{"id":6740,"date":"2017-03-22T08:30:11","date_gmt":"2017-03-22T15:30:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lifeandhealth.wordifysites.com\/?p=6740"},"modified":"2017-05-09T14:55:59","modified_gmt":"2017-05-09T21:55:59","slug":"vegan-ish-introduction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lifeandhealth.org\/food\/nutrition\/vegan-ish-introduction\/086740.html","title":{"rendered":"Vegan-ish: Introduction"},"content":{"rendered":"

Growing up, I only knew a handful of people that were vegan. But nowadays, veganism has infiltrated the public psyche in a way I never would have predicted.<\/span><\/p>\n

Loads of celebrities — Jessica Chastain, Ariana Grande and Woody Harrelson, to name a few — tote the vegan lifestyle. Professional athletes are also switching to plant-based diets to increase performance. For example, the New England Patriots\u2019 star quarterback, Tom Brady, recently won his fourth Superbowl at the age of 39. For a sport where mid-30s is ancient, it\u2019s been suggested that one of the secrets to his longevity is <\/span>his plant-focused diet<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Whether it\u2019s for dietary, ethical or environmental reasons, more and more people are choosing to cut animal products out of their lives. Marketing has followed suit, with even non-food items such as clothing and cosmetics sporting \u201cVEGAN\u201d on their product labels.<\/span><\/p>\n

Personally, I\u2019ve always had a difficult time imagining myself becoming a vegetarian, much less a vegan. I know the siren call of a sizzling steak all too well, and if my wife would let me, I\u2019d eat a burger every day. Don\u2019t get me wrong, I love my fruits and veggies; but if you were to ask me what my last meal on earth would be, it\u2019s Korean barbeque that pops into my head, not a salad bar.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, as I\u2019ve grown older, I can see the personal and societal reasons to integrate plant-based foods into my life. The negative effects of industrial livestock production on the environment seem undeniable and ensuring ethical treatment of livestock is a difficult task. Even when it comes to high quality, sustainable meat, the simple fact is that I can\u2019t eat like I used to when I was younger. Well, unless I\u2019m willing to ignore my health, weight, mood and general appearance.<\/span><\/p>\n

A daunting part about plant-based eating is the misconception that a person has to go all in. Truth be told, I\u2019m not particularly interested in being vegan. But that doesn\u2019t mean I can\u2019t incorporate vegan dishes into my lifestyle. If there is food out there that tastes good and is good for me, why wouldn\u2019t I want it?<\/span><\/p>\n

So for all these reasons and many more, I have decided to embark on a quest to find some vegan dishes that appeal to my tastebuds and share my experience with any other meat-lovers out there who are looking to make some changes in their own life.<\/span><\/p>\n

The cookbook I\u2019ve chosen for this experiment is \u201cFrom Plant to Plate\u201d by Tami Bivens, R.D. For the next 10 weeks, I will cook, consume and critique one vegan recipe a week. From entr\u00e9es and sides to soups and sweets, I\u2019ll put veganism to the test and see what works with a carnivore\u2019s palate.<\/span><\/p>\n

Is it easy to cook? How did it taste? Would I make it again?<\/span><\/p>\n

I hope to answer these questions and more! Join me each week as I explore what it\u2019s like to be vegan \u2026 ish.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Click to read Jason\u2019s other “Vegan-ish” articles:<\/p>\n