I Cooked!!

After attending a blogger cooking class at Whole Foods the other Sunday, I was inspired to do a little cooking at home.  For those of you who know me IRL, you are probably picking your jaws up off the floor.  It's true though, I voluntarily spend my Saturday evening cooking!  After loving the vegetable marinara sauce we made at Whole Foods, I decided to try making it at home.

One change I made to the sauce was to add a small zucchini and a small yellow squash.  Since I subscribe to the "the more veggies the better!" philosophy, I loved this addition.  I just diced the squash and zucchini and added them to the sauce when I added the other veggies.

SO MANY BEAUTIFUL VEGGIES!

Other than the additions, I followed the recipe that we used at the cooking class (see below).  This included a whole bunch of fresh, diced tomatoes.  They were yummy, but cutting them was a lot of work!  The next time I make this sauce, I will most likely used canned tomatoes or at the very least a mix of fresh and canned. 

The sauce turned out great, and the extra veggies were a great addition.  I did think that it could have used a little bit of heat, though.  Who doesn't love a spicy marinara sauce?  I will try adding some crushed red pepper next time too.  And there will definitely be a next time! 

And now for the full recipe, courtesy of Chef Sarah Kurysz and Whole Foods Market Northbrook:

Ingredients:

• 1 small onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, diced
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 1 handful spinach, chopped
• 8 tomatoes, diced including all juices
• 1/4 cup basil, chopped
• 1 T oregano, chopped
• 1 teaspoon rosemary, finely diced
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Place diced onion with olive oil in a medium sauce pan.  Saute until translucent and turning brown.  Add diced garlic and continue to saute until dark brown and very soft.  If it gets too dry, add water to keep everything moist.

Add all remaining ingredients except for salt and pepper, and 1 cup water.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Cook on high until carrots are soft, about 15 minutes.

Remove cover and allow sauce to cook down and thicken.  Taste, and add salt and pepepr as necessary.

Serve as is, with vegetable chunks, or puree using a blender.

Thanks again, Chef Sarah, for hosting our cooking class and for allowing me to share this tasty recipe!

Whole Foods Blogger Cooking Class

Hey guys!  I've been needing some new inspiration to help me revive this blog, and Sunday I finally found it!  Katie from Live Half Full invited me to join her for a blogger cooking class she'd organized over at Whole Foods Market Northbrook Sunday, and I'm so glad I did!

You guys, full disclosure, I cannot cook.  Seriously.  My smoke alarm goes off so often that I practically ripped it from the ceiling trying to disconnect.  I eat pbj or microwaved veggie burgers for dinner semi-regularly.  But I actually left Whole Foods Sunday feeling confident about my cooking!

Our wonderful instructors Sarah and Robin taught us how to make a delicious, plant-based meal.  We started with making the dough for whole wheat pasta--super easy!

Pasta Dough!

Then, while our dough was resting, we got started on a veggie-filled marinara sauce.  My cooking partner Valerie and I had so much fun chopping our veggies, including using a trick for chopping onions that Chef Sarah taught us.

Now I know how to chop an onion!  (And hopefully NOT cut myself!)

That is, I had fun until I almost immediately cut my hand!  News flash: chef's knives are HELLA SHARP!!  Second news flash: my knife skills need work.  ;)  That didn't slow me down, though.  I patched myself up with a band-aid and a glove, and got back to work preparing our sauce.  I've never made marinara sauce from scratch, and I loved this sauce.  It was packed with veggies--onion, celery, carrot, pepper, spinach, tomatoes...YUM.  If WHEN I make this sauce at home, I'm going to add some mushrooms to it too.

Injury...

So bright and delicious!

Then, we got started on a dessert.  I was a little apprehensive when Sarah told us the Berry Cobbler we were making would be completely sugar free, but it ended up being great.  We sweetened it with a little maple syrup, date sugar, and of course fruit.

Next, Valerie and I worked on our salad.  We "shopped" for salad ingredients in Whole Foods and had so much fun selecting our ingredients to put our own personal touch on our salad.  We ended up adding pistachios and dried tart cherries--yum!  Then, we got to use a Vitamix blender to make our dressing.  I've only ever made olive oil based dressings, but this healthy dressing was amazing!

Speed Shopping!

I <3 bins="" bulk="" td="">

Loved the dressing we made.  I just might have to make it again!  Recipe: 2 avocados, 1/4 cup dill, 2 T parsley, 3 cloves garlic, 2 T lemon juice, 1 green onion, 2 T nutritional yeast, 1 t salt, 1/4 cup almond milk.  It made a creamy, bright dressing.

The Vitamix is NO JOKE!

Finally, we were ready to make our noodles!  Valerie and I had a great time using the pasta press to make perfect linguini noodles. I hadn't made pasta since I was a teenager, but it's always so much fun.

Then it was time to eat!  Everything was SO DELICIOUS.  My favorite part, though, was the vegetable marinara sauce.  I can't wait to make this recipe at home and to put my own twist on it!

YUM.

I may be a chocoholic, but this healthy dessert rocked.

During the class, we also got to watch two quick food demos for how to use a Vitamix blender to make healthy smoothies and how to use a food processor to make cocoa date truffles.  These were great!

I had a blast at the #WFMPlantProteinParty blogger cooking class.  The best part is that I really feel confident about my cooking and feel that I could make any of these recipes at home!  For this microwave queen, this is huge. :)

CLICK Espresso Protein Drink Review + Giveaway!

Between being trying to consume enough protein in my vegetarian diet to keep my tired muscles happy and trying to stay awake for long days of before-dawn workouts, teaching children, tutoring, and grad school, caffeine and protein are two things I am always trying to get my hands on.  I know the importance of protein in a healthy diet, but it is especially important for runners and athletes to consume protein after an intense workout to help those hard-working muscles recover quickly!  Here's the thing--a lot of the protein powder I've tried just plain SUCKS.  I know many people with stronger stomachs than myself can mix up a protein shake and down it no problem, but the chalky flavor so many powders have and the unpleasant after tastes are NOT my thing.  When I heard about CLICK espresso protein beverages, I was intrigued.   What could be better than a beverage with a hearty dose of both protein AND caffeine   I was super pumped to have the opportunity to check out CLICK and write a review.

From CLICK founder Greg Smith:

The innovative idea of combining espresso coffee and protein into a gourmet tasting healthy energy drink that can be enjoyed hot or cold just CLICKed one day...

The idea behind CLICK Espresso Protein Drink was to create a protein drink with the decadent coffee house taste and energy consumers crave along with the nutritional support they need that can be easily mixed with water, milk or their favorite beverage, all in a single 12-14 oz. serving.

CLICK sent me two different flavors of their protein drink to try: vanilla latte and mocha, plus a "blender bottle" shaker.  The only way I've been able to stomach protein powder in the past was to mix it into a blended fruit smoothie, so I was a little skeptical that CLICK would be different from the other brands I'd tried.  I tried the vanilla latte flavor first--per instructions, I mixed 2 scoops of protein powder with 14oz water.  My impressions were that the shaker did a good job getting the majority of the lumps out of the shake and that it dissolved quickly.  There were still a couple little tiny lumps, but I was impressed at the overall "dissolvedness" (yup, I can make up words), which was way better than many other powders I've tried.

What I was most worried about was the flavor--I CAN'T STAND that chalky taste so many powders have!  After my first sip, though  I was totally hooked.  It tasted like iced coffee!  Amazing!  The texture of the shake is thin like iced coffee too, so it drinks like a regular cold coffee beverage.  The taste was awesome.  I LOVED the vanilla latte flavor--it was the perfect level of sweetness and coffee.  The mocha flavor was great too, but a TOUCH too chocolatey-sweet for my tastes.  I now just mix a little less powder and a little more water for the mocha flavor, and it tastes great.

CLICK'in after a 4:30am run!

I have been loving drinking CLICK after morning workouts.  With the equivalent of 2 shots of espresso, not to mention 15g of protein in a shake, it is the perfect breakfast addition.  I made the mistake of drinking it after a night run a couple of weeks ago, and I couldn't fall asleep after, so I can vouch that it's definitely caffeinated   (There is a decaff option as well if that's your thing...)  I'm pretty pumped to have finally found a protein powder that I can just shake up with water and enjoy.  I still love my fruit smoothies, but it's so easy to scoop some CLICK into the shaker and toss it in my gym bag for a before school workout.  There is also a recipe page on the CLICK website with different ideas for "shaking up" (hehe get it?? ;) regular CLICK.  A few days ago I made the Pumpkin Spice recipe for an afternoon snack that will actually fill me up.  Yum.

CLICK'in after a 9mi long run!

Interested in trying CLICK for yourself?

CLICK has been kind enough to offer a couple of deals for my readers!  First, if you're interested in trying out CLICK without committing and buying a whole canister, CLICK is offering a buy one get one free deal on their sample packets.  Click here to claim your CLICK BOGO offer.  (I wish I'd tried a certain rice protein powder that way so that I'd discovered it's nasty and chalky before buying a 20oz canister that will be sitting on top of my fridge forever...)  

Also, CLICK is giving away a starter pack with a canister of CLICK and a shaker bottle to one reader!  Here's how to enter:  (Leave a separate comment for each entry)

• Be a follower of Juice Boxes and Crayolas and leave me a comment letting me know! (Mandatory)
• Visit the CLICK website and let me know which flavor or recipe you'd most like to try (+1 entry)
• Like CLICK on facebook and leave them a comment saying "Amy from Juice Boxes and Crayolas sent me!" (+1 entry)
• Share this giveaway on your blog, facebook, or twitter (+1 entry each)
• Leave a comment letting me know why you need a little CLICK in your life!!! (+1 entry)

This giveaway will end Saturday, October 27th at midnight.  I will choose a winner using random.org and post it the following day.  Good luck!

LEGAL DISCLAIMER: I was sent a CLICK starter pack in exchange for writing this review.  I was not compensated in any other way, and all opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Back to School, Back to School...

Happy Tuesday!  To those of you teachers who are still off...well, I'm jealous. :)  I have to say that I loved my two weeks off.  This break was hands down the laziest break of my teaching career, if not my life.  Several pajama days. :)  I have to tell you that I was completely dreading going back to school today.  You know how Mondays have been pretty rotten in my classroom this year?  Well I figured that the Monday after a two week break would be just that much more rotten...I'm happy to say I was wrong!

To convince myself to leave my warm cozy bed and pjs at an ungodly hour, I made myself a sinfully delicious bowl of oatmeal with peanut butter, brown sugar, and a spoonful of mini-chocolate chips...every bite was ah.maz.ing.  Seriously, I know this bowl was just LOADED with sugar and wasn't exactly the healthiest start to the day, but it was good for my soul (and probably still a healthier choice than a big starbucks muffin!).

I made it to school super early to prep for the week and get my brain back in Teacher Mode (nothing worse than scrambling on a Monday morning, except maybe scrambling on a Monday after a break!).  My kiddos, miraculously, weren't too crazy and our day went relatively smoothly!  (Except for when I told them a little white lie that lunch recess was going to be cancelled...my "hook" into a new unit on persuasive writing, more to come on this soon!)  Everything went smoothly, that is, until I BANGED my knee on the corner of a low cabinet in my classroom this afternoon.  My god.  That one stung...actually, it is still REALLY sore.  This job is just plain dangerous sometimes!  Anyways, I nixed my plans for a treadmill run and came home to, believe it or not, cook myself dinner.  Shocked?  I am too. 

Three "pots" (well, 2 and a blender), 20 minutes, and the easiest dinner ever was done!  I had quinoa with (frozen) sitrfry vegetables smothered in mmmm sauce (find the recipe at mamapea's here!).  Easy, yummy, and vegan!

Now, faced with a rare free evening, I'm putting up my feet, icing my swollen knee, and watching my newest guilty pleasure, Breaking Bad.  Have you watched that show before?  Holy intensely awesome.  Thank you, Netflix instant!! 

Teachers, how was your first day back?

What's your favorite quick-cook meal?

My First Week as a Vegan

Or, "What are the ingredients in this, please?"

I survived my first week (or 10 days to be exact) as a vegan!  And I'm happy to report that I'm not starving/dying/wasting away.  In fact, I'm feeling very full after eating a few spoonfuls of vegan chocolate chip cookie dough...oh come on, I know you ALL eat too much of the dough when baking cookies!!!  Anyways, I'm excited to fill you in on how the week has gone and give you a little background on why I decided to try out being vegan for 30 days.

The Why: 
(This is intended only to share my own thought processes, not to convince you to think or act the same way.)  When people ask why I'm a vegetarian, I tell them it's a combination of things--concerns about the environment, about my own health, and a general respect for life that makes me feel uncomfortable about the way animals are raised and slaughtered in our country.  In the past six months or so, the more I thought about it and the more I read, I realized that when it comes down to it, these same reasons are really reasons I should be a vegan.  Here's what I mean--I feel wrong about eating chicken because of the horrible factory farm conditions in which chickens are raised, but I eat eggs.  Not only are those chickens also raised in horrible conditions, but the egg industry ultimately results in just as many deaths as the poultry industry.  The same goes for dairy.  Not ready to make a shift to vegan (which is a big shift), I decided to commit to trying a vegan diet for 30 days during the month of October.

The What:
This month I will be abstaining from eating dairy, eggs, and honey in addition to fish, meat, and gelatin which I avoid at all times.  I will admit that I've made a few mistakes over the course of this first week!  I ate a whole wheat bagel after last weeked's 5K race, realizing afterward that it likely contained honey, and accidentally ate milk chocolate a few times without thinking about it.  It's a lot to remember!  But even just over the past few days, I've gotten more used to paying attention to what I'm eating and remembering to check ingredient labels.  I've also been, wait for it, COOKING!  Yes, me who eats oatmeal for dinner on a semi-regular basis.  I also wanted to try being vegan because I knew it would push me to cook and bake for myself more frequently.  So far, it definitely has!

The Eats:
Because I live alone, cooking one meal can mean that I end up eating it for a few days in a row, so I've only made a few different dinners so far.  Everything I've made, though, has been yummy!  Last weekend I made this delicious cashew-pineapple-veggie stirfry with quinoa, a recipe I modified from this recipe from Veganomicon.  I loved this dish and ate it at least 4 more times throughout the week it made so much!

Last Sunday one of my book club friends and I got together to continue the vegan joy with a baking day (oh and watching all three Twilight movies back to back...).  We made chocolate chip cookies using this recipe from Oh She Glows.  We substituted oats for the flax seeds and used all purpose flour instead of a WW/AP mix.  The cookies turned out DELICIOUS!  Nothing about them tasted "vegan," that's for sure.  I made another batch this morning because they were so good!

We also tried Mamma Pea's recipe for vegan pumpkin bars with dairy-free cream cheese icing.  Oh gosh.  So delicious.  The recipe made an entire tray full, and I've been devouring them all week long.  The texture was perfect--nice and moist (I hate that word but couldn't think of another one!)  I wouldn't mind a stronger pumpkin flavor, so I might put in a little extra next time.  Also loved the cream cheese frosting.  Again, you would never know these were vegan.

I also made some vegan pizza using a Trader Joe's WW pizza dough, marinara sauce, and some soy vegan cheese.  The cheese didn't melt very well, but it got soft in the oven at least and tasted great.

I also made a simple pasta dish this week with WW noodles, asparagus, snap peas, marinara sauce, and some fresh basil.  I sprinkled it with nutritional yeast for a cheesy-ish flavor.  I recently learned about nutritional yeast--it's not traditional baking yeast and is more like a seasoning.  It has a cheesy flavor, so it's used in vegan cooking sometimes to mimic a cheese taste.  I liked it!  Also, this weekend on my Michigan adventure, High School Friend and I cooked portabello mushroom caps, roasted cauliflower, and quinoa.  YUM!!!  Of course, for lunches and random snacks I've been eating my usual basic staples of hummus, pita, nuts, and veggies.  You just can't go wrong with that!

I'm looking forward to trying a few more recipes this week and will let you know how they go!

The Verdict:
It's easier being vegan than I expected!  Sure, it takes a LOT more thought and planning than being a regular veggie, but I imagine it only gets simpler with time.  After all, that's how it was for me when I transitioned to being a vegetarian.  A big reason I didn't try this out sooner was because I had a lot of reservations about the social effects of a vegan diet.  I worried about eating at others' houses, going out to dinner, and family holidays.  My diet is a personal choice, and I don't want it to be a burden on others, or annoying to others. So far I ahven't run into any real obstacles.  High School Friend M was a gracious host this weekend, cooking a quinoa and veggie dish for dinner my first night there and being open to trying some of the vegan food I brought with me.  We talked in advance about what she had in her pantry so I knew what to bring with--I packed a little cooler and a shopping bag with soy milk, Earth Balance "butter," hummus, almond butter, and dairy-free bread.  While visiting her, we went to one restaurant and it was as simple of checking the menu online before making our restaurant choice to make sure there was a vegan dish (or a dish that could be easily modified).  Simple!  When we worked up an appetite trekking around Grand Rapids all afternoon yesterday, I easily snagged a vegan snack at Starbucks--dried fruit and nuts mix + iced coffee with soy milk.

The to-die-for falafel wrap I found on the menu in Michigan.

Of course, there is a big difference between being a vegan every single day and being a vegan for the past 10 days.  It will be interesting to see how the rest of this month goes!

Any vegan recipe ideas for me?? I'll love you forever!

Kiss Me, I'm Vegan! (For 30 days, at least...)

For the past 6 months or so, I've been thinking about dabbling in a vegan diet, but have had major commitment-phobia.  No dairy?  No eggs?  I already can barely cook, how will I survive without omelets and cheese?  It takes big-time commitment to be a full-time vegan, and I'm just not ready for that.  I did decide to tackle one of the things on my 30 before 30 list: try being a vegan for 30 days.  October is the month!  Buh bye eggs, dairy, and honey!

Because I'm not much of a cook, I don't have much of a pantry at home...in fact, I barely even had spices beyond italian seasoning and garlic powder!  To prepare for my vegan month, I did some epic grocery shopping.  After perusing some blogs and cookbooks, I realized just how many ingredients my kitchen was lacking and prepared this crazy list...

I started the shopping adventures at my favorite store, Trader Joe's.  I swear, every time I walk into that store I am instantly in a wonderful mood.  If I ever burn out at teaching, I think working there might be a nice change...the employees are always so happy!  Just kidding...kinda... ;)  I managed to find a bunch of things on my list here...

Today, I hit Whole Paycheck Foods.  Another happy place!  Although because I rarely go there, I felt completely lost wandering through the store!  I found some other goodies there before heading over to Jewel to pick up some basics and the last of my list.  The haul:

The damage:

$210 later, and my fridge and cabinets are full of vegan goodness!  In order to make it through this month, I am commiting to cooking at least 2-3 real meals a week.  That may not seem like much, but that's about 2-3 more meals a week than I normally cook!  I got the party started tonight with a slightly simplified version of a recipe from the cookbook Veganomicon: Pineapple Cashew Quinoa.    This is the only cutting board I have in my apartment...Can you tell I don't cook much?  Must add that to my next Target list!

The finished product: YUM!!!

This recipe was pretty simple, fresh, light, and super tasty.  Also, it's packed with three different plant-based proteins!  Quinoa, edamame, and cashews.  WOOHOO!

Any vegan-friendly recipes to recommend?  I'm gonna need help if I'm going to make it through this month!!!


EDIT: I just found out that today is World Vegetarian Day!  What better day to start my vegan experiment :)

On Being a Vegetarian: 10 Simple Steps to Make the Transition Easier

Some of my recent reflections on vegetarianism and my diet:

On Being a Vegetarian

On Being a Vegetarian: The Gelatin Question

On Being a Vegetarian: The Egg Question

On Being a Vegetarian: Does it Make a Difference?

Becoming a vegetarian was an easy choice for me, and I haven’t looked back since I stopped eating meat almost 4 years ago.  However, it is not an easy choice or transition for everyone.  I’d like to share some of the things that made the transition easier for me both initially and over the past few years.  (Oh, and the pictures really have nothing to do with the text--they are just some of my recent vegetarian eats! :) )

1. Be confident in your decision before you share it with others, and be prepared to explain it politely to those who ask about your motivations.

Some people will be very supportive of you, others will think this is just “an experiment” and question your seriousness, and still others will let you know quite frankly that they think you are crazy.  Be prepared to calmly and politely give a quick explanation for your choice, but know that you don’t have to defend it, and understand that some people may never understand.

2. Let yourself gradually transition meat out of your diet if that is easier for you than going cold "tofurkey."

College Roommate and I actually chose to become vegetarians right around the same time at the end of a school year(without even discussing the decision with each other!), and while she was very successful at immediately “quitting” meat, I gave myself a summer to make the transition.  I hadn’t eaten red meat for years, but gradually phased poultry out of my diet, followed by seafood over the course of a summer.  I decided that when I returned to campus to start classes in fall, I would be completely finished with eating meat.  The gradual approach worked REALLY well for me, as I felt like I needed to “say goodbye” to a few favorite foods.

3. Remember that you create the rules for your own diet.

There are so many gray areas for vegetarians—I talked about them in this post.  Remember that you need to decide what works best for you.  Initially for me, that meant abstaining only from animals.  This past year I gave up gelatin as well, and I’ve considered saying goodbye to eggs and dairy recently, although I’m not *quite* ready for that jump.

4. Educate yourself about nutrition.

It’s pretty easy to get enough of the nutrients you need on a veggie diet (contrary to what some meat eaters may try to tell you), but make sure, especially in the beginning, that you are getting enough protein and iron.  It’s as simple as being aware of what you are eating.

5. Find meatless ways to recreate favorite recipes to avoid cravings.

While I rarely miss meat, I do find myself experiencing a few “comfort food cravings” from time to time.  The biggest one of these is chicken nuggets.  I don’t use “fake meat” very often, but I buy Morningstar Chicken Nuggets frequently.  They are DELICIOUS and are exactly what I need when I’m craving nuggs after driving by a Wendy’s. J (And they are WAY healthier than the alternative, which is an added bonus!)  Additionally, I’ve always loved grilled chicken with barbeque sauce.  I realized after becoming a vegetarian that it’s really barbeque sauce that I missed, so I found other things to slather it on like baked potatoes and grilled tofu.  Yum!

6. Look at menus online before dining out, especially with friends.

This one has been a big help for me.  Depending on where you live, many restaurants may not have vegetarian entrees on their menus.  If you are invited to a specific restaurant, it’s helpful to check the menu online (or call if it’s not available).  If there aren’t veggie options, decide how you will handle this.  Is there an entrée that can have the meat easily left off? (You can often ask for a reduced rate if this is the case.)  Is there the possibility of swapping an ingredient in a dish for another?  Are there veggie side dishes?  The more prepared you are, the more pleasant your dining experience will likely be.

7. Offer to bring a vegetarian dish to parties.

If you are invited somewhere for dinner, make sure the host knows you are a vegetarian and offer to bring either a dish to share or something for yourself.  For example, when I’m invited to a barbeque, I usually bring a veggie burger in a ziplock bag for the host to throw on the grill.  For a bigger event, I may prepare a dish to pass.  It will set your mind at ease knowing there will be something you can eat, and also keeps you from being an inconvenience to your host.

8. Be clear about what you do and do not eat when hosts inquire.

It’s important to be polite as a guest, but if someone asks what you eat when inviting you over, tell them!   This might save you from feeling obligated to eat an ingredient you avoid for fear of hurting your host’s feelings.

9. Carry a high-protein snack with you.

Sometimes a veggie meal isn’t going to be readily available—this is especially true when traveling.  When I take a trip, I try to throw some nuts or high-protein granola bars into my suitcase so I have them if I need them.

10. Give yourself permission to change your personal “rules” at any time.

Like I said, I recently decided I was no longer okay with eating gelatin, 3 ½ years after going vegetarian.  I’ve always said that I make the rules for my diet based on what I feel comfortable with and what works for me at a given time.  I’ve been thinking about trying a vegan diet lately, and if and when I do, I will fully give myself permission to make my own rules for it based on health, nutrition, and what I feel capable of doing.

On Being a Vegetarian: Does it Make a Difference?

Some of my recent reflections on vegetarianism and my diet:

On Being a Vegetarian

On Being a Vegetarian: The Gelatin Question

On Being a Vegetarian: The Egg Question

This post is not about teaching or running, but is again about my thoughts on a vegetarian lifestyle and my own experiences as a vegetarian.  I'm not sure why my veggie diet has been on my mind lately, but in writing this I hope to breathe some life into the thoughts that have been swirling around in my head lately.

In June, I read an amazing book entitled Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer.  While I’d been giving my diet and vegetarianism in general a considerable amount of thought in recent months, this book changed something in me.  I’ve felt for a long time now that I cannot morally justify eating meat, which is why I ditched the meat in 2007 and never looked back.  That being said, Eating Animals shocked me.  I knew how terrifying the meat industry is in the United States.  If I thought it was rainbows and sunshine, I probably would still be eating meat.  But I was astounded when I learned how ignorant I truly was.   When people asked me in the past why I live a vegetarian lifestyle, I’ve always answered that my choice is based on a respect for life; I am ethically opposed to eating another living creature.  Sweet and simple.  But even though I've always been convinced that this choice is important and worthwhile, a question I've asked myself many times is,

“But what difference will one vegetarian make?”  

See, I’ve always been something of a bleeding heart.  I am passionate about many things and would idealistically daydream as a teen and college student about one day “changing the world.”  Can my diet, the diet of just ONE person in the world, actually make a difference?  Is it even worth bothering?

Gandhi famously said, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”  This is a favorite quote of mine, and I know it is a favorite of many others too.  It is especially meaningful to me when I think about my diet.  It’s true that when I order pasta primavera at a restaurant or bring my own veggie burger to a barbeque I am doing nothing radical.  I am not fighting a great battle against factory farms or the meat industry.  But I am doing what I can, one person, to work for change in small ways.  Foer beautifully addresses this idea towards the end of his book:

It might sound naïve to suggest that whether you order a chicken patty or a veggie burger is a profoundly important decision.  Then again, it certainly would have sounded fantastic if in the 1950s you were told that where you sat in a restaurant or on a bus could begin to uproot racism.  It would have sounded equally fantastic if you were told in the early 1970s, before César Chávez’s workers’ rights campaigns, that refusing to eat grapes could begin to free farm workers from slave-like conditions.  It might sound fantastic, but when we bother to look, it’s hard to deny that our day-to-day choices shape the world.  When America’s early settlers decided to throw a tea party in Boston, forces powerful enough to create a nation were released.  Deciding what to eat (and what to toss overboard) is the founding act of production and consumption that shapes all others.  Choosing leaf or flesh, factory farm or family farm, does not itself change the world, but teaching ourselves, our children, our local communities, and our nation to choose conscience over ease can.  One of the greatest opportunities to live our values—or betray them—lies in the food we put on our plates (258).

Don’t mistakenly take Foer’s analogy to mean that he equates his fight against inhumane treatment of animals to the noble, brave fights of King, Chávez, or our founding fathers.   He understands, “Human oppression is not animal abuse…. [but] we interpret the Chávez and King legacies—we interpret America’s legacy—too narrowly if we assume in advance that they cannot speak against the oppression of the factory farm” (259).  I don’t think anyone can deny that even the smallest of choices we make on a daily basis can have great effects on both our own lives and the lives of others.  I am not naïve enough to believe that I can “change the world” in the way I dreamed of someday doing as a teen.  But I can make a difference, and I have seen firsthand the smallest of ways I have inspired change through my choices.  Foer writes, “…the influence that this simple dietary choice has on what others around you eat can be surprising” (261).

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I’ve noticed when I eat at restaurants with friends or even stop at Subway for a quick lunch with a coworker, they tend to be more likely to order a vegetarian dish when with me than they normally would be.  Let me clarify—I don’t criticize others for eating meat or comment when they do.  Vegetarianism is a personal choice and I dislike when others criticize my food, so I extend to them the same courtesy that I expect in return.  But even though I don’t push for it, I have seen it happen naturally that friends will reconsider their usual meat preferences in favor of a vegetarian entrée when dining with a vegetarian.

Also, while I don’t demand others cook special vegetarian fare when I’m coming to dinner and always offer to bring my own food, it tends to happen naturally that meatless food will make its way to the table at dinner parties when a vegetarian is invited.  I meet with a two girlfriends every few weeks to share food and talk about books.  Neither are vegetarians, but every meal we’ve shared together has been completely vegetarian.  I don’t ask for this special consideration, but it’s the pattern we have fallen into, and I assure you that none of our meals have ever lacked substance or flavor.

Similarly, my diet has resulted in my parents’ eating vegetarian more frequently than in the past.  I lived with my parents after graduating for two years, only just recently moving out, and my diet prompted my mom and dad to make small changes in their cooking.  They now cook vegetarian chili and always use vegetable stock in soups and other recipes.  Dishes like pasta are always meat-free.  Neither of my parents will ever be a vegetarian—it’s not important to them in the way it is to me.  But when I think about how much less meat they have consumed out of their own volition since my choice­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ to stop eating meat, I know that my choice to eat vegetarian has made a difference.

Last but not least, choosing to eat vegetarian sets an example for others that it is possible to give up meat without sacrificing nutrition or taste.  When I eat spinach ravioli or leftover tofu stir fry or quinoa with black beans in the teacher’s lounge at school, it invites questions.  It invites intrigue.  It might expose someone to a new vegetarian dish or plant a seed of thought about the ethics of eating animals in their head.    

It has always been a pet peeve of mine when someone comments that someone else’s food is “gross” or distasteful.  As I’ve said, food is deeply personal.  When I made the decision to become a vegetarian, I made a pact with myself that I would never look down on others for their food choices; I can only choose how I will eat and live.  It’s true that the only ones we can really control are ourselves, but even making a change on a personal level can inspire more tiny effects than we may ever have dreamed.  

Remember there's no such thing as a small act of kindness.  
Every act creates a ripple with no logical end. 
-Scott Adams

If you are thinking about becoming a vegetarian and are unsure that it is worth the “hassle” to make what might feel like is such a minuscule difference in the world, think again.  One person cannot change everything that is wrong in the meat industry, but by changing ourselves, we can make a difference.

Hug a Vegetarian :)

Happy Vegetarian Week!  (Who knew there even was such a thing?!?)

What better way to celebrate than to have a meatless day or even a meatless meal this week. :)