Becoming and existing as a Vegetarian

For those that don't already know, I am a vegetarian. 

At least that's what I tell anyone asking. Technically, I would be known as a lacto-ovo-pescetarian because I eat eggs, some dairy and fish. All of those have come into my diet over the last few years, and I have very select tastes for each of them. I was fairly close to veganism at one point as I had troubles processing milk products. That has since passed and now I enjoy my cheeses more than anything else in my diet, though I still don't drink milk aside from in tea. For all intents and purposes I just say that I am a vegetarian. 

I might as well jump right to the how, what, where, when and why of it. From 1987 to about 1990 I worked for McDonald's Restaurant as a maintenance crew member. I got to clean the manifolds above the grills, the fry vats, the floors and pretty much every article in the store from 11pm-7am, 5 nights a week. I made pretty good cash for a kid right out of high school, and I worked pretty hard at it.

It was there and then that I had an epiphany. This goopy yellow-ish stuff I was scraping away from the sides of the manifolds, beyond the silver mesh screens, was rising off the steam from the meats we grilled every day. It smelled just like the burgers it came off of.  

One day while cleaning I thought "Good thing I am not eating this stuff". Then it hit me. If this is able to rise through several layers of screen mesh filters and still make it 8 feet from floor level, what stays IN the burgers? It was a disconcerting thought to say the least. 

Not long after that, I woke in the early evening (after sleeping post shift) to my dad making steaks for dinner. He had run out of propane on the bbq and had to broil them in the oven to finish them. The smell of the beef cooking wafted through the house and the visions of the McDonald's browny-yellow goop popped to mind. I instantly felt nauseous. I had no appetite whatsoever and knew I wasn't going to eat that steak. In fact, I had a notion that I would likely never eat a steak again.  

I went downstairs and told my dad and mom that I couldn't eat the dinner they had prepared, and while my mom understood my dad took offence.  

"What am I supposed to do with this extra steak" 

"Eat it, save it for your lunch or feed it to Pip" (our dog at the time) 

"What are you going to eat?" 

"I'll find something. I'll have to figure it out because I am thinking of going vegetarian." 

My dad scoffed at the notion. He threw a million or more reasons at me why I would fail, even making up some ludicrous statements like "The vegetarians I know all suffer from malnutrition and bad body odour". I had known vegetarians to that point and never recognized body odour as a side effect. He told me I'd never find a way to make it work, so I called him on it. 

"Haven't you always told me that I can succeed at anything that I put my mind to?" I asked him, and again he scoffed. That was it; I was now a budding vegetarian. But time would prove I was a bad one. 

I threw myself into a lifestyle that I didn't understand. I could barely cook pasta or potatoes at that point in my life, so I didn't eat very well. Kraft dinner and cereal and Campbell's soups were my staples and they left a lot to be desired in my weekly menu. I did sneak some chicken once in a while there but felt guilty for it. It got to the point where I wouldn't eat simply so I could avoid eating meat and I eventually dropped my weight to about 108 lbs. At 5'11" that made me not only look sickly but I was seriously on the verge of malnutrition. I had failed. My dad was right. 

Needless to say, I was talked into eating meat. I had moved back to Sarnia needing to get my physical and emotional self back in shape, and my parents took me in for a few months till I got my feet under me again. I remember the sense of pride and gloating air about my dad as he would plop a fat steak on a plate in front of me. I remember the sinking sense of failure and resignation as I laboriously chewed and choked back every bite.  I wasn't any more a meat eater then than I had been when I first made my decision to quit it. I just didn't know what else to do. 

A few years later after moving back to London to go to school, I knew I couldn't continue to eat meat. It made me gassy, smelly, often lacking in energy after a big meal and just gross overall. It wasn't till after meeting and falling in love with a long time vegetarian that I learned how to be a better one. One day she took a stack of vegetarian cook books and tossed them down in front of me and said "start cooking!" and so I did. 

Fast forward to today. Not only do I eat well and have a good body weight, but I cook very well. I love cooking for chefs and other foodies. Not only is their critique valuable, it's also nice to get tips and ideas from them. My cupboard is filled with every known herb and spice that has ever crossed my palate (there are very few I am yet to stock) and my fridge is often stocked with a wide compliment of vegetables. There is never a time when I can't whip up something pretty tasty and nutritious should family or friends come by. One of my goals with each meal I cook for a meat eater is to make sure that they don't miss the meat. I've fooled many people with the Yves products or TVP. 

One of the first things I had to learn was to find a comfort food I thought I'd never have again and make it better than ever. I had eaten veggie wieners and veggie burgers but what about a meaty style Lasagna? Stuffed peppers are another I've tried, as well as "Meat loaf", Tacos, Enchiladas and Shepherd's Pie; all foods that I loved as a kid. Suddenly I have a wide repertoire of hearty meals that aren't terribly difficult to make. The challenge now is to change them up, improvise, find my own recipe and find out what others like. 

If any among you are seeking ideas for replacing meat dishes in your diet with something with better overall nutritional value, by all means write me. While I call myself Vegetarian I eat eggs and cheeses and soured creams as I mentioned, I just find it easier to say Vegetarian so people know what NOT to try and cook for me or have me order. In my next blog I'll give some thoughts on fast food as a vegetarian, and signs of a good place to grab a fulfilling snack or meal in a hurry.