Going Vegetarian in an Omnivorous Household
Can the two coexist for very long?
First of all, I need to say upfront that I enjoy meat in all of its various forms. I like beef, pork, chicken and most seafood. Though I must confess that sea urchin (Uni) is one of the few Japanese sushi offerings that I never could abide. I have given it more than one shot, thinking that perhaps I had suffered an inferior grade of this pasty “delicacy”. I sampled it again some years later… nope — I just can’t do it. And then to come find out that it is actually not an egg roe as I had thought, but is in fact the sea creature’s gonads, or sex glands. I consider myself a pretty adventurous eater, and will try almost anything once, but I digress…
The point is that I can eat just about anything, and in fact enjoy A wide variety of foods. I enjoy my vegetables and grains as much as I do my meat. I have no problem with mushrooms, beets, okra or olives. I mention these particular food items because I’ve found that these are foods that many people seem to have very mixed opinions about. It’s interesting that certain fare can be so polarizing, in that people either love them or really, really hate them. You won’t run into very many people who will say beets are just okay. The folks who detest both beets and mushrooms generally echo the same sentiment — “They taste like dirt”. I’ve found that coconut is another food where people have very definite opinions and align with either the lovers or haters camp. And then there’s cilantro (or coriander), that wonderful, fresh herb that is widely used to flavor sauces and garnish dishes across multiple cultures around the world. Apparently there’s some mechanism in the brain that registers, to a good portion of the population, a taste that is more akin to that of soap. Sorry, I can’t relate.
The point that I’m getting at is given my broad acceptance and love for foods of all types, I would imagine that I could do pretty well if I chose to eliminate one food group for an extended time. I’ve successfully achieved a week’s period of fasting over the course of several years. I used to choose one week during the spring, and a week in the fall. This was due to the typically moderate temperatures in Chicago during these seasons. I understand that extremes in temperature can make it more difficult on the body during a fasting period. I also liked the idea that the spring fast often coincided with Easter and Passover holidays; a time when many are fasting or restricting certain foods for religious observations. It’s like having a ready-built support network. I’ve done both juice fasting and water fasting with varying degrees of success. I’ve since found intermittent fasting or every-other-day provides much the same benefits with much less pain and stress on the system.
The water-only fast was really difficult, I suffered some pretty bad headaches and fatigue. Juice fasting was challenging, but not nearly as intense. Yes, I was always hungry to some degree, but the fresh vegetable and fruit juices did somewhat satisfy me for a time, and I did have more energy than I’d expect that I would, given the drastic caloric restrictions. At the end of a fast period, once I began introducing solid food again, I always felt amazingly rejuvenated and energetic. And the exercise ushered in a new appreciation and respect for food. I found myself eating slower, savoring the meal event and enjoying the flavors symphony. It also had me eating healthier, more balanced and more reasonably portioned servings. But that would only last for a time, and I’d find myself gradually slipping back into less-healthful habits and taking food for granted once again. Food is a gift from God and should never be taken for granted. That’s why I believe an occasional abstinence from food, or food group, is a good practice.
I’ve often flirted with the prospect of practicing a vegetarian lifestyle, at least for a while. It would be a good discipline and I think I could manage it in a way that afforded healthy benefits. I have known some vegetarians who’ve had very poor eating habits. You can certainly avoid meat, yet fill that void with sweets, sugary beverages, alcohol and french fries. That would seem to defeat the purpose, or at least negate the benefits that many vegetarians and vegans might otherwise realize with a more focused, plant-based approach.
I have no doubt that I could sustain a plant-based diet for several weeks, even months. I won’t go as far as years, not just yet anyway. I have to be realistic. I think at some point I would surrender my will to a good Chicago, pepperoni pizza. I’ve thumbed through some vegetarian cook books (the ones with beautifully photographed dishes) and I’m convinced that I’d have no problem excluding meat from my diet for a period of time. I could easily get my protein from other sources, such as beans, legumes and some dairy. Yes, I would continue to eat eggs, cheese, yogurt and butter. I’m disciplined enough, but I’m not crazy.
Alas, the stumbling block here (and it’s a big one!) is having a wife and two 20-something daughters currently living under the same roof. They are all omnivores as well. I do not see any of them being particularly sensitive to my declaration of observing a vegetarian lifestyle for several months, or a year. I can say this based on past dietary undertakings that I’ve done, or attempted over the years. During the times where I fasted, I was teased, blithely tempted and I might even go as far as to say even ridiculed for my choice to diverge from our family norm. Of course, to them it was innocent, playful amusement. And with me — I find the longer the fast, the shorter my temper. I endured new nicknames such as “supermodel”, “chick” and countless hunger strike jests. If I react at all, I’m told it’s because I need to eat something; that I’m being overly-sensitive. Maybe I am. I would also have a difficult time having all the meat around the house. We pretty much have meat in some form or fashion at nearly every meal.
If I lived on my own, I have no doubt that I could go vegetarian, and realize the good of it over time. This is one ambition that I really need to think through a bit more, maybe develop a sneaky strategy. Another problem would be that I enjoy cooking and I’m pretty good at it. Can I also cook for my family and resist the urge to avoid the meat dishes? I would never presume to be so self-righteous as refusing to cook what three quarters of my family frequently enjoys. Does anybody else observe a vegetarian lifestyle and live in a house of meat-eaters? How do you navigate these waters?
If I can somehow manage doing without meat for an extended time, there are no limits to what I can accomplish. I sometimes imagine how much more prolific I’d be as a writer if I could only cut out watching TV. That is a huge challenge. And the TV is a device (that’s multiple) that will always be in our house. After all, without a TV in our house, where would my family eat?
