vegetarian? flexitarian? carnivore? I’m just ME!

Posted: September 17, 2010 at 8:11 pm

Sometimes I surprise myself with my meals. For a long time, I had convinced myself that every meal must include around 30g of protein to be complete. I downed lots of lean meat and protein shakes and not too many beans (extra carbs – the horror!), tofu (extra fat – the horror), etc. My how times have changed.

Over the past few months I realized that I don’t really love meat, which I should have for as much as I used to consume. I still enjoy meat, but don’t need it. In fact, over this last week most of our meals have been meatless and I haven’t missed it a bit!

Veggie Enchiladas

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Whole Wheat Pasta w/ Veggies + Sauce

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Tofu, Veggie, Brown Rice Stir Fry

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The meatiest we got was a quick, easy dinner of a turkey panini. Tonight, the veg continues with Friday night pizza night. I don’t ever forsee myself becoming vegetarian and I don’t label myself as a flexitarian either. I am just me. I eat foods I enjoy. I eat a variety because it suits me and my family. Just as I can’t stand fish but love raw sushi and fish tacos, there’s no way to describe my eating habits. I have learned that overanalyzing, labeling, and trying to fit my ways to others’ does only harm. I said before I have lots of room for progress and much more to learn. One thing I don’t need to learn any more? Be true to myself.

Happy Friday! Now have some pizza with me…or some sushi for me. 😀 Seriously, that will be one of the first things I devour post-birth!

  • What food would you have trouble giving up for 9 months?
  • What are some of your special eating preferences? I would say my biggest one is being picky about fish but loving sushi. And I’m a HUGE texture eater.

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38 Comments to “vegetarian? flexitarian? carnivore? I’m just ME!”
  1. I would have a really hard time giving up cheese and yogurt. I don’t eat cheese too often, but I really love it when I do. Yogurt I eat everyday and don’t know if I could ever stop!

    • Tina says:

      I couldn’t give up dairy either. I don’t need milk…but certainly need cheese and yogurt. 😀 Blue cheese is another thing I hate trying to go without in pregnancy. Good thing if its cooked its okay.

  2. Stephanie says:

    Not sure if it’s a special eating preference or not, but recently I have become super picky about the meat that we do consume – I just can’t buy the “normal grocery store meat” that I once ate quite often? Local meat from the farmer’s market or Whole Foods is really all that I feel okay with buying anymore… I do wish I could make more veg meals than I do though, but my boyfriend doesn’t like beans and tofu so sometimes it can be challenging!

    • Tina says:

      P used to hate beans and tofu but now he’s more on board. I think a big motivating factor for him though is its cheaper. LOL Because I’ve gotten where I will only buy the higher quality meat too.

  3. Lee says:

    I would have trouble giving up bread. Or ice cream.

    I ate pizza tonight too. Maybe now I need ice cream.

  4. Great post Tina! I also had the same protein mindset (my Fiance is into bodybuilding) and used to aim for at least 110 grams of protein a day, meaning if there was no meat in my meal, I wasn’t going to make the quota. Now, I fill up on meatless meals frequently. When I want a turkey panini (mmm that sounds delicious), I eat it. I think we are eating soul mates (though sushi creeps me out). 🙂

    • Tina says:

      The horror on sushi!! LOL

      Yea I used to aim for my body weight in protein grams. how crazy. I was shocked when I learned that the FDA only recommends something in the neighborhood of 50g for an adult woman. I still think I get more than that, but its nice to know I don’t have to force it and can eat what I enjoy.

  5. Lauren says:

    Yum! Those look delish 🙂 I love taking meat recipes and trading in lots of veggies.

    I would have the worst time giving up chocolate – I love it so much. One year I gave it up for Lent and I was not a happy camper…lol. Everything in moderation 🙂

  6. Tina I love that you are true to yourself!

    I would have a hard time giving up chocolate or sweets in general. I need at least a cookie per week 🙂

  7. Heather says:

    i think this is exactly how we should all eat: what we want, what we know will make us physically feel good, and not put a label on it. i don’t think anyone should be defined by food in any way, and that includes labels!

    i had a hard time giving up meat for 40 days for Lent…and although i did it and would totally do it again, it just was hard!

  8. Lori Lynn says:

    Well, if it’s junk food, then probably chocolate! I have to have some form of chocolate almost every day! I’m not a big meat person, though I probably should be, b/c I grew up with my dad raising cattle and we had a full supply of meat around. I’ve always preferred chicken and fish over beef.

  9. Hmm … I just blogged about this myself. I consider myself a meat-lover, but lately I’ve been eating a lot more vegetarian-type meals. I’ll go through an entire day and realize at the end of the night that I’ve had no meat.

    I think I’d have a tough time giving up caffeine (especially Starbucks!) for nine straight months. And chocolate … I love it too much to ever give it up.

    • Tina says:

      I do miss my coffee. I still do have caffeine even though Im not supposed to while pregnant. I just try to limit it to a diet coke out on the weekends or some tea here or there. Or a pumpkin spice coffee sometime soon because that’s a need. 😀

  10. I might have trouble giving up nut butters for 9 months, but I think it would be a good way to expand my horizons. I prefer to not eat meat because I don’t like it. I also prefer sprouted grains (a digestive thing). Other than that I am not picky, but ummm that’s pretty picky!

  11. Nicole says:

    I couldn’t see myself giving up peanut butter, I gave it up for about 3 months before but don’t think I could do it again! The only meat I eat is fish but I don’t like to label myself as a pescatarian because if I go back to eating chicken or what not I don’t want to feel guilty.

  12. Angela says:

    I think I’d have a lot of trouble giving up meat – as horrifying as that probably sounds to all vegetarians and vegans out there! I could probably swap it out for fish if I had to, but I’ll admit I’m still kind of in that ‘need-protein’ mindset.

  13. I hear you on the texture thing. I couldn’t give up pizza for 9 weeks let alone 9 months 😉 LOL As a vegetarian, I do get a little nuts worrying about protein – maybe I should say a vegetarian who enjoys lifting weights. I know it’s important and when I travel I find it very difficult to get enough in with meal and had to rely on powders.

  14. We did veggie pizza night last night! I HATE labels too. Why do we have to label each other by what we eat? I think it is ridiculous. I am so glad you enjoying eating what you like! That is the whole point of eating healthy and eating for you!

    Have a great weekend Tina!

  15. I am *so* with you on this one! Last week I have my “unbeknownst vegetarian” experience, and it really taught me a lot about myself and my eating habits. I don’t think that labeling in itself is “wrong” (I mean, I label myself as a Christian, among other things) but *for me* it’s not something I can do when it comes to food!! Unless “dessert-a-holic” counts 😉 hahaha.

    • Tina says:

      You know we are foodie soul sisters! It is funny how some labels I don’t mind. Although even things like being labeled a Christian can bother me when people relate that more to religion and rules over faith and grace. 😉 Food is definitely a place I can’t do labels though. Feeling boxed in only makes me feel like I’m in a white padded box and my crazy comes out. LOL

  16. Jenn (GH) says:

    I’m the same way. I don’t label myself when it comes to food. Although right now I’m doing Mark Sisson’s primal challenge for fun. (I’m kinda wierd in that I love doing those sort of challenges. Maybe one of the reasons I didn’t have any problems with the figure comp diet. I dunno.) But I have no intention of going “primal” for life. Just a fun 30 day challenge. When people ask me how I eat I saw I eat real food. If I was closest to anything it would be a “traditional foodist” because I like to soak and/or sprout grains and legumes to reduce the phytates, ect. I eat TONS of fat (do not like low fat stuff…ick) and like to lacto-ferment BUT I also eat Cheetos occasionally and don’t feel bad. I read of a lot of traditional foodist blogs and it seems some of them never eat anything that isn’t properly prepared. That’s not me. I will eat a bagel even if it’s hasn’t been sprouted. Just not that often.

    I’m with ya on the sushi. I. LOVE. THAT. STUFF. I think that would be the hardest to give up for 9 months.

  17. homecookedem says:

    I’m right there with you! I’m not crazy about meat, but sometimes out of the blue I want it. I labeled myself as vegetarian for a few months, but then all of a sudden all I felt deprived when Andrew would make things like breakfast casseroles with sausage in them and my friends would be eating chick fil a sandwiches. I’ve realized since that I’m just ME too! No label required!! 😉

    It’s been hard for me to give up diet sodas lately. I’ve been “cheating” every now and then, but I’m really trying to make it until the end of the pregnancy without them. After Baby Boy is here you better believe my addiction will be back in full force!!!!!! And I don’t even care, haha!! 😉

    • Tina says:

      It’s funny because I’m the opposite with diet soda. I tend to want it more during pregnancy and can do without it fine outside of pregnancy. LOL Of course I want it when I’m really not supposed to have it. I do anyways though. At least this time. I’m WAY more lax this time around.

  18. Shannon says:

    Tina,
    This post really struck a cord with me. I’ve been a vegetarian for the last 15 years, longer than I wasn’t a vegetarian. And I’ve been thinking about transitioning to veganism because of my feelings about ethical and humane treatment of animals and my inability to easily afford free range cheese and eggs. But I don’t know how comfortable I would be with full-time veganism or with the title and the expectations that come along with it.
    And food I couldn’t give up for a month, soup. I love my soup, cold in the summer and hot in the winter. Oh and I couldn’t give up, frozen blueberries or blueberry banana muffins that my mom makes, warmed up in the microwave with a dollop of almond butter on top. Yummy!

    • Tina says:

      Ya know what I say? Go for a vegan lifestyle as often as suits you. If it helps cut down on food costs and you enjoy eating that way, great. But if there’s sometimes you really just want a product with dairy or eggs…don’t feel bad and know overall you are doing what makes you feel best. 🙂

  19. For years I tried out different eating labels–vegan, vegetarian, no-red-meat-eater, pescatarian etc. etc. I wanted so badly to fit into a “group”! However I realized that denying myself certain foods that I loved made me miserable. Now I’m a “what I feel like eater.” Sometimes that means a week of veggie meals, or red meat two days in a row (!!). I’m so much more comfortable listening to my body and eating what I crave, which leaves me satisfied. 🙂

    Those enchiladas look yummy! Did you make them? I’d love the recipe!

  20. Oh gosh, I just read your “Veggie Enchiladas” post! Now I have the recipe!! Thank you! <3

  21. Holly says:

    I am really big on texture, too! I can’t imagine going without sushi for 9 months. 🙁 I read somewhere that they have “pregnancy safe” sushi at some places now? Whatever that means?!

  22. Paige says:

    I would have so much trouble giving up coffee!! The thought is even scary!

  23. Hmm.. it would be hard to give up cheese or bread for 9 months. I used to eat a lot of meat but in the past 2 months I have eaten less and less.. and don’t carve it as much anymore either. Funny how the body works!

  24. Ameena says:

    I used to down protein like it was going out of style and now there are days when I don’t think I eat a single bit! But my stomach is happier on those days so I think that some people just aren’t meant to eat a ton of protein.

    I can give up anything, anytime with really no problem. I’ve had to learn to be that way because of all my food intolerances!

  25. love that! “I’m just me” is such a great food mindset to have 🙂
    I am definitely a vegetarian…but even though I rarely eat dairy I won’t ever say I’m a vegan… I probably eat minimal amounts of dairy 3-4 times a month. But, I don’t want to say “I’m a vegan” because I know that the next time I eat dairy around anyone the vegan police will catch me! They are those annoying people who watch what you eat like a hawk and call you out on things you eat 😉

  26. I’m one of those list maker, schedule lover labelers. I can’t help it! I love labels! My labels for myself might change continuously but the comfort of them is there constantly.

  27. Kristy says:

    If I had one wish I would turn my man from a meat & potato guy to a veggie taster….

  28. Oh my gosh… I think I would say cheese, ice cream, and oatmeal… Pizza… And Chinese take-out broccoli in brown sauce. Hahaha. Give me 5 more minutes; I’m sure I’d fill a page.

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