Over the last few years, I've gone long stretches of time without eating meat. Always temporarily and mostly just to see if I could. During those periods, I missed burgers, a well-cooked steak, seafood and a few other things, but my favorite meat dishes ultimately made for a very short list. I made some delicious meat-free dishes during that time instead. I found the most delicious veggie burger in walking distance from my house (at Twisted Root; I'll absolutely take you if you want to try it out). I bought and loved a few cookbooks that are filled with rich and filling vegetarian dishes. Then, each time I'd re-introduce meat into my diet, I had this nagging feeling I shouldn't.
I don't feel like an expert on very much (shoes and Sons of Anarchy notwithstanding), but I do feel like an expert on my own gut instinct.
During this last stretch of meatless eating, I took a work trip to Ithaca to sit down with the author of The China Study to discuss the marketing plan for his next book. Both books are on the health ramifications of eating animal protein and, on the flip side, the health benefits of a plant-based diet. Having a meal with him was such a highlight of my year and career, and I felt lucky to listen to his nearly unending knowledge on the subject.
I also watched Forks Over Knives, Food Inc., read books and other materials. I certainly felt armed with plenty of useful information by the time I made my own decision but, ultimately, all that information seemed to pale in comparison to what my gut was telling me, and what it had been telling me for a while.
I'm not here to convince you that your gut is saying what mine is, oh man quite the contrary. Not even Mike, someone I share a kitchen with. (Kyle is basically a vegetarian by choice or whatever you'd call a child who only eats bagels.) I'm just not interested in making anyone's decisions for them (on this or anything) because all that coercing takes time away from watching TV. I'll choose TV over forcing my decisions on you nearly every time, you should know. Kristie, a vegetarian herself, said something so smart once: Being a vegetarian is, for many, about compassion for animals and that should include compassion for your friends and family, allowing them to make their own choices whether those choices include a veggie burger or a beef one.
The transition itself has been surprisingly simple for me. I've gone this long before (two months, now) but I can't imagine it gets harder past the first two months. We'll see, I guess. I find something to eat nearly everywhere I go. I eat plenty in my own house. Pleeeeenty. I never run out of recipes to try, and even in the heart of Texas, no one has attempted a citizen's arrest when I turn down barbecue. It's true, you can easily be an unhealthy vegetarian (you can easily be an unhealthy anything) so my next set of goals include eating smarter, better, and wholer. Making this choice wasn't a quick fix on a lifetime of food issues, not at alllll, but it simplifies some stuff for me, and I hope I can just continue to build on that.
Who knows, I may enjoy a burger on a future vacation and if I ever sit down at Le Bernardin (a restaurant on my life list), I'll probably eat whatever Eric Ripert serves me, even if it's a shoe, but this feels like the right decision for me, for now, hopefully for good. Not that I can ever really know what's up ahead -- minds and hearts and lives and diets change all the time, even my own -- but for anyone who's asked, this has been a pretty simple change and has felt right. (Next up is giving up Diet Coke and I predict that will be a million times tougher.)
I went to a wedding recently and as they passed out appetizers, I asked a waitress if there was any meat in one. She kind of gave me a funny look and said she didn't know. She asked why. "I'm a vegetarian." It was the first time I said it out loud, and it felt a little fraudy. I certainly never said it in the past, when I was just giving up meat here or there. But I guess that's what I am, and maybe it'll feel more legit with some time under my belt.
Still, when I said this to her, that voice inside seemed to exhale. It seemed proud.
If you have any other questions, please please please ask. I'd love to answer them.
