Do We Need to Eat Meat?

Charm makes regular jokes about my potential to burn down the kitchen. When it comes to cooking, I’m not so bad I can’t boil water, but I am so bad that my daughter will tell anyone who will listen that she doesn’t like to eat my chicken because it’s “dry and overcooked!” And she’s right, it was earlier this year that I figured out how to cook “moist” chicken!

Because of this, I’ve been pondering for weeks on how to share with you all my transition to going meatless. I guess I’ve bought into Charm’s hype. I’ve continuously had the thought, “who am I to tell someone else how to cook anything!” I swear I am not as terrible as Charm likes to make me out to be. No one ever really taught me how to cook. Even though my family is full of amazing cooks, I never had the desire to be in the kitchen. Which is also surprising considering I LOVE to eat, I have just always preferred someone else to prepare it for me (*shrugs*). There’s just something about being over a hot stove with the oven going and multiple pots needing my attention that just kills me!

But in the last couple of years my attitude towards cooking has shifted. I’ve found myself wanting to improve my cooking skills, and I also find myself enjoying the attempts even when it doesn’t come out right! I guess that is my disclaimer: I am not the next top chef, but I am a working mom with a desire to feed myself and daughter interesting, healthy meals that actually taste bomb! And that’s what you’ll find in my food blogs: successes and failures with recipes we love and hate! I’m experimenting so you don’t have to!!!

Earlier this year I decided to play around with a vegetarian diet. Well, I wanted to give being a vegan a try, but I failed miserably – because CHEESE! Becoming vegetarian has been an interesting process for us. It came about when I started wondering how the things I was eating could be affecting my health and my running. If you haven’t read it yet, check out my initial food blog here with some reasons to why I made the leap this year.

My ultimate goal is to eat healthier, I’m not at a place where I think all meat is bad for you, especially in moderation, but I do believe a plant-based diet it the healthiest. I am in no way a medical doctor or nutritionist. My dietary adjustments were made after having some stomach issues, and doing some research on my own. What works for me may not be what is good for everyone. I don’t have the authority to say that meat and animal based products are bad for you. What I can share with you are my experiences, and my experience is that my body has been much happier since giving up meat!

How We Survive Without Meat:

I’ve been getting a lot of questions about my experience with becoming, dare I say vegetarian (I’ve got commitment issues folks, labeling myself vegetarian/pescatarian/vegan or anything else gives me the blues lol). I just like to say I eat what I want, and right now not eating meat is where I’m at in life! These are some of the questions I’ve been getting, and my answers:

• What do you eat? Do you only eat side dishes?

  • This is one of my favorite questions! Why do vegetables have to be a side dish to pork chops and chicken legs? Red beans are still great without sausage in them. You can make a Caesar salad without chicken in it.
  • Some of my favorite foods/recipes:
    • Baked Penne with Roasted Veggies
    • Cucumber and avocado salad
    • Quinoa stuffed bell peppers
    • Black bean burgers
    • Roasted Mushroom Panini
    • Gardein Chick’n Patties, tenders, nuggets (Charm’s Favorites!)
    • Jack fruit “Pulled Pork” sandwiches
  • I’ll eat salmon, tuna, or shrimp whenever I am craving meat, which is usually only once I let myself get HANGRY.

• Do you eat “fake meat”?

  • We have tried a few different meat substitutes. Personally, most of them don’t do much for me but there are a couple that WE LOVE!
  • Charm loves the Gardein Chick’n products (nuggets, tenders, and patties).
  • Trader Joes sells a Meatless Ground Beef that is great. It goes perfect in spaghetti and for Taco Tuesdays!
  • Trader Joes also sells a Meatless Breakfast sausage that is awesome. We eat it every time we cook breakfast.
  • We tried a Tofurky Italian Sausage cooked into a spaghetti as well. It definitely wasn’t bad, but you can tell it’s not the real thing. Charm picked it out and did not like it at all.

• What don’t you eat?

  • The most common misconception people have is that I am vegan. I’m not! Again with the labels, if you have to categorize me – I am a pescatarian…
    • Vegans do not eat meat, seafood, eggs, dairy products or anything made with meat byproducts.
    • Vegetarians do not eat meat (eggs, dairy, and meat byproducts are still fair game).
    • Pescatarians do not eat meat but do eat seafood.
  • So, for me, I don’t eat pork, poultry, beef, or lamb. (I have had a couple “cheat meals”…my stomach wasn’t happy with them).

• Does your body go through a nutrient deficit?

  • Not at all. There are plenty of foods that are packed full of protein, healthy fats / omega 6s, carbs, vitamins and so on.
  • Meat does not contain anything essential that I cannot get elsewhere. A common misconception is you NEED meat for protein. You don’t, protein comes from plenty of places such as edamame, black beans, peanut butter, lentils, quinoa, potatoes, spinach, pumpkin seeds etc.
  • Vitamins, smoothies, and protein shakes!!! You should take vitamins no matter what your diet is. I also will mix plant-based protein powders or superfood mixes into my shakes and smoothies. The shakes and smoothies are a convenient way for me to get my daily doses of fruits, veggies, and protein quickly. Protein shakes are perfect for me right after a run.
  • Here’s a link to some nice articles: Live Strong

• Don’t you get tired of vegetables?

  • Nope! It’s not like I am eating a can of corn for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I still prepare different meals just like I did when I was eating meat. Stay tuned for details on some of our favorite, and not so favorite, recipes.

• Does your daughter still eat meat?

  • Yes! I do not intend to tell her she cannot eat meat. Although, I am mindful about what she eats. I don’t take her to eat fast food like McDonald’s/Burger King. Also, she is at her father’s house every other week, he still cooks with meat.
  • Early on, Charm was the biggest challenge. She loves to eat and to help cook, but she has not wanted to completely part with eating meat. Honestly, I think Charm doesn’t want to admit that she doesn’t mind not eating meat. Lately, she asks for the Gardein Chick’n nuggets and patties from Whole Foods. She likes the meatless spaghetti with zucchini, and she even has started helping me chop and cook the veggies that I put into a lot of our pasta dishes. There are some things she does not like at all (like beans), and then there are somethings that she loves (like the black bean burger). I do not force anything on her.
  • To avoid making something I know she does not enjoy, I will just ask her what she wants to eat for the week and include her in the grocery shopping process. She helps make the grocery list and pick out meals for the week.

• How do you get your daughter to eat the vegetables?

  • Charm is not big on vegetables. She never has been, that’s nothing new. A couple of friends recommended I include Charm more in meal preparation, and that has helped out a lot! Charm is more likely to eat something that she put time and energy into helping prepare! I also let her pick out some of the recipes. If she doesn’t like the sound of it, then there isn’t any point on wasting grocery money or energy on it. Although, sometimes I just need to prepare a dish for her to realize it’s not that bad. I say all of that to say it is touch and go with the little one.
  • I will show her Facebook videos like Tasty, Tasty Jr, and Tasty Vegetarian, and from those she will find meals that she wants to give a try!

• Does not eating meat affect your running negatively?

  • It hasn’t so far. With running, it is important to fuel and hydrate your body properly. You’ll want to fuel with healthy fats and carbohydrates whether or not you are a meat eater. For me, meats (especially red meats) would tear my stomach up. Before I gave meat up this year, I already was not eating pork or red meat. I would cook with ground turkey instead of beef or I ate chicken.
  • I also don’t put a lot of thought into what I am eating as far as counting calories. My goals are to eat three meals a day with a couple of snacks throughout the day. If I can’t prepare breakfast, I’ll have a shake. This way I know I am getting back what I am burning off through running.
  • I try to eat a dinner high in carbs the night before my long runs; if I am running in the morning, I am getting in the habit of getting up early enough to eat something before I run.

Grocery shopping:

Grocery shopping has, and probably always will, give me the blues. I just hate walking through a crowded grocery store, picking through fruits and vegetables other people have touched, and trying to figure out why the holy grail of avocados cost $2.00 each! Healthy foods are unfortunately more expensive, but we have been saving a lot of money not purchasing meat!

Where we shop:

• I’ve recently stopped shopping at Walmart — for a lot of reasons, but mainly because I’ve grown tired of their one checkout line being open, and I have started shopping at Whole Foods, Trader Joes, and the Farmer’s Market. If I am pressed for time, I will do the curbside check out with Walmart, that has been uber helpful!
• If Whole Foods didn’t have a lot of the foods that I like to eat (Beyond Meat plant-based “burgers”, Gardein Chick’n for Charm, and jack fruit “pulled pork), I wouldn’t shop there! Their prices for groceries are ridiculously expensive. I only go into Whole Foods for those specialty items that I can’t seem to find elsewhere.
• Trader Joes is the best! Their prices are reasonable and they always have a great selection of fruits and veggies. Although, the vegetables don’t usually last that long. I can guarantee that if it’s not cooked within a few days, it will mold or spoil. I have to be extra mindful about not buying too much that I know will not get cooked within the week.
• Hollygrove Farmers Market does a weekly vegetable box. I like to use this when I don’t know exactly what I want to cook. Each week there’s different items that could come in the box, this forces me to find recipes to go with what I get! I don’t go every week.
• 60% of what I get from the grocery store comes from the produce section.

Meal planning & prep:

These are goals for me. I could have the best intentions to plan and prep my meals for the week, but it never quite goes as planned. My goals are to start planning out a schedule for meals for the week and sticking to it. When I do this, I am less likely to eat outside the house – which gets expensive. It is 100% wasteful for me to spend $60+ a week on lunch when there’s food at home I could have prepared in advance! Meal prep also takes the guessing game out of what’s for dinner, and cuts down on what I have to do during the week after working and going to school!

Lately, I have been getting up extra early to do my marathon training long runs on Sunday mornings. After showering, stretching, eating, and watching a little football, I set out for the grocery store with a meal plan for the week. Otherwise, I’ll buy a bunch of random things, none of which go together! To do this, I have to ask Charm what she is craving for dinner that week, or just picking a few dinner ideas and making sure to pick a couple quick meals for when I know I don’t have the energy for a full court press in the kitchen!

One of the Favorite Recipes:

I want to leave you with one of my favorite recipes that I have experimented with over the last few months: Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers. We have made these a few times, and we love them. I have also had a bunch of friends message me asking for the recipe! The idea from a video I saw on Facebook, and I’ve tried them a couple of different ways. A few adjustments, you should give them a try.

Ingredients – 

Stuffing

• 1 cup of quinoa
• 2 cups of vegetable broth
• 4-6 bell peppers, tops and seeds removed
• ½ cup salsa, and a little more for toppings!
• 2 tsp cumin powder
• 1 ½ tsp chili powder
• 1 ½ tsp garlic powder
• 15-ounce can black beans, drained
• Can of whole corn, drained

Toppings

• Avocado, sliced
• Salsa (enchilada sauce is also great!)
• Diced red onion
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• Sour Cream

Instructions – 

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Cook the quinoa in the vegetable stock. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, simmer the quinoa for about 20 minutes or until all the liquid is gone.
• Drizzle extra virgin olive oil inside the peppers and roll the pepper to cover the inside with the EVOO.
• In a large bowl, combine the quinoa with the seasonings, salsa, corn, and beans – add salt and pepper to your likes (I added a little more chili powder, with the salt and pepper).
• Stuff the bell peppers to the brim, cover with foil, and into the oven it goes.
• Bake for 30 minutes.
• Next, remove the foil and increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees. I baked them for another 40 minutes at this temp! The original recipe only called for 15-20 minutes, but that left the peppers still crunchy. I prefer them soft!
• For the last five minutes, sprinkle the pepper tops with cheese and let it melt!
• Remove, add additional toppings, cool, and ENJOY!

Once you try the recipe, let me know how you like it and what adjustments you make to it!!!

Useful Websites, FB & IG Accounts:

• Buzzfeed Tasty Vegetarian: @tastyvegetarian FB; buzzfeedtastyveg IG
• Buzzfeed Tasty Junior: @tastyjunior FB & IG
• Whole Foods: @wholefoods IG
• Cleanfoodcrush on IG
• Health Warrior Superfoods: @healthwarrior on IG
• Real Simple
• Country Living

What are your favorite meatless recipes?

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