I enjoy sitting down at the dinner table with my little family to a meal full of chicken/venison/beef or some other kind of meat as the main course(sometimes the only course). That doesn't happen as much anymore though. I
am very interested in the vegetarian diet, but not all the time. Since having the kidney stone, I choose to have meat only 3 days a week due to the extra stuff that meat has that helps form stones. I did see an initial change in weight dropping off but am unsure if it was the stoppage of eating meat or an increase in activity. What I am sure of is how my body felt the days that I don't have meat. I usually feel better.
I've decided to try a different kind of vegetarian diet of my own. It's the '6 day vegaterian'. It's not a special diet - it's just a vegetarian diet for 6 days of the week. My wife and I like to go out to a buffet after church on Sundays to a nice meal and I thought Sunday would be a good meat day (especially since I can barely stomach the thought of spending the same amount of money on a meat dish as a non-meat dish).
1. How does being a vegetarian affect your activities (specifically running)?
2. How do you make up for the nutrients lost that was from the meat?
3. What store do you go to to get the best quality of food?
4. We like organic foods, but is all lost when vegetarians don't use only organic?
5. What is your favorite vegetarian dish?
Also - I think I'm doing another HALF-MARY in the early Fall.
1 comment:
As a 13 year veteran of the vegetarian lifestyle, I thought I'd give your questions a shot!
1. How does being a vegetarian affect your activities (specifically running)?
I am not much of a runner (working through Couch to 5K at the moment) but I do exercise regularly and at a decent intensity. As far as I can tell, my diet is perfectly sufficient for energy and recovery. Just like carnivores, if I eat too much junky/unhealthy food, I feel sluggish, bloated and unmotivated. But eating well is easy (for me).
2. How do you make up for the nutrients lost that was from the meat?
You're talking about protein, right? I make sure to get 2-3 servings of dairy each day, including greek yogurt (fat free) which is a great way to get a lot of protein. There are also beans (think enchiladas, veggie chili, added to salads, etc). Eggs are also a great source of protein--if you eat very little (or no) meat, then the cholesterol from the egg yolks won't negatively affect your levels (though I realize this may not be the case for everyone). And then of course there is tofu and meat substitutes, but I don't know if you want to go there just yet. You could start with veggie burgers and work your way up. :)
3. What store do you go to to get the best quality of food?
I shop at the regular grocery store. The family budget doesn't allow (and I can't justify) higher prices at upscale markets like Whole Foods. I also am not convinved that the organic market is regulated enough to justify the higher prices. I shop at Giant or Safeway. Occasional trips to Trader Joes (who have lots of frozen veggie entrees).
4. We like organic foods, but is all lost when vegetarians don't use only organic?
See above. There is no need to seek out anything organic to be a vegetarian. If you feel better buying organic, go ahead, but no one will kick you out of the veg club!
5. What is your favorite vegetarian dish?
I have a garden veggie lasagna that I love to make--it involves cottage cheese, green and yellow squash, mushrooms and jarred marinara sauce. Spinach frittatas are also a favorite. I'm a lazy cook, and have discovered that roasting vegetables in the oven is a low-fuss way to get a ton of veggies on your plate. Roasted brussel sprouts, green beans, and squash are my favorites in that department. Toss with a little olive oil and salt, roast, and serve!
My favorite veggie "junk" food is vegetarian corn dogs from Trader Joes. The first time I ate one, I asked my host if I could see the package, because I swore she had given me a real corn dog!
Post a Comment