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Here are best 11 Veggie Challenge stories we received in 2010 from those age 30 and up. Also see the best stories from teens and 20's and the top story of 2010.

This is the beginning of my journey

During the Veggie Challenge, I mostly ate at home. I felt that I could start taking responsibility for my food choices by actually preparing my own food. I found this to be more accessible than navigating menus (looking for vegan options) and to be tremendously satisfying in terms of feeling good about making conscious choices about the ingredients I was putting into my body.

I started eating a mainly vegan diet a couple of years ago, strictly for health reasons. It was very successful in terms of managing endometriosis-related pain and fatigue. As my body started feeling better, I gradually re-introduced chicken, fish, and some dairy into my diet. This past summer, I got married, and as I started thinking more seriously about planning a family, I decided to learn more about vegetarianism and veganism. I began to really think about how I would want my children to understand their place in the world, their relationship to the environment, and their relationship to animals and other people. I found Twitter to be a great resource to connect to vegans who were happy to share their knowledge and transitioning experiences with curious people like me. From there, I discovered great blogs and podcasts, all which helped me decide that I needed to go vegan.

I had been subscribing to the Toronto Vegetarian Association (TVA) e-newsletter for a year or so, since attending the Vegetarian Food Fair in 2009, so I knew of the Veggie Challenge. After my wedding in August, I decided that September 1 would be another new beginning for me. I signed up for the Veggie Challenge with every intention of continuing to phase 2, which I knew would coincide with the Food Fair. While I've attended the Food Fair in the past, I was able to attend this year with a new sense of being in the world, and I was excited to fully embrace the workshops/demos and lectures. The panel discussion on the opening night was exactly what I needed to affirm the new choices I was making in my life. On the Saturday morning, I bought a bunch of fantastic new books and became a TVA member.

Nancy likes the Vegetarian Food for Thought podcast with Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

Throughout Phase 2 of the Challenge, I have tried to adhere to a vegan diet, but I am still a work in progress. While I have eliminated animal products from my home, it is taking me time to feel comfortable asking questions about ingredients when I eat away from home. I continue to read and listen to podcasts daily (I have a couple of years worth of Vegetarian Food for Thought to get through!), and I have started attending workshops with Meghan Telpner, which I have found to be especially helpful in supporting a mindful eating approach.

This is the beginning of my journey, and I look forward to preparing my second vegan Thanksgiving dinner this weekend. My first was last year, vegan because I had vegan guests. This year's will be vegan because of conscious choices I am making in my life to do no harm to animals. It feels good. Thank you TVA for all of the great resources you provide!

Update: six months later

Since taking the Veggie Challenge, I have remained vegetarian – six months on March 1! During those six months, I have really learned to enjoy cooking. It feels great to be able to take full responsibility for what I put into my body (now mostly whole foods) and to have a much better understanding of the ethical and environmental aspects of food choices.

Even when I was on a vegan diet for health reasons a few years ago, I never really gave truly mindful thought to what I was eating. I simply followed my checklist of foods I could and couldn't eat. Now, having read books by Jonathan Safran Foer, Michael Pollan, Peter Singer, and Jim Mason, it's impossible not to really think about my food choices. Well, at least most of the time... I am a work in progress, and it is taking time to build positive habits of mind for when I am out on a Friday evening with friends and I order a plate of nachos smothered in cheese. So I can't say I'm vegan yet. But in general I've become a more mindful eater, and definitely a healthier eater. Those are two significant changes in my life.

	Larra Skye is vegan Canadian singer.

Thanks to the Toronto Vegetarian Association for all the resources it provides – (and for introducing me to Larra Skye via the podcast)! And special thanks to Sunny Raja for providing such a great prize through Vegan Delights!

– Nancy, age 30-39, Toronto

Nancy won a prize for top story in Sept.  Vegan Delights provided a Four-course catered meal ($150 value) to the top story from those who signed up around the time of the Annual Vegetarian Food Fair in Toronto – Sept 10-12, 2010. There were four finalists and we randomly selected this story from among them. Congratulations also go to: Krystle, Chris, and Danielle 

I'll never look at meat the same way again

All things considered, the Veggie Challenge was an eye-opening, enjoyable experience. While I‘m not sure I‘m ready to convert to a fully vegetarian diet as yet, I'll certainly never look at meat the same way again.

Somewhere on the Challenge website, I ran across PETA's Meet Your Meat video, and it really opened my eyes to the horrors of these factory farms that produce the majority of our meat. Especially disturbing to me was the fact that 40% of cattle are maintained in such a horrible state that they can‘t even make the walk to the slaughterhouse. While I believe it is natural for humans to use other animals for food, no creature on Earth deserves to live like that, in darkness, with no exercise, room to move, or contact with the outside world. I like eating meat, but I‘m not sure it‘s worth the suffering these poor creatures go through.

Another thing that makes me want to reduce my meat intake is the fact that grazing land for cattle is short, and a vegetarian diet makes much better use of arable land. I saw a figure on the Challenge website that said a vegetarian diet requires only a half acre of land per person, whereas a meat-eater requires 3.5 acres to sustain them – seven times more! This is important as more arable land becomes useless due to erosion and over-grazing, while populations worldwide increase. Making efficient use of our land to feed everybody should become a major priority for every nation in the near future.

I‘m also now aware of how easy and inexpensive it can be to eat meat-free, and I‘ve definitely been feeling a lot less sluggish after meals because my system isn‘t all bogged down with meat. This Challenge has really helped me to change the way I think about food and my role in helping change the way we live as a society. While I‘m not swearing off meat anytime soon, I‘m certainly thinking about eating a lot less, as well as seeking out free-range and/or organic options when I do eat it.

– Doug, age 30-39, Windsor, ON

Going vegetarian in rural Newfoundland

I decided to partake in this Challenge to see how I would feel after adopting a vegetarian diet. At first I thought, 'what am I going to eat?' and 'where am I going to get these vegetarian items?'. Living in rural Newfoundland, some ingredients were difficult to find on a weekly basis, especially tofu. However, I discovered the wonderful taste of different foods that I had not eaten before or on a regular basis.

	TLT – Tempeh, lettuce and tomato. Photo: Mike Crooker www.flickr.com/photos/tofu/

I especially enjoyed one of the emails called "What's for Lunch? Delicious vegan options for the office, school or a picnic." There were many wonderful ideas and suggestions that really kept me on track. I have never before had such variety in my diet before adapting to this Challenge. I feel better, I am not hungry all the time and have lost some weight (which is good as I am overweight at the moment).

As for reactions from friends, I didn't have any. I work in a professional environment in healthcare and this was never an issue. My family was very accepting, especially my boyfriend as he saw that I was feeling more healthy and better about myself as the Challenge continued. I will continue with this dietary change and see what other benefits I may reap in the future.

Thank you for offering such a challenge, it has truly changed my life.

– Priscilla, age 30-39, Baie Verte, NL, Feb/Mar 2010

Inspired by a vegan friend

When I first decided to become a vegetarian, I was inspired by a vegan friend. After having a discussion and obtaining some reading material from him, I did some additional research online and from printed books and found it's not that difficult to become a vegetarian. It is very helpful to be able to ask questions from a vegan who is supportive, but not judgmental.

Sure, it seemed a big challenge (I had thought almost impossible) at first. However, after some trial and error, I managed to produce some delicious vegetarian meals. I've found many helpful websites including www.veg.ca which provides information on the types of vegetarian foods that contain various nutrients. I believe the main concern that people have about vegetarianism is that people cannot get enough nutrients. But I think with a bit of research and meal planning, it IS POSSIBLE to get all the nutrients we need from a vegetarian diet.

The biggest obstacle I had when I first started my vegetarian journey is my family. My parents were at first very skeptical and kept asking if I'm getting enough protein and other nutrients. After explaining that I don't just eat potatoes and tofu everyday, they became a bit more receptive. It's only been a month since I decided to go vegetarian, and now my family is cooking more vegetarian dishes and cutting down on the meat when we get together for family meals. Even my sister is looking into going vegetarian, which is something she thought was too difficult in the beginning.

In terms of what I eat, I try to obtain most of my ingredients from regular grocery stores. Beans, green-leafed vegetables, citrus fruits, seeds, whole wheat bread, and tofu now form my regular diet. I vary the meals as much as possible so as not to be sick of it and also to maintain a more balanced meal plan. I will have the occasional mock meats, but I do not rely on them.

My main motivation to become a vegetarian is because I believe it's wrong that animals have to be tortured and killed when people can be healthy without consuming meat. I will continue to educate myself, so I can better explain to others (particularly omnivores) that being vegetarian IS POSSIBLE.

– Ronee, age 30-39, Toronto

A plant-based diet was the obvious answer for me

I've been eating about 80% vegetarian for a few months now, usually choosing vegan options. This comes after many years of going through phases of being near-vegetarian to heavy carnivore and back and forth again. A number of issues prompted my latest attempt to become vegetarian. For starters, it was brought to my attention that I was not nearly as healthy as I thought I was: I had put on weight that I couldn't seem to shed, I easily developed infections and respiratory ailments, and my blood pressure was found to be a bit high… and I'm only 42 and have a young son to keep up with! Add to that the fact that there is heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes in my family and I knew changes were absolutely necessary. The recent interest in food politics, from "Food, Inc," to a number of new publications, coupled with news of listeria, e-coli, and animal abuse issues sealed the deal for me. A plant-based diet just seems like the obvious answer.

Seitan stirfry, from Sheila's blog. Part of her More Quick Meal Ideas post.

I joined the Veggie Challenge thinking I would actually try to go a week on a completely vegan diet. I didn't quite make it, having added cream to my coffee and nibbled on cheese a few times. I have now discovered Silk creamer so the dairy cream is a thing of the past. As for cheese... that's my downfall... still working on that one!

My partner has been very supportive of my changing diet and likes the meals I have made. I have to be fair in knowing that we started our relationship with us both being meat-eaters and I don’t expect him to make changes he is not comfortable with. Then there's my son: he is not at all used to a vegetarian diet and it may be a little more difficult finding dishes he'll eat. He does, however, eat tofu hotdogs and melted vegan cheese without knowing there has been a substitution and he loves my seitan BBQ 'wings'.

All in all I have been very satisfied with the Veggie Challenge and am even more confident in my dietary choices. Thank you Veg.ca!

– Sheila, age 40-49, Montreal
Featured stories of 2010 – random draw winner

Note: Sheila has started up an excellent food and recipe blog: http://thoughtfulvittles.blogspot.com . These photos are from the blog.

Energy boost for this mother of two

I am a 36 year old mother of two. I have decided to remove meat from my diet after reading The Kind Diet.

I have never really enjoyed meat to the point that giving it up would be hard. I was actually sort of astounded that it took me so long to get here. My diet included meat just because it was always considered a necessity of a healthy diet in my family. My biggest concern was to get enough protein. That is where the educational emails really helped.

I find vegetarian food delicious, and not as hard as I thought to prepare. My food staples are whole grain cereals, Ezekiel bread, brown rice, quinoa, nuts and beans. I find the food very satisfying, I no longer crave bad carbs! And that is the best part for me as I would always go through my cupboards looking for cookies after a high protein, low carb dinner. I found myself totally satisfied and with no cravings and this was my PMS week! Also my daughter (8 years old) is enjoying all the new foods, so much that she actually devours her dinners, as before it would take her forever to finish dinner. My energy levels are high, and I feel... cleaner on the inside. :>

Newly converted.

– Isabella, age 30-39, Brampton, ON

Congratulations to Isabella for winning the top story of 2010. She wins a SoyQuick 930P Milk Maker. 

Becoming vegan: a challenge and an adventure

Becoming vegetarian is something I have wanted to do for a very long time. I didn't plan to become vegan, but after doing a fair bit of research, I decided to eliminate eggs and dairy from my diet as well. The animal welfare issue was my main motivating factor, and the health benefits came in a close second. I was interested in watching the movie, "Earthlings," but I couldn't bring myself to do it.

Nevertheless, my appetite for meat disappeared overnight. Thankfully, I love to cook, and I consider being vegan a challenge and an adventure. I have been learning how to make homemade seitan faux meats and enjoying all of my healthy, meatless kitchen creations.

I cannot really explain why it took me this long to wake up to the reality of my role in supporting the appalling conditions factory-farm animals must endure, but I am very grateful that I finally got it. I am a convert.

Update (1/23/2011): Both my husband and I are now committed vegetarians (no eggs, no dairy, either). We've both lost weight and feel great! I started this for ethical reasons, but the health benefits are amazing! We're both in our 40s, but don't feel it. This decade is going to be a good one in our lives.

– Linda (and Greg), age 40-49, Lanark, ON

I was finally sick and tired of being sick and tired

Ever since I was a child I struggled with food. In general I was sick all the time. I would eat, then spend the next half hour to one hour in pain with stomach cramps. When I was 18 I stopped drinking milk as I would get a stomach ache every morning after breakfast. For years now my mom told me "Rachel you need to be a vegetarian" so at the age of 30 I was finally sick and tired of being sick and tired. I went completely veggie and haven't felt so good in my whole life. I dropped 15 pounds right away. I've had numerous people tell me I look healthy and want to know what products I've been using. I don't miss meat, or cheese or dairy at all. I feel GREAT!

– Rachel, age 30-39, Fernie, BC

I felt a huge weight falling off my heart and soul

I turned to veganism at the end of January 2010. The main reason was the desperation I felt about my very long-term problem with cramped muscles in my arms and shoulders. I know, this is kind of a strange reason for going vegan, but I thought that cutting animal protein out of my diet for a while would probably help to loosen this painful myogelosis in my arms. I have a condition called Repetitive Strain Injury, that derives from using the keyboard and mouse very intensively – I am a writer.

I have never tried to live vegan before, but I was also never really a meat-eater. But I loved cheese very much. Nevertheless, I was willing and ready to give it a try, so I started getting informed from the internet. I think, in the first two weeks, I read the equivalent of 25 books about the topic. On that journey my knowledge grew enormously about the food we consume and its negative effects on animal well-being, our own health, the condition of our planet, our climate, and hunger in the world.

Bear's garlic is one of my recent favorite foods. [Note: In North America a similar plant is Wild Leek.] Right now we have bear's garlic growing all over in the woods which is a very tasteful delicacy - and it is available for free! Above is thick fried potato "medallions" stacked with roasted eggplant and tomato with fresh homemade bear's garlic pesto (I made it with pine nuts and nutritional yeast instead of parmesan cheese). I cooked this for lunch on Good Friday...! And my husband LOVED it too!

Yes, intuitively I did know that consuming animal products supported cruelty and unfairness, but because I loved animals I couldn't look closer at what was going on in the manufacturing of these foods.

Since I started eating vegan many things have happened: The first was I felt a huge weight falling off my heart and soul. To know I was not a part of this abuse any more made me happy, happy, happy!

Then I experienced a dramatic decrease of PMS and menstrual cramps. That was only 8 days from the beginning! My next period 4 weeks later was also easy. So I solved an old problem I did not really address before.

My cramped forearms seem to be lighter, although the problem is not gone yet.

And finally: Even though I ate a lot – I had to sample ALL the vegan culinary possibilities there are – I lost weight!  My body is definitely changing and I feel very good. I will certainly stick to it!

– Miriam, age 40-49, Austria
Featured stories of 2010 – random draw winner

The push I needed to go veg

The Challenge was very inspiring for me. I have been interested in a vegetarian diet for a very long time, but this was the push and help I needed.

On Day 1 of my challenge was our local winter fair... I took my son (1 1/2 years old) to the petting zoo, there was a yak and my son put his face right to his and kissed his nose. That moment I really understood what I was eating, for the first time ever... and I know I can never eat meat again.

– Karen, age 30-39, Orillia, ON

This is the first time I have gone vegan

I decided to try a vegan diet based on a few issues: Health, environment, and conscience. My family was not surprised, as this is not the first time I have given up meat, although it is the first time I have gone vegan. After reading "Eating Animals" by Jonathan Safran Foer and "Onmivores Dilema" by Michael Polen, also watching "Meet Your Meat" on the PETA website, I will never again put meat or dairy in my mouth. I feel great, and have lost weight and can live with myself and the choices I make as far as eating. I'd highly recommend more people try this lifestyle.

– Kate, age 30-39, Guelph, ON
Kate won the random draw for submitting a story during Mar/Apr 2010

Note: Vegetarian actress, Natalie Portman has been promoting Foer's amazing book. She has written an article at Huffington Post titled: Jonathan Safran Foer's Eating Animals Turned Me Vegan. The image above is from gossipsauce.