Food choices

January 22, 2023

This month I’m trying a vegan challenge for the first time, and it’s been educational in the same way my vegetarian challenges were a few years ago. I’ve learned a lot about the vegan substitutes that are availible. While I can see a clear ethical distinction between eating meat and not eating meat, I’m not really there on milk, cheese, and eggs. Regardless, one of the purposes of the challenge is to see someone else’s point of view for a while.

18-year-old Mohandas Gandhi might have been thinking something similar when made plans to attend law school in London. He'd previously been “a relisher of meat-dishes,” but had returned to a bloodless diet as to not disappoint his parents. Did he consider resuming the practice when he would be on another continent?

The question quickly became academic. Before his mother would give her blessing for his journey, she made him swear three vows. While away, he must abstain from alcohol, sex, and meat. The first two gave him little trouble, but the third was more difficult. Since his meals were generally prepared by others, the unusual (for 1888 London) dietary restriction left him little for him to eat. Still, Gandhi was determined to keep his vow.

All that changed when a stroll through the streets of London brought him to the door of a vegetarian restaurant. There he had his “first hearty meal” in months. More importantly, he bought Henry Salt's A Plea for Vegetarianism, and was quite “impressed by it.” From that day forward, he was “a vegetarian by choice,” and encouraged others to make the same decision.

My kids requested french toast for breakfast, which I cooked. When my son asked me how many slices I was having, I reminded him it was made with milk and eggs. So more for them; I enjoyed an apple and oatmeal instead - not a big deal.

How has seeing another perspective changed your outlook on an issue?