Have you ever had a moment where you wanted to stop stuffing yourself with meat and dairy and start opting for more vegetables and fruits? Well, I did, right in the middle of my fourth-semester exams and the worst part is, it may have just been a distraction because after my reviews ended, I went out that very day and gorged myself on chicken momos, so much for promises eh?

The whole idea around veganism has been that even if it is an informed decision (unlike mine.. tsk tsk), it is a costly lifestyle, as is assumed. Going vegan involves cutting down on dairy and meat that means cutting down on eggs, milk, curd, meat, butter, ghee honey and likewise, so a vegan diet would be completely rid of any animal-based food and would revolve around plant substitutes such as vegetables, fruits, tofu or soy foods such as Chhap, soy milk or almond milk and all foods derived from plants.

There are many reasons why one might opt for going vegan, one of them being for the love of animals and the environment. One look at animal slaughterhouses and anyone would reconsider their dietary choices, and it sure is the right thing to do, although in India cows are rarely killed for their meat; still, the environmental impacts caused by rearing animals for meat are likely to be one of the worst. Environmentalists and animal-oriented organizations like PETA strictly shun consuming animal-based products because of the harm it causes to animals due to animal farming and steroids leading to stunted growth and malnourishment of these sick animals.

Going vegan would also be beneficial for health because diets that are heavily based on meat often lead to cancer, obesity, diabetes, etc. whereas vegan diets consist of leafy vegetables and fiber which strengthens the body. It must be added here that a vegan lifestyle is not only limited to your diet and also corresponds to your clothing, appliances, beauty products, and more. Therefore, it is also essential to check whether a particular brand is vegan or not.

So when it comes to a vegan diet, what are its pros and cons and its suitability to the Indian subcontinent? These are indeed linked inconspicuously. One would point out that milk and curd, as well as Paneer (cottage cheese),are essential constituents of the Indian diet and to absolve these with substitutes such as almond and soy milk is not possible. This factor remains true, and for many of the middle-class households which form a majority, such items such as vegan butter, etc., or soy milk only found in upscale grocery stores are not readily available. Vegans abroad also indulge in protein through foods such as Avocado which again is very expensive in India (600 per kg) and also through supplements via vitamins and pills.

Therefore, it is hard to turn vegan in this land of rasogullas entirely and ghee and Shahi Paneer not to mention Biryani, specially when foods are not readily available as in places such as 'Tel Aviv' in Israel termed the 'vegan capital of the world', nevertheless India does have its vegan dishes which are not explicitly termed vegan because the term itself remains unknown but which take into account the Vegan parameters such as the usual sabzi and dal and Kachoris, Samosas. There are a lot of vegan dishes without knowledge of it being vegan, and the concept of vegan restaurants are becoming increasingly popular; it's just about time till the "fad" hits India as well and in case you want a headstart, vegan recipes can found on Pinterest!

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