The Vegetarian Experiment

Remember this post?

While I'm not as far along on that list as I'd like to be, starting today Corrie and I are going to try to be vegetarians for one whole month. We have checked out some cookbooks from the library, we have bookmarked promising recipes, and we've been talking about doing this all year. So now is the time!

Maybe you are applauding our efforts to venture in to the vegetarian world. If you are, then thanks (and we'd like some recipe suggestions.)

Or maybe you have this t-shirt and you're wondering why anyone would ever not eat meat. If you are wondering why, then this post is for you.

It's no secret around my family that I've always been a picky eater. Even though I eat a lot more vegetables now than I ever have, I still have a tendency to sift through a casserole and politely set aside those items I'd rather not eat. My picky-ness is really not a big issue (Corrie might disagree), but I am growing older and need to be more mindful of what I'm eating. Not only that, but I have two boys who are watching me eat every day, and their habits will be tied directly to mine. I want to set a healthy example for them, and that means adding variety to my diet.

The other main motivation behind our vegetarian experiment is just to see if we can do it. We all like challenges of one kind or another. Some like to build things, some like to play golf, some like video games - we do these things for the challenge of bettering ourselves at them. The same is true for us. We hope we will better our lives by eating only vegetarian this month - better them by what we eat and better them by identifying with those who choose this lifestyle. Vegetarians are often ridiculed (especially in the South), when in fact, they should be celebrated for embracing a way of life that runs counter-cultural to the fast-food eating America we live in.

I'm hoping to blog throughout the month so as to chronicle the experience. If you're brave, you can join us. If not for a whole month, then maybe for a day or a weekend. OR, you can just read along and live vicariously through us. That's fine, too.