I made vegan chocolate mousse, and it’s making me rethink my entire life.

I have to say, I have been pro-meat for many, many years, but I’ve begun to really look at what I eat, and I’m realizing going vegan wouldn’t be a bad life choice.

I was always turned off by the idea of being vegetarian or vegan. I think the biggest problem was that I thought vegan food items were made out of things I just don’t eat. When someone tried to give me a vegan bread or pastry, I was leery because, for some awful reason, I always thought it was made out of some styrofoam-like substance or a sprout of something that I would never eat in my day-to-day life.

My dad was a vegetarian for at least twenty-five years of my life, and he could make it work because he likes a wider variety of veggies. For me, I hate mushrooms, celery, olives, and tomatoes (until recently), I’m afraid of trying eggplant—there are more, but you get the picture. I remember, even as a child, being a part-time vegetarian when my mom had to work the swing shift and my dad would make dinner. We would have veggie burgers, soy hotdogs, and other non-meat items. I actually realized only recently that my dad doesn’t cook! Maybe that’s why my dad became a vegetarian—so he wouldn’t have to cook. HA! Because I had such a long-standing love/hate relationship with soy products, I refused to eat them once I became an adult and had complete control of what came into my house (I definitely had that ignorant “I’m grown” mentality where you become 18+ and think you know everything, but you literally know NOTHING). But that was truly just foolish, young-minded thinking.

Okay, so I’m sure you’re wondering why I decided to make vegan chocolate mousse. I basically go to Whole Foods two to three times a week for lunch—I am totally in love with their hot bar. I was standing in line next to a fridge where I noticed a cup of something that looked REALLY delicious. I knew it was chocolate mousse and was really excited! I looked at the label and noticed “vegan” right on top. I figured I might as well try it, because why not? I wanted something sweet and it would at least satisfy my craving. But when the cashier rang it up, IT WAS FIVE DOLLARS FOR A SINGLE SERVING. I was like, This better taste like heaven in a cup! Financially I’m doing well, however I don’t think it is fiscally responsible to spend five bucks on a regular basis for a single serving of anything.

When I got back to the office, I couldn’t wait to pop the top and try it.

It. Was. So. TASTY!

I couldn’t believe just how much it tasted like dairy mousse. I literally could not tell the difference! I wanted another one! However, the price definitely deterred me and I thought that I would just make my own dairy mousse. But when I looked at the recipe—separating eggs, whisking yokes, heating on the stove, whipping soft peaks, folding and letting it rest—that was waaaay more than I wanted to do at that moment. Then I looked up a recipe for vegan mousse… SO MUCH EASIER. Basically just throw everything into a blender and put it in the fridge. So, I tried it out. And it was delicious! A cup of almond milk, a cup of melted dark chocolate, a cup of almonds (or walnuts but I have people in my life who are allergic!), five to six dates, and I’m done. Now I understand why people are vegan!

I recently stopped eating pork. Not because of religious reasons (which is what everyone thinks!), not because of health reasons, simply because of a picture. It was a photo I saw on Instagram of a flood. There were three or four men fighting their way through muddy water, while assisting a poor little pig out of the flooded area. The pig was so cute, but also looked so excited and so relieved to be alive. After I saw that picture, I couldn’t eat pork any more. I just couldn’t do it. I tried one time: I was at a conference and they were offering a full spread breakfast with bacon and sausage. I got me a sausage thinking it was going to be so tasty, mouth-watering and everything. But as I bit into that delicious juicy cylinder of meat, I instantly felt sick to my stomach. I couldn’t forget that little pig in the flood. I wanted to eat that sausage SO BAD too. Ugh. And I love bacon. But I can’t do it. I have never felt so little like myself in my life, giving up an entire species of meat. But I can somehow still justify eating chicken, beef, fish, and turkey. Maybe they just aren’t as cute to me as that little pig…

I’m not a spring chicken anymore. I used to be able to eat anything and not feel it or SEE it (i.e. see it end up on my thighs or stomach!), but those days are long gone. If I eat something too greasy, I’ll be up half the night trying Tums and cold water to combat my indigestion. I already don’t eat pork, and I don’t eat much red meat. I really stick to chicken. But when I think about how much time I could save cooking if I were vegan, it is beginning to look a lot more appealing to me. Think about it: Cooking meat takes forever! Or at least it feels like it. I work full-time and I go to law school at night. I’m active at my church and all of those things really impact my schedule. If I try to come home after school and cook dinner, I’ll be up at least an extra hour and a half preparing the meat and cooking it. Some days, I try to cook dinner, and end up having lunch for the next day instead because I’d be too tired to eat it that night. The fact that I could make vegan chocolate mousse that tastes as good as the “real” thing makes me wonder what other dishes I could make “vegan-style” that would taste just as good. It’s a healthier option, and saving time really makes me think making the switch—or at least adding more vegan food items—might not be that mad of an idea!