I met Lynne Nordenberg at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Lowcountry in Bluffton, South Carolina, USA, several years ago and we are now neighbors who live just down the street from one another on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Lynne grew up in Duluth, Minnesota, and at age 16 she moved with her family to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Lynne spent most of adult life in Western Pennsylvania and is very close to her two brothers. Lynne married after her junior year of college. Her husband attended seminary school at Northwestern, so Lynne finished her undergraduate degree at University of Illinois in Chicago. She then went on to law school and practiced law in Southwest Pennsylvania for 20-25 years. The last 10 or so years she was a partner in a boutique divorce firm. Lynne grew wary of the contentiousness so went back to school in 2004 to get a Masters degree in social work. She got divorced in 2006 and moved to Hilton Head Island. For the first 10 years on the island, Lynne was a social worker for Habitat for Humanity. She has a daughter in 40’s living in Pittsburgh and is a nurse. Lynne met her soulmate Gordon three and half years ago at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Lowcountry.
Carla: Is Hilton Head Island your forever happy place? Do you foresee living here for the rest of your life?
Lynne: Oh yes. Before I moved here my first husband and I bought a house in Sea Pines (resort neighborhood on Hilton Head Island) and every time I had to leave to return to Pittsburgh I felt so sad. I hated to leave and now I don’t have to! I love it!
Carla: Tell me about your food journey. When did you start thinking about changing your lifestyle to be a plant-eating vegan?
Lynne: It evolved. When I was in social work school there was a psychiatrist at the facility where I did my internship who was Hindu and she was very careful to eat in a way that did not hurt any other living beings. That was the first time that I had ever thought about food being a method of hurting animals. Due to her influence on me, I started to eat less meat.
About 6 years ago I heard a talk at my Unitarian Universalist church about plant-based eating for the animals, the environment, and for health and that was it. I eliminated eating all mammals, then poultry, then fish and seafood, and then eggs and dairy over approximately three year’s time. As soon as I started not seeing meat as the main feature of a meal, it became relatively easy to transition.
Carla: When it comes to the foods you eat, do you eat all whole plants or do you eat some of the taste-alikes?
Lynne: All my food is plant-based and it’s a mixture of whole plants and some of the processed vegan foods. Everything is definitely vegan. My primary motivation reducing and eliminating the suffering of animals. Once that became my moral prerogative, becoming vegan was easy.
Carla: What was it like for you when you started waking up to what humans do to other animals?
Lynne: It was shocking. I didn’t understand how I could have been so oblivious for so many years, but I was.
Carla: Why do you think so many of us don’t think about it?
Lynne: I think it’s cultural. Most of us grow up eating meat as the norm. The meat industry is so powerful that it’s largely illegal to film inside slaughterhouses and factory farms so we, as a society, basically don’t know the truth of what goes on in these facilities. When I learned the truth I was just so sad and I was so sickened by the fact that I had ignorantly been eating animals for so many years without a clue as to what they endured to end up in my kitchen and on my plate. And then when I learned about the environmental impact of animal agriculture, I felt so betrayed that I had not been informed sooner.
Carla: Why do you think that environmental organizations don’t talk about the ecological devastations caused by animal agriculture?
Lynne: It’s politics. Our society is predominantly comprised of meat eaters and it’s too controversial to bring the ecological truths out in the open. It’s very unpopular to be the messenger that meat, dairy, and egg production is helping to destroy our planet and our ability to live on this planet right alongside oil and coal. I believe it’s a failure of environmental organizations to not educate the public about food choices when they’re advocating for greener and cleaner fuel and energy choices.
Carla: When you started transitioning your diet, did you have moments of doubt or weakness? Did you turn to certain tactics to keep yourself on track?
Lynne: I really didn’t have any trouble because I just kept picturing the animals. There were times when I thought I should transition faster but I chose to go slower so that I could fully adjust and assimilate my new choices.
I traveled to Sweden three or four years ago and I did eat some meat and fish. Our hosts served us their “best” food – wild moose and salmon – and they were so proud of it. It was a tough social dilemma for me and I didn’t want to ruin the occasion or offend anyone by saying anything. That’s the only time I have diverted from my compassionate commitment to the animals. It was a little difficult to actually eat the animals. I had to find that former place in my head that allowed me to eat animals and reside there until the meal was over.
Carla: When you were starting out, did you have to spend more time at the grocery store discovering new ingredients or did you just eat more of the plants that you already knew and ate?
Lynne: From the beginning, I tried to expand what I was cooking and eating. Most of my extra time was spent before I’d go to the grocery store looking at recipes, planning meals, and making lists of things to buy. I started eating more vegetables that I had not previously enjoyed like eggplant and Brussels sprouts which are now in regular rotation. I would put mushrooms in pasta sauce in the place of meat.
Carla: You made these changes for the animals and environment first. As you became vegan, did you start to see any changes in your physical health?
Lynne: No. The changes have been more spiritual and how I feel in my heart about my place in this world and my relationship to all other sentient beings. I feel greater peace in my heart and feel more in harmony with the natural world. After a plant-based meal I feel so good and satisfied.
Carla: Your soulmate Gordon is vegan too. When you are around family and friends who do not eat the way you both do, is it difficult?
Lynne: It certainly makes life easier to have a partner who eats the way I do. If we are sharing space with others – like sharing a rented house for vacation – we may cook different things. If they’re coming over to my house though, I’ll cook vegan meals that they’ll like. Most of our friends are not vegan. Oftentimes we don’t get invited back to their house for dinner because they are intimidated by what we eat. They are not sure how to cook for us. So we often meet these friends at a restaurant or they just come to our house. A few close nonvegan friends will cook vegan for us which is so nice.
Carla: What tips can you offer to someone who may be contemplating making a switch to a vegan lifestyle and may be nervous about the social tensions that can arise?
Lynne: I love to cook and host dinner parties. One of the best ways to share this lifestyle without creating tension is to invite people over and serve them really good, beautiful food that just happens to also be vegan. You don’t have to be vegan to enjoy a vegan meal.
A few months ago I made a vegan shepherd’s pie with all vegetables and mushrooms and my nonvegan friends said it was the best shepherd’s pie they had ever had.
Carla: When you think of your food life, do you have to exercise any self-discipline now or is it habitual?
Lynne: It’s habitual. It’s like it used to be with favorite foods and recipes we’d have again and again, just this time it’s all vegan with something new mixed in now and then. I have quite a few meals up my sleeve that I can easily make without too much thought or extra effort. There’s a process of unlearning old foods and recipes and a relearning of new foods and recipes (some foods like grains, vegetables, and fruits of course carry over so it’s not completely new) until it becomes second nature.
Carla: What are some of your favorite new discoveries in the way of foods, recipes, or recipe sources?
Lynne: I used to make a spaghetti sauce that I’d cook on the stove for four hours. I’ve discovered Rao’s sauce that’s every bit as good as mine. Just Egg is wonderful for omelets and scrambled eggs. I make my own ricotta cheese from cashews for lasagna or stuffed shells.
My all time favorite cookbook author has been Ina Garten who is neither vegan nor vegetarian. I think I have all of her books or most of them. I’ve been able to adapt some of my favorite recipes of hers to vegan dishes.
I have probably a 6-inch stack of recipes that I’ve printed from the internet. It’s wonderful! Whatever I want to make, I just type in the name and include “vegan” and I get a bunch of different options. I study them, choose the one I want to try, print it, and make notes on the printout for next time about what I changed or how we liked it. Italian and Mexican food are my favorites and they are so flexible.
Carla: Living on a small island in South Carolina, are you able to find all the ingredients you need for cooking in regular grocery stores or do you have to order specialty items?
Lynne: I can pretty much find anything I need at Publix and Whole Foods. Every now and then there will be a rare spice that I can’t find so I’ll order it. It helps to now know where things are located too…which store, which aisle.
Carla: This decision to become vegan, is it representative of who you are in the way of being headstrong? Or did you find it difficult, intimidating, or overwhelming to make such a big change?
Lynne: Honestly I quite liked the challenge of it! It was like starting over in a way which was intriguing. A friend gave us a Vitamix super blender and we make green smoothies in the morning with spinach, veggies, and fruits and they are so good. Before being vegan I had never thought to make those. I’ve enjoyed the new discoveries that being vegan has brought into my life. Cashew cream is another wonderful, easy, and delicious condiment to make in the blender.
Carla: Do you like to share your reasons for being vegan with friends and family or do you prefer to avoid these conversations?
Lynne: I do talk about it and I do it softly. My partner isn’t quite as subtle. We like to talk about how delicious the food is and how good it is for the animals, the environment, and our health. People are polite and they listen whether they really want to or not. We like to recommend the movie The Game Changers.
I was talking to a friend who asked me why I do this and I replied that it’s primarily for the animals and how I don’t want to cause their suffering. She got a horrified look on her face and as soon as the realization came, it left, and she moved on. I think most people don’t want to think about the suffering. They can’t handle it so they put it out of their minds. So many people would rather not know and contribute to the suffering than know about the suffering and not contribute to it. Once you’ve become an ethical vegan, it’s very hard to witness other people – kind and intelligent people – not wanting to see what you see. It reminds me of a fear that I have. As I age I’m afraid of developing dementia and forgetting that I’m vegan! (laughter) I hope that never happens.
Carla: That is the first time I’ve ever heard of that! (laughter) It would be horrible to be totally dependent upon someone else to make your food choices for you and for them to not know or not honor that you’re vegan. Luckily we can be assured that the best way to avoid developing dementia and other brain diseases is to eat a wholesome plant-based diet.
Carla: Have you had anyone ever pressure you, as a vegan, to eat meat, dairy, or eggs?
Lynne: No. Everyone has been very respectful. My older brother who is not vegan will buy Beyond Burgers for himself so I’ve had some influence in his direction, much more influence than anyone has had on me to bend my morals.
Carla: Do you feel like you’re missing out on any of your old foods or flavors?
Lynne: No, not at all. There is zero sense of deprivation. Going vegan has been an expansive experience. We find a lot of fun when traveling to find vegan restaurants or restaurants with vegan options. I’ve tried so many different kinds of food that I probably would not have tried had I not become vegan, like tofu which I have come to love.
Carla: If you were sitting with someone who was seriously considering this lifestyle for themselves but they weren’t sure if it was for them or if they could do it, what would you say to them?
Lynne: I would talk to them about how easy it has been for me, some of the wonderful meals that we eat, and all of the resources available online such as free transition programs. Mark Bittman has a book that is very helpful for moving into a more plant-centered lifestyle and he has some great recipes in the book.
There are so many ways to start to transition. I did it by eliminating categories of food. Some people start with one day of the week like Meatless Monday. Some people choose to focus on one meal every day like eating a vegan breakfast all week. Another approach is to learn how to veganize favorite meals. I used to make beef bourguignon and now I make mushroom bourguignon. A lot of the Italian dishes that I used to make had shrimp or chicken, now I just make them with more vegetables like eggplant or mushrooms. Mexican food is easy because there are so many vegetables to sauté with wonderful spices. Served up with guacamole and salsa, it is easy and delicious. Tomato pie is another favorite recipe that I’ve veganized.
Carla: I love your approach Lynne. You have been able to hold on to many of your favorite dishes as you became vegan. This is a great message for many readers who think they may have to give up all they enjoyed to become a vegan eater which is just not true. Thank you for taking the time to talk with me and to share your story with my readers and me.
Readers, to access all the posts in this interview series, please click HERE.
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