MY TOP VEGAN RESTAURANTS IN DC
DECEMBER 1, 2018
As you may know, I’m vegan from my head to-ma-toes (I couldn’t help myself with that vegan pun– I yam what I yam). Living in Washington DC, I have been fortunate enough to be in a city where the vegan community is growing. More downtown restaurants are offering vegan dishes, and more chefs are willing to make adjustments to the menu. Not only that, but more restaurants are opening that offer completely vegan menus – a rare experience to pick anything and not analyze every ingredient. Now let’s be real. As a college student, I have to budget and limit the number of times I eat out per week. But still, I enjoy going into the city and exploring the vegan hotspots downtown. I’m sure my favorite vegan restaurants in DC will change the more I explore, but for now, here are my top vegan restaurants in DC.I know I’ve already gotten a few eye rolls and I get it. If you asked me two years ago whether I would ever become vegan, I probably would have rolled my eyes too. But it just goes to show how your interests and beliefs can change over time, sometimes in more drastic ways than others.
EATING VEGAN IN COLLEGE
NOVEMBER 6, 2018
I know I’ve already gotten a few eye rolls and I get it. If you asked me two years ago whether I would ever become vegan, I probably would have rolled my eyes too. But it just goes to show how your interests and beliefs can change over time, sometimes in more drastic ways than others.
In May of 2017, I decided to stop eating dairy because I thought I had a dairy intolerance. This was a bit of a lifestyle change because dairy products are in SO many recipes, but I open to trying pretty anything I could help. I also decided to stop eating red meat because I watched the film “Cowspiracy” and felt inspired to change my life in a way I thought would make a difference.
Fast forward to January of 2018 when I decided to take the plunge and eat completely vegan. Actually, I wouldn’t really call it a plunge because I wasn’t eating dairy or red meat for eight months prior. Let’s call it a graceful swan dive into eating vegan. Nonetheless, I had to be more conscious about the products I was purchasing and the food I was consuming. There are so many hidden ingredients in processed foods, so I really had to be careful grocery shopping.
Okay, so why exactly did I become vegan in college? In short, I became vegan for ethical and environmental reasons. Looking back, I often mindlessly ate meat and never took a moment to appreciate that the food I ate was a life before my meal. Not only that, but I never learned the extent of inhumane and unethical treatment of animals within the meat production industry. Finally, just to pile on, I never understood just how much meat production affects the environment and contributes to climate change. Deciding to become vegan would be my relatively small contribution to a greater impact it would have in the world.
Now I should be clear that I don’t believe my way of life is better than anyone else’s and it is never my intention to push becoming a vegan on others. No one should ever feel pressure to make a change they don’t want to, and it is not my place to judge anyone based on their life choices. I honestly just enjoy talking about it because living vegan is a huge part of my life and something I believe contributes to who I am today. Plus, if for whatever reason sharing that I am vegan gets me one step closer to adopting every alpaca in the world, well then it’s worthwhile.
Of course, if you ever have any questions or want to learn more about how I transitioned my lifestyle into a vegan one, please feel free to message me! But for now, I will bid you adieu and look at adorable photos of alpacas.