I�m 17 years old and the only vegan in my high school.
When people mention my name it is often followed by the statement �Oh
yeah, she�s a vegan.� While I am especially proud of my reputation as an
animal activist, I am also surprised time and time again by all the
misconceptions teenagers (and adults as well) have of a vegan diet. After
I explain to them that it simply means I do not consume anything that
comes from an animal, my response is met with a shocked face and posed
with the question �just what do you eat then?�
I never could just think of a simple answer to this. Being
a vegan is just a part of my life, and I enjoy a wide variety of tasty
foods � to name them all would be absurd. Differentiating between what
foods are vegan and what appear to be vegan, except for that dreaded last
ingredient that always seems to pop up ruining the purity of the entire
product, is a difficult process that takes some getting used to. Once you
are used to it, reading ingredients on products is an easy aspect of
veganism. Going to restaurants or fast food places and asking for
ingredient lists or whether their food contains animal products is a whole
other experience in itself. Seldom do local waitstaff at restaurants know
what mono and diglycerides is so asking them whether or not a product is
vegan is never an easy task. One resource I have relied on is the
internet. Ingredient lists can often times be found on fast food chain
websites along with their nutrition information. It takes some time, but
eventually you figure out and remember what you can eat at each restaurant
in your neighborhood and fast food chains.
Most people usually don't have the time to research their
foods. Luckily, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals� website for
teenagers called PETA2.com has begun to compile website lists of some of
the different vegan products that can be found just down the street at a
local 711, in a supermarket, in a restaurant, or at a fast food joint. So
whether you are an experienced vegan shopper who knows most of these
products already or whether you are a vegetarian or meat eater in the
process of converting to a vegan diet, these websites contain a plethora
of common everyday foods that are vegan. Whenever you feel like you are
getting overwhelmed or need some inspiration be sure to check out these
websites available from PETA2.com:
For the Fast Food Fanatic�
http://www.peta2.com/stuff/s-eat2.html
For the Late Night 711 Stop�
http://www.peta2.com/stuff/s-eat.html
For the Those Who Enjoy Their Kitchen...
http://www.peta2.com/stuff/s-recipeold.html
For the Restaurant Type�
http://www.peta2.com/stuff/s-eat1.html
For the Mall Shopping Break�
http://www.peta2.com/stuff/s-eat3.html
For the Supermarket Run�
http://www.peta2.com/stuff/s-accvegan.html
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