From Carnivore to Pescetarian

Recently my peace-loving, environmentally conscious twelve year old declared that she was giving up meat after a decidedly "traumatic" shopping excursion.  "As of today, I'm a vegetarian!"

"Really?" I said.  "That means no more burgers, ribs, chicken, cheesesteaks..."

"I know. I don't want to eat them any more."

"Does that include fish?"

"No more meat, Mom!"

"Ok, but that means giving up sushi."

After a moment... "Ok, maybe not fish!"

"Well," I replied to her supportively, "if you're serious, I'll do it with you!"

So that's how we got where we are today: Pescetarians!  This didn't just come out of the blue.  Lauryn has always been a very "conscious" person.  Sensitive to animals and people's feelings (except her brother's of course!), very kind and considerate when it comes to other people.  She's a very sweet girl.  All of her clothing designs (website coming soon!) are accented with the peace sign.  So, really, in my mind, it was just a matter of time until we got here. 

And here's the thing... I've gone (red) meatless for years with no problem.  Unlike my husband, I don't "love" steak and probably wouldn't order one in a restaurant unless it was that restaurant's specialty (such as Arthur's Tavern in Hoboken or The Steakhouse at Circus Circus in Las Vegas.)  It's something I can easily live without.  Chicken will be a bit harder to give up but, honestly, we both love tofu and all kinds of seafood so I think we'll be all right!  And, it's much healthier in the long run!

And, let's face it, Lauryn and I both need to drop a few pounds.  Hopefully, this will lead to more healthy eating overall.   We are also protesting fast food (as much as we can - but sometimes a baked potato from Wendy's can make an inexpensive and satisfying meal!) and getting out to get more exercise. 

I'll check back in often with our progress (yes - both the satisfying highs and the embarrassing lows!)  Here's hoping there will be very few lows!

Help Us Out
Any ideas or suggestions on great boxable lunches or tasty homemade meatless dinners would be greatly appreciated.  Drop me a line if you have a delicious recipe that you're willing to share!  Thanks!

Next stop: cutting down on our sugar intake! (It won't be easy but we can't eat what we don't buy, right?)