It's been nearly three weeks since I embarked on my vegetarian eating adventure, and I feel great!
What's more, I've lost nearly 6 lbs with basically no effort, I have more energy, I have not had one single low blood sugar attack that has plagued me since childhood, AND I enjoy meal planning, shopping, and preparations--tasks I previously disliked and moaned and groaned about.
I'm also grateful that Steven got on board with vegetarian eating. He still eats meat, however, just not at home.
Vegetarianism is something I've been thinking about since I graduated from college in 1979. Back then, there weren't too many options, especially in the south. I remember going to a health food store and buying Brewer's yeast (ugh) and some wheat germ, and maybe some yogurt. Other than that, I wasn't exactly sure what to eat.
The only vegetables I remember having growing up were southern-cooked greens, lima beans, and green beans, candied sweet potatoes, occasionally corn (creamed southern style), and frozen spinach.
That's it...seriously. So I knew virtually nothing about vegetables, much less cooking them. (I did not inherit the southern cooking gene from my grandmother!)
Basically, I gave up vegetarian eating in 1979 but thought about it a lot over the years. As I grew older, meat became less palatable to me, less easy to digest, and I became concerned over animal cruelty and the effects of the meat industry on the environment.
Two years ago I went to a nutritionist and told her I wanted to become a vegetarian. After sending me to St. Thomas Hospital for testing, she told me I needed more protein in my system and advised me to eat more meat.
So I listened to her instead of myself. My health worsened instead of getting better, and I gained aobut 25 lbs. I grew more and more frustrated over cooking meat, too. I just didn't know what to cook, and grew tired of feeling ill every evening after I ate dinner.
So what exactly have I been eating?
Lots of yummy dishes from Vegetarian Times magazine and a few vegetarian cook books I've acquired.
One night we had refried bean tacos with lettuce, tomato, avacado, black olives, and plain yogurt instead of sour cream. They tasted so fresh and delicious!
I've fixed lots of bean dishes, and some wonderful homemade tomato-based vegetable soups.
Tonight we're having fettucine with sauteed yellow and zucchini squash with Asiago cheese, and a corn frittata.
For breakfast I usually eat oatmeal with peanut butter or sometimes boiled eggs and Ezekiel bread. Lunch is often egg salad, or Morningstar veggie burgers. Last week we tried their fake fried chicken patties on a bun and they were so good! It tasted better than real chicken to me, and Steven liked it, too.
I'll be posting some of my favorite recipes in the coming weeks, so be on the lookout!
Photo courtesy of Vegetarian Times e-newsletter. Curried sweet potatoes with spinach and chickpeas...can't wait to try it!
