The past five days have required planning, restraint and plenty of soy. Apparently, soy is the primary alternative for dairy and meat.

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I can tell that my body is adjusting to a new diet; however, Ii’s not quite thrilled by the copious amounts of soy I’ve been consuming, and I’ve had a couple of cold sores pop up.

Within the first month of cutting meat out of my diet, my body reacted by developing cold sores. In time, I’m sure my body would adapt to a vegan diet as well.

It’s not difficult to shop vegan once you’re familiar with vegan brands. Choose Amy’s Kitchen for microwavable meals and Gardein for meat alternatives. Buy Belvita bars for snacks and Daiya for a dairy substitute.

Vegan brands aren’t exclusive to niche stores like Whole Foods; they can be found at stores like Walmart and Schnucks.

From my journey, I’ve enjoyed vegan yogurt the most. For me, yogurt has always been one of those on again, off again foods that I can only eat in small amounts. However, dairy-free yogurt is more palatable.

I regret that going vegan meant that I needed to give up milk. The watery sweetness of soy milk just isn’t for me.

Tomorrow, I’m looking forward to starting the morning with eggs and eating warm, buttery popcorn with lunch.

While our culture has made it easy to become vegan, a diet change takes a commitment. You won’t wake up one day and accidentally become vegan.

I have a greater appreciation of the dietary lengths people are willing to go to for health benefits and animal advocacy. Still, for now, I’m content in my choice to stay meatless.

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