What is your diet?
I like to tell people I'm a pescatarian with a vegetarian diet. It means I'll eat seafood and fish once a month or so if even that, but the rest of my meals are vegetarian or vegan (though not on purpose.) I do consume dairy such as milk, cheese, and eggs, but pretty rarely.
What do you prefer to cook with?
Most of my meals turn out to be vegan simply because I choose not to cook with butter, cream, or cheese. I made that choice because I wanted to cut the overall calories and to really amp up the benefits of all the veggies in my dish. Alternatively, I'll use olive oil, citrus fruits, and tons of spices and herbs to flavor and give my dishes a freshness that really, well, can't be beat. A variety of vegetables really punches up the overall meal because you're experiencing so many different flavors on a single plate.
Are your recipes low in calories or fat? Can I find the ingredients you use?
The recipes I post are healthy, cheap, and easy dishes that anyone can make. Since I cut out a lot of saturated fat found in dairy products, and try to bulk up with vegetables and legumes, they are almost always low in calories and very low in fat aside from the olive oil used in cooking. (Olive oil is a good fat! So is avocados, yum!) Most of my ingredients can be found in your kitchen or at the grocery store and farmer's market with little effort; and since I've been pretty upfront about my tiny budget, they are all affordable. One caveat, since I just cook for myself and Guitar Boy, most of the dishes yield enough for two people, though doubling the recipes should be simple in all cases.
Why should I be a vegetarian?
I'm not here to lecture you about the merits of vegetarianism. Although, I would like to educate you on the points of the diet if you are open to learning more. After all, you can simply close out of my blog if you don't agree with my views. However, I do hope that you will give it a chance if you are not already a vegetarian and see the other side of eating well. As for why I believe someone should be a vegetarian, there's a long, long list that many people like me all agree on. While I did initially stop eating meat because I couldn't bear to know that I was eating a cow or a pig, I learned many more things about the positive effects of vegetarianism that only cemented my belief in it. Other benefits of vegetarianism:
- Environmentally friendly: It takes significantly less energy to produce a crop of vegetables than it does to raise livestock.
- Health: It reduces risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, and extends life length.
- Affordable: Cutting out meat adds more buck to your bank
- Reduce toxins in your body from hormones and antibiotics found in livestock.
- It's easier than ever now to be a vegetarian!
There's tons of more reasons and I will delve deeper into the benefits of vegetarianism individually so more people can at least see the two sides of eating meat and not eating meat. Your best tool for yourself is education. Educate yourself and only then will you be able to make the best choice.
Have you seen Food Inc., Forks over Knives, Food Matters, etc.?
Yes, yes, yes! All wonderful and extremely informative documentaries. Remember what I said about education? This is a great start. If you are interested in learning more about the food industry, Food Inc. is a must. A good follow up to Food Inc. is The Vanishing of the Bees. They both expose the darker sides of the food industry, government involvement (or disinvolvement, rather,) and pesticide use. Forks over Knives is a well-researched, easy-to-watch documentary on the benefits of a plant based diet. Full of scientific studies and carefully researched facts and advice, this is a credible look at plant based diets. Food Matters is another great one if you are still learning more about plant based diets and their effects on diseases. (image credit)
Anything else? If you have any questions for me, feel free to comment below or send an email to me at Beatrice@BirdcageBohemia.com
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