1. Vegan. Vegans are the extremists that you read about and probably wonder about. They've even in the minority among vegetarians. Vegans abstain from the use of animal products in every aspect of daily life. That means no meat, no dairy, and no eggs. But, for example, it also means avoiding the use of leather, silk, and wool. Vegans don't even eat honey. The bees are overworked and underpaid, or something.
2. Total Vegetarian. Total vegetarianism is a practice that avoids all animal products but only in concern to diet. You could meet a total vegetarian wearing a leather jacket, but you wouldn't find them enjoying a steak or eggs or yogurt. Some of them even consume honey.
3. Lactovegetarian. Lactovegetarians, or lactarians, include dairy products like milk in their diets; it does a body good. Eggs don't do anything for their bodies, because they don't eat them.
4. Ovovegetarian. Ovovegetarins consume eggs. However, milk and yogurt are off limits. You can fix them scrambled eggs for breakfast, but don't serve those eggs with a glass of milk. They'll cry over the milk even if you don't spill it. Okay, so they probably wouldn't cry.
5. Ovolactovegetarians. According to Wikipedia, which is never wrong except when it is, this is the most common type of vegetarian in America. I'm now one of them. And, it seems that the majority of Seventh Day Adventists practice this type of vegetarian diet. Lacto-ovo vegetarians, as they are sometimes called, avoid beef, lamb, poultry, pork, fish, and any other kind of animal flesh. Surprisingly, that means Jell-O is off limits. [But that's a topic for a different day.] They do eat both eggs and dairy products though. And they love honey. Or at least I do. And that means that I can enjoy chocolate chip cookies with milk tonight.
I promised to quickly answer a couple of questions with today's post:
Why 40 days? When I was first thinking about this experiment, I wondered how long it should last. Admittedly, there was a temptation to copy Morgan Spurlock's "30 Days" series because I enjoy it so much. Then I was reminded that, again and again in Scripture, 40 always represents the number of completion. Forty seemed perfect. Forty years seemed like way too long to wait for my next cheeseburger and forty minutes wouldn't impress anyone. So, 40 days it is.
Why blog about this experience? I wanted to get back in the habit of writing every day. Rule #1 of being a successful writer, or even a mediocre one that wants to improve, is writing something every day. You can't call yourself a writer if you don't write. This blog gives me a topic to write about and a small but loyal audience to share my work with.
- What did I eat on Day 2?
Breakfast. A banana. Peeled upside down, from the bottom, because it's easier. Trust me.
Lunch. My parents called on their way to visit today and offered to bring over some lunch. They're great like that. While I'm always excited about the prospect of lunch, admittedly, I couldn't fathom what I would order from a drive-through window besides a side salad or fries. So, I had the leftover California Grilled Veggie Sandwich which was even tasty the next day... always a good test of how good something really is. And Carolyn destroyed the last of the pepperoni pizza; so there's no meat left in the apartment to tempt me.
Dinner. New recipe #2:Angel Hair Pasta with Checca Sauce. This was a Giada De Laurentiis recipe from Food Network that promised that the meal could be cooked and on the table in 10 minutes. And, in literally no time, dinner was ready. I even steamed some green beans as a side dish. I could cook this meal three times before Rachael Ray could finish one of her famous 30 minute meals. Checca sauce apparently originated in Italy and with the cherry tomatoes, basil, onion, and garlic it really has some strong spices. It was flavorful, but somehow my version was especially strong on the garlic and onion. The most interesting part of this veggie-filled sauce is that you don't cook it at all and it still works. The Massengale family's final verdict on the Checca sauce: Not bad, but a good ways from being amazing.
Thanks for reading!
Tomorrow's menu will be brought to you by the good folks at Morningstar Farms. 2 down. 38 to go.
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Looks like fun! I love your writing style, I always have since college. I think you should try the Boca burgers, they are great, and I think there are lots of great italian recipes that don't necessarily require meat. Of course, after 40 days, I think you should go to Atlanta with me and tackle the giant heart attack hamburger, it'll be a nice celebratory meal.
ReplyDeletegood luck with your new "diet"
ReplyDeletewhere do you get focaccia bread in the 'burg?
Please don't tell me the W, 'cause you KNOW I can't go there!
I want to try that Grilled Veggie recipe!
I left you a comment on your first day, but apparently it disappeared. Anyway, good luck! My sister-in-law is a vegetarian, so let me know if you need any good recipes! I'll have to ask her what the best fake meat products are as well. I'd be interested how you think they compare.
ReplyDeleteRyan, thanks for the compliments! I'm seriously down for going to Atlanta with you in February if you want to go! How much is that crazy burger anyway?
ReplyDeleteMarianne, thanks for reading! Carolyn actually makes fantastic focaccia bread from scratch. They do sell it at the dreaded W though... And you should really try that Grilled Veggie sandwich. Very good stuff!
Mandy, I'm glad it finally cooperated with you! I'd love to get some recipes from your sister-in-law. Is that Matthew's wife or Ryan's sister? I hope you're doing well.