Today I found myself reminiscing on my veg experiment. About a year ago, I had finished reading The Omnivore’s Dilemma, and it pushed me to move out of my comfort level and try something entirely new. I decided that for a solid month, I would become a vegetarian. Now, I didn’t go full-on vegan, I still drank milk and ate eggs, and could consume “faceless animals” (ie. muscles, clams, scallops, etc.). I have never shared this experience with many people, because in my home-town, vegetarians are yuppy liberal losers who think cows and sheep and goats should “roam free.” I embarked on this experiment in an effort to see how a change in my diet could affect my overall health.
I have included the original, full text here!
Below are some of my favorite excerpts from my little diary that I kept regarding the experience. I basically just wrote down the meals I had every day, along with any thoughts or ideas I was having about my experience.
April 11, 2016 (three days in) – “I have previously operated on the premise that if it’s TOMATO soup, GARDEN salad, or FRUIT salsa, it’s meat-free. Well I’ve just had to throw that premonition right out the window.”
April 21, 2016 – “I do NOT have some new-found desire to save every animal, sniff every flower, and hug every homeless person. Repeat, these traits have NOT overcome me, not yet at least.”
May 1, 2016 – “Oi. We almost had a disaster last night. Went out on a date and NEARLY ordered myself some frog legs (damn carnivorous subconscious)! Luckily, I had previously informed my date that I was experimenting with eating vegetarian, and he promptly reminded me that frog legs were NOT on my approved menu.” <<and FYI y’all, that “date” was Justus’ and my first date, we met and made it through my veg stage and are still kicking a$$ today 🙂
May 3, 2016 – “Yesterday the vegetarian Gods were yet again screwing with my head. It’s safety week in our office, and I came in to a huge platter of Chickfila chicken minis. Those delectable little nuggets in that warm honey’d bread. Perfection. And yet, I refrained. ”
“…And who do we think the propaganda will really, truly convert? If there’s one thing we should know by now, especially in light of this year’s election, it’s that NO ONE is going to change someone else’s opinion through petty argument, let alone an internet meme. ”
“The carnivores can not survive without the vegetarians, and vice versa. Regardless of who you side with or what you eat, one can not have success without the other.”
May 16, 2016 (the last entry) – “Being a vegetarian was an EXCELLENT experience for me. I can say that it has helped me tolerate other lifestyles that I may not have been as open to previously.”
I encourage everyone into trying your own little food experiments, even if it’s cooking something new or tasting something you maybe hadn’t liked before. 🙂