Written by Dan O’Keefe

As you and I know, I am fairly new to this whole veganism thing. I’ve given everyone my opinions and feelings as a new vegan. We all know my views, but what about the views of people who are no longer new to veganism?   
Last week, I spoke to a veteran vegan. Rasha Taha is a first-year student at Guelph who came to this university already a vegan. A fountain of useful and welcome knowledge on my new favourite topic, she was very helpful in elaborating further into this lifestyle, which she adopted more than a year ago. 
Like most vegans, Taha was a vegetarian before making the switch to veganism. The reason for the change? Vegetarianism allows for eggs and dairy, which still exploit animals. 
“I love animals, but I’m still supporting [animal exploitation]. It felt kind of hypocritical,” said Taha. 
Taha also shared with me a valuable viewpoint. The main objective of veganism is to respect the rights of animals and to stop supporting their exploitation. Also, some vegans feel that their lifestyle choices help reduce their impact on nature. Veganism isn’t about following every one of its rules just for the sake of it. 
“It depends on your own limitations,” Taha began. “[It is] practically impossible to be animal cruelty-free in North American culture.” 
Too many of our products have some origin in activities or products that may not have been 100 per cent animal cruelty-free.  Truly, the main idea is to do the best that you can, and not be too hard on yourself if you slip up and consume an animal product by accident. 
Veganism certainly has some grey areas. Some vegans won’t consume any products that include ingredients that may be of animal origin; other vegans will consume those products, feeling that the ingredients in question are not definitely from animals or are of such small quantities that it doesn’t cause any real impact. And, when visiting friends or family who aren’t vegan, many vegans would feel rude for not eating a meal that their hosts have worked hard to prepare for them, even if it does contain a product, such as butter or milk, which is normally off limits. 
Many companies that produce refined sugar filter their product through bone char. They are, however, not required to disclose this on the labels of their products because technically the bone char is not an ingredient. 
Another example is ‘colouring.’ What most people don’t know is that some colouring agents, such as carmine, are animal derived. Carmine comes from the cochineal, a sub-tropic insect. Isinglass, a substance used to filter some beverages, is produced from fish. 
It all comes down to how picky a vegan you want to be. 
“University definitely, definitely, is environmentally-friendly,” Taha said, happy with the way that the University of Guelph supports her choices. “It’s great how most businesses on campus will cater to a vegan’s needs.  William’s, Nature Works, and Piller’s Deli all offer some excellent vegan cuisine.”
On the other hand, Rasha found certain aspects of the city a little disappointing. 
“I expected the city to have more vegetarian places,” she admitted.
Guelph has three restaurants, two food stores, and a bakery which all provide at least one vegan product. This pales in comparison to the two cities Taha knows best: Toronto, home to 62 vegan friendly businesses, and Mississauga features 17 vegan friendly businesses. 
I, however, find that Guelph is amazing for vegans in comparison to my hometown of Burlington. According to HappyCow.net, there is only one vegan friendly restaurant. The Wild Seed, located in a yoga facility, provides some delicious raw vegan dishes, and the yoga isn’t mandatory. It is Burlington’s first vegan friendly business, and had been open for about two months when I visited.  
Reading week provided an opportunity for me to attempt to be vegan at home. This was more challenging than at school. On campus, all of the food I keep in my room is vegan friendly. At home, everyone has an omnivorous diet, so anything goes.  Like a vacuum cleaner, I tend to eat whatever I come across. So, when other family members leave food on the countertops or in the fridge, I grab it. Easy meal, right? But not necessarily vegan. 
I caught myself numerous times, but I believe that I avoided all animal products.
But it was great having an entire kitchen to work with. A student lounge with nothing but a sink, kettle, and microwave makes preparing any dish challenging, barring Kraft Dinner. I was able to make some great meals with the additional space and tools, a full-sized fridge made it so easy.   
Thus far, I am still vegan, and I am finding it easier with each passing day. In a little more than three weeks, I have completely changed my mentality about food. No longer do I try to construct a meal around meat, but now consider what alternatives would complement each other nicely. I continue to feel energized and healthy.
Now, we’re down to the wire. Only a few days left. How will it end? Check in next week for the conclusion and debriefing of the Vegan Challenge.