Sarah Morrigan speaks in pictures and words

Hello Miss Sarah,

I know you are vegan. I've tried doing this diet twice before with little success. It is difficult to read product labels with my vision and each time I've tried I later discover I've been consuming dairy and eggs without even knowing. I would think I had not and find out I was mistaken. How long have you been vegan? How do you do it? How do you find things to eat at restaurants? Aren't dairy substitutes bad tasting? Isn't too much soy bad for us?

Thank you,

Sue

Unfortunately label-reading is pretty much a must, unless you insist only on fresh produces and grains and avoid all packaged items.

I have been vegan since 1994, so it is well over 18 years. The best approach that worked for me was to understand that vegan food is a distinct form of cuisine just like any other culinary culture. This way it would make no sense to limit yourself to substitute or imitations of meat-based diet (It is also a very expensive way to be vegan, since those items are often pre-packaged and overpriced).

When I am travelling I would look for a Chinese restaurant (remember these very useful Chinese words: 罗汉齊 luo2 han4 zhai1, 素什锦 su4 shi2 jin3, and 白饭 bai2 fan4.). You will have a pretty good chance of finding one in any small town even in the middle of nowhere. If this fails, try an Italian restaurant. Of course I am blessed to be in the Pacific Northwest: Portland, Eugene, Seattle, and Vancouver, B.C. are all considered some of the best vegan cities on earth. Even in a smaller town in Oregon or Washington, I can usually find something at Safeway or Fred Meyer (or QFC, Smith's, or Kroger, depending on where you are) if all else fails. As for fast food, Subway's veggie lovers sub can be made vegan. American-Mexican chains such as Taco Del Mar, Qdoba, and Chipotle [but avoid Taco Bell or Taco Time] can also make vegan meal if you tell them (mostly cheese and sourcream are the only problem, which can be easily eliminated from your order).

"Too much soy" is not bad, contrary to some misinformation, unless of course if you are allergic. Perhaps one thing you might want to watch out is whether the soybeans are genetically modified (GMO), in which case, it is a good idea to avoid it. Of course not all vegan food contains soybean products; there are wheat protein (called seitan) and, if you do not mind soy, tempeh (Indonesian fermented soybeans). But again, perhaps the most economic choice is to avoid them altogether and cook your own beans from scratch. Lentils and garbanzo beans are some of my favourites, inexpensive and fast-cooking.

Indeed many dairy substitutes are bad-tasting. The only product I recommend is Earth Balance, butter-like spread that can be helpful for baking. Even that can be substituted with olive oil, though, in most situations. Again, my advice is not to just simulate meat-and/or-dairy-based diet, and creatively explore what you can make, almost like an Iron Chef.