“So, are you going vegan?”
I’d already stopped eating meat and fish for ethical reasons, so why did my friend’s question send a chill down my spine? My eyes got wistful as visions of melty grilled cheese sandwiches, salads of sun-warm tomatoes and fresh, milky mozzarella, and the sharp, salty bite of Greek feta danced in my head.
“No way,” I sighed. “I could never give up cheese.”
For years, it seemed I had an itch that only cheese could scratch. More than a casual dalliance, cheese and I were carrying on a full-blown love affair. Not only did cheese bring me so much joy, it was rich in bone-building calcium. It was delicious—and good for me! How could I even think about giving it up?
But the more I learned about the dairy industry, the more I realized that cheese and I didn’t share the same values. For me, the hardship endured by dairy cows and their calves was just too much of a turnoff.
It was time for me to break up with the love of my culinary life.
The Bone of Contention
Still, I was worried. In my zeal to do no harm, would I end up harming my own health? For strong bones, the …