Originally published August 06, 2020

If you’re vegan or even vegetarian, you probably have people regularly asking you, “What if you just want some bacon?” or “What if you just want a cheeseburger?”

I think they usually ask about whatever it is they feel *they* would miss the most. My answer is always the same, that if I wanted something that badly I would probably eat it. I stopped eating meat in 1987 and I half joke that honestly, no one has that kind of will power. If you do, that’s awesome. Most people don’t and I didn’t either.

Those close to me know the last thing I “gave up” was seafood and that it’s been the hardest thing to stay away from over the years. I think we all have that one dish from the past that temps us, especially if we don’t know what to eat in its place. A couple of years ago I decided I wanted to eat fish again and I did. I didn’t think too much about it and I didn’t hide it, I just went and did it.

I ate fish for about a month that Summer. I think I had some shrimp in there, too. I don’t remember exactly what I ate, but I remember it wasn’t as exciting as I thought it was going to be. It didn’t taste as good as I’d remembered which was a letdown. It made me feel heavy and weighed down. I’ve seen former vegans on youtube talk about eating fish again and how it made them feel so happy and energized and I definitely didn’t have that experience. I started to feel depressed and lethargic. And I had the worst PMS I had experienced in years; spinning negative thoughts, cramps, all of it. I didn’t feel well at all and the only thing I’d done differently that month was add in some seafood. It didn’t take a genius to decide what to do next. I stopped eating the fish and within a few weeks I felt back to my old self. And the cravings I’d had were gone.

When I get to thinking I miss seafood these days, I instantly remember:

1. How dreadful I felt that Summer.
2. All the photos I have seen of our garbage filled oceans and the cruel and unsustainable ways that fish and sea creatures are caught.
3. The image of the fish with the parasite living in its mouth. Gah. Yeah, if nothing else did the trick, that definitely would have. (Go look up “fish” and “isotope” if you want to see what I’m talking about.)

If you “slip” when living this lifestyle, I think it’s important to remember why you began living and eating this way and not focus too much on the slip. There’s no need to beat yourself up and it’s still okay to call yourself vegan again afterward. Some may disagree with me on all of this and that’s okay, too.

As for seafood cravings, I’ve since learned that pretty much anything dipped in vegan tartar sauce tastes like fish. Anything wrapped in nori and dipped in vegan tartar sauce tastes even more like fish. May-wah, Good Catch, and Gardein have created wonderful faux fish products. Chick peas make delicious “tuna” salad, hearts of palm make a lovely “lobster” roll, and king oyster mushrooms mimic sea scallops perfectly. I’m always on the lookout for vegan versions of seafood. I feel a thousand times better eating this way, it’s better for the planet and I’d stand to guess our beautiful sea creatures are happier, too.

-Lisa

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Hearts of palm as a tasty “lobster” roll.