Day 8: Delivery/Laziness

So it’s Sunday night - one week after the day I started doing this vegetarian thing, so I felt I was entitled to something of a break from the hard work of focusing on my diet. Well, not really. I think I was just feeling really lazy today, so all my meals were ordered in. I even had plans to go into Manhattan to get a vegetarian hot dog where my brother works, but even though I showered and got dressed, that little day trip never materialized.

Food was good today, though, even if it cost me more than I would have liked to spend. At first, I planned to order some amazing french toast from a new restaurant down the street, but they bundle sausage or bacon with it, so I ended up going for an omelet, which, in the grand scheme of things, was probably the more healthful choice, anyway. It was also pretty tasty. Three weeks to go!

Meal One:

• Peppers, onions, and cheese omelet
• Rosemary potatoes
• Orange juice
• Key Lime Pie (YES!)

Meal Two:

• General Tso Bean Curd with white rice and broccoli

Other:

• Cheez-it crackers
• Banana
  

Tomorrow: Rancid Fruit. Don’t miss it.

Day 7: Beans, Beans...

Wisdom of the day: being a vegetarian doesn’t necessarily mean “eating vegetables.” There are too many non-meat foods that you are “allowed” to eat. This negative definition of the term leads to some less-than-healthy food choices by lazy people like me.

Meal One:

• Goat cheese with honey and Triscuit crackers
  
• Refried beans with cheese

Meal Two:

• Veggie burger
• Odwalla orange juice
• Chopped mango

Other:

• Belgian beers
• Popcorn
  

Vegetarian Gas: Not A Myth!

It’s true. The gas thing. Eating beans does give you some stinky gas. Good thing I’m mostly alone here in my apartment so no one else has to suffer the side effects of my personal lifestyle choice. This is extremely gross, I know, but I have to be honest. Otherwise you won’t trust me when I say I didn’t eat a hamburger.

Which I didn’t. I swear. Even though I was invited to a party tonight at which there were grilled burgers. Free grilled burgers.

Nope. Do not want.

Day 6: Vegetarian Feminism

I made it through the end of the workweek without losing my way and chomping on a mammal. Today I broke the veggie-exclusivity, though, and had some salmon for lunch. It felt good.

I’d like to examine the link between vegetarianism and feminism, especially with regard to the potential socioeconomic effects of the application of “heightened scrutiny” in the U.S. Supreme Court ruling Craig v. Boren, disallowing 18 to 21 year-old women from purchasing what was then known as “near beer” (now called Smirnoff Ice), on the grounds that, well, even though the Oklahoma statute in question benefitted women, it made them out to be sweet, innocent, little girls, when in reality they are (of course!) even more animalistic and privy to the temptations of the vine than their male counterparts.

A classic example of The Gilded Cage. Woman, having her “virtue” stripped away in the name of Equality, subsequently moves to distance herself from the notion of virility so often connected with red meat - with the violent slaughter of beasts - dutifully passing on the juiciest morsels to her faithful, loving, hard-working husband, and finding her own special type of culinary joy in the tender, peaceful femininity of the world of plants. Mother Earth.

Meat is misogyny. Carnivorousness is next to Godliness. Fish are friends, not food.

Sayer of the Law: Not to eat meat, that is the law.
Q: Are we not men?
A: We are Devo!

Thoughts? Discuss in the comments!

My meals for the day...

Meal One:

• Iced Coffee
• Two McDonalds Apple Pies

Meal Two:

• Salmon with charred tomato salsa (spicy and delicious!)
  
• Mashed potatoes
• Mixed veggies (carrots, string beans, broccoli)
• A tiny bit of rice
• Perrier

Meal Three:

• Reeses Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream

Meal Four:

• Pita with Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
• River Horse Summer Blonde Ale

It can be further suggested than men who are sympathetic to the cause of feminism more frequently adopt a vegetarian lifestyle. These so-called “girlie men” are also more likely to talk about their feelings, gossip, wear tight clothing, and give birth.

There are statistics!

Talk About Healthy!

A mozzarella-ball-sized nugget of wisdom from an old internet meme, sent to me this afternoon by my mother:

Q: Is chocolate bad for me?
A: Are you crazy? HELLO Cocoa beans! Another vegetable. It's the best feel-good food around!!

Healthy afternoon snack!

Salmon Is Beautiful

I’m just sayin’.

Gross: Vegetarians Fart

Making the switch from meat-eater to vegetarian means some healthy changes to your diet, but there's a downside: All those veggies, legumes and tofu may lead you have have a bit of a problem with ... um ... flatulence. (That’s Fit)

Okay gross. Will I go so far as to confirm this?

No. I’ve had some excess gas lately, but not the smelly kind, just the “feeling-a-little-bloated” kind. Any of you care to share your experience with flatulence?

In any event, Martha at That’s Fit paraphrases Fitsugar with some tips for minimizing gas, mostly that you should take it slow early on with the beans (I’ve been doing this unintentionally, as you can tell by checking out my menus for the last five days) when you first start to exclude meat from your diet.

Quote of the day: “I wouldn't worry about the gas too much, since everyone farts.

Day 5: Crappy Dinner

I got lazy tonight. This doesn’t mean I didn’t stay away from meat, though. I did. It’s just that I gave in to slothful, death-courting temptation to make Kraft Macaroni & Cheese. Yeah, I’m not proud, and every bite tasted worse than the one before. Worse for the guilt.

But the rest of the day was good. And it’s definitely getting easier.

Meal One:

• Peach something-or-other Jamba Juice (these have been non-dairy smoothies, by the way)

Meal Two:

• Carrot and ginger soup at Blake & Todd (this stuff seems to be following me around)
• Perrier
• A hellishly awesome “coppa profiteroles” - basically a tiny plastic bowl with a couple cream puffs embedded in a chocolate mousse. Kinda sorta like Tiramisu, but kinda not. Very tasty. This was an impulse buy, and quite worth it.
  

Meal Three:

• Kraft Macaroni & Cheese + Feta

Other:

• Banana!
  

10 Great Ways To Make Tofu

1. Tofu Milkshake
2. Tofu-stuffed Bacon Cheeseburgers
   
3. Ice Cream with Tofu Sauce
4. Pepperoni and Tofu Pizza
5. Chicken Cordon Tofu
6. Steak and Tofu Sunny-side Up with Home Fries
7. Chef Boyardee Beef Ravioli with Tofu
8. Tofu Cream Pie
9. Tofu-butter and Jelly Sandwich
10. Tofu Beer

Mmm. Awesome.

Got any more great ways to cook tofu?

(original image)

Calling All Veggie Blogs!

Do you have a blog about vegetarianism? About food in general?

Do you read any blogs about this kinda stuff?

Send them to me!

I’m looking for stuff to read, stuff to link to, stuff to write about, people to learn from.

Add everything you’ve got in the comments.

Thanks!

Day 4: Food Is Good

Ah. I think I’ve found the sweet spot. Today’s food was nothing short of delicious. Dinner, in fact, was the most lackluster meal of the day, but still tasty. It suffered just a bit only because I have so much work to do once I get home from work (and it was America’s Next Top Model night, as well, to be honest).

As much as I was dreading lunch this afternoon (is that not the most horrifying fish you’ve ever seen, by the way?) - killing myself over what I would find, and fighting the constant creep of thoughts of meat into my head - it turned out to be awesome. I went to Blake & Todd, a somewhat upscale deli-ish place down the street from my office (where I’ve eaten from time to time), and got the most wonderful whole wheat penne with a pesto basil cream sauce that I’ve ever had. Strong words, but true. I must say, after months of sandwich-style lunches (with the occasional Chinese dish), having pasta for lunch seems like the most brilliant idea ever. It’s such a perfect lunch food if you can find a place that’s got it pre-cooked and ready for saucing and heating. Hot, light, fast, easy to digest, tasty as all hell. Mmm.

Blake & Todd also has daily fish entrees, which look delectable, but at an average of $10.95, that’s pushing my desired budget. I’ll save myself for a special occasion - maybe start up some sort of Friday Fish Day. Hmm.

Anyway, back to the pasta: It was amazing. Maybe I said that already, but it bears repeating (Aside: Was it really so great, or is this just my meat-starved mania talking?).

Okay, enough gushing about the incredible pasta. Now for the rest of today’s menu...

Meal One:

• Original size Mega Mango Jamba Juice (smoothies for breakfast = good find)

Meal Two:

• Aforementioned whole wheat penne with pesto basil cream sauce
• Perrier

After-work Snack:

• Goat cheese with honey (freakin’ incredible)
  
• Wheat Thins

Meal Four:

• Wild fancy greens salad with grape tomatoes, Pepper Parmesan dressing, feta cheese

Rock and Roll.

I’m Dreading Lunch Today

Eek!

Gourmet: Delivered

Speaking of (how much I love) cheese, I really need to start using Amazon Gourmet to do some shopping.

Check out this huge list of awesome gourmet cheeses on the Veggie-Style.com Amazon Associates online store.

What are your favorite cheeses?

Day 3: Raw And Uncut

Thanks to all who commented on my posts today and for all of your tips and encouragement. I’d love to hear more about why you became a vegetarian (if you are one), and what have been the best and worst things about doing it veggie-style in your own experience. Post your thoughts in the comments, or send me an email.

Day 3 is “The Day I Went Shopping.”

I bought a ton of stuff at Whole Foods tonight after work (nearly $60 worth of food - not cheap, but nearly more than I could carry, and it’ll be worth it, I think). I got fruit and veggies and beans and some pita and hummus and goat cheese and feta and gouda (can you tell I really like cheese?), and what looks like it’ll be a delicious carrot and ginger soup, among other things. Mostly stuff I can just eat without having to cook, which is a big deal.

But what did I eat today? Well, here goes:


Meal One:

• Small coffee
• Croissant

Meal Two:

• Grilled Tofu wrap (with baby corn, cucumbers, lettuce, broccoli, carrots, peppers, and sesame ginger sauce
• Grape juice
• Small bag of pretzels

Meal Three:

• Homemade bruschetta with gouda, sliced pear, and a coco/hazlenut spread
• Mixed (fancy) greens with (more) pears and feta cheese and fresh ground pepper.
• Water
  

Other:

• Glass of Coca-cola (Once I finish the bottle, I’m done with this.)
• A few Reduced Fat Sea Salt Ruffles (Really, just a few.)

Not bad, not bad. Felt a little hungry at odd times today, but otherwise feel good. And the food was tasty. Especially the bruschetta I made. Mmm.

Anybody have a good recipe for Red, Yellow, and Orange peppers?

The Importance Of Breakfast

Everybody - and I mean everybody and her mother - constantly blabs on about the health benefits of eating breakfast every morning. It’s not hard to believe these people. But that doesn’t mean I’ve taken the advice to heart after all these years. In fact, except for the rare occasions when I am a guest somewhere else or go out for a special “brunch,” my morning menu consists of little more than a beverage and a croissant or buttered roll. More frequently, I’ll opt for a simple large iced coffee from McDonalds. Mind you, it’s not the caffeine that I’m going for, just the cold, semi-sweet, semi-tasty beverage. I like having to pee for the next several hours.

But anyway, what are some of the health benefits I’m missing out on by not eating breakfast every morning? I’ve pulled some quotes from across the web.

• People who eat breakfast are more alert and productive at work. (Diet Hack)


• Your metabolism slows while you sleep, and it doesn't rev back up until you eat again. (kelsibrubaker’s Xanga)


• Improved concentration and performance in the classroom or the boardroom. (Broheme)


• Improves the intake of fiber, vitamins, and minerals, especially iron and vitamin C. (Personal MD)


• Skipping meals throws your blood sugar all out of whack and it sets you up to store your next meal as fat, almost guaranteed! (Info-Leeches and other E-Invertebrates)

Why not eat breakfast?

Because it’s lame.

Day 2: I Need To Go Shopping

So, Day 2 of my little experiment has come and gone, and it’s time to look back over what I’ve eaten. Before I get into that, though, I have a bit of a confession to make:

This is hard.

I tried to buy some food at the couple stores near my apartment, but couldn’t bring myself to purchase anything other than cheese and crackers and nuts and bread and juice. The fruits and vegetables (the important stuff) just looked too blech, too blah, too unappetizing. I think I’ll have to stop at one of those expensive big-box gourmet grocery stores (Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s should do the trick) to really find some decent stuff to eat. This will hopefully take place tomorrow after work. If it doesn’t, we’re looking at more of the same - perhaps with some macaroni and cheese. Ugh. So far, I am the worst vegetarian ever.

Okay, now to the menu.

Meal One:

• Large vanilla iced coffee

Meal Two:

• Fresh mozzarella, tomato, and basil hero with balsamic vinaigrette
• Nantucket Nectar brand Guava juice

After-work snack:

• French bread
• Extra sharp cheddar cheese
• Orange Juice
  

Meal Three:

• Uncle Ben’s Roasted Chicken flavor rice
• River Horse Summer Blonde Ale
• Wheat Thins

And there you go. Now it’s time to watch the season premiere of Heroes.

Lesson of the Day: It is far easier not to eat meat than it is not to eat processed food.

Click here to subscribe to the daily updates.

The Plan: No Meat For 30 Days

I’m trying something new.

For 24 years and 4 months, I’ve been a meat eater. Not just an occasional, “humans are omnivorous creatures so I guess I’ll have some chicken” kinda guy, but a Meat Eater. Capital M.E.A.T. What this means is that far more often than not, I can be found consuming ground beef, prosciutto, salami, steak, turkey, sausage, ham, hot dogs (do they qualify?), chicken, lamb, fish and whatever else walks or swims or flies or crawls, and has eyes. I also eat a lot of processed food. A lot. Like parking lot. So, that’s not so healthy either.

The sad/funny/tragic/odd/whatever thing is: I love food. Good food. Great food. I spend a lot of money sampling New York’s fabulous restaurant scene, and if I could afford (money+time) to go out daily, I would. But far more often than I’d like to, I end up eating poorly. Blame being busy, blame money, blame convenience, blame upbringing, blame laziness, blame whatever you want, I know that I could change if I really wanted to.

And I do. And that’s what this is about.

For the next month, I will attempt a vegetarian lifestyle. Because I’m worried that I won’t be able to get all the nutrients I need otherwise, I’m making an exception (as many do) for fish, but otherwise, the plan is to cut all meat from my diet for (at least) 30 days.

This isn’t about becoming a vegetarian for life. It’s not about some moral decision to stop eating meat. This is about using a month of somewhat strict dietary constraints to force me into making better choices overall, a way of exposing me to alternatives that would have otherwise gone unnoticed, untested. This is, above all, about self-control, self-awareness, and self-care.

Each night, I will post what I’ve eaten for the day, taking care to be as specific as possible, and I will add some commentary about how I feel and what I’m thinking.

This is not going to be easy for me. Already, I’m thinking a lot of the wrong things about what I’m going to have for lunch today, and I don’t really know where to start when I go shopping tonight for “supplies.”

I’d love your help. In fact, I need your help. I need recipes, restaurants, snacks, tips, tricks, websites, books - anything and everything awesome and meatless. If you’ve got something, leave a comment on any post or send me an email at kevin at frivolousmotion dot com. I’d really appreciate it, and I will be eternally grateful. I’ll even make you a special downloadable certificate of appreciation!

Click here to subscribe to my daily updates, and join me on this journey to health and happiness.

So, here goes. Let’s do it Veggie-Style!

Day 1: It Starts

Meal One:

• Red pepper and cheese omelet
  
• Organicky home fries
• Fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice

Meal Two:

• Microwave Thai Peanut Noodle thingy (bland...)
• Monterey Jack cheese and Wheat Thins
• Valencia Orange Juice (2 glasses)

Other:

• Half of a soft pretzel
• Small package of Swedish Fish candy
• Coca Cola (1 glass)