Randomn3ss

It’s been 18 days since I embarked on my journey of becoming a vegan. Previously I reported on my progress on Day 5.

Since then I have had a lot of people question, discourage and support me. Although it is disheartening for people to poke fun at my decision I believe it’s because they do not know their facts. Or they want to be right.

All in all, everyone makes a choice as to what they want their life to be. I do not judge or turn my back on people who choose to eat meat. This is what I want my life to be like and no one is going to break me away from that. I’m always up for a good challenge though!
Lauren commented on a few things in my last post. Which I’d prefer to answer here.

• My hunger has evened out already. Which is a huge relief. The annoying feeling of an empty stomach was starting to irk me. While buying a lot of groceries has saved me money it is difficult to eat out now. Because vegan restaurants in the Seattle area are not in every neighborhood (especially in mine) it is hard to get by with eating out. Not to mention my friends don’t find it easy to go out with me or cook food for me. Sad, but true.
• “Are you also getting rid of leather, silk and wool?” I have not discarded or sold any of my animal byproduct clothing. I do have a few pairs of shoes and boots that are made of suede and leather. I have a few jackets made of wool. I decided not to get rid of these items purely on the fact that it’s the middle of the winter and do not have money to purchase new jackets. Also, while this is a huge life decision it is also an experiment for me. Ultimately my goal is to become vegan for life but am still waiting to see how long I can survive. The last step in becoming a true dedicated vegan is choosing to buy animal free products including clothing. I previously discovered earth and animal free clothing while writing Eco Sexy.

I am still getting used to the whole idea of being a vegan. As crazy as it sounds I look forward to more challenges.

Today marks the fifth day of me becoming a vegan.

For the past few years I have been a vegetarian. Which means that I have not eaten chicken, beef, pork, turkey, fish or any other animals since I was 21. I’ve had the enjoyment of eating dairy products like cheese, milk, chocolate and ice cream.

The main reason for me becoming a vegan was for the challenge. Crazy, I know. Originally I became a vegetarian because of animal cruelty and to eat healthier. This is another reason why I am a vegan.

This past week I have been giving and throwing away anything that contains dairy. Now my kitchen is stocked with fake cheese, tofu, dairy free bread, amongst a plethora of other edible things.

For the most part I have felt confident and in good health through this transition. I haven’t felt more tired or sickly. Of course this is only after 5 days. However, I have been feeling constantly hungry. This is annoying. Usually the hunger kicks in about an hour after eating a meal. This is my body getting used to no milk products.

Shopping makes for a long adventure, too. Yesterday I spent a good hour and a half at Whole Foods reading all the ingredients on the packages. To my surprise a lot of things contain dairy even in small amounts. Also, shopping at organic grocery stores is very expensive. I’m used to this though.

I have been successful in finding restaurants and cafes that are vegan. There are several in a few different neighborhoods. Other smaller neighborhoods are scarce.

I hope to continue with being a vegan. However, if I go back to being a vegetarian the world won’t end. More updates soon!

For resources on becoming a vegeternian or vegan visit Action for Animals or Peta.

I was a vegetarian for about thirteen years, then went vegan for a year or so, then decided to see if a return to animal products would make me die on the spot or not. (I didn’t.) Once I ate meat, fish and dairy products again, I did so in moderation, still ate a lot of vegetarian and vegan meals, and could not make myself eat some animal products again. They shall go unmentioned, except for head cheese. Okay, I actually never ate it, but remember seeing it in the fridge as a kid and being really scared. Could there be a grosser name or look to this stuff, and how can anyone eat it with their eyes open or without laughing or puking? I’m sure I’ve offended someone with that judgment - sorry, Dad -but that’s how I feel about it.

This head cheese image originally appeared here. Is the pig laughing or crying? Funny/gross story, too..

Okay, haggis is no doubt worse, sorry my Celtic relatives and friends, but I digress.

The tip about meat comes up in a moment. And, for the record, I returned to a vegan lifestyle about a year ago. (Read my other articles on things vegan on randomn3ss for more information.)

Tip number one is first to view adding more Veg meals into your life as a process. It will take time, some education, some experimenting, some frustration, and some contemplation about how you live your life, quite frankly. (I do know of people who just quit all animal products overnight, but it’s hard, it’s expensive, and wastes a lot of food. Your body may be a bit confused, too, and will tell you about it in a few ways that might not be pleasant.) If you come to the conclusion that you want at least to add more Veg meals into your life, and possibly to become either vegetarian or vegan, read on to get started.

If you aren’t familiar with the difference between vegetarianism and veganism, true vegans do not consume (eat, wear, buy, use) any animal products whatsoever - no meat/fish/poultry, dairy, honey, leather, wool, silk, anything of or from any non-plant-based organism. Most vegetarians eat animal milk and/or eggs, honey, and do wear leather and use other animal byproducts.

One reminder before embarking on change in your life: It takes at least twenty-one days to make or break a habit, and then six months to a year of consistently doing the new habits before it truly becomes a part of your lifestyle, second-nature. Be realistic, be patient, keep track of what you’re doing to help the process be successful.

Tip number two: Back to the meat, and for efficiency’s sake I’ll include fish in this, too. If you’re eating meat three times a day or more, start by cutting back to two times a day. If it’s a fairly easy transition for you, then go to meat one time per day, then eliminate it permanently, if that is your goal. If it’s tough for you - you eat out a lot, you work out a lot, your family owns a meat-packing plant - then go slower, shooting for three weeks as mentioned above, or longer until the adjustment is made. Some find it easier first to eliminate meats (two-or four-legged animals), and just eat fish, and then reduce their fish consumption using the same technique.

This is where some education comes in: We need protein, just like we need carbs and fat. Read up and replace meat with other healthy sources of protein. If you don’t get enough good protein, you will lose energy and your health can suffer.

Tip number three: If you’re eating cheese, dairy products and eggs daily, I would recommend first cutting back on cheese. This can be done by reducing the number of times you eat it per day or per week if it’s a lot, and/or by reducing the amount you are eating in a serving. Even if you decide not to be vegan, having less cheese is better for your health, and your budget. Good cheese is not cheap. Bad cheese, it’s barely cheese, really, and disgusting, at least to me.

A long time ago, pre-Veg for me, a housemate of mine left a box of Velveeta on a kitchen counter one night accidentally. Unfortunately, the counter was right above an old wrought-iron radiator that kicked out a lot of heat. I was the first one up the next morning to see that the cheese had melted out of the box and into a large orange semi-solid puddle around the box. When my housemate saw it, he just pushed it all back in the box, shrugged, and did proceed to eat it eventually, with no repercussions. You can’t do that with brie, to my knowledge.

Then do the same with eggs, and other dairy products, reducing the frequency and quantity you eat gradually. There is no real substitute for scrambled eggs or omelets, which is tough if you like diner food, and good news, it is not really necessary in baking - plenty of other substitutes will hold your vegan cookies and cakes together. There are plenty of other milk choices that taste great: Soy, oat, almond, rice (though it’s typically watery, so not a great choice for cereal), hazelnut, and even hemp. (Hemp is a magical plant, used in food, clothing and other products. I know there is great debate about growing it in the U.S. I hope it will happen. If you didn’t know, the most that would happen to you if you smoked it would be a headache and sore throat.) And there’s plenty of non-dairy ice cream, sour cream, butter, and yogurt products out there. You will need to try a few before you land on what tastes best to you; some aren’t so great but it’s all vastly better than it was even ten years ago.

“But what do you eat?” It’s a common question vegetarians and vegans get constantly: You will find a whole new world out there now that you’re choosing to eat different and new things. The number of grains, beans, legumes, vegetables and fruits out there are countless and the combinations in the bazillions, I’m sure. And it’s no harder to cook Veg than it is to cook animal products, just slightly different - and not as gross. (I still skeeve out thinking of handling raw poultry and other slimy bone-filled greasy stuff.) It can take more time sometimes, but not always. And, you can still eat your cereal with another kind of milk, you can still have favorite foods with just a few substitutions.

“But what about eating out?” Choose the vegetarian options at restaurants to start training your palate and learning what foods taste best to you. It’s super easy if you like ethnic restaurants, and not too hard if you prefer standard U.S. fare. You can ask them to take the meat or cheese out of nearly any item, and most ethnic cuisines celebrate vegetables and grains like the U.S. never has until recently. Experiment with tofu at Asian restaurants - and, I’m the first to say some of it is baaaad, so while it goes against nutritional recommendations, go with the fried or stir-fried tofu if you’re trying it for the first time. A big blob of white, fairly tasteless rubbery stuff in a soup is not very palatable, even for die-hards. (If you didn’t know, tofu is made from soybeans, and has a very mild flavor until you are accustomed to it and add spices to it. It’s an excellent source of protein and a major staple in most Vegs’ diets. Comes in a variety of forms to make it easy to cook and bake with.)

Tip number four: Go to a book store and get a couple vegetarian and/or vegan cookbooks, and subscribe to one of the many great Veg magazines out there. You can search online for recipes, but I find books and magazines are better as they nearly always have cooking tips, nutrition information, and you can compare recipes more easily. And again, as mentioned briefly, you have a learning curve going on with the whole nutritional side of shifting to a Veg diet, and books tend to be the most comprehensive source. (It’s also better to spill stuff on a book than it is a laptop when you’re making a new recipe in the kitchen.) You will learn how to cook a little differently, but all the basics are the same. Be prepared for flops. And that you just won’t like some things. That’s normal, and it just gets you closer to what you do like.
Tip number five: Pretty simple, eat more vegetables. Yes, eat more fruits, too, but vegetables, beans and grains are the core of the Veg diet. Fruit is full of sugar, so read up and stick to only a couple servings a day. Of course, starting out in the process, a lot of people do eat fruit more as snacks to replace the cheese and various meat snacks, which is okay, but shouldn’t be a permanent solution. The more vegetables you eat, the healthier you will be.

Tip number six: Read ingredient labels on “Healthy!” “Vegetarian!” “Low Fat!” foods carefully, especially if you are vegan. Lots of funny-named stuff in some products masquerade as health food and vegetarian. For example, there’s a frozen soy mac and cheese option out there but there is a not-obvious dairy product in the list of ingredients (caseinate, a milk product). Also read the nutrition information on the packaging. (If you don’t know what it all means, learn, as it’s pretty critical - it’s easy to have high cholesterol and high sugars on a Veg diet if you’re not careful, so just spend a little time until it’s second nature, too.) Some have a lot of salt, a lot of fat and/or a lot of sugars and carbs. A lot of newbie Vegs just get all that microwave stuff to make it easy, but it will take a toll on your health and budget. It has a place in the Veg diet, you need quick meals at times, and it’s a great way to try new things, but don’t let it be the only way you eat. Same with junk food. There’s plenty of cookies, chips, snacks, desserts out there that are Veg, so eat in small quantities. Choose organically and sustainably produced foods as well.

Last tip: Enjoy the process, and only do what feels right and works right in your life, although I do advocate strongly for being vegetarian at the least - for your health, for the animals, for the environment. If you choose to eat meat, fish and dairy, choose the best organic and humane sources you can find (do the research, as there’s many confusing and false claims out there), and eat less than you used to. Educate the people around you so they know what you’re doing, and so that you’re not surprising someone who’s invited you to dinner at their house, only to find you can’t eat anything. That’s not fair to them, they’ll feel bad, and you won’t have a good time. (I always eat at home before going to parties, knowing that meat and cheese tend to predominate. But, there’s always a veggie tray, and chips and salsa, it seems, so you can munch along without drawing attention to yourself.) Don’t be defensive if someone puts down what you’re doing, just shrug and say “you eat what you want to eat, and I’ll eat what I want to eat, and we’ll leave it at that.” Several of my close friends are animal-eaters, and this agreement works fine.

My process was fairly easy, I admit. There is a strong history of cancer and heart disease in my family, so that has always been a motivator. I also met the coolest vegetarians in Minneapolis, MN who showed me the way, both in introducing me to a variety of great ethnic restaurants and in how to cook Veg. I also seek out what is not mainstream, so this was a natural; it is surprising, though, how uncomfortable some people get about it, and I’m not (usually) trying to make people squirm (did you like that “animal-eater” comment above?) but I count it as a success for me and for them if they then think about it and ask me to discuss it later (and it’s victory for the animals and the environment if they go on to choose a Veg life). I can say I miss Parmesan cheese. There is no substitute (there are some products on the market, but it really has no resemblance to the true taste of Parm). I used to miss eggs, but that has long gone away. I sometimes think about wild salmon, as that was the last animal flesh I gave up. It’s very good for you, and was my favorite meat item. At times it is frustrating in restaurants, but overall I don’t feel compromised in any way by the choice to be vegan, in food or in other parts of the lifestyle. I don’t get preachy about it (because I would hate it if someone did that to me), but will explain if people ask. I have to check my shock when people say they rarely or never eat vegetables; I don’t want to be judged, so I must not judge them, but it’s still pretty unfathomable to me. (Like how do your bowels even work? I’ll stop there and please don’t tell me.) I also don’t get all weird if I realize I’ve eaten something animal accidentally (and I don’t go purge or anything), and I refuse to be completely rigid about it: On occasion I will eat a homemade chocolate chip cookie even if it’s not vegan. Comfort food and happy childhood memories are a welcome and necessary thing.

Write back and let me know how it goes, and if you’d like to know more.

Credit for this article goes to none other than Adrienne Saia, here at randomn3ss. Number one, she asked for it at the end of one of my articles on going greener and veganism being one way (remember?) and because of her post on her food pyramid. How you ate this, I have no idea…

Thanksgiving doesn’t mean much to me; most of the day is spent sleeping or about to fall asleep on the couch with my dog. The sparkle has long since left, and while friends always invite me to eat with them and their families, I pass. Not because I’m a rude asshole, because I enjoy the alone time. In any event, last night was a bit different.

At around 8pm I arrived at a friend’s house for an after-party among mutual friends and was greeting with a sea of pies and cakes stacked three feet high. Danielle, owner of Vegan Treats, brought over some amazing dessert food from her bakery for us to chow down on. Being fat and wanting to sustain, I consumed a piece each of, pumpkin pie, pumpkin cheesecake and pecan pie. Thirty minutes later I could barely move. It was the best Thanksgiving dinner substitute I’ve ever had.

Vegan or not, these treats should be consumed by everyone that has a sweet tooth, no joke. If you aren’t lucky enough to live near her bakery in eastern Pennsylvania, don’t fear, she supplies several restaurants, cafe’s and bake shops in both Philadelphia and New York City weekly in addition to shipping pies and cakes with next day delivery. The official website is sort of down, but you can befriend her on MySpace at www.myspace.com/vegantreats to see where she makes deliveries to and get some more info on her amazing bakery.

One can’t turn around these days without hearing about “going green”. Celebrities, politicians, retailers, all sorts of environmental organizations and manufacturers, writers, photographers, musicians and other artists… it’s coming from all directions.

It made me wonder how many people are on green overload already. Personally, every single magazine I have read recently - including obscure stuff and mainstream stuff - has had at least one article about ways to go green, climate change, pollution, energy alternatives, etc. with myriad ways people and businesses can now make green choices. It’s a bit exhausting sometimes.

So, how does one stay encouraged, and not tune it all out, deciding you can’t make a difference? How about getting inspired from someone you admire? It works for me.

Are you an Albert Einstein fan? I think there’s a few million who are.

I have said before that going vegan primarily and vegetarian at the least is one of the best ways to go green. (Also see my second article on Going Greener for other tips.) Well, Albert Einstein’s got my back:

“Nothing will benefit human health and increase the chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.”

I have been an Einstein fan for a long time, so when I found this quote by him, I just smiled a big green smile.

It made me wonder what other people of note may be (or have been) vegetarian or vegan. And wow, there are a lot of them, no matter what or who you like or agree with, what you value or aspire to. Check out this huge list of people from all areas of life.

Hint: I am confident that you will find at least a half a dozen famous folks on here you admire - musicians, actors, poets, athletes, leaders of all sorts, a American Revolutionary figure, a favorite cartoon character - no matter what your age or taste. And, you will be surprised to find some people on it, too.

http://www.famousveggie.com/peoplenew.cfm

http://www.happycow.net/famous_vegetarians.html

So, now that you’re inspired, take action - you will inspire others. Inspiration and greener actions are a winning combination for everyone and the planet.

P.S. If you are a vegetarian who eats eggs, poultry or fish, will you please stop calling yourself a vegetarian? You’re not. Sorry. You’re just not. How can eating animal or fish make you a vegetarian? They bleed and breathe just like you and me. Since you’re calling yourself one, make the leap and stop eating flesh, and let that be your primary statement about going green. Your health, and the world, will benefit.

Today is Blog Action Day! A day where fourteen thousand blogs will discuss one issue by trying to make an impact on 15 million readers. The topic? Environmentalism.

I feel that a lot of people don’t know what “going green” means. According to Wikipedia it means

…a concern for the preservation, restoration, or improvement of the natural enviroment, such as the conservation of natural resources, prevention of pollution, and certain land use actions.

The concern I feel most people have is where to begin. There are plenty of simple tips to get yourself started. Every little bit counts whether its taking less time in the shower or changing your light bulbs. A few examples can be found right here on Randomn3ss, “Going More Green“, by Lauren. Or rent the infamous movie by Al Gore, An Inconvenient Truth.

However, I digress. My topic is about sex. Now I can imagine the puzzled looks on everyone’s faces. Yes, I wondered myself how anyone can green up their sex life. Well, it can be done. Let’s explore it further.

I got these tips from Treehugger, a website that has a plethora of environmental topics.

1. Sex Toys - Most sex toys contain chemicals called phthalates, a threatening chemical that’s been banned in children’s toys since 2004. It is especially said to be dangerous in sex toys because of the warm and moist places they are deposited in. So, instead of purchasing a unsafe toy it’s suggested to buy a more natural companion. Trying out a toy made of glass, metal, silicone, hard plastics, or elastomers is a safe bet. Instead of wasting batteries look for a rechargeable toy. Fun Factory is a neat place where you’ll find Lily, Lelo & Acuvibe.
2. Lubricant - Looking at the labels helps choosing a more natural lubricant. Avoid using any petroleum (save the fossil fuels), artificial scents, flavors and colors. A good choice is Babeland’s water based lubricant.
3. Condoms - The phrase, “reduce, reuse and recycle” is an angelic symphony to any environmentalists ears. However, this does not apply to condoms. We all know that a baby free environment means using a safe and reliable form of protection. Nothing beats the good ol’ latex condom. However, they are still determining whether or not a latex condom is biodegradable. For a biodegradable option lambskin is an option to protect against conception not STDs. For vegetarians (like me) and vegans a good source is Glyde condoms. Any condom that is polyurethane is not biodegradable so try and stay away from them. Another excellent tip is not to dispose condoms down the toilet, it will clog the pipes, treatment plants and rivers.
4. Green Date - Homosexual, bisexual, heterosexual and asexual are terms we’ve heard of to describe one’s orientation or style. What about ecosexual? They exist and in large numbers. If you’re looking for a companion that doesn’t chomp on animals, recycles and uses organic toothpaste you can find a match on Green Singles, Green Passions and Human 2 Human.
5. Dress Eco Sexy - Looking and feeling sexy can make for some naughty antics. Why not save the environment while you’re at it? There are products for men and women. Peau Ethique has some cute and comfortable undergarments along with Bueno Style, Butta and Green Knickers. My ultimate favorite is Enamore which has gorgeous, sexy clothes and lingerie.

You’ve probably noticed that “going green” is all over the media. Al Gore is fairly responsible for that, with his documentary “An Inconvenient Truth”, which won an Oscar this year.

The hype aside, it is really easy to go greener, and saves money - if you’re not into saving the world, or don’t believe the world needs to be saved as far as the environment goes, no problem - just save yourself some money and time.

I have recycled forever, been a member of a food co-op, and had a dad who always turned off lights to save money, so I’ve been at this a long time. But, here’s what I’ve done over the past few years and even just the past month to really make a green lifestyle more permanent and far-reaching:

1. Use cloth napkins instead of paper. I didn’t think I’d like it, but I do. It feels right - less garbage, not a big deal to wash them, and they last a long time. It’s nice to throw less stuff out in the garbage, and to spend less time in the grocery store buying paper goods. Same goes for paper towels. Just use cloth dishrags. Same concept. Lots less waste. (We have a very small amount on hand if there is ever something really nasty we don’t want to put in the wash, but as yet, it hasn’t happened.)
2. Use cloth or other sturdy non-disposable grocery bags, or at least reuse the hell out of the paper and plastic ones. The cashiers are confused of course, because it goes outside their mechanized scanning and bagging routine - but I get to bag my own groceries and so I don’t end up with crushed stuff. Ditto #1 with less garbage and it feeling right.
3. Have lights on only in the room you’re in. My only exception to this is one small/low light in the kitchen, the room we pass through a lot at night. Lower electric bills are nice. [My neighbor leaves all her lights on all the time. For what? Her cats don’t care, and it’s just a waste of her money and resources.] We keep our porch light on all night for security, but switching to a compact fluorescent bulb saves on electricity.
4. Reuse glass food containers. I hate the smell and taste of plastic on my food. Former pasta sauce jars make great holders of staples like dried beans, quinoa, rice, oatmeal, nuts, and leftovers. And plastic starts breaking down, so the bad stuff will leach into your food the longer you use them.
5. Plan your errands with your car so that you’re not just going one place and back home, and make it a game and find the most efficient route - to save time and gas. I just read that UPS was in the process of redoing all their drivers’ routes so that they turned right more, never turned left if possible and thus reduced their idling time sitting in traffic. Nice! (Idling wastes the most gas.) So, that has inspired me to do the same.
6. Charge your cell phone at home, not the car, but don’t leave it plugged in all the time at home, either! Charge it in the car only if you’re on a long trip or it absolutely is dead - it wastes more energy charging it in the car than it does at home, believe it or not. But, don’t leave your cell phone plugged in at home all the time - it’s a waste of energy, even if it’s small compared to a refrigerator, and it doesn’t give you any extra benefit (i.e. it won’t hold the charge for that much longer)
7. Eat more vegan food. This was just in one of the major U.S. news weeklies: (In sum,) a steak is like a Hummer on a plate. The cost in resources to produce a pound of beef vs. a pound of beans is stunning, and then when compared to the damage done by producing and owning SUVs, it is further astounding and makes one pause to really contemplate that reality. There are countless reasons to eat vegan, but the impact on our natural resources is probably the most compelling. And while I’ve tasted some really really bad vegan food, I have tasted the most awesome food ever that turned out to be vegan. If you live in the Lehigh Valley, run, don’t walk, to Vegan Treats in Bethlehem (not far from Liberty High School). It is beyond delicious and decadent. There are many great resources about veganism out there.

I have found making the switch to green and veganism a nice challenge, and again, it feels very right for me and for the planet. And I’m still in transition, learning more all the time, enjoying the process. It is amazing to realize just how many ways we waste resources in our daily life - and I, for one, really like saving money for things more important to me. It is even more satisfying to realize I am leaving a smaller energy footprint on the planet by doing so.

I have always been a noncomformist of some type, and find it far more satisfying than just being asleep, and a lemming just blindly following where the marketers or people in power want me to go. (Of course, the marketers are seeing green because it is now a big and growing new market.) If you consider yourself on the fringe and/or like making others uncomfortable with what you do and believe - go really green and really vegan, and love your life.

Or how about eggs?

Take a look at this video clip from Mercy for Animals about some chickens in a factory farm.

Or how about this one from PETA about a certain fast food chicken company:

Cruelty in the KFC Slaughterhouse
In July 2004, PETA revealed the results of an investigation into a KFC-supplying slaughterhouse in Moorefield, West Virginia, where workers were caught on video stomping on chickens, kicking them, and violently slamming them against floors and walls.

If I hadn’t already gone vegan, the above would have pushed me into it faster.

That kind of treatment and death in the food chain is the norm, folks, the norm. And don’t be fooled by ‘free range’ on products. There’s no big bazillion acre meadow for bazillions of (the animal “commodity” of choice) to happily range around freely before a humane death.

If you want to learn more about the industry, check out the chapter on the myth of the “threat” of veganism in the book “Everything You Know is Wrong”, found at the DisInfo site

While I am a meat loving person, I do enjoy several things from a vegetarian kitchen and have several friends who are both vegetarian and vegan, so I’m willing to make compromises w hen we go out to eat. It is also not a surprise that eating vegetarian can be expensive and finding all your favorite foods often means driving to several specialty shops on different sides of town.

On one of the newly found (to me) but growing to be favorite blogs I came across this great article on how to eat vegetarian without breaking the bank. A lot of the tips are common, like buying at your local farmers market and buying in bulk, but they also cover tips on eating out as well.

When your average American thinks about fast food the first thought likely to come to mind is McDonald’s. It’s certainly not that appetizing to the ever growing Vegan population though. Recently, Veggie Bite, the first Vegan fast food restaurant, opened a location in Chicago, a total shock! Americans live off junk food dining since the early 50’s when TV dinners first came onto the market. It’s quick and easy, can you blame our society? We are always looking for faster and cheaper, the better part often falls to the waste side.

The question is, is this a change in people’s habits? This restaurant would lead you to think that people are starting to question their lifestyles. This should especially be true with movies like “Super Size Me” and “Fast Food Nation“. Can you imagine a country where everything you eat is made from Tofu, wheat, soy beans amongst many other natural ingredients? These ingredients are cheaper and more plentiful to produce then most livestock and have many of the same nutritional values as their meat counterparts. However, a few movies might not change people’s opinions or their tastes buds. Most people who don’t have an open mind have plenty of excuses when it comes to trying vegetarian and vegan food. The fact is nothing tastes like meat, except well, meat. With that thought, it would take a lot more than just a few Vegan fast food restaurants to change society’s preferences.

California would be the next most likely place to get a Veggie Bite chain. The people out West generally have a better consciousness of what they put into their bodies, have more access to organic food and more then a few people would be beaming with happiness to see an all natural, all vegan fast food restaurant.