Tag: going vegan

Reasons for being vegan, a refresher

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Every time I try to explain why I wanted to become vegan, I feel like I sound childish. People will look at you like that too: ‘What do you mean you love animals too much to eat them?’ It is a weird feeling to have to justify for too much (sane) love, don’t you think?

This morning a vegan friend sent me this video:

This little boy is so cute, and this hug looks so real and felt ‘both ways’ that it is difficult not to see that there is a relationship of trust and care.

I thought this could be a perfect reminder of reasons for being vegan on those harder days…

What do you think?

Three weeks check point!

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So, it has been three weeks since we started the “vegan experiment”. What a blast we had during those two weeks! I don’t think we ever cooked that much or ate as many fruits and veggies. We realize we are still in the “honey moon” phase, where eating is exciting and testing out new recipe is exciting, but it is a really good start> in fact here are a few things we noticed:

– We eat less, but are less hungry. We don’t really understand how that works, but we realized that our groceries last longer. Also, at meals, we don’t go for second helpings quite as often as before. I don’t know if it is because we have diversified our source of nutrients, or if we are just getting used to the new food, but it is good.

– NO cravings! We really thought that it would be hard to pass in front of sushi shops, pizza place and ice cream booth, but she did not feel any cravings. In fact, she thoroughly enjoyed her vegan sushis. In fact, by making sure that there was always food available around (mainly fruits and nuts) no desire for cheese or eggs came up.

– Breakfast (the regular one, not the brunch type) has become her favourite part of the day. Indeed, since turning vegan, she has set out to find different spreads and different milks to try out. We strongly recommend going to your bulk food store and try out some of their nut butters. Near our place, we found one that sells cashew nut butter. Needless to say, it is AMAZING!

We are hoping this state of bliss (…) will continue on for a long time. We really are having a lot of fun being vegan, without any negative side effects. We did not notice any fatigue or any expected change when modifying a diet.

How did you feel when you started to be vegan?

This photo by Brian Crump really describes how we feel :P

This photo by Brian Crump really describe how we feel 😛

First week as vegans

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We made it through the first week!

It really wasn’t that hard. It was actually really fun and easy. We are guessing this is because we are still on the high of newness. However, we do feel pretty well.

He found he felt better after meals. He also realized more easily when he was not hungry anymore and knew when to stop eating. This made him realize how much extra food he ate for no reason. Less cravings between the meals too. He did not feel any fatigue that could be linked to his new diet. He also found the food was really good and was more tasty.

She found it was easy to prepare good meals. She did not eat as much as usual, but did not feel as hungry. It felt as if the food contained more than normal. Her body did not have any trouble adjusting to the new diet. In fact, she felt better after the meals, less drowsy. She did feel tired, but as it is midterm season, it is probably normal. She really enjoy testing and creating new recipes.

This week was a very positive week. We both enjoyed it a lot and are looking forward this new week!

Going clean

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As we are starting our journey of going vegan, one question kept coming back in our minds:

What to do with the non-vegan food we have at home?

As vegetarians, we found out that most of our pantry food contained non-vegan ingredients like “modified mild ingredients” and “casein”. We were faced with a dilemma”: should we eat this food even though it is not vegan and therefore against our values, or should we throw it out and make it worse?

Because sharing is better than throwing out!

Because sharing is better than throwing out!


After some reflection, we agreed that throwing completely-still-good-but-not-vegan food is not an option. Still, she felt pretty uncomfortable eating non-vegan food. After a bit more reflection, we decided that this food needed to be shared. Even if some of you might argue that giving out non-vegan food is bad, we think that it is the best way to “veganize” our pantry. Plus, with Christmas coming around the corner, food bank drop box have started to appear all over town. Here are some options to get rid of non-vegan food when starting out:

– give it to food banks

– have a huge “Going Vegan” meal/ party where you cook all of it out

– share it with classmates or co-workers (ex.: that box of cookies/hot chocolate mix)

Of course, you can also identify those foods, eat them out and not quit buying them. However, NEVER THROW FOOD OUT! It makes the animal suffering even worse, because useless, in our opinion.

What do you think? If you went vegan, what did you do with that food? What options are you considering if going vegan?

Who is the Duo?

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The Duo is amazing, fantastic, unique, and you will love it!

This is the beautiful city of Montreal, under the snow. The Duo loves this city and will make it the theater of their vegan journey!

This is the beautiful city of Montreal, under the snow. The Duo loves this city and will make it the theater of their vegan journey!

After watching the documentary ” Vegucated”, there was an awkward silence. A silence in which each member of the duo was thinking: “How can I ask her/him to go vegan without sounding like a dictator?” Then, there was understanding, discussion, and a decision was taken: “LET’S GO VEGAN!”

She is from a Franco-Vietnamese family from Montreal. Vegetarian,  with many slip-ups, for more than 10 years, gluten intolerant for 5 years, going vegan seemed to be a logical step. The documentary was the much-needed trigger. She is doing this for the animals as much as for the environment as much as for her health.

He is from a French family and recently moved to Montreal. Amateur of cheese, pastries and wine, his childhood meals, more often then not, included meat. Going vegan was not a logical path, yet, with her it seemed right. He is going it for the animals as much as for the environment as much as for his health.

After buying “The Daily Vegan Planner” by Jolinda Hackett, doing their first vegan groceries, they are ready to go.

This blog is the journal of their journey. Here they will post recipes, grocery lists, ideas, updates on how they’re feeling and interesting things they will come across with as they go.

Enjoy, and join in!