Hello there! I’m Rebecca Jean. I write a little sustainable lifestyle/vintage fashion
blog called Midnight Maniac. I am not a vegetarian. In fact, I quite like meat.
So what is a self-confessed carnivore doing here at Pepperoni Is Not A Vegetable? Two
years ago my family and I gave up meat for Lent. You know, that thing that spawned Friday Fish
Fries here in Wisconsin? I don’t get it, to me fish is meat, but that’s a story for
another day.
We had already been eating meatless meals twice a week for some time and I had
drastically reduced our meat portions several years prior. Still, this was a BIG step.
I wasn’t sure that my family would go for it and I was even less sure what I would feed
them if they did.
To my surprise, Mister gave me the green light and Meatless March was a go.
I feared 40 days of unending pasta. At the time it was about the only vegetarian thing I
knew how to cook. I had no clue how to make a complete meal out of vegetables. And it
terrified me.
Somehow we survived, but my grocery budget didn’t. I thought we would save
money by cutting meat off the grocery list, when in actuality it tacked on an extra
$40.00 per week! That I was not prepared for.
Meat is normally the most expensive thing on our grocery list, but since I was completely
clueless about vegetarian cooking I replaced it with fake “meat”. Which is not cheap at
all! That coupled with the sudden increase of fresh veggies in our meals accounted for
the extra dollars being spent at the checkout. All well worth it.
Another surprise of going meatless for Lent was the color that appeared on our plates.
Brightly hued carrots, pepper and squash that we had not seen before. It was a feast for
the eyes!
I am happy to report that these have become a mainstay of our diets. Nearly all our
meals now start with onion, pepper and carrot or celery. This was unheard of before
going meatless for Lent.
Since then we have tried tofu, Tofurky, seitan, TVP and host of other meat alternatives.
While I am not a fan of fake “meat” {or fake anything}, I do believe it has its place.
My family most likely would have failed without it. We still use some today. {I
recommend Quorn meatless and soy-free grounds for beef and tenders for chicken.} I think
it serves as a great crutch for those interested in reducing meat consumption but are not
sure how to do it. It helped us go from mostly meat to mostly vegetables in one short
year.
The second year going meatless for Lent was much easier. I am inclined to say that it
was a breeze, because I really don’t remember much of it. It was that little of an
issue. We reduced the amount of fake “meat” and upped the vegetables. I got more
creative with my cooking and my family became more open to new and unfamiliar foods.
I credit that first bold step two years ago a lot with the way we eat now. Not too much,
mostly plants.
Last night over a plate of roast beef {most likely the only meat we will have
this week} my family discussed going meatless for Lent a third year. All systems are go.
Will you join us?
Rebecca Jean is a vintage-loving,
plastic-hating, apron-wearing environmentalist from the MidWest. She resides in
Wisconsin with her husband, 2.2 step-children and adopted four-legged child, Daisy. She
and her family go meatless every Monday and will again go meatless for Lent for the third
year. You can follow their progress on her blog, twitter and facebook.
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7 Comments
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Congrats on the NYT mention ~ tres cool!
Thank you very much, Kellie! Thanks for dropping by.
Thanks Kellie!
♥ Rebecca Jean
Midnight Maniac
Hi Nicole! Thank you so much for featuring this lovely article by Rebecca. I completely agree with everything she said. Going vegetarian from a meat eater’s perspective can have quite a big learning curve, but once you get the hang of it, it can be just as affordable as omnivorous eating. I remember how much more money I spent going raw vegan for a while, but eventually settled into a balance of whole foods that worked best for my body. What I love about this is 40 days is a perfect amount of time not only to get the hang of this eating style but also see if it will agree with your body and your health. Wonderfully written Becca! Congratulations to you both for being featured in the New York Times Diner’s Journal! I am now following you on twitter. All the best, Alex
Hi Alex!
I completely agree that it can seem very daunting to suddenly change one’s diet. Trying something for 40 days is perfect, or even just doing once a week, like Meatless Mondays!
Thank you for visiting and leaving a comment!
Best,
Nicole
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