Update on the Vegetarian Pledge

October was full of reasons to celebrate as well as raise awareness for all kinds of things from Breast Cancer & Domestic Violence Awareness to National Popcorn Popping Month and International Month of the Dinosaurs. I also focused on Vegetarian Awareness (my hubby is veg) and took a 30 day pledge to eat vegetarian and see what it's like. Here are my conclusions:

• Fast food is unfriendly and unhealthy for vegetarians on-the-go. The first weekend, we drove up to B.C., Canada, and I had a hell of a time finding anything to eat along the highway. There's Subway veggie sandwiches, yes. Sometimes you're just not in the mood for Subway though! My only other options were french fries, fried zucchini, fried onions...You get the idea. This would probably be easier for me if I liked cheese; it would at least open up options for cheese pizza, veggie-cheese dishes, and (more) fried food--the cheese sticks, popper, nugget, etc. Over the course of the month I discovered Burger King's veggie burger (I order w/o mayo - God, they put so much mayo on their sandwiches!!!) and I luckily have the good ol' northwest chain, Burgerville, which carries a veggie burger and a black bean burger that are so hearty and healthy and scrumptious!
• You rarely find vegetarian soups to go. This is kind of a part of fast food. When I go to grocery stores to get something from the deli or soup for lunch, it is really hard to find soup that doesn't have meat in it. It is even harder to find non-meat soup that isn't made with chicken broth. This is an issue for me because I LOVE SOUP.
  
• If I didn't live on the outskirts of a city like Portland--one that is VERY vegetarian and vegan friendly--I would most likely be screwed. This comes back to the on-the-go thing, as well. Portland's neighborhoods teem with vegan and vegetarian-friendly restaurants, bakeries, food carts, and cafes. The local grocery stores take pride in this quality, while chain stores offer more than the usual staples. (Most grocery stores, even in the Midwest where I'm from, are regularly stocking at least a small amount of alternative products. Brands like Morning Star Farms, Amy's Kitchen, and Boca are routine in chain grocery stores by now.)
• I had to grow a tougher skin. There are people who felt free to openly smirk, criticize, look at me like I'd gone crazy, etc. just because of my diet. This is the part that always fascinated me when Dan became vegetarian. Many people with meat-oriented diets became angry or self-defensive. It's just FOOD!
• I'm getting good at giving things up. I had a much more difficult time giving up alcohol (more about that later) than meat. I've never "craved" meat like ribs or steak, I hate seafood, and deli meats creep me out. Sure, I grew up on pot roast and potatoes, loved chicken, and enjoyed Thanksgiving turkey, but I was always a picky eater--which made the diet change less difficult for me than it could have been.
• I'm staying vegetarian. I haven't noticed any major health changes, but I am less stressed and more proud of myself as a vegetarian. After taking an Environment, Food, and Culture course at Marylhurst, I've always felt guilty eating things if I didn't know where they came from, how the animals were raised and slaughtered, and, simply, carrying around the knowledge that mainstream food culture of our country is detrimental to our health and nutrition, social and economic justice, and the environment. In addition to our vegetarian diets, Dan and I also strive to pay close attention to what is in all of the products we buy, where they are coming from, and their nutritional value.
  
• I do not judge people who eat meat. I don't think everyone in the world should or could be a vegetarian. My hope is that we could all pay a little more attention to our bodies, nutritional needs, and the overarching consequences of our appetites.

If you would like more information about understanding the connections between food, diet, environment, politics, and culture, I encourage you to read Food Politics, Diet for a Small Planet, Food Revolution, and/or Fast Food Nation.