I have a love affair with meat. Steak, sushi, pork tenderloin, I love it all. Yet I’ve turned vegetarian for the month because I’m convinced of the health benefits of a plant-protein based diet versus an animal-protein based diet.
The China Study. Read T. Colin Campbell’s The China Study and you’ll be converted. The book is recognized as the most comprehensive nutritional study ever conducted on the relationship between diet and the risk of developing disease.
I’m confident the diet is good for me, but it’s been oh-so-hard! I can see the finish line at the bottom of the hill, and my heart is filled with hope. I’m nearing the end of my 30 day vegetarian challenge for the month. Just 2 more days, and here I come medium-rare ribeye!
Yummy Eats. While I yearn for meat, I’m still having fun discovering new delicious foods. A fellow blogger suggested quinoa as a protein source. Wow, this stuff is tasty. I sampled a few dishes at my local whole foods grocery store. It has a light, nutty, fluffy flavor, and it’s high in protein. Check out Healthy. Happy. Life. for more on quinoa. This site is also a good resource for vegan recipes (a vegan is a strict, all-the-way-nothing-from-animal vegetarian).
photo credit: Kathy Patalski @ http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com
My favorite local eat of the week was a vegetarian quesadilla from Chef Louis Bruno at Bruno’s Adobo. He specializes in delicious, healthy dishes. His quesadilla was filled with peppers, onions, and manchego cheese (a fantastic buttery cheese!). It’s served pico de gallo and an arugula salad on the side, and I added a cup of his black bean soup. This combo was very yummy and filling, I did not miss meat at all.
Vegetarian quesadilla from Chef Luis Bruno
Black bean soup from Chef Luis Bruno
So, what’s your favorite vegetarian or vegan dish?
In case you are wondering. There are different types of veggie eaters:
- Ovo-vegetarian diet includes eggs but not dairy products
- Lacto-vegetarian diet includes dairy products but not eggs
- Ovo-lacto vegetarian diet includes both eggs and dairy products
- Vegan, or strict vegetarian, diet excludes all animal products, including eggs, dairy, and honey
Happy Ve-ing!
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The food looks delicious! congrats on making it this far! Keep going! 🙂
Thank you so much! I definitely feel that I will change my lifestyle to eat less meat. Plus, I’ve discovered new dishes that I now love. I’ve enjoyed it!
Yum! Black bean soup! Good for you taking the challenge. Do you feel good?
Thanks! I believe I feel good, but it’s hard to know with 2 pre-toddlers running around sometimes. I was feeling a bit tired, but that was in the middle of respiratory infections. 🙂
Stupid respiratory infections! 🙂
I haven’t tried a vegetarian challenge. But I tried low carb and no carb. Both made me feel HORRIBLE.
Been tempted to try vegetarian…..just haven’t the gumption to do it yet.
Thx for sharing. I’m going by check out your links. I’m easing into that lifestyle and am overwhelmed with info. Don’t know what to call myself! Lol
LOL, I definitely think you are smarter than me by “easing into that lifestyle.” I feel that in the long-run, I can’t cut out meat entirely… just yet. 🙂 But, I will try as much as I can to eat plant-based protein rather than animal-based protein. What are you doing currently?
We’re generally quite carnivorous, but I love bean-based curries. Chickpea-based primo, of course, but once you get into cooking with legumes and discover the wonderful world of lentils and split peas–and engage in the search for the perfect dahl–chickpeas have a lot of competition. I’m really impressed you’re sticking to this, btw–I know it’s hard to go veg when you love your steak. 🙂
Good job on the challenge! I did okay with my personal challenge more days than not. My favorite foods from this month were the PF Chang veggie dumplings, veggie burger (the recipe I found online), and the veggie wrap special I had at Adobo yesterday — and the quinoa which was very good. And the Morning Star “fake bacon” ha! I look forward to sampling other non-meat items I didn’t get around to trying this month.