Becoming a weekday vego

[Bella]

I recently did the G challenge to become a weekday vegetarian - and the switch was heaps easier than I'd imagined! But two months on, the colder weather has left me craving meaty stews all week, and I've had a major lapse. Has anyone got any useful tips or irresistible vegie recipes to help me get back on track?

[Envirophilia]

I think little felafel balls rolled up and fried lightly can add to various recipes quite well, and are nice on their own dipped in peanut sauce, yum!

The way I've been working things lately is to watch an horrific video or read something that shocks. I'm more of an ethical worrier (not warrior haha) though, and the environmental effects are a bonus. So for example the four corners episode the other night will keep me on the path for a while. I dont see the point in being so strict that you throw away someone else's uneaten meat because you're a vegetarian, that's just wastage. And the odd indulgence can't hurt. Maybe you could have your stew, get it out of your system (or into and re-assess why you made the decision in the first place. There are plenty of great reasons why it's the right thing to do!

[Coco]

I've been vego for two years now, and find that whenever I'm craving winter comfort foods a good eggplant or bean stew is really yum, or try making vegetarian pot pies which are every bit as good as the meat variety! I've found that most comfort foods actually have an equally delicious vego version. Lasagne is a great example too.

[sharingispower]

I remember the first time i tried to go vego my body was actually malnourished in some areas of nutrition from eating a western diet all my life. It soon became really clear that the meat was the thing that was holding me up and keeping me going. Once i removed meat my energy levels crashed dramatically.

I've since added in a bunch of super foods and spent a couple of years slowly detoxing and letting my organs repair. I've been gradually taking meat out a bit more at a time and just seeing how my body feels without it. It's like I'm gently asking my body 'have I got the balance right yet?'

I love the idea of the weekday vego, as it keeps me to a clock. The instant I heard about it I started doing it. It lets me measure 'wow, this week i made it all the way through' or 'this week I only made it to thursday before feeling depleted.

In light of this, I suggest perhaps being a long weekend meat eater or something similar. Maybe Friday, Saturday, Sunday is ok. If that's not working start with monday tuesday wednesday are meat free. You get the idea. Once you feel three days off is easy step it up and adjust to four days, etc.

Most important of all is to add in other forms of nutrition, (and i don't just mean iron and protein, though they're obviously important). Also remove any anti-nutrients that take more nutrition to process them than they offer your body for support. Generally I stay away from anything that isn't naturally white, but when I purchase it, sure enough it's white as you can get. Start with white bread and iodised salt.

Last of all, your animal (your body) will be a lot happier if you help it let go of as much of the toxic crap it has collected over the years as possible. Digestion will be easier and more nutrients will be able to be extracted from the food you do eat.

Hope this helps.

[Bella]

Guess what? I've been a vegetarian all this week! Now I'm looking forward to a night of guilt-free tapas with friends this weekend!

Thanks for all your tips - I've had lots of vege curries to fill me up this week, and I found some gorgeous fresh beetroot that kept me going for a few days too. I'm going to get some of those yummy felafel balls and i'm already looking forward to them for lunch next week! Yum!

I also made this the other day and it was awesome - highly recommended! http://www.cuisine.com.au/recipe/Chi...d-pumpkin-stew

I still don't think I could go full vego, although I did it a few years ago for about 6 months. I'll keep in mind that I need to stock-up on good quality nutritious food to avoid having a lapse again in future.

[Julie]

I'm glad you enjoyed that challenge, I really liked doing it too. I find that curries are a great winter vego meal, and I make a meat-free cassoulet that's filling and feels like a treat. Beans, mushrooms, a rich tomato paste, and whatever winter veg seems most appealing at the time - pop them all in a ceramic baking dish, top with breadcrumbs and maybe a little parmesan and into the oven for at least 20 minutes. You'll want some crusty bread to mop it up with, and maybe a green salad with radish or fennel to stop the whole meal feeling stodgy. Verrrrry nice!

[lhyne]

Being a vegetarian is more than just a moral choice to protect animals or to rage against distasteful conditions in farms and the like. There are many health benefits to making the choice to eliminate meat from one's diet.

[wandaA]

Try making a Japanese Curry. It is very easy to make and more importantly, very tasty! The recipe can be modified to make it vegetarian by using tofu or pumpkin instead of meat, and it tastes just as amazing.

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