Shawn and I have been throwing around the idea for awhile of going vegetarian. Obviously, in my current condition, now is not the time to make that switch as I need to make sure I'm getting the right amount of protein for the bebe's.
What we're thinking of doing is a more gradual change... first cutting out red meat. Secondly, cutting back on the number of carnivorous meals we eat each week. Thirdly, down to just fish. We might stop there as I think the benefits of eating fish are great and I don't like to get all of my nutrients from vitamins and supplements.
Our main motivators in this potential switch are environmental, financial and health (have you ever met a fat vegetarian?). I don't think we'd go all the way vegan as we love dairy... eggs, milk and cheese are staples in our diets. But Gavin seems to be lactose intolerant so cutting back there too will help his lil tummy for sure.
One dilemma is making up the protein we'll be lacking. We don't require as much protein as we'd have thought, upon further research. Shawn and I try to stay active and when I'm not pregnant, I work out 2~3 times per week. But I am not trying to be a beefcake here, so perhaps there won't be a lot of making up to do. As it turns out, many foods that I'd never have suspected protein to be in, do in fact contain it. I think some careful monitoring for a few weeks would show that we do get enough, without meat.
Other dilemma... picky eaters. The boys don't *love* meat as it is.... merely tolerate it in most instances. But I still worry about what meals I'll be able to cook without a grumbling response. (any suggestions here by veggie readers would be greatly appreciated!) I don't like the idea of fake chicken nuggets and corn dogs as replacements.
And third... many vegetarian entrees have soy substitutes. Shawn's done some research on soy and has found more detriments than benefits, so that is a concern. We do like edamame and often consume it when we are at Asian restaurants and even at home. But soy in any other form, we really don't partake in.
So I'd love your thoughts... Do you know vegetarians or are you one? Do you see benefits to this lifestyle? Do you have suggestions on ways to make this work for a family with two youngun's without compromising their health? And what on earth besides PB&J will I pack for poor Tyler's lunches? He'll be bored silly in a week!
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I'm no help...I am very big on meat. When I was pregnant, the only craving I had was hamburgers. :)
But...I hope you can figure it out, find a way to be healthy and vegetarian....I've known so many people who didn't think about what they were eating, just stopped eating meat, and were very sickly. Good luck!
As you know, we are totally on the same page here. We eat a lot of pasta and beans. I have an awesome bean soup recipe that I should share with you. The girls even like it. I actually just found this website last week so I have not had much time to read but it looks like it could be a lot of help. http://www.veggieboards.com/boards/
And don't forget our wonderful friend Shawna. She probably has plenty of advice.
Oh, and I wanted to mention that if you eat eggs and dairy you are considered an "ovo-lacto" vegetarian. And also, remember to be careful with the fish and being pregnant. There are some that you are not supposed to eat and some that should be limited. This breaks it down pretty good:
http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/fishmercury.htm
Oops! That didn't work. Let me try again. I will just split it up this time...
http://www.americanpregnancy.org/
pregnancyhealth/fishmercury.htm
Yes, I have met plenty of fat vegetarians. I have been a fat vegetarian :)
The only thing that you need to be conscious of, is really being aware of your cholesterol when you use dairy as your main source of protein.
I'd suggest a more legume centric or tofu centered vegetarian based diet were you to go that way.
i think it's terrific. i have not eaten meat in my life, currently i do. but it's something i'm thinking of too.
My husband is a vegetarian and a fat one at that! So there goes that rumor - dispelled!
Dave uses a lot of veggie burger products - soy based mostly - which, on reading about recently, have a lot of unpronounceable ingredients in them!
I uses lentils, make a lot of soup, use tofu sometimes and a product line called Quorn (from the UK)which is not soy based but kind of has the texture of chicken and can be used like it in tacos, stews etc. It absorbs the flavors of the sauces etc and just gives you something meaty-like without the meat!
Obviously Morningstar Farms have a great line (but have soooooo many ingredients in them so look out!)
Fingers crossed for the blueberies.
Tori
I try to take the minimalist approach for the very reasons you've listed (picky kids, soy concerns, and weird fake foods). The easiest change you can make for now is to amke all your favorite foods just without meat.
Pizza, lasagna, soups, sandwiches, rice dishes, tacos, etc. Just don't use meat and add beans where necessary.
But I say that if you have to have a hot dog then go get a nice meat hotdog and avoid all the weird stuff they do to make fake hotdogs.
Eggs alone can give you the protien you need.
I was a vegetarian for years, and plan on being so again, just as soon as I finish my steak... j/k. In a few months, I will go back to it.
Okay, on the eco-footprint front, cutting out all meat but fish turns your personal environmental footprint into a small toddler size print, instead of an adult basketball player's print.
As for the protein and nutrients, you can get all you need with an Ovo-lacto vegetarian diet, one including dairy and eggs. If you add fish to that, you will be fine.
You should pick up the Moosewood cookbook and the enchanted broccoli forest, and maybe consult a nutritionist.
As long as you continue to eat smart, you will be fine.
Sending love to the baby tummy!
Oh, and for fun lunch ideas for your kids (though some are way too complicated the are inspiring) check out bento lunches.
Have you thought about maybe, instead of just going meat-free, just eliminating red meat? That is what we do here. We replace that protein with Boca meat, Morningstar meal replacements,and of course more fish (ALDI sells frozen fish fillets that are wonderful and very easily affordable) and legumes too.
We eat some chicken, some ground turkey, that kind of thing.
There is cheese that is soy-based, as well as lunch meat type alternatives for Tyler's lunches. Cottage cheese, the low 2% kind, packs a whallop of protein, not a lot of fat. So, some ideas to help maybe! Good luck!
Hi Amy -- I found you through my friend Victoria. Nice to meet you! :)
I'm chiming in here, because my husband and I are both vegetarians and have been for about 15 - 16 years. (Each since before we met.) I went through three pregnancies as a vegetarian and each of my babies was about 8lbs. and very healthy. My kids (now 7, 5 and 3) are all vegetarians now too, with the happy blessing of their pediatrician, so it's working for us.
I'd recommend getting a good vegetarian cookbook (Moosewood is a good one) and maybe a subscription to the magazine Vegetarian Times to get you started. It might seem intimdating at first, but the nutritional balances and needs aren't really as tough as it might seem. We do eat eggs and dairy, and it's all very simple, really. It's not something we even think about anymore -- it's just what we do.
Sorry about the novel. I'm not generally one to preach about vegetarianism, but since you asked, thought I'd throw that out there for you. :)
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