On Unbecoming a Vegetarian

Here and there for the past year, I’ve commented about my flirting with not being a vegetarian any longer. After 31 years of not eating meat, it is no easy task incorporating meat back into the diet. I *could* walk into the McDonald’s across the street, plunk down my money and order some chicken nuggests or a Big Mac. That’s not hard, I know.

But that’s not ging to happen. For one, I’m not eating meat from McDonald’s. I’ve read Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal. I’ve watched Super Size Me. I’ve heard about “Pink Slime”.

I’ve tried going slowly, using organic chicken broth instead of vegetable broth on occasion. But I don’t know what to do next. I have been a vegetarian since I was ten. I have absolutely no clue how to buy let alone COOK meat. If I’m going to eat it, it will have to have all the “conscious” adjectives (I think) : local, free-range, humane, anti-biotic free, sustainable, no whatevers … but I don’t know what these whatevers are. I just didn’t pay attention. As long as the girls and I weren’t eating it, it was something I could easily ignore.

This week we went to Taco Mac across the street. I didn’t worry about the bacon “garnish” on the appetizer. The girls ordered chicken wings (blech). I tried looking at the whole menu, but I just couldn’t figure it out. Fish stinks. Chicken is blah. Red meat is too advanced. I ordered my old stand-by … veggie enchiladas.

I’m like a deer in the headlights right now. Frozen. Vegetarian by default.

fruit, cheese, hummus - 30 apr 2012