For the past three weeks, I have been vowing to go vegetarian. A number of factors have played into this desire, which, when I have more time and energy, I'll go very deeply into.
I've been sick for the last week and today was the first day that I felt less achy and more hungry. So of course I wanted to try out going vegetarian. Topher was on board (though he, and every friend I have, maintains I won't do it. Which, of course, given my ridic stubbornness, makes me even more resolute to go veggie) and we began the day with some delicious, meat free smoothies. Side note, I'd be pretty disgusted to find a meat-filled smoothie. Blech.
We combined frozen strawberries, frozen blueberries...
...some skim milk, ice, nonfat vanilla yogurt and vanilla protein powder...
...and created deliciousness!
With some cheese and crackers for lunch, noodles and tofu for dinner and cheese popcorn for snack, I was doing well.
Until I took a bite of Topher's Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger. Damn.
Trying again tomorrow! Tips?! It's ok if you say "suck it and eat meat." Topher does every day :)
We combined frozen strawberries, frozen blueberries...
Yes, that is a package of Ballpark hot dogs beneath our frozen fruit. I'll miss hot dogs.
...a banana...
Yum!
With some cheese and crackers for lunch, noodles and tofu for dinner and cheese popcorn for snack, I was doing well.
Until I took a bite of Topher's Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger. Damn.
Trying again tomorrow! Tips?! It's ok if you say "suck it and eat meat." Topher does every day :)
I eat a mostly veggie diet, although I eat mean once in a while. I think the tips might depend on your motivation to go veggie. But the easiest thing to do might be to remind yourself of the motivation.
ReplyDeleteFor me, a big motivation is that I don't want to eat animals. So if I'm feeling like chicken or a burger sometime, I just remind myself that I can get protein from many other sources and it's more important to me not to eat another living creature than my desire for a burger. And there are tons of delicious veggie meal possibilities so I never feel deprived.
Good luck with whatever you decide!
Hey! Maybe if you took it more gradually, it might be easier for you. 8 years ago, I chose to give up all red meat but still ate chicken and fish every couple days. This was a healthy alternative and a way to make the transition easier. Then 3 years ago my health was good enough that I could become a full vegetarian. I have never looked back or desired any kind of meat that I have given up!
ReplyDeleteYou could give up one meat at a time and give it a week or two.
Going vegetarian is tough when your boyfriend/husband is still eating meat! Before I moved in with my boyfriend, I ate a mostly plant based diet. Except for the days we had dinner together of course. I find it challenging to go completely vegetarian because he's a big meat and potatoes kind of guy. I try to go meat free for breakfast and lunch and stick with chicken and seafood for dinner. At least once a week we have a meat free dinner.
ReplyDeleteGood Luck!
I know! Pictures of baby animals all over the kitchen :)
ReplyDeleteThese are all great suggestions- I think the gradual approach is definitely a good way to go. Thanks for the suggestions! I think I'll try to go the red meat free way, then rule out chicken in a few months. It will be pretty impossible to give it all up entirely while Toph still does most the cooking and eats meat :)
ReplyDeletePaige- what a brilliant idea! Heehee
So no suggestions for you on going meat free but those smoothies look amazing!
ReplyDeleteTry cooking more ethnic meals (Indian, Thai, Mexican, etc) - these are much more common in a delicious flavor-packed vegetarian version, and you won't feel like you're missing out. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI'm vegetarian and Sean isn't, but now he definitely realizes how good eating vegetarian can be. When I first started, I would give in if I had a craving for some meat, but that was years ago, and now I have no cravings. :) So, I think the gradual approach is best.
ReplyDeleteNo advice but those smoothies make me think I might be able to be vegetarian . . . but that burger sounds good too.
ReplyDeleteooh that smoothie looks good. i like the idea of going veggie gradually (although i'm not vegetarian so i have no expertise whatsoever). one of my friends made a bet that she could be vegetarian for a year, for $100. it's been working!
ReplyDeleteI've been veggie for a while, going gradually starting in middle school. It wasn't too hard for me (since I don't like meat much anyway) BUT I know what you mean about a good hot dog, or hamburger. I've found that it's really more about the stuff you put in/on it, rather than the "meat". The tofu/veggie hotdogs are actually really tasty, and meat-eating friends attest they don't taste all that different, and are wayyyy less scary when it comes to thinking about what's gone into them. Hamburgers are a little harder to replace (if you love meat), but I've found that I prefer a whole portabello mushroom (grilled or sauteed) to storebought veggie burgers. Also, there are many awesome recipes for homemade ones out there, which can have whatever you want in them (beans, potatoes, rice, mushrooms, egg, cheese...)
ReplyDeleteGood luck going veggie!!
I'm really interested in reading more about your vegetarian journey! I don't think I could ever become a vegetarian, but I'll live vicariously through you ;)
ReplyDeleteI've been vegetarian since I was eleven (twenty-four now), and so it's always been pretty easy because I barely remember what I used to eat when I did eat meat, and I don't really miss it. Sometimes I get cravings for burgers or fish or whatever, and I just see that as a sign that my body needs protein/omega 3s/etc. So definitely listen to your body, and I'd recommend getting protein from food wherever possible rather than from powders etc. Hubs cooking when he eats meat may complicate things, but maybe suggest recipes that he can add meat to on the side while keeping it meat free for you... like a stir fry with veggies etc. and chicken cooked in a separate pan; pasta with marinara sauce and meatballs for him, etc.
ReplyDeleteCutting meat out gradually is a good plan if you're having a hard time; plus, if you're going for weight loss from your diet, red meat is probably the least healthy with poultry and fish offering leaner, healthier options.
If you want recipes shared, give a shout! I'm very used to cooking in a meat-eating household after thirteen years of it. (Though my family has cut out most meat by this time!)
I've eaten mainly veggie for the last three years. I consider myself a "flexitarian" - I can't resist prosciutto, and I'll occasionally have some free-range, organic "happy meat." Dan likes to call it "freegatarian," meaning we won't buy meat for the household, but if our hosts serve meat or we're out to a nice dinner, we'll eat it. He makes an exception for the coveted hot dog at the baseball game. Regardless of what you call it, it works for us.
ReplyDeleteI know you're not much of a cooker, but I can send a few cookbooks your way if you want some absolutely delish veggie recipes that will make you forget there's not any meat involved.
-JHey
Such great advice again! Thanks Tamara!
ReplyDeleteJulia- welcome! woohoo! I like your idea- one of my biggest worries is about inconveniencing others and "forcing" them to cook veggie meals just for me. I like your way of doing it :)
I'm a little late to the conversation here, but I also have been a veggie since I was 11, with a 2 year gap. I did Weight Watchers for a while, and one of their "tools" involves envisioning your goal--yourself thin and healthy. When I get a meat craving (which I STILL do, even after all these years...fried chicken was unbelievably good...I remember), I do a reverse version to this approach, envisioning fat and high blood pressure, etc. Usually this does the trick. ;-) Good luck! I followed you over from Weddingbee, and I'm so glad you're continuing to blog. Can't wait to watch your journey.
ReplyDelete