Five Reasons I Broke From Vegan

I get a lot of questions about my diet. After being vegan for years and writing three successful vegan cookbooks ... many people wonder why I broke from being vegan. It's not that I don't eat vegan food anymore. Actually, quite the opposite. One of the best things that came from my time as a vegan is my love of plants. Legumes, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables - to name a few. My eyes were opened to so many delicious plant-based foods that I simply wasn't eating before. Someone once told me that healthy eating isn't about what you take away, but what you gain. Now ... I get it.

Vegan Food With Balance

Now, I enjoy all of those delicious vegan foods I learned to love ... just with a bit more balance. I eat virtually the same dishes that are on my blog or in my cookbooks, I just add meat or eggs now. Most of my recipes can still be made vegan and/or gluten-free by leaving those items out or swapping in plant-based alternatives. I still eat one vegan meal a day by choice! I am also still lactose intolerant, so you won't catch me eating ice cream or cheese dip anytime soon. But I focus on balance now. I also focus on feeding my body a diverse range of macro and micronutrients so that I can nourish my daughter who is currently breastfed. I don't deprive myself ever and I haven't stepped on a scale (unless forced by my doctor) in over a year. If you'd like to hear more about my food journey and body image - I recommend checking out my article called : The Downside of Being Vegan.

Today, I consume animal products twice a day ... and here is why:

1. Protein:

Most animal products are abundantly rich in nutrients and protein. They are also considered complete proteins - which means they contain all essential amino acids (the building blocks of our bodies). Protein is necessary for building muscle and so much more. It also provides satiety in meals. Plant-based diets typically contain less complete proteins. To increase my protein, I started with eggs and fish and ate those for a while. Once I became pregnant, I added chicken and lean beef. I try to buy organic, grass-fed, free range, and all of the things. I do this to support the growth of my baby and to ensure I was consuming a well rounded and non-restrictive diet during pregnancy.

2. Healthy Fats:

Research shows that omega-3 healthy fats are essential for our brain function and heart health. After going plant-based, my diet wasn't lacking avocados, seeds, nuts, etc. But I still wasn't getting all of the healthy fats my body required. DHA is hard to find in plant-based products at the quantity that we really need on a daily basis. Without supplementation, most vegans don't get enough of this nutrient. So, now, I aim to eat fish twice a week!

3. Restrictive:

Having a restrictive diet is difficult on more than just you. It impacts your entire family and even your friends. Whether it's the never-ending search for restaurants that have "something for you to eat" (you know, other than salad or french fries), or it's the pressure others feel to create a meal to cater to your needs - the reality is, it can be stressful. I got to the point where I was so obsessed with what I ate that it began weighing down the people around me. I would feel so anxious about going to social gatherings for fear that I'd starve or be forced to eat something that wasn't vegan ... that I just stopped going. In my opinion, this is no way to live or to treat others. When I began eating animal products again, I got my life back. It was empowering.

4. Impressionable Daughter:

Now that I am a mother, I have a whole new perspective on my food relationship. I will never forget the day that I was hanging out with a family member, and their daughter asked me "why do you only eat egg whites and not the whole egg?". I was in my calorie-counting + egg-and-seafood-only days. And I thought to myself ... "how do I answer this without tainting her view of food or her own self image?". The truth is, at the time, I thought that egg yolks had too many calories. It was absurd. Egg yolks are super nutritious! Today, I eat them almost every day. In that moment, I realized that I was prioritizing vanity over health and that this was a toxic message.

I knew in my heart that if I had a daughter one day, I would NEVER want her to worry about whether or not an egg would have too many calories in it. I would never want her to focus on her weight or think that being smaller = better. I can't remember how I answered the question that day but I think it was something like "I don't like the taste of the yolks". A white lie but a necessary one in that moment. Now ... I eat the whole egg. And I try to remove any behaviors from my lifestyle that may cause my own daughter to (one day) have an unhealthy relationship with food or her self esteem.

5. Privilege:

I'll end with this. My husband is in the military. He has deployed around the world to places far less wealthy than the United States of America. Places where no one would ever dream of turning down (or worse, throwing away) food. To be frank ... I didn't feel comfortable turning away food anymore. Or being so picky about what I ate! Not when so many people live with food limitations and insecurities. Instead, I aimed to feel gratitude towards any meal that was prepared for me or by me.

Thanks for reading my friends! I'm not perfect. I try very hard to be authentic to where I am in my current food journey while still creating recipes that can be enjoyed by all! I am not a doctor or registered dietitian. Just a creator sharing my story, my recipes, and hopefully inspiring you to enjoy the sweet parts of life.