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I was really worried last week that my husband wouldn't be supportive of my decision to return to my pre-marriage vegetarian/low-cholesterol diet.
I used Jedi mind tricks on him: "You will love vegetables." Once I told him I was being a Jedi (but didn't think he was weak-minded), he laughed out loud and agreed to follow me to the dark side - or maybe that's the light?
My daughter went vegetarian completely under the radar several weeks ago and clued me in last night. She wants to try a vegan diet for a couple of weeks. When we told my husband, he looked like he was going to cry until we said, "NOT YOU!"
My tiniest one will eat anything I put in front of him, and my middle one is extremely picky about meat, a natural vegetarian. So we're a go on the new diet for everyone - it's much easier to only have to cook one meal instead of two.
But it's been a difficult week - my husband bought chicken for the kids, but no one was willing to eat it, and he was out of town. So I ate it.
Out of desperation last night before my husband returned from his trip, I ordered two pizzas, a veg for my daughter and I and a pepperoni for the boys. My doctor advised me to avoid white flour at all costs - epic fail.
The person taking the call advised me it would cost less to order three pizzas instead of two because they had a special. So I did. No one ate much and the boys picked the pepperoni off the pizza, so we have a huge amount of pizza in the fridge. Did my husband take some with him for lunch? Of course not. *groan* So I have a fridge full of pizza mocking me today.
I didn't do great this week with the diet, but we have a great plan. My daughter, who is a wonderful cook and loves to make homemade whole-wheat pasta and ravioli, is going to help me figure out the menu for the weekend and next week. It will be easier once it becomes a habit.
One observation that we find entertaining: a lot of people we know get offended if we say we are vegetarian. They insist on offering us hamburgers or slipping us meat. What's with that?
I can completely relate. I have been a vegetarian since May last year and being a vegetarian in South Africa is tough. Everybody looks at me as if I had decided to become an alien or something.
ReplyDeleteI support your new lifestyle, because I found it very hard in the beginning to find support as a vegetarian. After all, we aliens have to stick together. At least you are not alone. Good Luck.
Thanks, Murees. My daughter was a veg for two years when she was about 9-11. A family member pressured her into eating a hamburger. I suspect she gave up being vegetarian because she was made to feel like an alien and not because the hamburger was good.
DeleteUh, if family member is reading this, no worries, really.
DeleteI like eating meat but I don't mind occasionally eating something without meat. I used to make whole wheat pasta (I mean not actually made it; it came from a box) with meatless spaghetti sauce and it was really good.
ReplyDeleteHomemade pasta is amazingly better than the boxed stuff. My daughter is going to make a bunch of it this weekend so we'll have it on hand next week.
DeletePeople are natural saboteurs and will offer you cookies, if you announce you're on a diet. Or offer you hamburgers, if you say you are a vegetarian. It's hard out there for a vegan.
ReplyDeleteI don't get what makes people saboteurs. I'm not. I don't think I am. I did make cookies last night....
DeleteThis is really interesting to me to read, as I am mulling over the idea of becoming vegetarian. It's something that appeals to me for many reasons, but I can't deny I also find it very difficult. I'm trying to slowly make choices that will lead me in this direction.
ReplyDeleteI've noticed people can be very rude about this issue. I don't understand it but I've always had trouble understanding why it is so hard for some to just mind their own business.
Good luck with your plans!
Good luck on your diet too! I have a lot of food restrictions - no white flour, no seeds, no white rice, plus a milk allergy, nut allergy, and on and on. Once you start eliminating these vegetarian foods, it gets tricky. It's good that my daughter is working with me on it.
DeleteHey, I've been investigating the Alkaline diet which is pretty vegetarian. I'll try it hoping it will help me with my fatigue issues. Over the last several years, I've given up all white foods and beef for my health's sake. Little by little, I've been ridding my diet from gluten. And, I do see a difference especailly when it comes to my sinuses. They don't get infected as much.
ReplyDeleteAs for peeps trying to entice you to do the wrong thing for you...IGNORE them. They should respect your wishes and beliefs.
I've heard a gluten-free diet is tricky. I felt so much better when I ate healthier - it lowered my cholesterol from 260-something to 190 in about a year.
DeleteI think a lot of people just don't understand that being a vegetarian is an informed, healthy choice. Odd, but true!
ReplyDeleteI think sometimes they think kids are just being naive or something. My daughter actually asked me to help her brainstorm what she can do for lunch - she knows doubling up on the french fries isn't ideal.
DeleteI think it's great! I admire anyone who can stick with something like this :) I tried it once, but I couldn't stick it out :(
ReplyDeleteI think it's better than having to take a lifetime of medication. That is motivation enough for me. I just can't deal with cooking non-veg and veg for every meal, so I'm happy I have my family's support. I cook for them first, then me and never get to cooking for me. About two months after I got remarried, it was too much cooking.
DeleteI eat probably 50% or more vegetarian. Rarely eat red meat. Try to stay away from white flour, and eat mostly organic. I did it gradually when I striving to lose weight, making permanent changes I could live with. I ended up where I am and am glad. I feel so much better.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you found a diet to keep you feeling good. I'm hopeful this will work for me.
DeleteThat is so odd people offer you meat! I rarely eat red meat because it really is bad for the body. Don't miss it, either.
ReplyDeleteHope you can set a menu everyone likes!
Around here we are in the minority - everyone's eating the red meat.
DeleteI went on a vegetarian diet when I was approximately 12 years old. A few years later, I ate meat once more, but felt horrible about it. I have since given it up, and am not a Celiac vegan. Giving meat up the second time around was much harder than the first time around. Letting go of chicken was, by far, the most difficult.
ReplyDeleteI don't especially love meat, so giving it up isn't that difficult. I think that's a lot of the reason for the resistance I get from other people - they really love it. It's the cheese that's hard for me - it's on everything.
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