Ah, Indulgence (or is it Gluttony?)

As a vegan, I always get the question, “Don’t you miss cheese? Chicken? Sushi???” The truth is, there is only one food group that I have missed since making my dietary switch nearly two years ago – dessert. Sometimes, a girl just needs a cookie. And that can be a challenging proposition for a vegan.

The days of being able to order dessert off a menu are long over (as are the days of me being blonde ... and in my 20s).

From a baking perspective, there are actually (surprisingly) many delicious vegan options that are quite simple to make. However — and I am sure this comes as a surprise to no one — the desire to bake overcomes me maybe once every two months. All right, every three or four months. Unfortunately, I crave sweets much more frequently, and the vegan dessert options available for purchase (in my opinion) leave a LOT to be desired.

There is one exception: I do rather enjoy the dairy-free ice cream – excuse me, “frozen dessert” – which is made from soy, rice or coconut milk as opposed to cow milk. Many different vegan flavors are available, including two of my favorites: cookie dough and mint chocolate chip. I don’t buy them very regularly, because I know what happens when I do.

I eat every last bite. All at once.

The other night was no exception. After a long day at work and a great dinner cooked by my husband, the urge for something sweet kicked in. I peeked into the freezer, and sure enough, there it was: a brand new pint of Purely Decadent Dairy-Free Cookie Avalanche Frozen Dessert. I grabbed the pint and a spoon and set them on the table, patiently waiting those precious moments until it softened juuuuust enough.

It’s never a surprise to me when I eat the whole pint; I am fully aware with each and every spoonful what the ultimate outcome will be. I know exactly what I am doing: I am indulging. The halfway-through-the-pint moment comes … and goes. I acknowledge the point when it would make sense to put the pint down, save the rest for another time — that instant when my stomach tells me to stop, even though my brain tells me to keep going. Obviously, I ignore these subconscious signs completely and dig on in.

All in all, I consumed four 180-calorie servings. 720 (!!) calories in about five minutes. Who am I kidding, it was probably three minutes. I would feel badly about it, but life is too short – and honestly, the times I actually get to over-indulge in dessert are so few and far between, I am able to truly enjoy each and every bite, free of guilt or regret (at least until a few minutes later when I want to throw up for eating so much).

What can I say? Sometimes, a girl just needs a cookie. Or even some frozen dessert.

3 Replies to “Ah, Indulgence (or is it Gluttony?)”

  1. You are too funny — and this is all so true! I’m not a vegan myself (you are my hero for being able to do it!) but have been known to down a savory or sweet snack in one sitting. Recently it was a pint of Chunky Monkey Ben & Jerry’s. I got past halfway the 75% and figured, there’s not enough left for a second helping later so I might as well finish it off!

    • haha I only wish I could say I’m eating for two!! That’s exactly my attitude, what’s the point of putting it back when there’s only two bites left?? When I’m debating 600 vs. 700 calories, I choose 700!

  2. Laura,

    I think holding a deep and unabashed love for something sweet is a sign of the enlightened mind: you have learned to recognize the small daily blessings and receive them with grace! I loved this post.

    All best,
    Anne

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