Day 8 Or... My Discovery of Ben Franklin's Go Veg Project

Did you know that, as a young man, Benjamin Franklin tried his own version of the Go Veg Project? Obviously, he didn't blog about it, but it does get a mention in his autobiography.

According to Nava Atlas, and her book, "Vegetariana," many important people throughout history at least dabbled with a vegetarian diet: Plato, Leonardo da Vinci, Martin Luther, Gandhi, Einstein, and Benjamin Franklin, just to name a few.

I was fascinated and more than a little amused at what I read about Franklin's experimentation with going vegetarian.

Apparently, he gave up meat at the age of 16 and really enjoyed how thrifty the diet was over the years. According to Atlas, he even was able to convince an employer, a printer and a "great glutton" named Keimer, to try the vegetarian diet with him.

Keimer agreed to give up eating animals as long as Franklin kept him company at mealtime. Franklin gave a woman in the neighborhood a list of 40 recipes, which she then prepared for them. The two men were successful with "going veg" for three entire months. Franklin really enjoyed the experience, but Keimer felt like he was suffering because of his constant desire for meat. (My wife probably feels like Keimer did.)

Apparently, one day Keimer couldn't take it anymore. He had invited Franklin and also two ladies to dinner and he ordered an entire roasted pig. By ordering such a huge helping of pork, Keimer had obviously planned to end his vegetarian diet, but the pig was intended to feed all four of them. But, as fate would have it, the pig showed up fully cooked on the table before any one else showed up for dinner and Keimer ate the whole thing before the guests arrived! Impressive! I don't really know what happened to Keimer after that, but I bet he would have dominated in competitive eating events.

Soon, Franklin also broke down and ate some pan-fried cod fish. And while Benjamin Franklin occasionally returned to the vegetarian diet over the years, he couldn't completely overcome his love of fresh fish. Interesting, isn't it? Now, I'll remember that story about Franklin and Keimer every time I look at a $100 bill which, unfortunately, is pretty rare.

- What did I eat on Day 8?
Breakfast. Carolyn suprised me with Morningstar Farms sausage, scrambled eggs, and toast. It was a great surprise but the veggie sausage certainly didn't have great taste.

Lunch. Hormel's vegetarian chili with beans. In my non-vegetarian days, I preferred "no bean chili." But without meat, the chili does probably require beans. Too bad I'm not a big fan of beans.

Dinner. New recipe #4: Eggs in purgatory. Technically not a new recipe to me, but we (mistakenly) added the leftover veggie sausage this time... and besides, have you made eggs in purgatory before? I doubt it.

Here's the recipe: Simmer 1 cup of pasta sauce in a small skillet. I recommend Newman's Own Marinara. Crack 2 eggs, cover and cook until the white sets; top with pepper and cheese. Very simple. Very delicious. Very ovolactovegetarian.


8 days down. 32 to go.

Here's the story from Franklin's autobiography in his own words...

"Keimer wore his beard at full length, because somewhere in the Mosaic law it is said, "Thou shalt not mar the corners of thy beard." He likewise kept the Seventh day, Sabbath; and these two points were essentials with him. I dislik'd both; but agreed to admit them upon condition of his adopting the doctrine of using no animal food. "I doubt," said he, "my constitution will not bear that." I assur'd him it would, and that he would be the better for it. He was usually a great glutton, and I promised myself some diversion in half starving him.

He agreed to try the practice, if I would keep him company. I did so, and we held it for three months. We had our victuals dress'd, and brought to us regularly by a woman in the neighborhood, who had from me a list of forty dishes to be prepar'd for us at different times, in all which there was neither fish, flesh, nor fowl, and the whim suited me the better at this time from the cheapness of it, not costing us above eighteenpence sterling each per week. I have since kept several Lents most strictly, leaving the common diet for that, and that for the common, abruptly, without the least inconvenience, so that I think there is little in the advice of making those changes by easy gradations.

I went on pleasantly, but poor Keimer suffered grievously, tired of the project, long'd for the flesh-pots of Egypt, and order'd a roast pig. He invited me and two women friends to dine with him; but, it being brought too soon upon table, he could not resist the temptation, and ate the whole before we came.

...I believe I have omitted mentioning that, in my first voyage from Boston, being becalm'd off Block Island, our people set about catching cod, and hauled up a great many. Hitherto I had stuck to my resolution of not eating animal food, and on this occasion consider'd, with my master Tryon, the taking every fish as a kind of unprovoked murder, since none of them had, or ever could do us any injury that might justify the slaughter. All this seemed very reasonable. But I had formerly been a great lover of fish, and, when this came hot out of the frying-pan, it smelt admirably well. I balanc'd some time between principle and inclination, till I recollected that, when the fish were opened, I saw smaller fish taken out of their stomachs; then thought I, "If you eat one another, I don't see why we mayn't eat you." So I din'd upon cod very heartily, and continued to eat with other people, returning only now and then occasionally to a vegetable diet."