Vegetarian : Why on Earth ?

It's a question that many Americans have asked. Some hold up their hand and state a resounding, "No!"
Others seem curious and want to know more. Then there are the ones who want to dive right in and become super Vs without knowing squat beforehand.

I have tried it and have also come to the conclusion that it is a lifestyle that should not be taken on with the notion of 'I'll just wing it' as the modus vivendi. When I did the V-life, my days included meal planning. And meal planning required regular shopping, food preparation, and execution. At one time I lived with a person who worked irregular hours and satisfied the regulation of her hunger by ordering takeout. I never lived that life(style) even when I was a full-fledged omnivore. Her comment(ary) was invariably something like, "What if you don't feel like tofu tonight," or "TVP balls? We had that last night!"

There are some foods that I could easily eat every day without complaint. Rice and beans for breakfast, for example, has been a staple of mine for years. The beans are made in quantities to last for a week. And a cup of dry rice makes enough rice for me to last the week as well. I live on smaller portions.

There are times when I wish I were more motivated to have lots of the good stuff in the fridge just ready for me to dish it out, scarf it up, and say, "I am satisfied. This was enough."

Vegetarian life doesn't mean that you go hungry. It also doesn't mean that you are not covering all of the nutritional bases. My happier days were as an ovo-lacto vegetarian when I could have a variety of eggs, soups, dairy dishes, and the like. Are there things that I missed? Of course. When everyone else is eating Friday night chicken, there is something that seems lacking with watercress dressed with oil and vinegar. No one ever wanted to try the tofu (and I had many varieties) or sample a dish called Buddha's Feast.

Sometimes I'd feel as if I were saving the planet. The one difference in MY vegetarian life, however, was that I never stood on a soap box and I never looked for converts. And if anyone wanted to just poke holes in my choices, I'd tell him/her that there was nothing more to talk about it. And the conversation would be over.