Vegan Challenge Recap

We are happy to report the the Laptop Lunches team has successfully completed our vegan challenge! Although none of us have converted to full time vegan diets, we are definitely more conscious about what we're putting into our bodies and the effects different foods have on us. Below is a recap from one of the founders of Laptop Lunches who was joined in the challenge by her husband and teenage sons:

We are happy to report that we just completed “Vegan Week” and did not fall off the wagon…not even once! My family expected that it would be a big sacrifice, but at the end of the week they all agreed that it wasn’t as “bad” as they expected. Preparing the daily menus in advance was the key to our success. It also helped that I sprinkled in some yummy treats to give the boys something to look forward to.

Our vegan diet also spurred some thought provoking conversations and debates at dinner time. Some of the things we discussed were: What are the impacts of a non-vegan diet on the Earth? Why would a vegetarian opposed to animal cruelty eat dairy or eggs? Is a vegan diet more expensive than a non-vegan diet? What types of foods do you have to eat to get enough protein when eating a vegan diet?

Overall, it was a great experience for all. I think the lesson we walked away with is that it’s best for the Earth, animals and our bodies if we eat a mostly vegan diet and that there are lots of delicious vegan dishes available. The boys missed eating cheese the most. I was worried about not having milk for my morning coffee but was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the taste of vanilla soy milk. We avoided “meat substitute” foods and we all gave the “cream cheese substitute” a big thumbs down. We decided that most of the substitutes had too many ingredients forced together to make something that didn't even taste like what it was trying to be. We found that we ate more avocados and peanut butter than normal and we quickly discovered that dark chocolate is vegan!

While we won’t be switching to an all vegan diet, we will definitely be eating more conscientiously in the future.

Thank you to everyone that supported us through this challenge. We are looking forward to April's challenge which will be revealed in our upcoming newsletter and hope you'll join in!