A Challenge to Myself

 I will give my Mom credit that she has become more open minded and healthier with regards to vegetables and their preparation in more recent year, but growing up, meals consisted mainly of meat and vegetables coated in garlic and butter. The vegetables I remember on my dinner plate were usually only green beans, broccoli, corn, some type of potato, or the occasional brussel sprout. Every summer we did have a vegetable garden, but the colorful array of eggplants, asparagus, squashes, and other vegetables was something I did not discover until I started seeking out my own meals as an adult.

At age 27, I now realize I have spent a good portion of my adult life learning to enjoy the taste of vegetables unknown to me as a child. I have had to learn to like wheat bread instead of white, how to prepare and gradually not hate the taste of quinoa, and how to use herbs, spices, fancy vinegars, and olive oil in place of garlic salt and butter. Step by step, I have made progress in my goals for better nutrition.

However, I have discovered that one of those eating habits ingrained in me as a child is still ever present and that is my understanding that every meal must center around a meat. As a woman who owns a home and works full-time, many a night I have come home tired and hungry to find that I had forgotten to take that chicken breast out of the freezer. In my frustration, I end up either eating eggs for dinner or going out for something quick and cheap. All progress and knowledge I have gained is derailed for the simple reason that I don't know how to think about cooking or meal planning without an animal protein.

I am sure many of you will say that there are many reasons to eat less meat or even give it up all together. I am aware of these arguments. I am also aware that while I have gotten better about the variety of vegetables I eat, the quantity I eat in a day is not sufficient. In fact, this is something I have known for a long time, but there has always been something holding me back from looking toward vegetarianism.

One issue is that I do enjoy my meat. I can't imagine being able to say one day that I will never again eat a hamburger, the chili my mom makes, tacos, or BBQ grilled chicken. These are some of my favorite meals and while I can understand and even accept that these are not things I should eat all the time, I cannot see myself giving up these items forever.

This issue also goes beyond the simple fact that I like my meat, to the fact that I am generally against the all or nothing approach society at large has towards nutrition. There are no carb, no fat, and no dairy ways of thinking overwhelmingly present in the media. Its enough to make anyone who doesn't prescribe to one of these ideas think they must be doing something wrong.

Many of the people who try one of these all or nothing ideas fall off the wagon and inevitably are left feeling like failures with no willpower. They throw up their hands and go on for awhile not really thinking about what or how much they eat until the next fad promising easy and miraculous transformations comes around. Society at large shifts from one extreme to the other. Maybe it is my stubborn nature or my own subconscious realization that I would end up being the one feeling like a failure with no willpower, but I've always had a powerful aversion to any all or nothing way of eating. While I know on an intellectual level that vegetarianism does not deserve to be grouped with the fads, I can't help but get the same feeling about it.

Another issue is  I have known two kinds of vegetarians. On one hand, there are the vegetarians who have embraced healthy living through plant-based nutrition. They know how to build healthy meals, keep a variety of vibrant vegetables and grains on hand, and know how to combine food to make sure their diet is balanced, even when eating out. On the other hand, there are the non-vegetable eating vegetarians. Their diet consists primarily of pancakes, mac and cheese, french fries, and more cheese. There may be the occasional fruit covered in syrup or dip. These individuals are my proof that vegetarianism does not automatically equal healthy living. It has always been in my mind that I would end up being a non-vegetable eating vegetarian if I ever were to attempt it. As someone who has a busy life and who didn't grow up thinking about nutrition, I can see myself falling for those item that are tasty, easy, and not the best choices rather than embrace the opportunity to learn how to make balanced meatless meals.

It is for these reasons that I am issuing myself a challenge. From now until the end of summer, I will have a vegetarian work week. Save for the possibility of broth (because I need to give myself one cheat, obviously) I will not eat any meat Monday through lunch Friday. This will leave me the busy social weekend to indulge in with family and friends as I please. Further rules include:

• no more than one egg in a day
• no pasta without vegetables
• Limited sweets (sugared coffee, cookies, cakes, candy, etc.)
• cook one composed meatless meal per week.