The Spicy Problems of Various Lifestyles

Post from May 16 – May 22

            The experience is just about over. I am closing in on 600,000 seconds of life without meat. The two weeks flew by like nothing else, and I can remember having my last bite of meat – a grilled piece of chicken - like it was yesterday. They say time flies when you’re having fun, but was this particular experience a happy-go-lucky joyride? Not quite, but it certainly was eye opening and I am very happy I did it. Many of my peers questioned why I ordered a salad or ate a veggie burger, and I had to regurgitate the same story until it made me blue in the face. By the way, where does that expression come from? Do people’s faces turn blue when they have repeated the same thing multiple times? Maybe a Greek God with a blue face talked a lot or something. Who knows? I bet you wont look it up. I sure as hell didn’t. Moving right along, I felt the difficulties that vegetarians face on a daily basis. The two main problems are finding substantial meatless options in most venues and overcoming hunger while on a limited diet.  

            The other day, a friend convinced me to make an In-N-Out run. It was his birthday so my hands were pretty much tied. When we got there, I asked the cashier what the most filling vegetarian option was (I was hungry, as usual). He looked at me puzzled, probably thinking, “How in the world did this guy get so large eating leaves?” I have gotten used to these expressions on others faces when they find out I’m vegetarian. He then described a burger without meat, otherwise known as a grilled cheese. My friend was in stitches. I sheepishly ordered two “burgers.” Within minutes, much faster than usual, my number was called. To my surprise, they weren’t half bad.

            Chipotle was a different story. I’m going to let you guys in on a tradition my friends and I have started known as quesorito Fridays. I wont tell you what a quesorito is made of; I don’t even know how its spelled, but it is an artery-clogging masterpiece that can be described as heaven on earth. Some have cried at first bite. Go ahead, order one the next time you visit a chipotle. Tell me I’m not a genius. Anyways, the quesorito with veggies was exceptional and I felt no shame in ordering it. Does it have the same dynamic appeal as a quesorito with chicken, steak, or carnitas? Not at all, but it is still a solid dish and a filling, satisfying option. I just can’t wait until this Friday and order the real deal with steak or chicken. I haven’t decided which one yet.

            While choosing vegetarian options at dining venues is somewhat a hassle, a bigger problem is perhaps the lack of hunger satisfaction. According to a study done in the International Journal of Obesity, a meal higher in protein left people wanting to eat less than a meal higher in carbohydrates. What does this have to do with vegetarianism? In this study, the high protein ‘treatment’ was a meat casserole and the high carbohydrate ‘treatment’ was a vegetarian casserole. This is a solid study, except I believe it should be taken with a grain of salt (there goes another sappy cliché) because it was done in 1990 and the subjects were only women. The findings are valid though, as they suggest protein holds off hunger. A diet containing meat is higher in protein and therefore should control the appetite better.

            That explains my uncontrollable hunger over the last few days. One thing I noticed is my meal points are running out quicker than usual, and my extra spending money is depleting. I found out I was spending significantly more money on food than usual. This is because I have been eating more to compensate for the lack of filling animal protein. Although it is said that meat dishes are generally more expensive, you would end up paying more to eat vegetarian, as you would need to buy more food. This, at least, was my experience. At Sauté in Benson, the Tapingo ordering application makes it clear that adding soy chicken to a dish costs $1.50 more than regular chicken and $.50 more than sausage and rotisserie beef. In these days, the lower cost of meat compared to soy makes sense as the value of meat has gone down due to industrial meatpacking. 

            Problems are the spice of life. Or does the saying go variety is the spice of life? I’ll just say a variety of problems make for a spicy life. What is life without challenge? These obstacles one has to face being vegetarian are very rewarding when overcame. Just a few small lifestyle changes, a new focus on being more conscious about your diet, and a strong will power is all it took. Going vegetarian for an extended period of time after a borderline carnivorous lifestyle is certainly a recognizable feat and I was not sure I could do it. Is there anything you thought was nearly impossible but you did it anyways and succeeded? Please leave your stories in the comment section I’d love to read them. If not, you should definitely challenge yourself more and leave your comfort zone. You didn’t think I gave out life lessons, did you?

            You can look forward to a very entertaining conclusion detailing my first few days of being an omnivore after a two-week hiatus. My final blog post will talk about some of the vegetarian dishes I really enjoyed and what I will miss most about being vegetarian. No, I am not going to trick you and say that I wont miss anything. Or will I?