Being vegetarian? How come I wasn’t aware of the word vegan?

As a teenager, I worked at a grocery store near my house and I was a cashier. I remember being at the first belt near the door, the worst position when it was winter. There, at the shortest belt, I would cash out customers with 1 to 8 items. Guess how many of those 1 to 8 items were meat? Probably just half the time and yet carved in my brain is the nightmare of scanning meat products, especially raw flesh which would often be cold and leak through the thin plastic wrapping unto my clean belt.

My face is expressive so I couldn’t hide my disgust. I would disapear from view for a second (wishing to disappear from there) as I grabed the spray bottle and tissue in the lower cupboard under the cash register all the while screaming internally, and wipe the belt clean before serving the next customer. I was a fast scanner, so the disruption of my work was probably evident but forgiving. It was in those moments that I one, wanted another job, and two wanted to never see or touch meat again. It was awful…

Vegetarianism – here I come!

In the summer of 2006, I graduated from Highschool. Before starting University in the fall, I went camping as a counsellor. Our meals are prepared for us to meet our specified dietary needs. It was there that I decided I was a vegetarian. I was away from home, a high school graduate and nearly a first-year uni student, so WHY NOT?!

When I returned home, I didn’t have the same ease to choose vegetarian because there was no such thing in an African household. I began to cool for myself. Of course, my parents were shaken and worried that I didn’t eat meat which was a cultural necessity with most meals. My mom tried to tell me to eat it and failed so she enlisted my calm Dad to do the job. He told me it would be my last day being vegetarian and I was calm and silent. I was vegetarian for 10 years.

Learning about my health

Years earlier, the doctor confirmed that I was lactose intolerance so I stopped drinking milk, although sometimes I would chance it with ice cream… I know, I know… I went through a period of buying lactase enzymes to help me digest milk products. They were expensive and I hated standing in the aisle reading all the labels, trying to get the most out of my money and so I stopped buying them and accepted my digestive intolerance.

I enjoy researching different topics so vegetarianism was exciting. I looked up what the body needs and substitutes for my favourite foods. Still, I ate pasta, rice, and noodles, starches that turn to sugar once digested. I enjoyed beans as it was a part of my cultural cuisine and I ate vegetables too. My mom would buy many vegetables and put me in charge of eating them so they wouldn’t go to waste (sometimes I failed).

Beans make me gassy, but I still enjoy eating them, and apparently, the more I eat them, the more my body will be able to handle them with more grace. I love lentils of all colours and chickpeas are a luxury. I enjoy tofu, tempeh and I have tried seitan though I normally eat gluten-free. Yes, I’m one of those people who notice how I feel after eating glutinous foods- bloated, tired and heavy.

Hello, world – I am vegan!

I became vegan in 2016 and although in the past I was envious of those who could carelessly eat creamy cakes and sweets, I had no temptation being day-dreaming for a split second about a carefree reality. I wanted my own vegan version and I have become somewhat of a seasoned baker since being vegan. Kerly bakes more than I do currently, and we have become good at making raw cakes too!

Why did it take me so long to make the leap to veganism?

Like my wife, I also thought being vegan would be much harder and limit my options even more. I say often that I was about 98% vegan until I came to Europe and ate real cheese for the first time in my life. Oh, and I tried smoked eel offered by my mother-in-law and it was semi-shamelessly good!

I never imagined I’d be married to another vegetarian, let alone vegan. We were both vegetarians when we met so we never had an issue of where to eat, I would pack us a plant-based meal and we’d be out and about!

Being vegan has blessed me in many ways. First, I am open to more vegetables and foods. I never run out of inspiration to create new meals because of the lovely vegan/plant-based community. Secondly, I am more creative with food. I eat colourfully and it’s tamed my sweet tooth. Lastly, it made me question other areas of my life that I wasn’t being so conscious about such as food waste and plastic craze. Even the products that I used reflect my lifestyle. I actually started wearing my natural hair before being vegan. The natural beauty from within shines out!

Current goals?

I am working on getting my water intake up again! And regularly exercise as my dopamine instead of social media and sweets!

Read more on veganism and plant-based living:

What is Being Vegan All About?

Let’s chat: What’s your vegn story? How did you make the leap?