"Would you like some roast beef, Courtney?" I cringed at my Grandmother's words. I was at their house for Christmas, and I had recently become a vegetarian. I knew it was going to be hard considering that nobody in my family would even DREAM of not being able to eat meat fewer than three times a day. I told her "no" as politely as possible, explaining that I was now a vegetarian.
Practically as soon as the word "vegetarian" escaped my mouth the entire family began spouting off on how I COULD NOT be a vegetarian.
"You'll get so sick."
"What are you gonna do, live off of VEGETABLES?"
"What are going to do for protein?...huh?"
I must say, it was not very simple at first. I got most of my support from my mom and from an organization called PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). I heard about PETA from my stepmom, so I went to their website where I read two different articles, one on pigs and slaughterhouses and the other on cows and leather. Right away I gave away ALL the leather and suede that I owned.
This was about two years ago, but I continued eating chicken and turkey up until a few months ago! I continue to get support from my mom, stepmom, friends, and, when he's not giving me a hard time, my dad.
Maybe you, like most of my family, are wondering how I get protein. I eat TONS of greens, but, if you are like most of my friends who want to go veg but don't want to have eat green beans and tofu* all the time, then I would definitely suggest Garden Burger brand veggie burgers. They're quite yummy! Or if you like Mexican, then go with Tofu Crumblers in a taco as a beef substitute! It tastes just like beef and can be found in most grocery stores in the health food section. Then, if you like Thai and Chinese food like I do, then you should like veggie and tofu stir-frys. They are so easy to make; they take less then ten minutes, and they are SOOO good!
If you want some more great veggie recipes, go to www.recipesource.com, or www.peta.com. (PETA can also recommend good cookbooks.)
(*Tofu is bean curds shaped into a block...okay, so it doesn't sound too appetizing, but it's actually very good if you know how to serve it!)
--Courtney says her experience becoming vegetarian "isn't exactly a pretty story." But she made it, and she loves good food, so she's also one of our product reviewers.
