Eating Veggies and Reading about Animals
by newtonc987
So I’ve been on this exploration of vegetarianism for about a solid week now. After my last post I had to do a little preparation and wrap my head around the idea of being more intentionally about no eating meat and eating more vegetables. But for the past week I’ve been very intentionally about looking at what’s in the food I’m eating and finding other things to eat when I feel the need for a protein snack – I may be developing a slight peanut butter addiction in exchange for meat – and it’s going well. I don’t feel that I’m deprived really in any way.
However, I did take some advice from some friends and colleagues who said that if I was worried about being a burden on my family and friends, who are all pretty serious carnivores, I shouldn’t get caught up on eating meat and not putting that burden on them, should they make dinner or want to go out to eat somewhere with slim picking for the veggies options. But I’ve found that this week when I choose to do that and just order or eat something with meat because I didn’t want to burden others, I just felt bad about it because the meat didn’t really add anything to my meal – I just didn’t want to make a big deal about asking the restaurant to leave the meat off.
So I’m going to count this week as a learning meat. I’ve got to learn that people aren’t offended anymore when you change your order from what’s on the menu. I’ve always been the person that doesn’t want to make it harder on people cooking me food, but really asking someone to leave something off isn’t that hard. So I’m just going to have to do it and stop feeling bad about it.
On another note, if anyone happens to be interested in reading more about animal treatment in the United States and has some free time on their hands to sit down and read an engaging book for a bit, I highly recommend Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer. I read it this past summer and at the time I didn’t think that it had a very big impact on me, but look at me now. And it’s definitely been a book that’s stuck with me. So if you’re looking for a good read and why you should eat veggies and let the animals be free, this is one for you.
Honest and interesting posts so far! I’ve been a (mostly) vegetarian for many years now, but am one of those people who became one very gradually. Where it began was simply the fact that I didn’t enjoy cooking it very much, but did really dig trying out how to make Indian and Thai food–both of which are very vegetarian-friendly cuisines. Over time, I ate less and less meat and didn’t miss it…and then married a pretty strict vegetarian, so ate even less.
I am from a carnivorous family, and I too try to minimize the fuss that they go through to make special foods when I’m with them. It was a little awkward at first, but we’ve all adjusted. Thankfully, most restaurants (at least in Seattle where I live) usually have some kind of vegetarian option when out with friends or family.
Nowadays, what keeps me away from meat as much as anything is what I’ve learned about industrial meat production and the pretty terrible ways food-animals are often treated in life and at the point of death. Don’t really want that on my conscience.
But two loves that have never left: bacon and pepperoni.
Good luck with the experiment!
It’s nice to know the transition doesn’t have to be a cold turkey one! It’s going well so far, but Thanksgiving will make it interesting!
I could also definitely see pepperoni being the meat that breaks me – I just love it on pizza too much!
Thanks for the encouragement!
I have been on again and off again for years, and have gone vegan for months at a time only to stumble back into the meat eating world. I’ve never felt particularly good about it from a philosophical point of view. I’ve never hunted (respect for those who do so responsibly, and I can count the number of times I’ve prepared meat on my own over the last 10 years. For me, it’s essential to remember the reasons why I don’t want to eat meat… it doesn’t sit well with me ethically, and I’d like to stand by my convictions. Your blog is encouraging and serves as a great reminder. Thanks!
Thanks for reading! I’m glad it’s encouraging you to stick with it too! I’ve found it’s been a great change so far that I’ve really enjoyed!