Life and Times of a Newbie Vegetarian - Part 5

I have some fun conversations with people these days about my diet (noun) and I find it slightly amusing how curious they are but believe they could never "eat like that" and they have a lot of excuses as to why they can't. My challenge to this way of thinking is why not? If you really want to feel better, why not change what you eat? Why is the "fastest" solution always a radical diet (verb) or a pill? Neither of these approaches are sustainable over time. Just ask anyone who's ever tried to lose weight this way. Making a lifestyle change that includes a balanced approach to food and exercise is the only sustainable approach, in my opinion.

And something else to think about...We have become a society that is perpetually "in a hurry". Always looking for a speedier way to get what we want whether that is losing weight or simply grabbing a meal on the go because we have no time to stop and enjoy our food. Preparing good food at home takes longer if you are foregoing the convenience of the packaged food. I think this addiction we have to speed may be a large part of the problem. Processed foods that you can prepare by only adding water are typically not going to be good for you. They are high in sodium and various preservatives which our bodies don't need. The daily maximum allowance for sodium is 2300 mg according to the CDC, with 1500 mg being the recommendation. Most Americans consume on average 3436 mg of sodium. Our bodies only need a very small amount 180-500 mg to function properly. High intakes of sodium lead to high blood pressure which can be attributed to more than 40,000 deaths annually. (Source: CDC)

Eating a plant-based diet is one way to reduce sodium in our diets, as long as you don't feel the need to over-salt during the cooking process!  I believe we can reverse the effects of nearly every disease through a proper, balanced diet. We just need to be open to changing our eating habits.

Today's foods included: 
Breakfast - maple and brown sugar oatmeal
Snack - greek yogurt and frozen fruit
Lunch - leftover tofu and spinach enchiladas (maybe even better than last night!)
Snack -  almond joy candy bar, snack size; peanut butter toast w/banana, protein shake and spark before the gym
Dinner - Beet burger and watermelon
 (Just for the record, today I went over my sodium allowance by 754...must do better tomorrow!)

The Life and Times of a Newbie Vegetarian - Part 4

Day 4 and I am still feeling strong and confident in this journey! Today was Meatless Monday which we have been doing for awhile now so there was really no challenge to my commitment. I have noticed that I have craved sugar a bit more than usual but other than that today was a smooth sailing kind of day. We made Tofu & Spinach Enchiladas for dinner and they were really great! (Click here for the recipe if you are interested)

One of the guys I work with seems both interested in "this vegetarian thing" and slightly appalled by it at the same time. He brought up the belief that you can't get the protein you need without eating meat. I believe balance is important to a healthy diet. At this point in the vegetarian journey I am still learning the benefits and challenges of a primarily plant-based diet. I know that there is research supporting proteins from both plants and animals and for your body to perform at it's best, I believe it is important to know your body and what it needs. Animal proteins tend to be high in fats and cholesterol. Vegetable proteins may be lacking in some of the essential amino acids your body needs. (For more on vegetables high in protein click here.)

One of the primary reasons I have for going meatless is the big business of food in this country and the ways in which our meat is raised and processed. It's actually quite disturbing to me and once this challenge is over I plan to better understand the source of any meat I purchase. Check out the documentary Food, Inc. for more information on this. 

Here are the rest of today's meals:

Breakfast: peanut butter on toast with a fuji apple

Snack: greek yogurt with frozen fruit

Lunch: beet burger with popcorn chips

Snack: nectarine, fun size snickers and a donut

Dinner: Tofu & Spinach Enchiladas

The Life and Times of a Newbie Vegetarian aka...Vegetarian Challenge Days 2 & 3

Well we've made it through the weekend with no failures! Of course "pure" vegetarians would count the shrimp Friday night as a fail but not me and I will probably have it again. I will, however, be trying to limit any fish consumption which will be the only "meat" I consume for the rest of the month. I can't say for sure yet since it's only been 3 days but I do think I feel better. Definitely less bloated which is awesome if you would rather not feel as if you've entered the third trimester after a meal.

Here's what the last 2 days meals have looked like:

Day 2
Breakfast: 1 egg, grits, toast and coffee
Snack: slice of cheese pizza
Lunch: peanut butter on toast with an apple
Snack: skipped this one
Dinner: veggie pizza


Day 3
Breakfast: peanut butter toast with an apple
Snack: glazed donut and cappuccino
Lunch: tofu stir fry
Snack: protein drink after the gym
Dinner: eggplant sandwich
Snack: 3 oreo cookies

I'm sensing a trend on the peanut butter on toast but I sure love the taste so I would expect this trend to continue. Tonight we prepped some food for the week's meals and I'm looking forward to the return of a few favorites! Stay tuned to see how the week goes!

Vegetarian Challenge - Day 1

Have you ever thought about the food you eat? I mean really thought about where it comes from and what processes it goes through before it hits your table? A while back I was introduced to the video "Forks Over Knives" and it really made me think. And start paying more attention to what I was putting in my mouth.

Fast forward to mid-July and an innocent suggestion from my boyfriend..."how about we try to do 100% vegetarian for the month of August?" I must admit at first I was a bit anxious. No meat at all? For a whole month? Gasp. But then I really thought about it. Around the first of the year we had changed our diet (noun, not verb) to a more whole foods, vegetable-based meal plan. And since that change we have both lost weight and felt better overall. Our taste buds have changed and we actually enjoy food more in it's basic, non-processed forms now. So...why not try to go further with the plan? I was already limiting my meat intake. I'd say I was already about 70ish% vegetarian so how hard would it really be?



Day 1: Friday. A co-worker brought in breakfast. From McDonald's. Sausage biscuits. Oh yes. This may be a long month. And I may be explaining why I am doing this "vegetarian thing" a lot.

I ate a donut and enjoyed my cappuccino.

Same coworker cooked lunch for everyone. Chicken and noodles. I had toasted PB&J with popcorn chips. It was actually really good and I didn't feel like I was missing out on the lunch. Food in our office is a social event so I will just focus on enjoying the time with my friends while sticking with my commitment. Shouldn't be that hard, right?


Dinner was a trip to Applebee's with my boyfriend. A quick peek at the menu revealed what I already suspected...no vegetarian offerings. So, time to be creative. No meat but we had already decided at this stage not to eliminate fish or seafood. This would mean we weren't "pure" vegetarians but that really wasn't our goal so we are okay with this. And besides, I like fish! Shrimp Scampi and a salad. Delicious!

Survived day 1 with fewer challenges than expected and overall felt really good. On Fridays I tend to consume more sugar than any other day so I may need to focus on balancing that a bit better. I did notice that my chicken and noodle eatin' coworkers were yawning and very sleepy in the afternoon. I felt great with plenty of energy. Success!!