Since my last project entry both Fatimah and I have been trying to get out of our comfort zones and challenge ourselves when it comes to our diet. My goal was to adopt a vegan lifestyle for at least a week, and hers was to avoid eating pork. I wanted to challenge myself because as I was urging people to cut meat out of their diet, I felt that it was only right that I also take the initiative to eliminate all animal byproduct from mine. The process was extremely hard for both of us. Although she was successful at times, Fatimah found it difficult to resist the fresh made bacon and egg breakfast sandwiches made at the Marquis dining hall. She claimed that it was too hard to avoid pork because most of her go-to meals for breakfast included bacon. According to Fatimah, she was so accustomed to eating pork that she sometimes forgot about her pork free diet. Even though she wasn’t completely successful in sticking to her diet, I commend her for being courageous enough to at least try it out. It is important to recognize that these changes take time because it is hard for people to completely avoid foods that they are so accustomed to consuming.

I experienced a similar struggle when I tried a vegan diet. I had already struggled with finding vegetarian options that taste good at the dining halls, so finding tasty vegan dishes was even more challenging. I couldn’t eat the crepes, bagel with cream cheese or cereal that I usually ate for breakfast. Finding vegan foods that provided the nutrition and energy I needed throughout the day posed a greater challenge than I had imagined. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to continue with the diet after a couple of days. I am planning to attempt veganism again over winter break because I will have more control over what I eat and more options at home.