The Vegetarian Post

Since many of you asked so many questions about our diet, I figured I would post some FAQ and answers for the rest of you who have thought it but not asked it. :) Feel free to ask more ?s if you like.

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Why are you a vegetarian, is it because you are trying to save the animals?

For health reasons. No, we are not trying to save the animals. That is certainly a noble cause, but we choose to eat the way we do because we want to be as healthy as we can.

Wait, but you eat fish, right?

No, fish is flesh. In some ways it is considered to be one of the healthiest kinds of meat, so if we had to pick one it might be fish, if we could get over the smell :) (if you can't tell, neither of us liked fish much.)

How do you get your protein?

We try not to get too much! Ha ha, jk. The average American gets a TON of protein every day, more than necessary for growth and function. Beans, tofu, nuts and seeds have a lot of protein in them and are good, healthy sources. Other foods have smaller amounts of protein in them but are still good to add to overall protein levels.

How long have you been a vegetarian?

Kimball's family stopped eating red meat when he was about 8 years old and then stopped eating all meat when he was 10. I stopped eating meat about 2 years after we were married, so I have been a vegetarian now for about 2 years.

Did Kimball make you stop eating meat?

Nope. We didn't talk about it much and he never pushed me. If he did, I think I would have run the other way, I'm a little stubborn that way.

What do you eat?

I was a little scared when we first got married because I didn't know what I was going to cook! But I just made whatever I did before and left out the meat. It really wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I thought it would close doors to things that I would be able to cook and eat, but I eat pretty much everything I used to and have discovered even more dishes. So basically I got everything I wanted and more. :)

What kind of vegetarians are you, ovo-lacto, vegan...?

We like to say that we are mostly vegan, that means that we avoid all kinds of animal products. We never eat meat and we rarely eat dairy products. We try not to keep diary products at home, but if we go to a restaurant and there is cheese in a dish it's no big deal.

Have you noticed a difference in the way you feel now that you don't eat meat?

For about the first month or so I didn't notice any difference and then I realized that I didn't have heartburn anymore ( I used to live on Tums), it was easier for me to go to the bathroom (too much info I know, but it's true and was a big deal for me), and I just felt like I had more energy. (Of course, now that I have 3 kids I never feel like I have energy:))

Do you judge me because I eat meat?

No! Sometimes when we eat out with friends or family they feel awkward because they are eating meat in front of us. I wish they wouldn't feel that way. This is something that we have chosen to do that works well for us and we feel good about it. We don't judge others who feel differently.

You don't drink milk? How do you get your calcium?

There is a plethora of calcium in a variety of other foods. Greens, beans, fortified soy and rice milks are great sources of calcium. I thought not drinking milk was going to be so hard because I LOVE milk (I used to drink gallons a week by myself) but it was so much easier than I thought. We alternate between soy and rice milk for cold cereal and we (especially the kids) love it.

If you were starving in the wilderness would you kill an animal and eat it?

Yes, duh.

A statement I hear often: I am a country/farm girl/boy, I could never do that.

I am too, I did it. (They say it as if I was begging them to do it. ha ha.)

Do you like eating the way you do? Do you find it inconvenient?

When I found out Kimball was a vegetarian, I was SO weirded out. I knew there were people like that out there but I didn't really ever think I would meet one. I never thought I could like it because it was so foreign to me, and I was a picky eater, so I didn't even want to think about it, but I love it! I think it's kind of cool. I don't think that it is inconvenient at all, I think it's easier if anything. The only time it's a little inconvenient is if we go to a restaurant that doesn't have any vegetarian options, (which is rare) but we just ask them to leave the meat off of a dish or whip something up for us and they are usually very happy to do it.

Do you know we think you are weird?
Yes-- but trust me, even if we weren't vegetarians, you would still think we are weird. :)