I have culinary curiosity. For years, I’ve been making up for lost time in sushi eating. I only needed a guide for that first plunge into the amazing world of raw fish. So, when my daughter showed interest in eating vegan for 28 days, I got rather excited. Now, let me state that up until this point, we were the typical meat with veg and starch dinner eaters. In recent years, we have had some Meatless Mondays, but they were by pure accident. I love a good char on marinated chicken fresh off the grill. I worked at one of the top steak houses in the country and have preferred my steaks medium rare ever since. I eat the dark meat at Thanksgiving while others are pouring gravy over tasteless breast meat.
However, I have also been much more health and planet-conscious in recent years, and I’ve tried to pass that spirit on to those around me. As a runner and aging mom, I know that nutrition is my friend. Perhaps my best friend.
Yet, when we embarked on this vegan eating adventure, the reactions of some of my friends and family were a bit unexpected. I shared many of the dishes I made at dinner on Instagram and Twitter. Our very first dish got this response from a dear friend:
“#SaysGod” right out the gate! I could have responded with a witty taken-out-of-context verse from Romans like, “The one who eats is not to regard with contempt the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat is not to judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him.” But I didn’t because that chapter in Romans also says, “…but he who is weak eats vegetables only.”
In our 28 days, I learned and enjoyed a lot about vegan eating. A few of the highlights. . .
- Eating meatless can be a way to honor God’s creation. This is not a judgment; this is simply a way to respect the good earth He gave us to live on. {The sacrifice of animals was a sacred act in the Old Testament.}
- Vegan and raw eating are not the same. It might surprise you what is naturally vegan in your pantry and fridge.
- Eating vegan does not have to be an obnoxious statement. When no vegan options were available, we modified our expectations. {We all had at least one cheat meal. Mine was a juicy bacon cheeseburger. Oh yes.}
- Vegan eating does not mean you are wasting away while chewing on a bland celery stick. There are so many great options in vegan eating, and I didn’t lose a pound while eating this way, much to my sad surprise. What we did notice was less hunger in general, a fuller feeling throughout the day, and fewer cravings overall.
- Vegan eating got me out of my cooking rut. I found several new knock-out recipes for our family. {Sweet potato gnocchi and vegan donuts for instance.}
- Vegan eating brought us back to the table again. As I was trying new dishes {some not as tasty as others}, I realized dinner became more of a connection time than it had been in a while.
A few of our favorite Vegan cookbooks:
Chloe’s Kitchen: 125 Easy, Delicious Recipes for Making the Food You Love the Vegan Way
Counter Intelligence: The Best of April’s Kitchen
In a world that gets a little crazy with fad diets and the latest super foods, our mostly vegan diet helped me refocus on simple, good nutrition and the part I play as a mother and wife in offering that to my family. As another verse in Romans says, “…for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” {Romans 14:17}
Maybe it’s a little obvious, but isn’t that what all of us are hoping for when we sit around a table with our families or good friends? The table is where we offer thanks. It’s where while breaking bread, we share life. For me, a few new recipes and different way of eating reminded me of that beautiful, simple truth.
Has your family tried a new approach to meals/nutrition? What did you learn from your adventure?
Kim Messer
Kim Messer is the Executive Communications Director for Challenge Preparatory Charter School in Far Rockaway, NY and co-owner of Vincent Creative Group, a creative services company. Kim has spent her 20-year career helping artists, companies and organizations communicate through overseeing and managing projects in a variety of mediums. As a professional consultant, she spends time editing books, creating content for websites and social media channels, doctoring and developing scripts for audio, stage and video recordings and planning and executing events. In her free time, she runs, cooks and eats. Kim lives in Franklin, TN with her artistic daughter, handsome husband, and their awesome pets. You can find her at www.facebook.com/kimwrites or @kiminnashvegas on Twitter and Instagram.
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I really enjoyed your blog, Kim. Growing up, my mother would often prepare what she called “vegetable dinners.” It was probably because there wasn’t any meat in the ‘fridge at the time, but those were some of my favorite meals. Hope you share again!
I hear ya! We are very familiar with veggie plates here in the south. Thanks for reading!