Being a 17 year old and becoming a vegetarian seemed so natural to me, and each step after that to becoming the vegan gal I am today!
I got talking online to Jennifer Dunn who runs 'PS It's Vegan' and we got talking about some of our earliest memories of disliking the food that we were given as children, and how looking at the evidence, we were always meant to be vegan!
Some particular memories I have are: how I would fill up on massive amounts of mash potato (a favourite of my mums) so that I would be so full that I wouldn't have to eat the meat that had also been put on my plate. I would devour any vegetable put in front of me, even sprouts!
I also survived totally on peanut butter sandwiches or cucumber and salad cream sandwiches, for years. My mum would alternate them week by week as she was so worried about me getting fed up with them, but I never did. I was always a finicky eater and I think my mum was just glad that I was eating something and that the peanut butter had fats and protein in it! I was also a very short and skinny girl (nothing has changed really) and my mum would also sneak flasks of chocolate milkshake into school (we were only allowed water) to help me gain weight!
The year I was born, 1986 the BSE crisis happened and my dad banned beef from our household. (I think if he was still alive today he would have probably gone vegan or at least veggie, as he wasn't happy with farming practices and worried alot about what him and his family were eating. He would spend ages reading ingredient lists on the back of every tin or packet we bought (which often made my mum grumpy, although now she is a wholefood wonder and has a huge interest in nutrition!) So because of the beef ban I have never tried it. Something I am very thankful for.
One of our Sunday treats were hot-dogs (I say treats with the lightest of meaning for me as I dreaded hot dogs as I found them vile, but my sister loved them. I am happy to say she is a vegetarian now!) and I would beg not to have them, so after a few tantrums I was given just the fried onions in a roll with yet more salad cream!
I also remember my cousins loving bacon and I hated the stuff. Every time we went to my granddads he would make bacon sandwiches for us all. The smell would hit me and a panicked feeling would rise in me and all I would think about was how I would get out of eating them. It ended up with me picking out the bacon and passing it to my cousin, hoping I could fill up on French Fancie cakes that we would always have for dessert!
Do you have any young memories of not wanting to eat meat or dairy? I would love to hear them!
I had a great birthday today! Yes I had a very busy baking day, but I also got to be home with Kyle, I got some great pressies (including a new deer for my collection!) and ate chocolate brownies for breakfast! Here are a few pictures from today. I hope you all had a great sunday X
Loved reading your stories as a child. My mom was vegetarian/pescatarian when I was a child so I don't remember a whole lot of meat in my home. I do remember hating it when she'd serve fish and loving it when she'd make seitan fajitas. I also remember one day in second grade when I took a bite out of my chicken patty and it had a red spot in it. I think I went vegetarian for a while after that (and when vegetarian for the last time in 3rd grade).
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing!
And Happy Birthday!
DeleteThanks Rachel! I had a similar experience with a chicken burger once! Never ate them again! X
ReplyDeleteInteresting reading about your experiences with meat as a child! I used to chew and chew on meat until my mum either said I could spit it out or I could escape and spit it out without her noticing.
ReplyDeleteI also had an issue with bacon sandwiches at the grandparents house!
A wonderful post! I don't really want to talk about my memories about meat and such (it is one of the main causes of my PTSD - being eastern European means one must learn to be around certain things - or the war - and if one doesn't...well, one becomes me).
ReplyDeleteVery surprised to hear you were born in 1986! You're only a month older than me :D (you don't look a day over 23 if that. That makes me jealous!)
Thanks Ana! I am glad you like my blog! I promise this is the only time I have ever and will ever talk about meat! :)
ReplyDeleteI think it's funny you think I look young! Eating all my greens must be helping! LOL! :) X