Issue date: 5/16/07 Section: City

Media Credit: Brendon DiVincenzo/The Daily Northwestern Karovina Nowak and Zosia Smal eat at the Blind Faith Cafe, 525 Dempster St. on Wednesday. The establishment is one of the Evanston restaurants that serves vegan and vegetarian dishes. [Click to enlarge]

By Andrea Castillo
The Daily Northwestern

Communication freshman Benjamin Singer's first step toward becoming a vegan took place when he was 4 years old.

Singer was eating at a restaurant with his family when he got up to get some Jell-O. After being told by his mother that it included gelatin, Singer said he had an epiphany.

"I realized that animal products were a luxury, and it meant the life of another animal," he said. "I felt guilty about doing something for my pleasure for another life."

From that point on, Singer decided to become a vegetarian, and, after years of consideration, Singer became a vegan in August 2004. At home, his mother and sister are vegetarians, and his father doesn't eat much meat. His decisions to become vegetarian and then vegan were entirely voluntary, he said.

Singer is one of many NU students and Evanston residents who lead a vegan lifestyle. In Evanston, there are a number of restaurants and organic food stores that cater to the specific needs of vegans.

While vegetarians don't eat meat, vegans don't use any type of animal-derived products, including dairy, egg, leather or wool. According to the Vegan Research Panel, about 1 percent of all Americans are vegans.

While Evanston resident Kay Fennell doesn't always follow a vegan diet, she said she tries to eat at least one vegan meal every day. About 35 years ago, after reading a book called "Diet for a Small Planet," she developed a stronger interest in nutrition and stopped eating red meat. She said she has felt healthier ever since.

"I feel so much better," she said. "I feel lighter inside. I feel more harmony with the Earth, with my spirituality and how I look at everything."

Continued...

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