In July I decided to start going Meatless on Mondays. I wanted to find a new way to challenge myself in the kitchen and knew about some of the health benefits. Since then I have become phasing in more and more meatless meals. It began slowly and have developed into being pretty much a 2/3 Vegetarian. I often (not always) go meatless at breakfast and lunch with the majority of dinners involving meat. One of my goals is to go vegetarian for a week (and perhaps for a month).
Since going Meatless I have noticed serveral things:
- I don't miss meat very much. I've made many typical meat meals meatless and they're often just as good. Check out my interview with Husband.
- I may not crave meat but I do still crave protein. I am working to incorporate other beans, dairy products and nuts into my diet.
- There are a lot of really great vegetarian options at options that I really never noticed before.
- Although it has become routine in my life (and Husband's too) some people have really weird reactions to me explaining why I'm not eating as much meat.
Today's EATS and Exercise
B: 3/4 cup Heart-to-Heart, 1/2 cup milk, chopped apple
S: 2 trash crackers, Stoneyfield strawberry yogurt, 14 almonds
L: flat wrap, 1/2 avocado, green peppers, sprouts with spinach and apple
S: Cliff Z bar
E: cardio/interval class
S: grapes
D: salad, grilled cheese slim sandwich, 1 cup veggie chili
d: Dove chocolate
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9 comments:
I'm not a big meat eater either and sometimes will realize that I've gone close to week without meat. I gave up meat for Lent a long time ago, but ended up gaining weight because I was eating too many carbs. I enjoy a lot more vegetables and variety now so I don't think I'd run into the same problem.
Woot woot! You are doing awesome!
People can be so tactless and unnecessary in their comments. I get tons of perplexed questions/comments.
I dont mind the genuine curiosity and giving information, I just dislike when people inform me that I am unhealthy and am in no way getting all my nutrients. Ugh.
We don't eat a lot of meat either. There are times where someone will comment like when out to dinner with friends or the cashier at the grocery store has said something, like "you must be vegetarian?". And I just say "I don't like a lot of meat". I can say seafood is my weekness in the meat dept.
CJ
I have been thinking more and more about doing more meatless meals. I don't miss it but I feel like I need to look into more creative meals because I find myself doing the same ones over and over!
I randomly decided to cut out meat from my diet last year and I haven't missed it since! There are so many good vegetarian options out there. Also, if you are craving meat, there's a substitution for everything nowadays!
I've noticed myself not eating as much meat these days either. I like your idea of making an effort to cut it out one day a week and then slowly build up.
Also, thanks for the encouragement on my blog yesterday and the insight into a new blog to follow!
I am pro-vegetarianism! I have been a lacto-ovo vegetarian (I eat cheese and eggs) for over a year now. It was an easy transition for me since I disliked most meat and ate it only for its protein. For me, vegetarianism forces food consciousness--something I struggled with before becoming a veggie. As your body adjusts to a purely vegetarian diet, you'll quickly gain instincts for what it may be that your diet lacks. That is, if I haven't eaten enough protein or dark greens I feel the change right away. I adjust my diet depending upon how I feel and the results are easy to track.
Before becoming a vegetarian, I frequently struggled with hypoglycemia. I thought that I was eating well but my body still struggled to maintain a strong blood sugar level, especially in times of high stress. Since becoming a vegetarian, my blood sugar has GREATLY improved. I feel energetic throughout the day and don't experience the bouts of low blood sugar that plagued me before.
I can also say from experience that blending vegetarianism into your household diet is quite easy. My husband refuses to go fully veggie. I usually prepare dinner for myself and then add a meat protein to enhance his portion. I have also found owning two small crock-pots to be a life saver! In the morning I can throw together a quick veggie dish and meat dish. When I get home at night we each have a hot meal waiting for us!
Good luck with your meat-less plans!
While I love meat (bacon? yes please). I don't think going meatless is strange at all. It's a personal decision and I support you. That dinner looks delish! And Dove chocolate is the bomb. (Is it ok to still say "the bomb?")
I'm not a big meat eater either, but I'm surprised that some people think it's odd when you tell them. It sort of seems like a trend these days to be a vegetarian/vegan so I would have thought more people would be open to it.
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