RiverBender Blog: I Went Vegetarian for a Week

I like cows. I like cheeseburgers. I believe these two ideologies can coexist.

But this week, I decided to challenge myself to put my money where my mouth is and forego meat completely.

I already avoid meat most of the time, so in theory, it didn’t seem like too big of a jump. I try not to eat too much red meat because of the environmental impact and because when I think about it too much, it hurts my animal-lover heart. My weeks of chicken-sitting and cow-watching have also served as good meat-deterrents.

Real quick, one thing I want to make clear is that I don’t judge anyone who eats meat. I eat meat. All I proved to myself this week is that vegetarianism is a lot harder — and more expensive — than I thought. So, nothing but kudos to the vegetarians and vegans who do this all the time, but no judgment on those of us who can’t quite swing it.

Still, I decided to give it my best shot. I figured, what’s one week? But I quickly realized that true vegetarianism is a lot different than skipping the occasional steak.

Meat is everywhere.

I love me some grilled chicken, but suddenly that was no longer on the menu. I like bacon every now and then, but no such luck. Pepperoni on my pizza? Get it out of here. I was surprised by just how often I eat meat without even consciously thinking about it.

One of the things I quickly learned about vegetarianism: You have to be prepared.

I almost always forget to pack my lunch. On the bright side, I keep a stash of Hot Pockets in the office refrigerator. I’m like a bear preparing for hibernation with my bought-in-bulk box of ham and cheese snacks.

But this week, ham was the enemy. My go-to lunch was no longer possible. It only took one day of foraging around the office before I learned my lesson. I needed to prepare, and I needed to find protein. Otherwise, I was in for a long week.

Surprising no one who knows me, I did not prepare. Instead, I ended up carb-loading. I love love love pasta, and that was suddenly the quickest and easiest way to eat meat-free. Pasta was my best friend. I think I actually managed to gain weight during my week of vegetarianism, which is just disappointing.

As the summer begins, I’m determined to think more consciously about what I consume. With farmers’ markets popping up all over and more fresh fruits and veggies at the grocery store, I’m ready for a summer of new recipes and healthy eating.

And yes, in the spirit of honesty, this will probably include meat every now and then. But I’m hoping to be more aware of how often I eat meat and when I can substitute it for something that’s a little more animal- and environmentally-friendly.

Though, I got to say, a cheeseburger sounds great right about now. Maybe I’ll start next week.

More like this: