A lot of you know I've been trying out this whole vegetarian thing (with the exception of cutting out fish) for quite a while. Ty and I started it early last year, but still had a little meat here and there. But when we sat down to make our New Year's Resolutions just before '09, I said, "This year, I'm only going to have five servings of meat. The entire year." People thought I was crazy and that certainly I'd cave by February. I gave myself those five because not offending someone at whose home or fancy wedding I may be eating is more important to me than gosh darn it a piece of chicken not entering my body, and here it is November and I've only "used up" four of those five. I might just make it out of 2009 with four non-fish meat servings in my body.
I've gone back and forth quite a bit on whether or not to "go back to a little meat" in 2010 and haven't really been swayed very strongly either way. I love that being a pseudo vegetarian has opened my eyes to a whole world that doesn't exist inside Chicken and Riceville or Steak and Potatotown. I love that after flirting with veggie lasagna unsuccessfully several times, I've created one that I truly crave. I love that I know how to use a handful of vegetables that were terrifying to me before. I really love that Ty does this with me (though his New Year's Resolution was two servings a month) and that he loves and asks for my crazy veggie-filled meals.
Because we've been doing this so long, I don't catch myself trying to find a "meat replacement" for each meal like I did before. We simply have vegetarian meals that are vegetarian because they were created to be that way, not because someone extracted the chicken and replaced it with something clearly unchickenlike. I have found a WEALTH of recipes on Smitten Kitchen and 101 Cookbooks, both of which I have linked on my sidebar for easy access. Like, truly irresistibly yummy things like this artichoke and tomato ravioli or this curried apple couscous or this fresh lasagne or these huevos rancheros that aren't going to leave your husband going WHERE'S MY MEAT?!
I feel like this is something that people are sometimes defensive about. Like, how dare you offend my meat? Do you think you and your trendy, hippie, tree-hugging ways are superior to my great grandmother's roast recipe? I wish it weren't like that because, like anything else, being defensive just shuts your mind to lots of yummy and healthy possibilities. Besides, I certainly don't benefit from anyone including more vegetables in their diet! I'm just here to share the good news, I guess! :)
I mean, let's face it folks, the research is just stacked up against meat - most especially red meat. This is something Joseph Smith told us long before research did, and encouraged us to be sparing with it. Not completely ban it from our lives, but basically to have vegetable-based diets.
So while I may have a piece of grilled chicken or ground turkey here or there in 2010, I'm glad to have learned this lifestyle - because it really is just that. I think the fact that I've been able to maintain a healthy weight that I couldn't even reach at a super young age in high school is because my entire philosophy about eating has changed. Diets simply don't work - you have to be committed to a lifestyle that works for you and that will keep your body in tip top condition for longer than the 78 years that statistics have allotted it. I don't think our life expectancy is so low because of low quality health care/lack of access to it, but rather because Americans tend to really trash their bodies! It's amazing our bodies are resilient enough to withstand the years of fast food and barbecues that we chuck at them. Talk about being cheated out of some quality years! Seeing as how our bodies are such a beautiful gift, I believe we owe it to them to be super vigilant. And the time to commit to that isn't after your first double bypass.
Side note: If you've not read In Defense of Food, you really, really, really must.
Anyway, truly didn't mean for this to be a soapbox, and hope to not offend anyone, but, like most things, I'm super passionate about this because of my own experience and a little knowledge about health care. I'd just encourage ya'll to dabble here and there in intentionally vegetarian cooking instead of being scared of it. :) It's not all celery and tofu!
Monday, November 9, 2009
on vegetarianism
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
19 comments:
I tried it too, and got really excited about the creativity involved. And then I got anemic. Like seriously ill. So I get the not "replacing" meat thing, but how do you get everything you need? Supplements defeat the whole purpose. I want to be healthy and have that vegetarian glow and eat good food too, but my body needs iron! I've tried looking up what non meat foods have it but there's so many conflicting theories about absorption. What I know is, I was in a tired, cranky, cloudy haze for about a month and then after I ate a hamburger I felt like my old self again.
Love. And as you may know, my dad is 72. And still plays tennis 3-4 times a week. And whips mine and Dan's trash when we play him two on one.
Also, we need to make huevos together sometime.
Kristi and I have cut out a lot of our meat, too. Me because it's expensive and Kristi because the expense/health reasons. On the other side, Kristi finds her brain saying "Eat more meat!" now that she's pregnant.
Also, Pollan is a great author. I'm 3/4 through "Omnivore's Dilemma" and it makes you think about what the general populace consumes. Great writing.
Also #2, it's your blog. Feel free to soapbox. There's something weird about readers demanding the right kind of entertainment from a blogger.
I kind of have been having the same experience going on with my low-preservative diet. 90% of what I eat was made by me. No more frozen dinners or pre-prepared foods. I still let myself eat a few snickers bars every now and again or eat out fast food once a month or something, but I feel so great when I'm eating what my body wants. Americans really do eat a LOT of crap.
"Omnivore's Dilemma" changed my life. It introduced me to Joel Salatin whom I admire immensely. He really turned me on to the idea of balance and timing and that "eating in season" applies to meat eating as well. Also, what the animal ate and how it was treated during its life is hugely important to us because of Pollan's book and Salatin's philosophy.
I would say, though that the Word of Wisdom teaches a grain based diet versus vegetable based one: "All agrain is ordained for the use of man and of beasts, to be the staff of life..". Probably because it can be stored easier than seasonal fruits and vegetables without diminishing the nutritional value. There is an abundance of iron in grain as well.
You and Tyler are lucky to live in an area where buying locally offers an abundance and variety of fruits and vegetables. Another aspect of eating healthy and respecting the earth... Fun post!
Love,
Annalee
Funny...I was just thinking last night that Becca hasn't had many soapbox moments in the last few months. I am craving some meaty debates....
I love this lifestyle. Thanks for your thoughts on it. It truly does open up a whole new way of appreciating new foods. It turns out I don't really even like chicken and rice. It was just easy. The only time I stray is when my pregnant body screams, "Give me a lamb chop! Now!"
Have you read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver?
Yay, thanks for writing this Becca :)
I really like this post too! I'm not vegetarian, but I've been really struggling with finding good recipes that "highlights" vegetables! My goal is to add more and more vegetables to our diet so that the meat and potatoes don't become the "bulk" of the meal. Thanks for the book references...and I love smitten kitchen too! It's addicting!
Wow, makes me feel good that I'm making arugula/tomato pasta and roasted zucchini for dinner as I type this. :)
Makes me feel less good that I needed the spellcheck to tell me how to spell "arugula" AND "zucchini."
i really have been wanting to try doing the vegetarian thing, I just dont know if I can handle it! I love my hamburgers and turkey sandwiches! I should just do it for my body like you suggest!
Thanks!
So you'll love this. I'm not claiming to be vegetarian (still love my fish and chicken), but, I've banned other forms of meat from my life. I'm not sure if it's because I've been so stressed that I only eat simple foods (soybeans, yogurt, cereal, rice), but, any meat more complex and juicy than chicken or fish simply rips me to shreds. I do have sensitive intestines, you know.
Must admit that we haven't been eating this way for a while. I miss it. There was a simplicity to it. I don't know what we will do long-term though, since Carric is very attached to the muscle he has put on while eating meat and is not sure how to keep it on a vegetarian/vegan diet. We'll see. I happy for you, though.
... not that there's anything wrong with tofu, right? I mean, I'm Japanese and we eat tofu with basically every meal, and it's not a meat replacement, like you said. It's a glorious, silky, delicious beautiful part of the meal. I love that you're doing this, Becca. I am super impressed. I kinda did something similar this year, mainly because I was trying to lose the baby weight and we're on a tight budget and meat is expensive! I mean, I didn't have the discipline to limit myself to a number of meals in a year (I love beef way too much), but I've really loved changing my lifestyle, too! It wasn't too hard since I just made a lot of Japanese food, which is mostly pesco-vegetarian anyway:) Or lots of veggie-rich homemade pastas and breads. Mmmm.
Let's hear it for delicious, healthy food!
No, Lillian, there is absolutely nothing wrong with tofu. I definitely went through a tofu phase, but I'm just not Japanese enough to prepare it well. :) When I have it at restaurants where they know how to prepare it, it's fabulous, but I just wasn't getting the hang of it.
I tried a no sweets challenge thing, at the beginning of the year, with grandma. That was so much fun! I felt great, and I think I looked healthy, too. I caved at prom in May and haven't truly gotten back on again. During the challenge I lost a desire for sweets. I realized that, most of the time, I ate out of habit or craving, not hunger. It changed my perspective on food and eating. My favorite desserts involve fruits and vegetables now! It feels great!
Becca, I long for that kind of life style! Any tips on how to incorporate it into a college atmosphere?
I love you and miss you!! I think you and Tyler are amazing for have that much dedication and control! You two are a phenomenal example to me! Thank you!
I think you should come visit me and we'll have a good week of Japanese soy-filled meals and you'll get it and you'll feel great! It's super easy. And I just miss you. So come visit me:) I love you!
Becca, are you still monitoring these comments? I just watched "Food Inc" and I think you would be a perfect person to highlight it on your blog. If you haven't seen it, I recommend it fervently. I would love to see you write something about it because I know a lot of people would read about it here. People really need to know about this. I'm not a very cause-y person, but this is pretty important information!
Love,
Annalee
p.s. Good luck on NCLEX, it's not as bad as you think.
Annalee - that movie looks fabulous. I just watched the trailer. We're going to have to put it in our Netflix queue. You're right, that is very important information. Thanks for the heads up!
Post a Comment