, I have to at least go to Starbucks and get one before I'm comfortable falling asleep. Sure, I could try the chai in rice or almond milk.. but since neither actually taste like dairy, I think it'd be a waste of time... and chai. So, there goes that.

And it just keeps going.. No ice cream. No yogurt. No mac & cheese. No baked potato with sour cream. No deviled eggs. No chocolate milk. No milkshakes. No scrambled eggs. No lasagna. No grilled cheese. Very few baked goods. Nothing covered in (or cooked with) butter.

In sum... no eating out. Anywhere. Finding vegetarian dishes in my area was hard enough. Vegan would likely be impossible, without making so many demands that someone would surely spit in my food.

On the other hand, I still have: hummus, baked beans, peanut butter, most breads, jams/jellies, soups, veggie chili, most pasta noodles with tomato sauces, tea, water, nuts, popcorn, salads (with no cheese or creamy dressings), grilled or breaded veggies, and mounds of delicious fruit.

Doesn't sound like it'll kill me. Right?

In about 13 hours... I'm going to find out.