A Veggieful Life ~ by Lauren

Okay, I'll be honest. I started off the new year with a new deep fryer, frying everything from chicken to twinkies. Remember my fried oreo quest, Jen? Can you believe that I can now create the fabulous fried oreo in the comfort of my own home?! Gratefully, a deep fryer wasn't the only thing I got for Christmas. I also got a book called Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer.

One review boldly predicts that "the everyday horrors of factory farming are evoked so vividly...that anyone, who after reading Foer's book, continues to consume the industry's products must be without a heart, or impervious to reason, or both." It's true. And I haven't even finished the book yet!

Before I decided to stop eating animals for moral reasons, I wanted to stop for health reasons. Or more accurately, to start for health reasons. I simply wanted more room on my plate for fresh vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. I also found it very exciting that this change would allow me to explore new recipes. I think vegetarianism causes you to be more creative in the kitchen. Everyday I ask myself "what recipe (out of so many) can I create today?" While some people view vegetarianism as limiting, I see it as expanding. My meals are not just without meat. They're with everything else I was missing out on before.

Today I ate a black bean burger with baby spinach in a whole wheat wrap, sweet potato carrot soup, edamame, refried bean enchiladas with mole sauce, avacado, salsa, and carribean rice. My favorite new indulgences are hummus, three bean chili, butternut squash soup, hot and sour soup, and vegetarian reubens.

I now look forward to tasting these delicious foods and enjoying the rejuvenation I feel after consuming real nourishment. I encourage others to try vegetarian eating, even if it's not every minute or every day. Don't think of your diet as meatless, think of it as full of everything else! Add some vegetarian dishes into your week and you might just love the veggieful life!