Follow-up: Eating Animals
The most-read post on my blog right now, by far, is the one I wrote a few weeks ago entitled How a book changed the way I eat.
In this post I do a review of the book ‘Eating Animals’ and explain that since reading this book I have no appetite for meat anymore.
Today I want to talk about the fact that I haven’t ate meat for over two months, don’t plan on starting again anytime soon and I’m training for a marathon.
The #1 question I get, usually from people who’s mouths are hanging open and have no experience doing anything remotely close to training for a marathon is “Well, where do you get your protein from?”
After I calmly explain that I still eat dairy products, lots of beans and use protein powder in my smoothies etc. 99% of the time I get a, “That’s not enough protein!” response.
First, I’m going to point you to this blog, this blog, this blog and this blog. All blogs of athletes who have done insane things, think ran marathons, biked 100′s of miles, ran ultra-marathons, participated in triathlons, ran 8:00-minute miles etc.
All of them? Vegetarians and, in one case, Vegan.
The simple fact is that we do not need as much protein as we are made to believe and we can get our protein from other, non-meat sources.
I am not trying to force anyone to give up meat! It’s certainly not for everyone and I don’t even know if it’s something I will continue forever. But right now I literally cannot stomach the idea of eating meat, so I don’t.
It’s been better for my grocery bill, too 
Here are some things I have been eating. On a side note, I need to get better at taking photos of my food because it’s usually pretty darn delicious!
Portabello mushroom burger with some veggies and a baked potato with cottage cheese. Some nights, when I’m tired and get home late, I throw a baked potato in the microwave, plop some cottage cheese on top and call it a meal. True story.
A scrambled egg wrap with spinach and mushroom, salsa for dipping and fresh cucumbers and tomato on the side.
I’ve also made a couple of batches of vegetarian chili in the crockpot with homemade cornbread and some really good veggie pizza!
So I’m curious to know if anyone else is in the middle of reducing their meat intake? And, whether you’re a vegetarian or not, what’s your favourite veggie-based meal?
I have been eating a lot more vegetarian food lately. I haven’t eaten red meat in over a year and now I am finding myself without any source of meat most days. I suddenly just got turned off the idea. It wasn’t even a conscious decision. I am not full blown vegetarian but I plan to keep the intake low.
I completely agree that there are many great ways to get proteins from non-animal sources. I have started using beans in more recipes and they are so yummy!!
Good for you! I’m afraid to read the book but I know I will eventually. I have cut a tremendous amount of meat out of my diet. I am definitely on the way to giving it up completely but I don’t think I could give up fish. Who knows, maybe one day…I am also reading The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone and that has definitely helped!!
I don’t eat meat all that often, mostly becuase it’s not all that practical for single person and it requires more effort than I’d like to put forth!
I seriously live on baked potatoes. I eat them at least 3 nights a week – usually with a little low fat sour cream and then a side of steam-in-the-microwave veggies.
I could never give up meat completely because I do enjoy the occasional burger, but I do think more about the source of my meat these days.
I love how you talk about your protein sources! I’m totally with you, while eating meat or not is a really personal thing you can definitely get enough protein in other places. I think the “You’re not getting enough protein” statement is often a cop out when people really want to say “That’s weird, I’m not comfortable with that”. That being said, you really have to watch your B12 & iron levels. Adding soy milk into your diet can help, as can making sure you have leafy greens. But I’ve been vegetarian since I was a little kid & I get blood work done once a year specifically to check those levels, and a number of times even when I’ve been feeling really healthy the results have been “Get this girl on a supplement, stat!” lol
My favourite protein source is honestly just tofu, especially since I’m totally freaked out by eggs these days (lol). I buy extra firm tofu, press some of the water out of it & marinate it in barbecue sauce or a glaze that I make myself, and then bake it on parchment paper. It’s so tasty in sandwiches and wraps, and it makes for a really fast lunch
What iron supplement are you taking? Should I be taking one? Where can I get something like that?
Haha.. question overload
I only take an iron supplement if my doctor recommends it (they’re harsh on your system I think) but having a really solid multivitamin is a good idea. If you go to a health food store they’ll have ones that are “Vegetarian Formula” that are designed to give you more of the Iron & B12 you might be missing
I love sweet potatoes and also egg salad sandwiches. I still eat meat and probably will continue to. I used to eat lots more carbs for carbo loading and stuff when I played bball in college but when I switched to running college Track, I switched to eating more protein. I have found that by eating about the same amount of protein and carbs a day, my body works well and I feel good. I guess its about finding something that works for your body since we are all different!
That first meal looks delicious. I never thought about cottage cheese on the baked potato. I shall have to try that. I love cottage cheese with tomatos!
“we do not need as much protein as we are made to believe and we can get our protein from other, non-meat sources” <- Couldn’t be more truth to this statement. Thanks for the link
and for being so open about this! You’ll do Great as you go into marathon training with this attitude, and your meals definitely look tasty! They also look like you’ve got the carb/protein balance figured out. 
I’d be Happy to answer any questions on the topic, if you need tips!
I went vegetarian for a couple years when I lived in the UK during the Mad Cow Disease scare. Then one day I just OMG NEEDED A WHOPPER and was ill for DAYS. I eat meat now, but I really enjoy vegetarian and vegan “cuisine”. I know it’s a lifestyle for most people and not a category of restaurant, but I find that vegan restaurants in particular use really intriguing spice & flavor combinations.
I also bake mostly vegan. Kind of weird, but I find that my cookies and cupcakes stay more moist and last longer and just generally taste better that way.
Your meals look so tasty and fresh. Mmmm, summer.
I love a good vegetable gratin. Onions, tomatoes, summer squash, zucchini, tossed in olive oil, sea salt, and herbs, layered all pretty in a glass dish and baked in the oven with a sprinkling of cheese on top. YUM.
I have wanted to cut down on my meat intake for awhile now, and since I read your post on Eating Animals I have, but not to the extent that I’d like. Thanks for the meal ideas!
I’d be too scared to read that book, I think. I’ve contemplated going vegetarian for a very long time now because I DESPISE the way animals are treated in the food business, it absolutely breaks my heart, but I don’t know if I would be able to hack it – I really dislike tofu and I tend to avoid dairy (I always feel queasy from milk and yoghurt so I drink almond milk). Your meals look absolutely delicious though and I am most definitely making a mushroom burger!!
my favorite is my vegetarian based sloppy joe recipe. i shared it with anais. and she loves it. let me know if you want to try that! it’s really awesome!
Yes, yes, yes
I definitely want it!
All that food looks awesome!!!
As you can tell from my blog, I rarely buy meat. I still eat it, but just not nearly as much as I used to. It baffles my guy friends how I log the miles/training that I do because they swear I don’t get enough protein. But you’re right- it’s in so much of our food and our requirements for the day are not nearly as high as people think they are!
I’m not a vegetarian (although I was raised as one!) but I’d like to point out that there is no daily requirement for protein. There’s only a suggested max. You can have too much, but it’s pretty difficult to have too little!
I started reading the book but couldn’t get through it. I like eating meat sometimes, you know? I have already nixed red meat from my diet almost 100% (what drives me nuts is that my inlaws serve red meat to us every freaking time we go to visit…I always feel like such a b*tch when I only take a bite or two of my steak). I will eat chicken and fish/seafood and that’s about it. And I try to do by best to buy free range chicken at least.
No matter how much I try to think about it, I couldn’t become completely vegetarian or vegan. Couldn’t. I have tried eating some things that are substitutes for meat, or will stand in for the protein in my life, but I dislike them. A LOT.
I’ve always thought about reducing my meat intake, but I’ve never actually done anything about it. One day!
I have no idea what my favourite veggie-based meal would be. Maybe stir-fry? I do love tofu and all the veggies in stir-fry.
The way people ask vegetarians “How do you get enough protein?” is ridiculous. There’s plenty of ways to compensate for it and I think I probably don’t even get the recommended amount of iron! Pass the legumes, please!
I could never be a vegetarian … but that mushroom burger looks divine. Now, I’m starving. Thanks.
I think it’s great that you are marathon training on a veggie lifestyle and clearly possible. There are so many great places to get protein. I myself could not give up meat because there is already so much I cannot eat, I almost feel like I’d be the biggest inconvenience ever to myself and others if I was a vegetarian. However, I would say I only eat meat 1-2 a week as it is. I love meals that involve black beans- in fact I’m headed to the grocery store right now to get the ingredients for my black bean pizza, yum. I’m also a big fan of pototoes- both regular and sweet potatoes, so I often base my meals around that. I find it’s easier and less trips to the grocery store when I do less meat (and cheaper!)
Okay, being a vegetarian, I am SO tired of the whole protein question. It’s guaranteed out of the mouths of EVERYONE who finds out that I don’t eat meat. And it is old.
I’m really glad you’ve been so open about the book and its effect on you—my dad is a so-called “chicken farmer” (read: he owns two poultry factory farms), and one visit was all it took to finally push me from wanting to be a vegetarian to adamantly refusing to support the meat industry. I made the switch when I was about thirteen or fourteen, and have no regrets.
Well, as you know, Eating Animals changed me too. While I won’t go as far as to put a label on it, aside from shellfish, eggs and dairy I’ve been pretty much meat-free for over a month. It hasn’t been difficult, nor have I felt deprived. I simply haven’t found meat desireable since reading the book. And summer is the best time to go veg – there are so many fun things to cook up!
I haven’t completely ruled out meat, but I’m not eating red meat. I’m still eating chicken and seafood, but rarely. I’ve been loving salads for dinner … it has become an experiment for me with adding different things!
ive gone back to vegetarian as well.
It is so funny how people don’t think you can get enough protein as a vegetarian … of course you can!! Good for you!!
I’ve never really thought about becoming a vegetarian, mainly because I love meat so much. It seems like this book has totally changed the way people think about food so it scares me a little that I don’t want to read it! (Close-minded of me, sure.)
It’s cool to see where else you can get your protein from, though! I never even thought about some of those sources.
I don’t each much meat these days; if I do it’s local/organic and not from a terrible place (so far as I know). As you know i’m allergic to most of the world so I can’t be a vegetarian but totally would be if it was possible for me
With that said, favorite veggie dish? Greek salad. Or my lasagna roll-ups (which are spinach based, no meat). Or my quesadilla casserole (meat is optional but I leave it out).
Would love the recipe for both the lasagna roll-ups AND the quesadilla casserole!!
Amber, these look like great meals. I’ve been wanting to make a grilled portobello sandwich w/ feta and sundried tomatoes. Mmm.
I tend to eat what I want, but would prefer to eat a little less meat. I generally eat it either once a day or every few days. It’s definitely harder living with the manfriend to eat less meat. He likes it and needs the cals/protein and doesn’t really like the tofu or tempeh that I do. I know I could push it a bit more, but sometimes I just don’t want to spend the time to recreate something veggie that he would like (whereas I’d be fine with plain tofu in a sandwich/salad).
I’ll also point you to Kim’s blog: http://www.ilaxstudio.com/blog/. She’s a vegan and a pretty serious athlete. She blogs a lot about her running and posts some great recipes. Maybe you’ll find inspiration in her archives!
Nilsa, you are such a sweetie, thanks!
We have a ton of fave veggie recipes. We LOVE LOVE LOVE beans with a passion. They are our main protein source (I am vegan, my husband is vegetarian) but we also experiment with other things from time to time too.
And one of my fave meals, which is kind of veggie based, is a couscous meal with green beans, tomatoes and chickpeas. I am recalling sharing this with someone else, so sorry if it was a repeat! You can find it on vegweb – http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=9086.0 – it’s a great site for looking for vegetarian recipes. I make it as the recipe says, but skip the foil part, and use about 5-6 garlic cloves. I usually make 1.5 cups of couscous with it.
We also love to make pizza, our version of Thai food, Mexican food and Middle Eastern food. Yum!
Lately, I’ve been trying to lower my intake of meat, but it’s hard with a husband who LOVES it. At least once a week, though, I make a big salad for dinner with no meat and a ton of veggies, and it’s honestly one of his favorite meals. For lunch, I’ve been really into veggie burgers and black bean enchiladas lately. Yum!
I’ve never eaten a lot of meat, but I do love chicken. Most of the meals I make are vegetarian, simply because I hate the idea of raw meat. But I do have issues getting enough protein, because I find it difficult to think that hard about/plan my meals around alternate sources of protein.
I think it’s really interesting to see how athletic people manage to balance protein and vegetarianism. My sister’s a vegetarian and a professional acrobat. She likes to call herself a “flexitarian,” though, because if her training requires a big boost of protein, she’ll eat meat.
I’m a sucker for all things pasta. And right now I’d probably say it’d be pesto pasta. Or maybe gnocchi with pesto. And I’m always a sucker for a caprese salad.