Day 11 Or... Flexitarians

I crave meat.

Since today was my first day back at the office after Christmas break, I had several people come by and ask, "How's the vegetarian thing going?" I really appreciated the question each time because I tend to be the type of person that often feels like I'm not really that interesting. So, if nothing else, this experiment does make for a nice conversation starter. But, my answer to that question today always included some variation of "I'm really craving meat today." It's true. But what is a vegetarian to do?

My friend (and faithful reader) Beth Ann sent me a link to a really interesting article last night. The Newsweek article called "No More Sacred Cows" discusses a current trend in which longtime vegetarians are actually including meat as a part of their diet. Not "meat" like the "buffalo wings" or "burgers" I've had over the past week or so. Actual meat. Quotation mark free. Real beef, for example.

I've got to admit, regardless of the explanation that would follow, I was jealous as soon as I started reading the article. I thought, "Well, that's not fair! I want to eat meat sometimes, but I can't because that's what a vegetarian is expected to do... or not do."

The Newsweek article went on to explain that some life-long "vegetarians" are occasionally eating meat, but not just any meat. They're proudly choosing grass-fed, sustainably raised meat from animals that have enjoyed life on nice family farms.

One of the leaders of this new movement is, surprisingly, influential vegetarian author Mollie Katzen. Katzen is actually one of the bestselling cookbook authors of all time. Her "Moosewood Cookbook" is often cited as the most influential vegetarian cookbook ever... kind of a "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" for vegetarians.

Katzen and other similarly-minded "vegetarians" argue that because the animals that they are eating are raised "lovingly" and away from cruel factory farms, it is ethically okay to eat them. But I wonder, can these people still call themselves vegetarians while they eat meat? I thought that was rule #1 of being a vegetarian. I'm not so sure that the term can apply to them. Granted, their viewpoint sounds nice, but I'll have to process my opinion over the next few days and revisit this topic.

In good news, the Newsweek article introduced me to the term "flexitarian." A flexitarian is someone who mostly follows a vegetarian diet but occasionally enjoys a helping of meat thrown in. Mostly veggie burgers, but every so often the real thing.

I think after this project is over, I could end up being a flexitarian. I would be a little healthier by eating so many veggies, but a lot less stressed because I could enjoy a pork chop or a hamburger steak from time to time. I had thought about maybe pursuing that option in 29 days anyway, so I'm glad to know there's a term for it.


- What did I eat on Day 11?

Breakfast. Strawberry yogurt.

Lunch. Raisin Bran. Cereal never fails to satisfy my appetite for something tasty.

Dinner. My neighbor Ryan offered to make his famous grilled PB&J. The sandwich was worth the hype. I ate two and probably could have had a few more. Thanks pal! In fact, it was such good eats that I forgot to take a picture of it.

For now, 11 days down. 29 days to go.

And, I leave you with the conclusion of this Newsweek article by Jennie Yabroff. As I process my thoughts and form my opinion about this vegetarian-related piece of news, let me leave you with her very opinionated thoughts.

"While it's true that sustainably raised, grass-fed beef may be better for the consumer, it's hard to argue that it's ultimately better for the cow. What these steak apologists seem to be missing is that no matter how "lovingly" the cow was raised, no matter how much grazing or rooting he did in his life, he gave up that life to become their dinner. Carnivores who only ate the flesh of animals that had died of natural causes at the end of long, satisfying lives might have a claim to moral superiority, but what to call them? Corpsevores? And if these organic farm animals have such great lives, isn't the more humane thing to eat a cage-raised, industrially processed chicken? At least we'd be putting it out of its misery."

Day 10 Or... Keeping the TVP Industry Alive

Paul McCartney says I'm saving the world. It sounds crazy, but it's true. And no, unfortunately, he didn't contact me personally because he was so amazed with the Go Veg Project.

However, while researching vegetarianism I mistakenly wondering over to the PETA website where I stumbled across a quote from Sir Paul that read, "If anyone wants to save the planet, all they have to do is just stop eating meat. That’s the single most important thing you could do. It’s staggering when you think about it."

It seems that one of the greatest songwriters of all time is a very outspoken advocate for animal rights and vegetarianism. Paul is literally a poster child for PETA.

But, I certainly don't feel like I'm saving the world. I do feel like I'm single-handedly saving the textured vegetable protein (TVP) industry though.

If you've ever passed the Morningstar Farms and Boca Foods shelf in the freezer section of the grocery store and wondered, "Who buys that?" ...then rest assured that if no one was buying it before, I'm buying a lot of it now. At this point of my temporary lifestyle change, I'm beginning to really miss burgers, chicken, and pork. The good news is that, thanks to the TVP industry, I can continue to buy soy and vegetables that have been mashed up, seasoned, and shaped to kind of taste like (and kind of look like) meat.

- What did I eat on Day 10?

Breakfast. I had a couple donuts at church. Mmmm... donuts.

Lunch. I tried minestrone soup for the first time. I really enjoyed the broth, but I just couldn't make myself enjoy the large amount of kidney beans and garbanzo beans. I know that beans are a popular meat substitute, but I've never really liked them.

So, I suggested plan B, which was also new recipe #5. Using a recipe from the official website of Newman's Own, Carolyn made what they call The Lord's Dish . . . or Somebody Up There Likes Me Pizza. For my non-meat-eating diet, she obviously made it without pepperoni. It's basically a tasty super-thin crust personal pizza. It's a really simple dish that you make and bake and eat in under 15 minutes. You probably already have all the ingredients for it in the kitchen, so feel free to try it for yourself!

Dinner. Like I've already mentioned, the Massengale household is keeping Morningstar Farms in business, even if no one else is. Tonight, we had the "Asian Veggie Patties" with shredded carrots and potato chips. The verdict: two thumbs down. Unlike almost anything else I've tried from Morningstar farms, these veggie burgers were very disappointing. And I love Asian food. Go figure.

Still, I'm in the double digits now.

10 days down. 30 days to go.

Day 9 Or... Avoiding a Spicy Chicken Sandwich

My wife is so supportive of this Go Veg Project. Carolyn didn't agree to go veg with me for 40 days, but she has chosen to be my biggest supporter. She could obviously eat meat any time she wants, but she's avoided it a lot for me.

At times it has been harder than others I'm sure, yet over the past 9 days, my beautiful wife has actually spent a few days without eating meat. I can't describe how much easier this has been with her help. What can I say? I'm very blessed.

She ate the flavorless veggie sausage, the strange tofu, and lots of other "unique" meals.

And she has thankfully avoided the opportunity to say, "Hmm... so you're planning to just have a salad tonight? Well, I can't decide whether I'd rather have fried chicken or a juicy steak! Maybe, I'll have several kinds of meat!"

She also has put up with losing me for an hour or so each night so I can work on this blog.

So, today, as a strange way of saying thanks, I gave her some cash and insisted that she go buy a chicken sandwich. It didn't take much convincing.

After venturing out in the snow, she returned with a rather fantastic looking spicy chicken sandwich from Wendy's. But, she didn't really eat it in front of me. She didn't gloat about how tasty it was... and I'm sure it was tasty.

I smelled her spicy chicken sandwich and simultaneously tried to pretend I didn't want a bite of meat. Mmm... meat.

But, I stayed strong.

At the same time, she said she felt like she was betraying me or something by eating it, but I just really hoped she enjoyed it. After more than week of eating some weird stuff, I'm glad she got to feast upon one of her favorite things.

- What did I eat on Day 9?

Breakfast. I made banana nut muffins. So good.

Lunch. I avoided the spicy chicken sandwich and instead made myself a spinach and cheese sandwich with fries. Spinach and cheese? It's true. We were out of lettuce and I craved some leafy greens with my sandwich.

Dinner. Denny and Mandy Kell had us over for dinner and were nice enough to cook a vegetarian meal for all of us. We had omelets (with bell peppers, onions, and tomatoes) and the best homemade bagels I probably have ever had. A big thanks to both of them!

9 days down. 31 days to go.

As always, I welcome your feedback!

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."

Day 7 Or... How Even Panko Bread Crumbs Couldn't Help the Tofu

Tofu. I never imagined I would eat tofu. I certainly never imagined that I'd be cooking it at home. And today wasn't really a day that screamed for such an experimental dining option. The kiddo has been sick and, if that weren't hard enough, I've started to get really busy with lecture prep for the spring semester.

So why did I decide to cook tofu tonight? I'm not exactly sure. I suppose there was the appeal of going ahead and getting it out of the way... the same way a nervous public speaking student might volunteer to give her speech first, just so she could soon enjoy the feeling of it being over with.

I promised to try tofu as a part of this experiment, but words can't describe how much I was not looking forward to eating it. I don't think I've ever tried it before, but even the name doesn't sound appetizing. Also, my palate and I found such fulfillment with TVP (textured vegetable protein) that I figured that another meat substitute would have to be a disappointment. Going two for two just seemed unlikely.

So what exactly is tofu? Basically, tofu, also sometimes known as soybean curd, is a soft, cheese-like food made by curdling fresh soy-milk with a coagulant. In simpler terms, soybeans are cooked and mashed, then processed into tofu in a form quite like cheese. The tofu you may buy at Happy Meadow (or your store of choice) has almost always already been pressed into a solid block for your convenience.

It seems tofu has actually been around for a long time because it originated in ancient China. I've read some estimates that it's been around since the Han Dynasty.

Also, tofu comes in a variety of textures ranging, for example, from soft to extra firm depending on how you'd like to use it. Soft tofu is primarily used in for dips and sauces. According to allrecipes.com, firm tofu is probably the most commonly used tofu and is suitable for many types of entrees. Extra firm tofu is primarily used for grilling and stir fry.

For tonight's recipe I opted for firm tofu... specifically Mori-Nu Tofu. And I followed a Food Network recipe for "fried tofu sticks." Sounds yummy doesn't it? Doesn't it?!?

In brief, here's how the cooking process went...

I opened the package of tofu and was amazed by the water content that came pouring out. I immediately understood why my recipe called for paper towels to "absorb the excess moisture."

As the block of tofu slid out of the package, I tried hard not to looked completely grossed out. Carolyn was watching after all. "Don't look! Just don't look," I said. But it was already too late.

As you can see from the picture below, the tofu looked horribly pale and I can best describe its consistency by comparing it to soggy Jell-O. I was a little nervous that this would not be, in any way, a fantastic dinner for two.

Put I proceeded with the recipe, just as if I were making fried chicken. Only, without the chicken of course. Dipping tofu in the egg wash, dredging it in the bread crumbs, etc.

I also opted to go with panko breadcrumbs, because they had the best chance of masking any grossness that might occur. If you haven't tried them, please take my word for it and do so. Panko is big in Japan, but you can probably find some at your local mega-mart.

Immediately, I began to get frustrated. The cut tofu chunks didn't seem to handle dredging very well and no matter how gentle I tried to be, many of them were smashed into two pieces. Also, some of them didn't get as coated with breadcrumbs and I would have liked.

Nonetheless, I put the breaded tofu pieces into the hot oil and they fried up beautifully.

The fried tofu even smelled delicious, but I knew that the Italian seasonings I had added to the panko would probably do that. I knew I had fried a tasty golden brown breading, but the actual tofu was still a completely mystery. How would it taste? It looked wonderful on the plate, but I still was unsure at best.

Carolyn and I clinked our forks together and each took our first bite of tofu. I wish you could have seen our faces! We both knew that we weren't impressed with tofu and we didn't have to say a thing. I tried to rationalize that the texture just was a new experience, and not necessarily bad, so I took a second and third bite... only to find myself chewing way too quickly to swallow it. The panko breading was good and crisp, but the tofu itself still had the texture of a Jell-O Jiggler. Tofu, as I had already been told, didn't really have any flavor, but the odd texture was too much for me to handle.

Sure, I ate most of the fried tofu pieces on my plate. But I found myself all the more thankful that my wife makes the best mac & cheese the entire world, from scratch. I ate lots of it.

And despite the my lack of tofu enjoyment, I hadn't really expected to like it all that much, and I had left my comfort zone even more by trying something completely new and different.

Not to mention, thanks to the disappointing tofu, my salad also tasted even better.

- What did I eat on Day 7?

Breakfast. Raisin Bran.

Lunch. A leftover veggie burger with mashed potatoes. TVP comes through again.

Dinner. New recipe #3: Breaded/fried tofu sticks with lots of mac & cheese and salad. You can't win 'em all.


I have been a vegetarian for an entire week. I like it.

7 days down, 33 to go.















































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Day 6 Or... Pushing the Cart Past the Meat Section

Grocery shopping without purchasing meat. It's strange; trust me.

I have to admit it's an odd feeling, pushing the cart around the grocery store and avoiding the various meat products. I never really realized how often I bought chicken, ground turkey, sausage, and beef until I had the opportunity to completely bypass those sections of the grocery store again this afternoon. "Don't need that. Don't need that. Don't need any of that either. Weird."

If you get frustrated at how long it takes you to get your grocery shopping done, it could save a few minutes of your time. It also feels really good to fill the cart with vegetables. Yeah, I feel a little trendy, but also pretty healthy doing it. I wonder if the cashier will be amazed at my little array of fresh fruits and vegetables: bananas, mangoes, squash, broccoli, green beans, onions, zucchini, cucumbers, romaine lettuce, spinach, carrots, and celery.

Also, I secretly imagine that a fellow shopper or even the cashier will ask me, "What are you a vegetarian or something?" Then, I can follow up immediately with a long discourse about my Go Veg Project and how crazy it feels at times. Then, I realize that a stranger could really care less about what I'm purchasing. I mean, I don't even look at other people's carts. It seems like a strange invasion of privacy to me.

And I realize that by not buying all that meat, I can afford to buy all those vegetables that I previously called "too expensive."

What did I eat on Day 6?

Breakfast. I actually forgot to eat breakfast. I slept late and then got carried away working on a syllabus for the spring semester. Oops.

Lunch. Having forgotten breakfast, I was really craving cereal. So I enjoyed some Kashi GOLEAN Crunch. Are you impressed by my variety of cereal selections yet? I also, had some dried mango slices. Mmmm.

Dinner. Our friends, the Kells, came over for dinner. And while I could have cooked meat for them, they were kind enough to be supportive friends. So, they were served a vegetarian dinner, which I'm pretty sure scared them initially. They have a couple of small kids, so I knew that tonight wouldn't be a good night to try a new experimental vegetarian dish.

So, we had a large salad (with lots of fresh cut veggies), fries, and some more Morningstar Farms veggie burgers. These were made with their "Garden Veggie Patties" which actually contain more veggies (carrots, mushrooms, water chestnuts, peppers) than textured vegetable protein. And they either really liked the food, or they were very gracious. Denny even had a second burger.

And FYI these "Garden Veggie Burgers" actually won the Chef's Best Award for Best Taste.

For now, 6 days down. 34 to go.

Day 5 Or... My Trips to Little Caesars and Happy Meadow

There are more vegetarians than you think. Before I started this project, I had met about half a dozen vegetarians in my entire life. Growing up in small town Kentucky as a teen, I assumed that perhaps only radical celebrities pursued such a diet.

As I continue researching vegetarianism and talking about it, I've found out that vegetarians are everywhere. Coworkers, family members, long lost friends, old roommates. They're a minority of sorts, but they're there.

According to the U.S. 2000 census, there are approximately 5.7 million adult vegetarians in the United States.

In fact, I came across this fact, when Carolyn's mom, Donna, mentioned that we should order pizza for lunch. My mind raced. How do I eat out as a vegetarian? I didn't know exactly. I hadn't done it yet. And I knew that pizza could be a tricky order. The initial thought might be to simply make sure that the pizza doesn't have meat as a topping and go for it. But, there's actually more to it than that.

For example, several pizza chains include meat in their pizza sauce. Which makes it unsuitable for committed vegetarians. Vegans would also have to worry about the pizza dough containing whey, not to mention that troublesome milk in cheese. I was mostly just worried about the sauce. I wondered, "Is there a pizza chain that will cater to new my new diet?"

As I began to Google the word "vegetarian" alongside the name of each major pizza chain, I came to an interesting conclusion. You probably have to do some digging if you're really concerned about whether or not your favorite restaurant's pizza is vegetarian friendly. This now crucial information seemed missing from the official websites of Domino's, Pizza Hut, and Papa Johns. Thankfully, Little Caesars proudly displayed their answer to my quandary. They even clearly cited the census statistic about vegetarianism that I mentioned above.

As their website states, "...Vegetarians would like more food choices when they eat out. Little Caesars is proud to offer many menu items that are suitable for vegetarians. Little Caesars' pizza crust is made with a quality, high-protein flour and contains no animal products or by-products. The sauce is made from crushed tomatoes and is seasoned with a special blend of herbs and spices - it also is made without animal by-products. Little Caesars wants to help meet the growing needs of our vegetarian customers."

So, needless to say, for lunch, I enjoyed some cheese pizza courtesy of Little Caesars.

Later, I also traveled to the Happy Meadow Natural Foods store in Berea with Carolyn and her sister Angela. The store did meet some of the hippie stereotypes I had heard about it, but I was also pretty impressed with their selection of organic foods, gluten-free options, vegetarian options, and farm fresh foods.

I picked up some firm tofu and some tempeh there. I also bought some unflavored textured vegetable protein, which I may turn into my own homemade veggie burger before this experiment is through. Expect to read about my cooking experiences with tofu, tempeh and TVP in the near future.

Also, for fun, I bought a Tofutti Cutie. A Tofutti Cutie is basically a dairy-free ice cream sandwich. I was expecting it to taste gross, but I wanted to try to to see what vegans might eat when they craved ice cream. Turns out, it tasted great... just like an ordinary ice cream sandwich.

The moral of today's shopping experience, is that while shopping as a vegetarian is certainly more complicated, it is actually kind of fun.

- What did I eat on Day 5?
Breakfast. Honey Bunches of Oat with Almonds.

Lunch. Little Caesars cheese pizza. It was even hot and ready; just like it was supposed to be.

Dinner. My family and I had dinner with an old friend, John Bailey, and his family. It was so good to catch up with him and get to know his wife and baby a little bit. I found out that great company makes a Papa Leno's vegetarian sub taste even better.

Vegetarian Times claims that just over 3% of American adults are vegetarians. I'll continue to be a part of that statistic for five weeks as this project continues.

I can even eat out twice in one day and stick with my new vegetarian lifestyle.

5 days down. 35 to go.

A note for all of you waiting for pictures: I seem to have misplaced my digital camera, but I'll post a few pictures from today when I can find it.

As always, I really appreciate that you took the time to read this blog.