You don't have to be rich or skinny to be vegan

Some folks believe to be vegan you have to be able to afford it. Not true. When you are buying butter anyway, why not get the vegan kind? The price is about the same. Plus, meat is the most expensive item in your basket--put it back on the shelf and you can add 2x its weight in beans, rice and tofu.

Some folks believe to be vegan you have to love tofu. It's okay tofu freaks you out. It freaks me out, too. It is white and squishy and made from plants. It is a little like alien food and I have yet to master cooking with it myself, but edamame is my favorite snack and the tofu dish is the one I always order when I eat out.

Some folks believe to be vegan you have to be a waify flowerpower lady. I may be a bit of a hippy (my middle name is Moonlight and I don't shave my legs,) but I am not a skinny little lady who hugs trees and sings Kumbaya. I'm an average person, with probably a lower-than-average salary, who cooks up whatever I happen to be able to find. I prefer stovetop cooking and washing dishes by hand. And after dinner, I like long romantic walks on the beach....

Vegan is not a stereotype, it is a choice and a lifestyle. It is a choice for a better lifestyle, for yourself, the animals and your world. This is our world and we should eat it up, but there are many mouths to feed and don't forget to save a bite for all the generations to come. We must all eat in such a way so that no one goes hungry.

As a vegan, don't worry about going hungry and don't be afraid of the idea of becoming a little furry friend, there is a surplus of vegan cuisine that is more than rabbit food. On any given day, you can find me eating... pasta, pizza, burgers, sandwiches, falafel, cake, sorbet, cookies, chips, soup... all of which have vegan variations and all of which are obtainable. There is soymilk and vegan cream cheese and nondairy creamer. As a vegan, I want for nothing.

Where I have felt the pinch, is at fast food restaurants, bakeries and wineries. No more milkshakes, jelly donuts or cheap bottles of red wine. My only solace is that I have replaced these items with ones that are even better for my body, and their productions are better for the world: soy protein shakes, toast with butter and jam, and Moet & Chandon. As a vegan, you are not giving up, you are trading up: something good for something better.

I cannot profess to say I have never cheated, because I have unkowingly eaten a sausage I thought was falafel and or wittingly enjoyed a packet of instant hot chocolate I wanted REALLY, REALLY badly. No one is perfect, but dedication is the key and the journey is admirable.

So, prince charming and cinderella, stop trying to put those vegan shoes on somebody else's feet--you take them for a walk. They are comfortable for your pockets, your waistline and they leave a smaller carbon footprint.