I'm an herbivore! (With slight omnivore tendencies towards eggs and dairy). N and I decided during Lent we would go without meat. I took it a step further and after a couple days decided that I would become a vegetarian, full-time. N and I typically only ate meat about once a week in the first place, so it wasn't too difficult for the initial change. What influenced me to take the final plunge was a book: The Food Revolution by John Robbins.
The book is divided into three parts. The first is about your health and the types of food you eat, the second part deals with animal treatment and the third part deals with the global aspect of food. He's very persuasive and uses layman's terms with a good writing style. I realized after I started reading it that I had read one of the chapters before, in a college biology class. I would suggest dabbling into the book, skimming through the chapters and sections to get an idea of what it's about. I'll give you a warning: it get a little dense if you try and read it all at once.
Now, when I tell people that I am a vegetarian the usually exclaim, "How will you get your protein?! Make sure you get tons of it!" Especially since I'm a runner. Yes, everyone needs protein. But do you know what a complete protein is? Out of the twenty amino acids, our bodies do not have the building blocks for nine of them. And without animal protein, it can be a little bit trickier to fulfill your needs. But if you've done eve a tiny bit of research, it's not hard at all. Many vegetables and fruits have very good sources of protein in them, just not complete proteins. For instance, in a one cup serving of lentils you can get 17.13 grams of protein! The problem is, lentils do not have a good source of Methionine and Tryptophan. All that means is you need to pair your lentils with some grains and boom! There's your complete protein. It's like playing a matching game with preparing meals. It adds a bit more of a challenge and for those you know me will attest to the fact that I tend to be inclined towards challenges.
Check out the following link if you're interested in plant proteins:
http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/articles/plant-food-protein-chart.pdf
Even though I am a brand-new vegetarian, I might be slowly making my way towards veganism. But N is a bit more resistant towards than than just being a lacto-ovo vegetarian. I have the upper hand though because I do the majority of the food planning, shopping and 75% of the cooking. My strategy is to start incorporating meals that are vegan into the meal plans and go from there. I've already gotten him with some vegan burgers.
"Wasn't that good?" (I ask smugly)
"Mmm, it was delicious!" (N exclaims"
"Ha! It was vegan!" (I learned you don't always need eggs to hold mixtures together)
I doubt I will go completely vegan though. I tend to like butter, it's in my genes. Cookies, strudels, cakes and pastries would not taste the same without the creaminess and succulent fat for our beloved cows. I would be hard pressed to give up goat cheese, brie and freshly grated parmesan cheese. And of course, as the weather here in Little Rock has been successfully reaching the 70's for days now, my mind keeps drifting off to cool, dripping cones of wonderful, beautiful ice cream. Still, there are substitutes for practically everything if you really do want to go vegan. But Little Rock hasn't quite caught up to the trends yet, and I was spoiled by my time in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It has a whopping four alternative grocery stores located all around the city. There is a Whole Foods in Little Rock but it's a mere fraction of the Whole Foods I'm used to. It is also a pain to get to the store and doesn't warrant many visits. The Farmers' Market will be opening back up in May and rumor has it that a family-owned grocery store focusing on local foods will be opening up this April, close to where I live. I would gladly shop there, even with higher prices to help end the Kroger monopoly that has its grasp on the city.
I may even go back to eating meat under certain conditions. Such as if I know someone who slaughters cows on their own farm. I may purchase half a cow. Fish may be an exception to my meat rule, especially the Dragon roll in the sushi realm. Who knew fried eel would be so amazing. In the past, I have even helped slaughter chickens. I would not be opposed to taking some roosters that someone has slaughtered for me. I am practical after all.
But, if you catch my sniffing around your backyard as you grill your burgers and steaks, just give me a minute to enjoy. Cuz in a second I'll smile, and ask you to please grill me some zucchini's, tomatoes, and onions with a dab of olive oil. And it will be delicious.
