We Went Vegetarian for One Week! Here’s How it Went!

FRIDAY – Veggie Pizza From Pizza 51

Pizza 51

I could at vegetarian pizza all day every day. I always joke that if left to my own devices I would order thin crust pizza with mushrooms and extra mushrooms. Friday was Pizza night and unfortunately the last day of Vegetarian week. I had planned to go through the weekend and make it a true week, but we only lasted 5 days.  My DH and son couldn’t even make it that far. I found them in the kitchen at night scavaging for protein. One night it was cold shrimp, the next deli meat and then it devolved into frozen corndogs in the microwave.  I had big plans for hummus and falafel,  5 mushroom lasagna and veggie fried rice and veggie potstickers. Those dinners will still show up on Meatless Mondays. I’ve decided to stick with that.

So what did I learn?  Being a vegetarian isn’t a solitary existence of salads bars only. There are a lot of meatless foods that can be both delicious and filling. I wasn’t willing to go the FAKE MEAT route. But I would do mushrooms and beans as substitutes. I don’t love tofu so I took a hard pass on that (OK,  except in sweet and sour soup).  I found myself gravitating towards carbs instead of meat: Pasta, rice, bread, potatoes and sweets. That was not great because my DH is diabetic. And needs to eat fewer carbs, more protein.

I did learn that I like MEAT. I crave MEAT. I am not put off by meats’ mere presence, as some vegetarians are. I need MEAT in my life.

It was a great week and I did learn a lot about myself and my family’s eating habits, while we are not going vegetarian any time soon, more vegetables will appear into the menu rotation weekly. It’s not a paid endorsement but we love Imperfect Foods. They take the too big, too little and damaged package produce that would normally go in the dumpster and sell them at a discount. It’s a brilliant business model and great for the environment. We’ve never been disappointed.  Thanks, that all of my shameless plug for Imperfect Foods.

For anyone else that wants to try a week of vegetarianism, my advice is:

• Plan, Plan, Plan- Read through some of the vegetarian bloggers like Oh My Veggies, With Food and Love and Vegan Hans. And make a plan for your week of meatless meals. Make a menu plan and avoid dining out.
• Don’t purchase tempting meat items – It’ll be easier to keep true to your plan and not reach for a “midnight shrimp” if it’s not even in the house.
• Experiment with different veggies.  Try different fruits and veggies, to keep your palate satisfied in the absence of meat. Fennel, beets, broccoli rabe, swiss chard, zucchini and acorn squash are just a few that are overlooked in the produce aisle.
• Look to different cuisines for inspiration- Middle Eastern, Indian and Asian foods have great meatless options. And use a lot of different herbs and spices that will warm and satisfy you.
• Don’t make it seem like a chore – Go into your week with curiosity and interest. Enjoy yourself and know that you will not starve on a vegetarian diet. You may just find out that you love it.

We had big grilled Rueben sandwiches to break the vegetarian fast. No picture available because we gobbled it down.