I stopped eating meat by default. Because I was the daughter who washed dishes rather than helped my mother prepare meals, I never learned to cook meat (or anything else, for that matter).
As a young adult, the only meat I ate was an occasional chili at my neighborhood diner. Then, when my husband and I got married, we stopped eating meat altogether — and almost 50 years later, we’re still eating a vegetarian diet, though we occasionally eat fish.
Many people we know think a semi-vegetarian diet is difficult, but for us, it was easy — until recently, when I discovered I had to eat much more protein to increase bone strength.
The hardest part is changing how you think about food
The most important step in becoming vegetarian is changing your thinking, because if you were raised eating meat, it was probably the unambiguous ruler of the plate kingdom. But it doesn’t have to be — to satisfy hunger, the main part of your meal can instead range from a falafel burger to quiche, or a peanut stir-fry to black beans.
Recently, a friend described the early, financially strapped years of her marriage as “the rice-and-beans days.” I laughed, because I could happily live on rice and beans for the rest of my life. In our kitchen cupboard, you’ll find chickpeas, lentils, navy beans, and my favorite, ever-versatile black beans.
Add a shot of cumin and cut-up mango or chutney for some Indian flavors; add orange juice for a more Brazilian preparation. Or try the traditional Cuban dish, moros y cristianos (Moors and Christians), of black beans prepared with onion, garlic, and bell pepper.
There’s no shame in cans, either. Of course, the beans would be even tastier if cooked from scratch (and you might feel more virtuous), but if you rinse them to remove any metallic flavor, they’ll taste fine.
We have our reasons for going meatless
Studies show that people who reduce their consumption of red meat can also reduce their risk of diabetes, certain cancers, and heart disease. It’s better for us and we’re not harming animals with what we put on our plates — and that’s not even mentioning the huge carbon footprint of the meat industry.
Animal agriculture is responsible for 60% of greenhouse gas emissions and 83% of the world’s farmland, and we’ve found that we really don’t miss eating meat anyway.
Getting 70 grams of protein a day can be a challenge, though
For years I didn’t worry about protein; many Americans actually eat too much. But 70 grams a day is the recommendation for postmenopausal women, and for a semi-vegetarian, it’s tough. I’ve decided not to worry about reaching the exact daily percentage as long as I aim in that direction.
I started paying attention to the protein count in what I eat. I learned that a half cup of cheese has 7-9 grams of protein, similar to a serving size of nut butter, which I often eat as a snack with an apple or crackers. Beans, a staple in my diet, vary by type, but typically, a serving size of one-half a cup has about 7-9 grams of protein. But I was disappointed to find soy-based miso had only four grams for two tablespoons, which I use for miso soup.
Chickpeas (14 grams per half cup of dry chickpeas, which is a serving) and cottage cheese (12-14 grams of protein per half cup, depending on whether you’re eating full fat or 2%) are much better. Because I don’t like cottage cheese much, I tried combining it with honey mustard, making a delicious spread, dressing, and dip.
I also invested in protein powder. I don’t like the taste of that either, but with a whopping 25 grams of protein per tablespoon, it’s worth it. I drink it in a smoothie, masking the taste with blackberries.
Vegetarian food is yummy
Long ago, vegetarian food had a reputation for being bland. No longer! If you’re a regular meat eater, you can start by eating less meat and more vegetables. An excellent guide is Meatless Monday, a website that encourages people to skip meat once a week and offers tips, recipes, and how-to guides.
You also don’t have to immediately eliminate meat from your diet completely; you could try it on Mondays, which research shows is the day people are most open to making positive changes. Or on the weekends, if that’s simpler.
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