I’ve always felt qualms about enjoying a barbeque sandwich or a hamburger, but managed to suppress that guilt because of the pure joy I experienced each time I ate one. But more recently, I’ve felt worse and worse with every chicken sandwich or steak, picturing the faces of cute little farm animals with each bite. The decision to go vegetarian for the week came after a viewing of “Food Inc.,” a documentary guaranteed to make you feel skeptical about the American meat processing system and question every late night Cook Out tray you’ve ever consumed. If you enjoy blissful ignorance, I wouldn’t recommend it, but if you love eye-opening, borderline life-changing experiences, give it a watch.
On the record, meat is not bad for you. It contains important nutrients and is one of the best sources of iron. Because of high fat and protein content, it keeps our blood levels stable, and aids in muscle growth and keeps us energized for longer. Evolutionarily, human beings are designed to carry out an omnivore’s lifestyle, eating both meat and plant products in balance. But, like everything, excess is never a good thing. According to the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research, “red or processed meats are convincing or probable sources of some cancers.” Because of high fat contents, too much meat can lead to weight gain, acne breakouts and lethargy. Additionally, meat isn’t the only culprit; the way our food is prepared is largely determinant of its effects on our bodies. Fried chicken, barbeque pork and ground beef mean different things than baked chicken or lean cuts of pork and beef.
Personally, I didn’t anticipate too much of a challenge. I love meat, but there are many nights I’ll get in bed and realize I had a totally vegetarian day. Dairy and bread probably make up the majority of what I eat, so I thought this would be pretty doable.
The night before I began, I ceremoniously devoured a bacon cheeseburger from Five Guys to honor the week and went to the grocery store to purchase tofu, fruit and vegetables. But, once at Kroger and Trader Joe’s, I learned something very valuable: food doesn’t need to contain meat to taste good. Funny enough, ice cream, potato chips, cheese pizza, cookies and brownies are all totally vegetarian! Things were going to be fine.
I started each day with a spinach, fruit, yogurt, flaxseed and fruit juice smoothie; words I never ever thought would come from me. My first day, I went to The Virginian for mac and cheese for lunch and made a pretty delicious tofu stir-fry for dinner. The days continued with lots of dairy, creative salads, desserts and bread.
But I ended up going home to Atlanta for days five through seven of my experience, which I initially thought would give me greater dietary freedom. Strangely, it ended up being the most challenging part. My dad suggested we go to Bone’s, my favorite restaurant in the world and the 2015 Zagat highest-ranking steakhouse in the country for both food and service, and it took every fiber of willpower to suggest we just order pizza instead. My grandmother made her famous brisket and potatoes, which I watched everyone else enjoy while I ate my cold tofu leftovers. My uncle made homemade spaghetti Bolognese, which I substituted with pesto. I probably should’ve clued them into my vegetarian week before I arrived at home, but I wasn’t expecting such extravagant preparations.
So, now that it’s over, what’s the verdict? As vegetarianism becomes more and more popular, finding options isn’t too hard. The trouble comes from substituting meat with the right choices, not pizza and brownies as I decided to do. I didn’t notice much of a difference in how I felt, but I would need more than one week to recognize positive change in meatless living.
Next week, I’ll be going one week with spending an hour in nature a day. Rain or shine, feel free to join in!
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