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October 1998 Becoming Vegan By Richard Antone

Becoming a vegan is a gradual process for most people. I didn't learn that until after I became one. My odyssey began around 1980 in Nashville, Tennessee. My friend Jerry invited me to a vegetarian restaurant called the Grateful Breadbox. It was full of friendly faces and low-key voices. I ordered a bowl of meatless chili. I had never liked chili before, probably because it was always canned. This time it was fresh, and I fell in love with a dish I'd always despised. I returned to the restaurant whenever I could. I hadn't stopped eating meat yet, but thanks to Jerry, the seeds were sewn.

Fast forward to 1988. I was visiting another friend at her apartment in Manhattan's East Village. It was late, and before I left I asked where I could find some good food. She gave the name of a place on First Avenue. Thinking it was a restaurant, I rushed over, hungry for food and atmosphere. I found both, but it turned out to be a health food store. It was quiet, with plants by the windows and jazz pouring out of small speakers. Most of the brands were new to me. Some of the fruits and vegetables were blemished (I later found out they had not been coated with wax or resin). The word "organic" seemed to be everywhere. I chose familiar foods--spaghetti, pasta sauce and an ear of corn. All three items were organic. As at the Grateful Breadbox everyone seemed glad to be there. I paid for my food and enjoyed my first organic meal at home. I'd never eaten a pasta sauce so zesty, or corn so sweet. I began eating more organic food. Buying in bulk helped stretch my dollars.

I began reading articles in the alternative press and listened to public radio programs abut nutrition. I learned I could lower my risk of contracting cancer by eating organic foods, which were not sprayed with chemical pesticides. I decided I didn't care if my oranges had spots because they weren't waxed. Citrus never tasted better. It was fun learning to prepare vegetables like bok choy, and I took to sipping soy milk instead of soda. I slowly became bored eating meat. I grew weary of the "heavy" feeling that followed a meat-based meal. (I later learned that the feeling was because my system was taking a long time to digest the meat).

I found substitutes for anything I stopped eating, so I didn't feel deprived. Soy milk replaced dairy milk; tofu (also from soybeans) and seitan (from wheat gluten) replaced meat. I chose sorbet over ice cream and its low-fat neighbors in the dairy case, ice milk and frozen yogurt. I learned I could lower my risks of cancer and heart disease as well as food poisoning from hormones and antibiotics given to farm animals by eating a vegetarian--and later a vegan--diet. I was disturbed by what havoc was being wrought on animals and fish. I found out that the spaces and foods used to produce meat could be used to feed more people if more produce and grain were harvested instead of meat.

It would have been a tougher transition if a doctor had ordered me to change my diet, but no one forced me. To their credit, my family was accepting of my decisions. I have been a vegetarian for four years, and have recently become a vegan (excluding dairy and other animal products). As a vegan, I seek clothes and shoes that don't come from animals. I'm always learning and sharing information. While no one has asked if I eat tree bark, I still get asked if I get enough protein (I do, from grain and nuts). I know vegans and vegetarians make cattlemen nervous, but, so far, I haven't been sued.

Richard Antone is a student at Lehman College and a founder of the Lehman Legumes and the Bronx Cheer Vegans.

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