I am trying this 30 day vegetarian diet to see just how easy it is to stick to and how expensive it is. If you're curious about doing the same thing you can keep checking this "diary" to see how I am handling it. I'll post everything I eat for the first week, then just the new things I try. If I come across any fantastic veg recipes, I'll post those, too. Hope I am of some help to other aspiring vegetarians!
SECOND UPDATE: It has only been two weeks since I started this but I'm feeling like a pro. I have absorbed so much information on it and enjoy it so much, I have dedicated an additional blog to it. http://vegheadnutrition.blogspot.com. I am reading up on material and trying to present it in a manner convenient for and tailored to vegetarians. Anyone from experienced to beginner veg*n, please take a look!
UPDATE: Okay so I got pretty busy and haven't been able to log in what I've been eating. I have not cheated though! I haven't even found it that difficult :) . My energy level has been just as high as before. I went to Barnes 'n' Noble a few days ago to find some recipes. Two workers there I found out were also vegetarian - I think the estimate is that 7% of people are vegetarian, many for religious reasons. They recommend I read a book called "The Ethics of What We Eat" and said I'll never even think of touching meat again - maybe I'll read that this winter.
I didn't need to lose weight but I have already lost 5 pounds. That is not really what excites me though, I am excited because my stomach is completely flat! I could never do that even when I used to work out all the time.
Most importantly, I have always had stomach aches very frequently. I thought for a while it might be dairy but I noticed I would get them without cheese and milk. I figured my stomach just sucked. I HAVE NOT HAD ONE STOMACH ACHE SINCE I STARTED THIS. Could it be that I just had trouble digesting meat? I didn't want to jump to conclusions already but I just found in my reading that some people do have trouble digesting meat - a new idea to me and another reason doctors recommend people become vegetarian. I used to enjoy meat in things, ground up or cut up. I didn't really like to eat thick hamburgers or whole chicken breasts, no matter what spices or flavor - the texture was just gross to me.
I will leave the first couple of days' menus up but I don't think I'll list things specifically anymore. I also don't want to make this whole blog about vegetarianism. So if anyone wants more information than I've given, just ask. I'll be happy to share my new wisdom :) .
This diet is completely healthy and you can get all of your necessary nutrients without meat, which did surprise me - and the meat substitutes are very close to regular meat tastes.
This is good for you, the environment, world hunger, and animals! I highly recommend trying it out or even just learning more about it to see if it is for you or not. Check out the vegetarian food pyramid at the link below:
http://www.vegsource.com/nutrition/pyramid.htm
Day One
Breakfast: Hashbrowns and orange vitamin water = 2.50
Lunch: Salad Bar and apple juice = 5.00 (had every veggie imaginable but also included cheese, eggs, and sunflower seeds for protein)
All Day: 40 ounces of water
Dinner: Cheese soup and baked potato = 7.50 w/ tax and tip - usually get chicken tender wrap there - :( but I was strong.
Late Night: 1 glass of chocolate milk
Today was not so bad.. not too expensive either. I found out the cheese soup had bacon bits in it after it was brought out.. NOTE: to ask for ingredients next time.
Day Two
Breakfast: Raisin Nut Bran
Morning Snack: Apple cake - it was treat day at work.
Lunch: Healthy Choice macaroni w/broccoli and carrot medley, a pb & j sandwich, and 1/2 of a Mt.Dew - I only have a couple of those a week, they are my weakness!
Afternoon Snack: I was completely starving by five o'clock so I had some cashews
All Day: 40 oz. of water again - a daily thing so I'll stop mentioning it.
Dinner: The free dinner tonight was turkey and mashed potatoes.. so I went to the store.
My first meat-substitute: two veggie corn dogs - to my surprise they were wonderful! I had some of the mashed potatoes and a handful of jalapeno cheetos to fill me up.
Besides the late afternoon hunger, today went well, too. Every time someone finds out I'm doing this 30-day vegetarian thing, they give me a hard time... but Oh well. I can handle that. It hasn't been that difficult to get my recommended protein so far.
Day Three:
Breakfast: Quaker oatmeal-raisin breakfast cookie and a banana.
Lunch: Sugar snap peas and baby carrots with cucumber ranch dip - yummy!, Alfredo pasta - carbs don't bother me, and Calcium goldfish crackers.
Afternoon Snack: South Beach Diet cereal bar - 10 grams of protein!
Dinner: I wasn't even hungry at dinner for some reason, just had a toasted whole wheat bagel with peanut butter and milk.
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