Once Upon a Time

Once upon a time, I was a born-and-raised meat-eater. In fact, I fancied the Mainer's king of meats: the red-skinned hotdog. The snap of that artificially bright red skin was a familiar sound as we ate them grilled, sauteed with onions, or with a side of baked beans. I won't pretend that the familiarity of the foods I grew up on has lost its power; when I visit my mother, I still crave the meats of my youth. But now, in my own home with my husband and my toddling daughter, I am an accidental vegetarian.

It happened about a year ago. My husband and I were already eating meat-free a few days a week. We followed the traditions instilled in him by his Indian upbringing: no meat on Tuesdays and Thursdays. One week, I decided to give vegetarian a try for the entire week, and I haven't purchased meat since. Admittedly, it started out as a challenge; I needed a new culinary goal, and being home with an infant meant I had time to think about things like this. But when I saw that our grocery bill was smaller and that much research supports a meat-free diet, I made the decision (without fanfare or, really, a lot of consideration) to stop buying meat.

This decision has made very little ripple in our lives as a family. We still eat dishes we always enjoyed (like tacos and burgers), but I found new ways to fill them out with vegetables rather than meats. Before giving up the beast, so to speak, I had already started planning our meals from a vegetable base, cognizant of the importance of fiber in the human diet. And when I approached vegetarianism from this perspective, it was a no-brainer.

So I became a vegetarian without really trying. And I'm here to help others as well. If you're a hard-core meat-eater looking to supplement with a few meat-free meals or if you're looking to let go of your turkey cold-turkey, I've got tips, tricks, and tidbits to help you on your way. Thanks for stepping into my literary kitchen!