Veganism is a Life of Abundance, Not Deprivation

The biggest mistake I made during my plant-based transition was focusing on everything I was losing, rather than everything I was gaining.

I was a serial quitter, after all. Not in the workplace or in academia, but with poor lifestyle habits. I quit smoking. I quit drinking. I quit diet soda. I quit regular soda. I quit fast food. I quit prescription medications. I quit over the counter allergy medicines. I get quite the kick out of quitting bad habits, so quitting meat, dairy and eggs felt only natural to me.

But as much as I am a lover of quitting bad habits, I’m also a lover of abundance. I’m a long distance runner. I’ll brew and drink several cups of coffee and tea in one day. I have a supplement to prevent every ailment. My backyard is full of exotic, edible/fruit bearing trees (shh… don’t tell my HOA!). My bedroom walls have always been fully decorated. My pantry looks like I’m preparing for WWIII. And perhaps most notably, I love food and I have a tendency to eat A LOT.

So, even though my vegan journey had been off to a great start, I started longing for what I thought I was missing out on.

As a fishmonger, I loved seafood. Giving up pork, beef, chicken and cheese was easy. Fish was the last bastion of my carnism. Wild-caught sea life epitomizes abundance, and as an abundance lover, I constantly feel the temptation to consume anything new. Seafood was exotic, and there was almost always something new. Sea Urchin? Yes, please! Swordfish spinal fluid? You bet. Fish heads? Bring it on.

Nothing scared me. Hell, I’d have eaten fugu back in my sushi heyday.

But then I realized that there’s a freedom in quitting. No longer was I wrecking my brain, trying to justify eating certain animals. No longer was I spending lots of money on fresh fish and expensive sushi dinners. No longer was I getting fast food and take-out for my lunch breaks.

And just like that, my plate opened up.

There was so much more room for fresh fruits and vegetables. Nuts and seeds became a staple, rather than an afterthought. Exotic grains and high quality breads began to steal the show. I found a whole world of plant foods that I was ignoring. Giving up meat, dairy and eggs really gives you a deeper appreciation of everything else in the food pyramid.

I now walk through the produce department like a kid in a candy store, and navigating the grocery department is an adventure every single time. Now I’m an expert at scouring ingredients lists, and my meals are more exciting than ever before (and it’s hard to top the swordfish spinal fluid).

Don’t let FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) prevent you from making the switch. You’ll quickly find that the less you eat something, the less you crave it. Your taste buds will adapt to whatever you feed it. Our wonderful bodies are hardwired to adapt to change, and as long as you take full advantage of the grocery and produce departments at your local market, you’ll find that there’s a world of culinary abundance out there to discover.

Go vegan and prosper.