November 2013 - The election, my vegetarian anniversary, and living GMO-free

As a Washingtonian, I am disappoint. This election, the whole country was watching and rooting for us to pass I-522, which would have made labeling of GM foods mandatory in our state. We would have been the first, and could have set an example -- but as of right now, it looks like the initiative has been defeated by a margin of about 10%, with only about 25% voter turnout. Monsanto and all their biotech friends spent millions to bombard us with TV commercials (seriously, I saw at least one No on 522 ad during every commercial break on the major networks) and mailers full of lies and scare tactics to convince us to vote no. As if that weren't enough, the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) illegally laundered donations from various big food companies for the No campaign, bringing about a lawsuit from the state Attorney General -- and still these slimeballs won. I am normally proud to live in such a progressive state, which is why I am flabbergasted and, quite honestly, disgusted that we let this happen. While I know the fight for labeling is still far from over, this is a very disheartening setback.

As of this month, I've been eating vegetarian for five years and GMO-free for almost 10 months. Along the way, I have inspired a few people to try following in my footsteps, but most of them have found it too difficult to maintain such a diet and returned to "conventional" foods. I'm not gonna lie; it's been really difficult for me too at times. There have been days I've craved a bag of Cheetos and a Coke -- but when I remember all the reasons why I've chosen this path, I find that I can overcome those cravings. And now, having been so long since I've tasted either of those things, I don't really miss them much at all. Besides, there are organic and GMO-free products to help fill the void that giving up junk food left in my life -- things like Blue Sky organic sodas, Annie's Homegrown organic snack crackers and cookies, Newman's Organic peanut butter cups (better than Reese's if you ask me), and Garden of Eatin' organic snack chips. I don't eat these things all the time because they're more expensive than conventional snacks and they're still not exactly "health food" -- but everyone needs some comfort food once in a while.


Surprisingly, even more than Cheetos and Coke, giving up meat replacement products like those from Morningstar Farms, Gardein, and Boca has been the hardest part for me. These were staples in my diet which I ate nearly every day and I always kept a supply in the freezer. While Gardein claims to use non-GM soy and wheat in their products, they make no such claims about the canola oil or cornstarch. When I emailed them in January or February to inquire about those ingredients, the customer service rep's reply was entirely unhelpful. She merely repeated that the soy and wheat they used were non-GMO, then added that the canola may or may not be GMO, and didn't even address the cornstarch. Several months ago, their Facebook page announced that Gardein was applying for Non-GMO Project Verification for some of their products; according to the Non-GMO Project website, they are still in the process. I'd love to add Gardein back onto my menu if they get verified, but I am not holding my breath.

Hanging out with other people who don't share or understand my dietary choices can cause confusion and complications, often requires planning in advance, and sometimes means bringing my own food or going hungry. As with many things in life, some people are very respectful of my choices and even go out of their way to accommodate me when we eat together (not that I ever expect people to), while others kind of roll their eyes and try to talk me into easing up once in a while and indulging in some Chinese food or Taco Bell. They don't understand why I choose to eat this way if I don't have to -- after all, it's not as if I'm allergic to GMOs, and eating it once in a while won't kill me, right? :P

For me, one unexpected but welcome side effect of my dietary changes has been a significant weight loss that I have maintained for months (and no, I'm not starving). It makes complete sense when you think about it -- a lot of the foods I've given up were highly processed junk with 100 ingredients, full of empty calories from stuff like starches and high-fructose corn syrup. I now cook most of my own meals, and I know exactly what I'm eating (I'm even starting to become a good cook, or so I've been told!). I don't eat a lot of prepackaged stuff. Except for the occasional cane-sugar soda as a treat, I've given up the 2-3 sodas I used to drink every day in favor of fruit juice and water. I eat a lot more vegetables than I used to. I get my protein from things like organic tofu, seitan, beans and lentils, nuts, and organic eggs and dairy instead of fake meat.

I know a lot of you reading this will think, "Well, that's good for her, but I could never do that." And that's fine. I'm not here to make anyone feel bad about their dietary choices. Everyone has to figure out what is best for them and their lifestyle. For me, right now, eating vegetarian and non-GMO feels like the right choice. I would just like people to see that it's completely possible to live this way, even on a budget, and be healthy and happy.