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Quick Observations Since Going Vegetarian

April 17th, 2008 by

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    Thanks for reading Vegetarian Frugal Housewife!

    “Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.”
    ~Albert Einstein

    Baby with Tomato

    1. Dairy, though tasty, makes me instantaneously sleepy and usually results in 10-24 hours of extreme stuffiness and excess mucous. Yuck!

    2. Fish is a good substitute for beef/chicken/pork cravings but if it’s fried fish then the trade off in fat and bad breath is not worth it.

    3. Prepared meat substitutes are very helpful in the beginning for creating “transition” recipes, but as you become more confident in your vegetarianism, they begin to feel very heavy. I use them only occasionally now.

    4. Organic veggies do not last as long as those waxy store-bought ones. They are best used quickly and that’s okay, since they taste best when very fresh anyway. :)

    5. Organic veggies need dirt washed off them, supermarket veggies need CHEMICALS washed off them. ;)

    6. Veggies = energy. Meat = lethargy.

    7. No one likes a preacher. Keep your ethical reasons to your own creature. :P

    8. Cookbooks are 50% useless, Experimenting is 100% helpful.

    9. Dogs and Cats like meat. End of story.

    10. Chopsticks are the best tool for mindful eating. And they aren’t THAT hard to use.

    11. Not every country has embraced vegetarianism and veggie friendly products to the same degree. The USA has great meat substitutes, the UK has better veggie burgers and France, well…they’re French.

    12. Being vegetarian is not difficult at all. And since I am the Queen of Picky Eaters, that IS saying something.

    13. Eating with a veggie friend is nice and makes you feel like less of an outcast. It’s the conversation that counts though, so just be laid back, no matter what kind of eater you’re sharing your meal with, and you’ll enjoy yourself. :)

7 Comments »

  • DISCLAIMER: All comments to this post have been edited.

    There did exist here a nice long debate over the validity of this blog and of myself according to accepted definitions of what it means to be vegetarian.

    Please note that many of those who commented were particularly against #2 observation as stated above.

    Some insist that I call myself a pescatarian, owing to the fact that, when I am feeling particularly challenged in remaining on a vegetarian path, I do indulge in the odd shrimp stir-fry.

    That being said, I will state three things:

    1. I am a vegetarian (of proper definition) roughly 355 days a year.

    2. I will not post anything on this blog on those days when I do not fit the standard vegetarian definition.

    3. You will not find any fish recipes here. All are vegetarian and, indeed, some are even vegan.

    This blog is my hobby, one that I intended to be light-hearted, sunny and fun. I turn to this place as a refuge when my “business” blog gets a bit too overwhelming. I prefer it to be all rose petals and dewdrops with a bit of humor thrown in. :)

    I believe in free will so, do feel free to debate political issues and have inter-personal clashes somewhere else. It’s your right.

    Thanks for reading Vegetarian Frugal Housewife. (Please note that I do not fit the textbook definition of housewife, as my fiance and I are not married yet.) ;)

    -Vera

  • Just wanted to say that I really like your blog and have some yummy looking recipes! I can’t wait to try your Vegan Swedish Meatballs Recipe!

    I loved this post! :)

  • Kris

    No offence mate… but fish is meat… so your not a vegetarian…

    Still, there are health benefits to not eating red meat, so well done.

    “Fish is a good substitute for beef/chicken/pork cravings but if it’s fried fish then the trade off in fat and bad breath is not worth it.”

  • jess

    I definitely agree with number 8. The cookbook thing. Cooking is my major hobby and I’ve never used a cookbook for more then a quick reference.

  • Kat

    A: I found you via StumbleUpon and just wanted to say that I like your blog.
    B: I agree with Kris that fish is not a vegetarian food, but also think they should lighten up a bit. I just decided to be vegetarian a week ago, and I’m doing it gradually – two days veg per week for a while, then three, then four, etc until it’s 7 days meat free no going back. Maybe you’re doing something similar – people should consider that.
    C: I agree with a lot of things on this list, but especially the dairy thing. yuck indeed. I’ve replaced almost all of my dairy with soy subs.
    D: Yay for being a Knitty reader!

  • I liked this post a lot! Thank you for sharing.

    The biggest thing I’ve observed since going veggie is that I don’t get menstrual cramps nearly as bad as I used to. It might be a stupid thing to share but I used to be immobile because of the pain, and now it’s hardly ever there. It’s nice. :D

    Thanks again!

  • Great website!
    Although my boyfriend are self-confessed omnivores, we used to eat a lot more meat than we do now. I mean a lot. A. Lot.
    After some recent life changes, we discovered balance in our diets, and our health and fitness improved drastically as a result. My boyfriend lost 30 pounds in 2 months without even trying! (I lost a few myself, but nothing like him).
    Thanks for the link to my blog by the way! I’m glad you enjoy it. Stay tuned for some wild adventures.