80% Vegetarian? (a rant about food)

I don't talk about my approach to eating a lot, because I feel like it might come across a little preachy. But, I'm really passionate about food.  REAL Food.  I feel like we have gone terribly wrong in regards to what we eat on a day to day basis in our country.  The mass majority of food people eat is over processed and chemical laden.  I believe in eating well. I don't believe in dieting.  Just because the box says it is healthy doesn't mean it is. Now, we aren't prefect.  From time to time, we pick up a pizza or hit up Chick-fil-a.  But these are by far the exception, not the rule. And, I think these little indulgences are more than okay.  I let the boys eat suckers occasionally, I just don't keep them in the house.  What fun is life without the occasional ice cream cone or french fries? It is okay to indulge occasionally, but moderation is key. I've spent a lot of time thinking about our food philosophy   Yes, I have a food philosophy and you should too.  Stop and think about what you eat and how you eat.  Hands down, my favorite food writer is Michael Pollan.  I love him.  Here is a good article introducing his approach to food, if you aren't familiar with his work.  His food rules are amazing.  I love and believe in the idea of eating real, whole food.  Here are few of his rules, some paraphrased, that are my favorite.  I try to keep these things in my head when I shop for food.  I don't always follow them, but I try (and think I do pretty well).

If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don't.

Don't eat breakfast cereals that change the color of the milk.

Eat all the junk food you want as long as you cook it yourself. 

Do all your eating at a table.

Don't eat anything your great grandma would recognize as food.

If it has more than five ingredients or ingredients you can't pronounce, don't eat it. 

Avoid the middle of the super market.

Eat at home. 

If you can make it yourself, do it. Cook from scratch. 

 

Like I said we aren't perfect.  I used to make all of our own bread, but since the boys came along, I haven't been able to do that.  I still buy crackers for the boys and box cereals (though, I am always trying to buy less). Also, I don't buy organic much. I would love too. But it just isn't cost effective for us. I am a member of a local community garden (which I am going to post about soon), which has been a great way to get organic produce. Now, overall, cooking and eating real food is cheaper. FOR REAL.  Often people say eating well cost too much, but I don't find this to be true (it would be if we only ate organic).  Eating prepackaged and convenience food is expensive.  Frozen lasagna cost more per piece than making it from scratch.  It does take a little more planning, but it isn't as hard as people think.  I feel like the biggest mistake people make is trying to start a drastic change over night.  Start small. We've slowly been making dietary changes over the years.  I didn't wake up one day and start cooking everything from scratch. It took a lot of little steps to establish a whole foods diet. Slow change isn't exciting but I find it is more sustainable. If you eat out all the time for example, just start by cooking at home two nights a week.  You could just start by not buying cookies or chips. Or just stop buying margarine   That stuff is terrible for you!!  Just look at the ingredient list. Butter taste better and has no where near as much scary stuff in it.  Just use it moderation.  I'd rather have less of something excellent than a lot of something crappie.  Or, if you want to eat less meat just start by having meatless Monday.  Which brings me to the point of this post . . . . .

Remember when we said we were going to be vegetarian for a month? Umm. back in August? Well, we made it. A month without meat. Going meat free wasn't as hard as we thought it would be.   Actually, it was pretty easy. But at the end of the month, we decided to celebrate with bacon. I'm not totally a hater when it comes to eating meat.  I like bacon (and hamburgers). Also, I didn't really want to be the odd man out.  Being a strict vegetarian can be a little tricky when you are at people homes and eating out. I decided to take a more laid back approach.  The 80% approach. Basically, at home we are pretty much meat free.  Not only do we feel better (all of us, ask Jason, even though, he still has to have a burger or a steak every once in awhile) when we eat less meat, but it also really helps on our grocery budget.  When I cut out meat, it frees up more money for more expensive items like nuts and organic foods.  I'm a stay at home mom people, we live on a budget.

Now, because a few people have asked,  "What have we been eating?"  Eating vegetarian can be yummy and flavorful.  When done right, it isn't obvious that meat is missing.  No really!  I'm very much an improvisational cook. Which is why I don't share a lot of recipes on the blog.  I just like to wing it.  For example, every time I make curry, I do it a little different. It drives Jason crazy (even though he always likes it.)   That being said, here are a list of some of our favorite vegetarian meals (and links to recipes if I have one).  

Zucchini Fritters  

Best Black Bean Burger (I've tried a lot, this one holds up to the grill)

BBQ Tofu (great article on making tofu yummy, no really it can be so good. I'm as shocked as you are).

Vegetarian Lasagna (just use veggies instead of meat - egg plant, zucchini, peppers, etc.)

Veggie Panini (roasted veggies for the filling with pesto, mayo and cheese)

Vegetable Curry (I don't have recipe but I do something like this, without the chicken. My favorite mix is cranberries, chick peas, sweet potatoes and carrots)

Black Bean Tacos

Macaroni with Hidden Squash (I use summer squash most the time and whole wheat pasta, I skip the ricotta because I never have it on hand.)

Grilled Pizza (no recipe - we use tortillas for the crust and whatever vegetarian topping we have in the house)

Black bean sweet potato pasta (no recipe, but something kind of like this over whole wheat pasta)

Honey Bunny Sandwich (this is more of a lunch but so good, we actually put a little honey on it!!)

Sweet Potato Chili
Lentil Loaf - I don't have a recipe because I blended several but it turned out so yummy.
Raw Oatmeal Balls - I tweaked this a little using what I had, but the concept is great.  I used a little brown sugar and almond milk instead of agave this time around. Perfect sweet treat and the kids LOVED IT.
Kale Chips - Oh my word my house loves kale chips.  The kids literally dance about the oven yelling 'Kale' while they are cooking.  Seriously. There are lots of recipes out there, we toss torn leaves in olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder and cook at 350 for 10 minutes (or until crisp). Perfection.

Hands down my favorite vegetarian recipes source is Oh my Veggies (I love this blog) and Kitchen Treaty.  Also Smitten Kitchen and 365 Days of Slow Cooking has great vegetarian recipes.

So there you have it.  My food philosophy.  I'll get off my soap box now, just promise me you'll take some time and think about the food you eat. 

Have a go to meat free recipe? I'd love to hear it!  Meat free meals are good for your wallet and your tummy. 

P.S. While I don't think weight loss should be the primary reason for eating healthy, I would like to note that I am the thinnest I've ever been in my adult life.  Yes, after two kids. I weigh around 20 pounds less then I did when I got pregnant with Henry.  And, before anyone mentions my running, I'd like to note that the bulk of my weight loss happened before I became an avid runner.  I do think running helps, but it is part of a healthy life style.  I really think the main reason I am able to stay slim (and keep it off without trying) is how we eat.  We eat well.  I don't feel deprived.  I eat cookies, I just make them myself.  I do practice portion control (most of the time).  I don't eat a whole bunch of cookies at once.  Just one or two.  I eat real butter and homemade bread.  What I don't eat is a lot of store bought junk food and processed food.  We rarely eat out. I don't eat much meat. I believe whole food can mean a whole lot less of you :).  I just thought I'd toss that out there if you needed an extra incentive to eat well.