Granddaughters leading the way

When we heard that Anna and Bella, our college-age granddaughters were coming for the weekend, my wife headed in a panic for the supermarket. You see, they are among a growing number of young people who have become vegan.

Sometime later, Becky returned with bags of groceries: almond milk, lactose free yogurt, cheese made from nuts, tofu, vegan-burgers, whole-grain pasta and primavera sauce. In another bag she had leafy greens, beans, onions, eggplant, squash, mushrooms, yams, tomatoes, bananas and apples.

Cooking for vegans is not easy, as other parents of vegans are finding out, but it’s not as daunting as you might think. There are tons of recipes on the web for dishes so tasty you’d swear they were mainstream.

It wasn’t long, however, before we learned to step back and let the “girls” cook their own dishes. They soon applied their creativity in savory and pleasing ways. Bella’s favorite is a burrito with rice, beans, tofu, guacamole and salsa, served with sauteed veggies. Anna's favorite is a “pulled pork” sandwich made with oyster mushrooms, cilantro, red onion, orange pepper, garlic and sauteed in barbecue sauce. Add on cold slaw and avocado. The recipe comes from vegan chef Tabitha Brown, found on her TikTok blog.

Passionate about respecting the lives of animals, Bella, who plans to become a veterinarian, was the first to go vegan. A year later, Anna, a student at Suffolk University, told us she had joined her sister. After our Christmas dinner, Anna proudly presented a vegan strawberry cream pie.

Our granddaughters chose to go vegan for a variety of reasons. One is the shameful abuse of animals in our industrial meat production system. Another is the enormous pollution of land, water and air from large-scale animal farming. A third is the simple fact that land used to produce grains and vegetables can produce five times the needed food for expanding populations. In protein and other nutrients, plant-based agriculture is the hands-down winner.

If you think eating meals based on plant products is boring, check out the menus at several of the Asian restaurants in town. Our favorites are Namaste, Taste of Siam and Rang Indian Bistro, and there are others where you will find savory and enriching meals. Yes, you can order dishes with meat, but why not try some of the amazing appetizers and entrees that are entirely plant based.

If you want more variety, there are several vegan restaurants in the area. A favorite is Veggie Galaxy in Cambridge, which serves a delightful array of “diner” meals. In January, Anna took us there for breakfast. Not sure what to order, I went for the familiar: eggs benedict with home fries, and yes, it was deliciously vegan.

For burger lovers, there are several varieties of meatless burgers on super market shelves. Or, you can drive through Burger King and try their “Impossible” Whopper.

I’m not quite ready to give up all meat in my diet, but I am reducing the amount. At the same time, I’m trying new dishes and experimenting with new tastes.

If there is one thing the corona virus pandemic has taught us, it’s to rethink how we do things. Now is the time to envision a future where we live in closer harmony with the earth and its resources.

Our granddaughters, and many of their age, are way ahead of our generation. They can see the future and are leading the way.