A peek inside the lives of two sophomore vegans at NYUSH, ranging from the decision-making process to navigating 上海 as a vegan and advice for those considering becoming vegan! 1. When and why did you decide to become vegan? Nofar: I never liked eating meat. The only dishes I enjoyed eating were schnitzel and bacon, and who doesn't like those (to be honest, I still think they are delicious). However, I was forced to eat meat every day for the famous though false reason that it is necessary for my body's health. When I was 13 years old I realized not only how the production of meat works ­­ that schnitzel is a chicken and bacon is a pig ­­ but also that it is not essential at all, and, in fact, it is unhealthy. As a cool radical teenager who just found out that she had been lied to all of her life, I decided to become vegetarian. But not vegan. Not yet. Like most people, I thought vegans were crazy: no ice cream, no creamy pasta, no pizza (no Italian food in general) ­­ this is not life worth living. And then, two years ago, one event changed my life. I was in an army base in the middle of the desert with nothing to eat besides soy milk that someone left in the fridge. It was delicious. At first I thought it only seemed delicious because I was starving. But I tried it again when I returned home and it was even better. From that point the transition to veganism was pretty quick. I read more about the health and environmental arguments for veganism, tried new products such as vegan cheese, and realized that those people are not that crazy after all. Danielle: Let me begin by specifying that I have only (so far) committed to eating vegan for this fall semester. The reasons for my “vegan trial run” are numerous. During my freshman year at NYUSH, I encountered many vegans and vegetarians – a rare species in my meat and dairy­ loving home in the American Midwest. After learning about animal rights in GPS and discussing the health and environmental benefits of vegetarianism/veganism in various forums (such as in Collective Voice: More Than Debate discussions as well as other club­held seminars), I was slowly becoming convinced of the advantages of a vegan lifestyle. I never had an epiphany; there was never a time talking with a vegan or learning something new about the meat industry that suddenly made me think: “You’re right; I’m going to be a vegan now.” Rather, gradually, the idea of veganism seemed more and more appealing and doable. However, schoolwork, extracurricular activities, and all the normal distractions of university life sufficiently distracted me from further thought about the topic and I returned home for the summer without changing my eating habits. It took the boredom and free­time of a two­week recovery from a tonsillectomy that lead me to watch documentary after documentary on veganism on Netflix. With the information from these films, combined with the time for reflection, I finally personalized the issue. I knew that I wanted, at least temporarily, to try out veganism. To be perfectly honest, although I truly appreciate the fact that a vegan diet protects animals and the environment, the most motivating reason I have for my current eating habits are the health benefits. The countless evidence demonstrating the advantages of a 100% plant­based diet is what truly motivated me to finally say: I want to try this. Although I am only a couple weeks into my “vegan trial run,” I can honestly say that both my body and relationship with food has never been healthier. While I cannot say at this point that I will continue to be a vegan all my life, I can say with fair certainty that my eating habits will be changed forever, and that it is definitely for the better. 2. Is it difficult to eat vegan in Shanghai? Nofar: The first words I learned in Chinese were 不要肉,不要鸡蛋, and although my pronunciation was spot on, no one understood why I wouldn’t want meat and eggs in my 炒面. So to answer the question briefly, yes. It was very difficult to be vegan in Shanghai at first. But as I got to know the city and the easy-to-order vegan dishes, the people in the city got to know me. For the street food lady next to Motel 268 I stopped needing to explain each time that I am vegan, and the worker in the grill station of the cafeteria always smiles and says 素的 when he sees me. Now I can say that being vegan in Shanghai is as easy as not being vegan, and is actually even cheaper. Danielle: I have never been a huge meat­eater; even before becoming a vegan I primarily ate vegetarian dishes in Shanghai. There are so many delicious noodle, rice, and vegetable­based dishes that are cheap and easy to find, making it easy to avoid meat here while still eating tasty food. The real trouble for me came with avoiding eggs, which are a staple of the Chinese diet and are casually tossed into nearly every dish. While avoiding eggs is difficult, it is not impossible. I simply ask for no eggs in the dish, and if the restaurant is not willing to do that I order something else. Like anything in life, it just takes a bit of consistency and commitment to successfully stick to a vegan diet. However, I must add that one easy vegan dish to find in Shanghai is tofu; I eat this versatile, good­for­you food nearly every day, and it helps fill out dishes that may feel empty without traditional meat components. 3. Do you find the NYUSH community supportive of vegan/vegetarian lifestyles? Nofar: NYUSH is very supportive of the vegan lifestyle, but it was not always like this. During orientation last year, there were no vegan options at all in NYUSH's cafeteria. As part of the two vegan pioneers of this campus, we had to work hard to get to where we are today. The student life office and the cafeteria's administration listened to our problems and did, and still do, their best to improve the vegan options in the cafeteria and café and to add healthy options that are beneficial for the whole community. As far as the rest of the students, we had some intense discussions about the topic during which it became clear that some were not very supportive (a.k.a. the big facebook fight of 2014). Nevertheless, the Animal Rights & Herbivores Society and Green Week Challenge raised the awareness and support of the vegan lifestyle in the community. Danielle: The NYUSH community is unbelievably supportive. There are several groups on campus dealing with animal rights, veganism and vegetarianism, and environmental issues. What’s more, the dining services’ daily email detailing the day’s menu goes to the effort to outline exactly which dishes are or can be made vegan or vegetarian. Even the 2F café has added vegan and vegetarian paninis and highlights them on the menu; I also recently discovered that they carry soy milk, so my coffee cravings can be fulfilled as well. Of course, all of this support and accommodation is a result of the work, sweat, and tears of several determined students over the past two years, and the whole NYUSH community owes them for the increasing vegan, vegetarian, and overall more healthy options now available to us. 4. Any words for those thinking about becoming vegan or vegetarian? Nofar: If you care about your own health, about the environment you live in, and about animals, you should consider looking more into the effects of animal agriculture. You do not need to become vegetarian or vegan in order to change these problems, but reducing your consumption of animal products is a good start. I still crave cheese once in awhile, so trust me I know how hard it is. Feel free to talk with me any time for more information, for restaurant recommendations, for cooking tips, or even just for trying some of the amazing vegan products I have that would blow your mind. Danielle: First, if you are not ready to quit animal products cold turkey, try what I am doing and determine a length of time to commit to whatever new eating lifestyle you are interested in and try it out. Believe me, it is much less frightening when you give yourself a trial run. See how you feel, both physically and psychologically, with your new eating habits and then go from there. Second, remember that everything counts. Simply going one meal a day without animal products has health, environmental, and animal­rights benefits. The most important thing is to be conscious about what you are eating, both in terms of what is good for your body and what is good for the world. This article was written by Danielle Gidman and Nofar Hamrany. Send an email to [email protected] to get in touch. Photo Credit: Lucille Riesbeck