By Katlynn Mullins
There isn’t a “perfect” diet.
Food is subjective.
Some people are drawn to steak, while others are drawn to pad thai. It isn’t a question of weight loss and beauty; it’s “Do I feel happy with the food I’m consuming?”
Arguments over plant-based vs. meat-eating diets are all I see over social media. It was once vegans ripping into meat-eaters about how horrible they are, but it’s become an endless flow of vegans defending their choices.
Yes, there are vegans who judge every chicken nugget-loving carnivore, but the majority are more than happy minding their own business. What person has time to spend every waking moment scrutinizing someone over a burger?
I became vegan before my second year in college. Now, going into senior year, I’m facing a dilemma that a lot of my peers share: I don’t have time to cook three meals a day, and I know I’m not healthy. What do I do?
The answer: Whatever I want.
Sarah Vinson, a general biology major, was vegetarian when she started college. With work, school and a limited budget, it was hard to cook food all the time.
“Now I eat chicken mostly, with seafood sprinkled in,” she said.
It’s easier and more filling on days when she leaves her house at 10 a.m. and doesn’t get home until 9 p.m.
Decker Lavely, a journalism major, tried being vegan, but it didn’t work out for her. Now, she tries to “eat at least one meatless meal a day” and buys more vegan products. She likes Almond Breeze milk and Earth Balance butter.
After sitting down with Wendy Wesley, a licensed and registered dietitian and nutritionist at St. Anthony’s Hospital, the differences between plant-based and meat-eating diets don’t seem huge.
Fruits, vegetables, lean meats, nuts, seeds, beans and legumes are the seven components to a healthy and balanced diet, according to Wesley.
Though lean meat isn’t part of a plant-based diet, protein is found in beans, legumes, vegetables and the growing number of meat alternatives. The six other categories are common to both diets.
“Half of your plate should be vegetables,” Wesley said. The rest should be 25 percent protein and 25 percent carbohydrates.
A large focus is placed on protein, but it isn’t the pinnacle of a healthy diet. Wesley advocates for single-ingredient foods, which are mostly found in the produce section.
Wesley even approves of a Ketogenic diet. It concentrates on high fat, low carbs, and a moderate amount of protein.
“I actually like Keto… it’s a junk food elimination diet,” Wesley said. It consists of “lean protein and a lot of veggies when it’s properly done. I advocate for people to add back in fruits, beans, and potatoes. And then the rest of the junk stays out and that becomes their new way of eating.”
Being healthy doesn’t need to be hard. Wesley even admitted to not cooking every night, and it’s a statement she hears a lot, even from parents and retirees. Life is filled with busy periods and the occasional lulls. Not always making healthy choices is fine — expected, even.
So why are people with plant-based diets branded with this label? In a society that advocates more for self-love each day, why are labels so important?
Before being vegan, my life was filled with self-loathing and crash diets.
I tried being vegetarian in high school. I hadn’t done it properly, and was always shaking. I hated the option I had chosen for myself, but that was because I hated myself. I projected that onto my food. Four years of the same pattern ensued, though I was eating more and not focusing on a number.
I had chosen to give up dairy, and then meat followed. I felt better than I had in a long time and didn’t really want to go back. But then I went to Europe.
I wanted to try the macarons in Paris. There were bakeries on every corner in London, and with a language barrier in Barcelona, I’m sure there was butter on some of the bread I ate for breakfast every morning.
I didn’t hate myself for my choices. I didn’t become vegan to save the animals, though I love that aspect of it. I did it because I felt better, mentally and physically. I had found freedom in my food again.
I’m lucky to live in St. Pete. I don’t have to debate on pastries when The Cider Press Café has cupcakes and donuts. Love Food Central has pies and soft serve ice cream, and Lucky’s Market bakes vegan cookies.
At this point, I teeter a line between vegetarian and vegan. I buy dairy alternatives at the grocery store, but if I’m somewhere new and see a pastry that isn’t vegan, I may reach for it.
Again, food is subjective. It doesn’t need to be monitored or analyzed. No amount of tracking can make someone happy. That comes from trying different things and finding what works.
Diets and labels don’t matter. Eating matters.
