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Here are 12 stories from people who did the Veggie Challenge in Mar/Apr 2009.

I am going to be vegan for the rest of my life

Initially, I embarked on the Veggie Challenge to challenge myself, body and mind. This would be easy for me, since I don't eat a lot of meat. My family didn't encourage it, because I'm low in iron already. I didn't think this would be enough of a challenge so I decided to be totally vegan. This would contribute to a healthier lifestyle, because most dairy products contain a lot of fat (and no iron). My family frowned upon this even more, but after they realized that I was being serious, they helped me through this journey and bought me food that I could eat.

Although it was tempting to eat certain foods, I resisted the temptations and increased my will power. Every time I had a non-vegan craving, I would remind myself of all those animals that had suffered because of our selfish eating habits. This motivated me and gave me a boost. I consumed a lot of soy products, such as tofu and soy drinks. I also ate many fruits and vegetables. Overall, this experience was very rewarding and it helped me to realize that it was possible to live a healthy lifestyle without consuming animal byproducts. In fact, I am going to be vegan for the rest of my life. I encourage everyone to try it, even just for a week!

– Rosita, teen, Markham, ON

Went vegetarian for lent

Went vegetarian for lent, so much more than one week. The transition was less difficult than I thought. I got to try many different new foods and restaurants. I found it surprising that taking certain meals without meat was cheaper. Between the calories and money saved going vegetarian, I could afford to throw in a dessert!

– Paul, early 20's, Mississauga, ON

I'm now vegan! Lots of "firsts" for me!

The week went well! Thank you for all your support. The hardest part was getting my head around the foods I needed as stock items and organizing my cupboard space.* I am a public health nurse and have always been wary of the migration of "mad cow" from one species to another. As a young nurse I worked in pediatrics at the Pittsburgh (PA) Children's Hospital. One of my patients was a 14 year old boy dying of CJD (the human form of mad cow disease). I remember the pain of that family; they were from a farm.

In February I read "The China Study". My mother and father both died from heart disease and I have been a yo-yo dieter all my adult life. So this book really struck a chord in me. Then I read up on the McDougall Plan, the controversy between he and Dr. Fuhrman and subsequently through a link on your site, I came across the wonderful low-fat vegan recipes of SusanV, at fatfreevegan.com, and the bountiful, funny, and entertaining chatter of her recipe blog (it was the first time I've bothered with a blog!).

My husband likes everything I've made and the children have grown, so for me, I'm vegan! Lots of "firsts" for me!

– Jan, age 45-64, Waterloo, ON

*Note: For ideas on how to stock a vegetarian pantry see vegetarian.about.com/od/vegetarianvegan101/qt/VegPantry.htm

My students are always appalled by factory farming

I am enjoying trying new recipes for beans and lentils and am looking forward to using tofu more often. I spent the weekend with friends and felt I had to participate in the meals provided but where possible I stuck to cheese and eggs and took very small portions of meat.

I am a Family Studies teacher and am suggesting to students that they eat at least one meatless meal each week. I have given them the stats on food production and global warming. Students are always appalled by factory farming in the unit on food production. I am also using more legumes in food labs, as many students have little experience with these tastes and textures. I feel education of our young people is the way to be successful in helping our environment.

I downloaded coupons for Silk soy milk but was disappointed when Sobey's would not accept computer generated coupons.

My son (26 years old) has been a vegan since grade 10 so I am aware of the nutrition concerns. I am interested in encouraging good eating habits as well as looking after our environment.

– Rosemary, age 45-64, Brampton, ON

*Note: See our Surviving a holiday dinner page for ideas on how to be vegetarian at social dinners.

I'm going to continue to reduce the amount of meat in my diet

My husband has been vegetarian for 6 years. We often eat meat-free meals as a family two or three times a week. I decided to take the Veggie Challenge because I was feeling heavy and uncomfortable and felt I needed to eat lighter. I used the online resources to create my plan for the week, which made it easier to decided what to eat each day. I never felt hungry or unsatisfied and the kids ate what I was eating and they were happy with the food as well.

My favourite recipe was rice with black beans, salsa, sweet potato, cheddar and sour cream. I found I did eat meat on Sunday after making a large meal and entertaining extended family. Despite the large meal, I felt less bloated after the week and more energetic – even despite the Spring time-change. I'm going to continue to reduce the amount of meat in my diet. I find I don't really miss it. Who knows, I may become vegetarian eventually.

– AngieC, age 30-44, Toronto

Factory farming and Buddhism

It's rather funny but I really started thinking about becoming a vegetarian after watching a TV show hosted by famed chef Gordon Ramsay. He was raising a couple of pigs near his home and then he took them to the slaughterhouse and that was it for me. Although his animals seemed to be treated in a humane way, the end result was rather "upsetting". It prompted me to research factory farming and how pigs, chickens etc are really being treated. Those results left me upset and disgusted. Around the same time I also found an interest in Buddhism. Becoming a vegetarian seems to marry well with the Buddhist philosophy of non harming and treating all living beings with compassion.

So I am on the path of becoming a vegetarian and so far all is well. Thanks for your help

– Kevin, age 45-64, Toronto

I really like being a vegetarian, but I find it takes more time

I really like being a vegetarian, but I find it takes more time to plan and prepare balanced meals. It particularly takes time to chop all the veggies to make veggie food tasty. Unfortunately my husband does not follow recipes much and everything he makes tastes the same to me. I try to experiment with new flavours and veggies and herbs, but it takes a lot of time.*

My family often says they don't know what to feed us (the rest of the extended family are meat-eaters).

I really liked the recipes you e-mailed every day. I'm always looking for yummy, different vegetarian recipes. A recipe a day would be nice.

– Mara, age 45-64, Toronto

*Note: See our Shortcuts to vegetarian cooking page for some time-saving tips. Cutting larger pieces will speed things up. It also helps to have a really good knife with a wide sharp blade. Or you could try a food processor or mandolin slicer.

Switching was easy!

I thought that switching was easy! There are so many meat replacers out there that I don't feel like I am missing out on anything. I feel healthier (although I did get a few headaches) and I've lost 5 pounds. When I tell some people that I have become a vegetarian they say "aren't you scared you‘re going to be malnourished?" NO!!! I am way more aware of what I'm eating and what nutrients I am getting. I am eating a more balanced diet now that I am a vegetarian. Just because you eat meat doesn't mean you are healthy!!

– Meghan, early 20's, Kitchener, ON

The only difficulty was being invited out

It went pretty well. The only difficulty was being invited to friends/relatives homes where the only food option available was meat. That will probably be my main obstacle as people tend not to ask about food preferences or special diets.*

– Dara, age 30-44, Richmond Hill, ON

*Note: True, but you can let them know, and perhaps offer to bring something. See our Surviving a holiday dinner page for more ideas.

The next step is getting my husband and son to do the Challenge

I wanted to try it for myself to see how easy it could be. The next step is getting my husband and son to do the Challenge. It will be less daunting now with the correct tools at hand.

– Susan, age 30-44, Toronto

I ate a raw vegan diet for the week

I went all out and ate a raw vegan diet for the week. I experienced new foods (persimmons are a new favorite) and learned a few things about hemp seeds that I never knew before. I may not go 100% vegan, but I will be eating a lot less meat and dairy from now on.

Thanks for the encouragement.

– David, age 30-44, Forest, ON

My kitchen is a mess!

I don't find it difficult to remove animal products from my diet. I'm lucky that there are shops and restaurants in my home and work neighbourhoods that provide healthy eats, and I have lots of vegetarian cookbooks already.

But my kitchen is a mess! I'd have cooked a lot more this past week using the ingredients I have on hand, but I couldn't find a clean pot...

– KBinTo, age 45-64, Toronto