It was at the age of 12 that I first came to realize that chicken-the-animal and chicken-the-food were one and the same. For some reason, up to that point I had never made the connection that my Happy Meals came from a not-so-happy place. I can't remember quite how I grasped this idea, but once I did, it became harder and harder for me to continue to eat what was once I living, breathing being.

I mention chicken because that and beef were really the only two meats I consumed. My family had never placed as strong an emphasis on the eating of animals as in the traditional American family, so therefore it was easier for me to become a vegetarian.

When I decided to become a vegetarian, I did not realize that the beef in my Taco Bell tacos and occasional hot dog actually came from a cow. I honestly was under the impression that beef was a vegetable (after all, the name "beef" is not the name of an any animal I knew of), so I continued to consume it once in awhile. It wasn't until my Hindu friend raised an eyebrow when I ordered a beef taco after having just told her I was a vegetarian that I came to realize my grave mistake-what I was eating actually was part of a cow.

Of course, I then had to stop eating beef as well. Now, up until this point, being a vegetarian had been pretty smooth sailing; soy-based "chicken" nuggets could be found at our local grocery store and veggie burgers were everywhere. Two of my closest friends were also vegetarians, so I could quite honestly say that I never felt like the odd one out.

Then I learned about factory farming and everything changed. I happened to surf onto PETA's website one day, and for the first time, my eyes were opened to the cruelties of today's factory farms. I was so shocked and horrified, and I continued to read with a sick sort of fascination. How could these atrocities be legal? And more importantly, what could I do to stop them?

This was when I first started contemplating veganism. Having just seen some of the most brutal photographs I had ever encountered, I knew I wanted nothing to do with factory farming. However, giving up dairy and eggs seemed rather extreme. What in the world would I eat?

Over the next couple years, I contemplated, and then gradually reduced, the animal products that remained in my diet. After exploring alternatives to many of my favorite dairy based dishes (Tofutti rocks!), I finally decided I was ready to give up animal products once and for all.

And so I did.

Being vegan takes a commitment to scout out alternatives to the mainstream, cruelty-ridden foods, but for the animals, and for my own peace of mind, it's worth it.

--Laurel says she really admires John Robbins whose writing she finds inspirational and moving. She went veg because she wanted to eliminate as much suffering as possible from the planet. Read what Laurel ate today.