Wednesday, January 23, 2013

My Journey to Becoming a Vegetarian

     When I was 10 years old, I wanted to be a vegetarian. To my dismay, my dad told me I couldn't because I was a growing young girl and I needed my protein. Now, I'm older, and I can make my own decisions about food. After many failed attempts throughout high school, I'm determined to make this the year that I become a vegetarian.
    Currently, I'm starting slow by becoming a pescetarian. For the past eleven days, I've restricted my meat eating to only tilapia and tuna, and I've been successful! I must admit, though, that I broke Friday night and ate a double cheeseburger as a reward. Like I said, I'm taking it slow.
With a clean slate, I went grocery shopping on Sunday night. My shopping bags held lots of fruits and vegetables. I know that declaring myself as a vegetarian will take a lot of work, which means that I will be doing a lot of cooking for myself. I've been googling "vegetarian recipes" and found some dishes that I am willing to try. I'll post as often as I experiment with them.
I've created a three day regimen: sticking to the same three meals on three different days to have variation in my diet and to prevent myself from buying too many groceries for my too small kitchen.

Day One
Breakfast: Egg whites with cheese and spinach on a thin, whole wheat bagel with an apple and a protein fruit smoothie
Lunch: Salad with strawberries and grapes
Dinner: Salad with rice crackers and milk
Day Two
Breakfast: Greek yogurt with granola, a banana, and orange juice
Lunch: Salad with grapes
Dinner: Grilled tilapia with a side salad, rice crackers, and milk
Day Three
Breakfast: Fiber cereal and milk with grapes and cranberry juice
Lunch: Salad with strawberries
Dinner: Tofu surprise and milk

     This is what I am working with so far. I thought it up Sunday night while I was at the grocery store. I see now that I need a little more variety--especially with lunch. I have to dig more to find meals that I can take with me to school. Of course, it would have been best to write out my food plan before I went to the grocery store, but it was an impromptu visit. 
     With every day, I tried to work in protein, fiber, and vitamins. I am also trying to cut down on carbs.
     "Tofu surprise" can be anything. I am looking forward to making stuffed green peppers and a healthier, non-traditional version of sloppy joe. I'm researching to see what other tofu recipes I can find. I think that this journey will be really fun, and I'm looking forward to the progress that will come from it.

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