Going Veggie

[Amaris]

I think it's a huge encouragement to think about what we eat! Our tastes buds have been trained by people who want us to purchase products, not food.

Yep. To be honest, the first week I switched over to being Veggie, it wasn't the meat that gave me trouble. On that front, I didn't have a single craving. The problem was the junk food. I like potato chips, pretzels, cheese popcorn, all of these salty foods that have lots of fat and carbohydrates as well, and it was damn near impossible for me to cut back on them. I still allow myself a small serving of potato chips (low salt, low fat) every day until I either completely wean myself off of them, or find a better, truly healthier alternative.

The baby carrots thing, though? Totally there. I love baby carrots. They have a nice satisfying crunch while being juicy at the same time. I don't need anything with them, just a handful of baby carrots taste great.

Still, it's almost insidious to see what is produced to get us eating. It started out as "give them what they want", and evolved into "give them what we entice them to want", finally becoming "just chemically force their bodies to demand our product, and then sell it to them". It's almost like a drug! Actually, that would be a drug!

Remember the episode of DS9 "Rules of Acquisition", where the (female) Ferengi waiter, Pel, convinces Quark to sell sand peas that, when mixed in with food, make people want to reflexively take a drink? The same motive and principle applies here, but it's in more than just one restaurant, or in one type of food. It's spread across every type of food that has any level of processing in it whatsoever.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

We can retrain our taste buds. I eat junk at times but I don't eat it as a meal and I don't have much tolerance for it. I have a thing about trying new flavours of stuff and if it's a potato chip I haven't had before I'll have few.. but if I ate any more than that it would just taste like salt. I couldn't eat a bag of them. I'm always amazed people put salt on salads, tomatoes, avocado, eggs.. these things taste quite salty to me just as they are. But we've gotten so used to the taste of salt they don't taste right without it. Our base "just right" level (or bliss as the article said) with salt is waaaay too high. I think you're right to wean yourself off realistically with some carefully chosen treats still, in my experience if people just give up everything they have big lapses. Allow yourself a few chips, and then that craving is done for the day.

btw I'm not wanting to come across here as some food finger wagger. I think I've got it easy in the healthy eating game because I don't have as much stacked against me as some do. I was raised in a health food house as I said in the beginning of the thread so food facts/suspicion and thinking about labels is just second nature. I live in a country whose diet seems to be far less based on processed and fast food than the US and where making things from scratch is the norm. I don't have a sweet tooth and I can't remember ever craving desserts etc.. so though I do eat certain sweets I don't care if I don't and find it easy not to. All of which is just the luck of the draw and genetics.

The reason I do post in this thread (not even being a veggie) is that a. I am a "foodie" person and this is the thread with real food as opposed to the US junk food/chain restaurant (same as junk food) discussions that food talk usually ends up being about here and b. that I do care about people's diets. I hate seeing how badly people eat (reading the dinner/eating threads) on a daily basis. I think it's FANTASTIC to read your story of taking your health in your own hands and getting great results. And not only that, enjoying it! It has encouraged me to be more mindful about my own diet and I've thought of this thread a few times while making choices. There are always delicious good choices to be made Even though as this point in my life I have no health problems I always think, how the fuck do I know what's going on in there? What's sticking to my arteries? Why wait to make good choices when a doctor says to, which frankly is something we will ALL HEAR ONE DAY. Just do it now I reckon.

My god I've waffled on.. well the reason I feel I need to justify and/or apologize for possible food finger wagging is how I was raised, where everything you put in your mouth was an ideological statement. I do not want to be that person and I have a voice in my head whispering that's what I sound like whenever I say anything vaguely food lectury or factish.

 

[SmoothieX]

With the durian and century egg, you'd like this youtube channel.

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MEfUvZ_aDE[/yt]

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

What the heck, why is Vegemite on that channel.. that is black gold man.

 

[CorporalClegg]

I actually kind of like Vegemite.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

It is delicious.

 

[Sector 7]

The only thing I know about Vegemite is from the Men at Work song. To be honest, I cannot sort the fake articles from the real ones regarding Vegemite.

teacake, would you explain it to me (or someone else with a serious answer)? What is it made of, does it taste similar to anything else, etc.? I have never seen any in this area, or I'd have tried it at least once.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

It tastes similar to the two Marmites, to Promite and to varying other wannabe mites.. which doesn't help if you are miteless. It's a savoury spread which in itself is a stumbling block for some who are used to putting sweet spreads on their toast. It's made from yeast extract but the closest I could say it tastes is a paste made of beef stock cubes, though it doesn't taste beefy and it it is vegetarian. But that's the kind of taste it is. Newbies should spread it THINLY (so you can see through it) on buttered toast. It is excellent on rye toast but that's my preference. Have some nice buttered toast with thin vegemite spread on it and a cup of tea.. you won't get any sugar hit/drop from eating too sweet jam or peanut butter, the savoury aspect will be very satisfying.

It is also traditionally eaten with cheese on a sandwich, usually not toasted. People put it in marinades too, but toast or with cheese is the daily life of the stuff. I like to slather it on in thickly but roughly so there will be streaks of it on the toast, and I like to let the toast cool off slightly so that the butter doesn't sink in but is still somewhat solid and visible.. yes I have given this way too much thought. Most people have quite specific preferences for how they eat it, spreading to the corners or butter completely melted etc..

I've tried all the mites and I like them all. The Marmite factory in New Zealand was destroyed in the earthquake and they are just now announcing they are ready to start production again, at one point NZ Marmite was 80.00 a jar on ebay (it's different from UK Marmite).

If anyone wants to try Vegemite I will send them a couple hotel peel back single serves if they send me a mailing address.

 

[SmoothieX]

I'm game, but moving next weekend, so I'll send my new address and hope you can wait a couple days.

 

[Tora Ziyal]

This is for you tsq because you were talking about prawns. I had this idea last week and just now put it together.

Green pepper sauteed briefly in minced garlic and sliced chillies, then with prawns and papaya added. Squirt of lime.



Preparation time under ten minutes. IT IS DELICIOUS.

The warmed papaya and prawn juice and chillie and garlic and papaya juice and.. well, it's good.

I think I've decided papaya is my favorite fruit.

The bottom of the bowl is a melange of juice..

That looks wonderful!

 

[SmoothieX]

I'm game, but moving next weekend, so I'll send my new address and hope you can wait a couple days.

Actually, how about an international food swap? I got some New England specialties I don't feel like moving, all canned, unopen, non-perishable stuff.

PM me.

 

[thestrangequark]

I want to try Vegemite! Do you want something New York-ish in exchange? I can't think of anything that would ship well...

 

[SmoothieX]

You'll be my NY source in the midwest.

 

[Roshi]

When you eat prawns, that's cheating...

 

[thestrangequark]

I could also send Pacific Northwest foods, after all, I grew up in Seattle.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

I don't want anything in exchange, I have either tried or can buy most stuff myself and the really interesting stuff would never get through quarantine here LOL! I can slip some single serves into an envelope so it's really no trouble if anyone wants some

 

[Relayer1]

When you eat prawns, that's cheating...

Where did people get the idea that vegetarians eat shellfish ?

 

[Tora Ziyal]

^Relayer1, vegetarian is a very loose term. People use it to describe everything from totally vegan (no animal products at all) to I'll-eat-anything-except-the-meat-of-land-animals. So, yes, some people who call themselves vegetarian do eat shellfish.

 

[Amaris]

^Relayer1, vegetarian is a very loose term. People use it to describe everything from totally vegan (no animal products at all) to I'll-eat-anything-except-the-meat-of-land-animals. So, yes, some people who call themselves vegetarian do eat shellfish.

That's a bunch of abalone!

[dances off stage]

 

[Tora Ziyal]

Where's MLB? Fishy puns are his clam to fame.