There is an interesting article on the Huffington Post about vegetarians vs omnivores. The author called for comments in the pro or con vein, then compiled the best ones together. It's pretty interesting. What I find the most fascinating, and this recently happened to me...again, is the loud, defensive, and almost militant stance people have on another's diet. Why do you care what I eat? It continues to amaze me how some people feel vegetarianism and veganism are personal attacks on themselves. I would understand if you are a rancher, etc., but Joe Schmoe off the street?

"I've never met a vegetarian that wasn't taking some sort of supplement"

Do you really think the average American is eating healthfully? How many fresh fruits and veggies do you consume in a day? Even better, how many portions/individual serving size of fruits and vegetables do you eat in a day? Until recently, I would have said one unless we're counting potatoes. Almost everyone could benefit from a multivitamin regardless of if you are a vegetarian, vegan, or meat lover.

The only thing I really miss so far about eating meat is the convenience of it. I can go anywhere and eat anything. Most of my cookbooks focus on meat proteins. However, I know that with time and research comes experience and ease.

"You need to eat meat!!"

Uh, not really. There are several cultures that do not eat meat and many more where meat is limited. They're doing just fine. Did you know the average vegetarian lives anywhere from 2-7 years longer than an omnivore? Vegetarians have a lower risk of heart disease and many cancers. A balanced diet, regardless of if you eat meat or not, will provide you with the nutrients your body needs. For vegetarians, that means being conscious of B12 and Omega-3 in our diets but both can be found naturally (B12: dairy, eggs, nutritional yeast, and fortified foods; Omega-3: flax seed, nuts, soy products, and leafy greens).

"No happy meat eater will become fully vegetarian"

That's just the dumbest thing I've ever heard. I did. Will it last? Who knows! I haven't eaten pork in over 15 years and it never kept me down. I guess the worst thing I did was learn about my food, where it came from, what was in it, how they made it, and how it got to my house. For now I'm happy, feel great, have lost some weight, and love the new to me thought of "what's for dinner?"

Walking Food Tour

Wow, it's been a while since I wrote about food! I wanted to blame my holiday, but I wasn't gone that long. What may be worse, this isn't really a post either. I just got back from eating my way across Pennsylvania (okay, just a small portion of the Northeast) and New York City. I'm blogging about it and what else I did to amuse myself on my other blog here. I hope you check it out.

I will write in more detail about my amazing vegetarian New York experience as we get there in the narrative. Enjoy!