The Family Table: Eat your veggies
When I was in high school, we had to read the Upton Sinclair novel, “The Jungle.”
After reading the descriptions of the stockyards and slaughterhouses, I decided I could no longer eat meat. The decision was a knee jerk reaction based on teenage emotions, but my very kind parents indulged me.
Since this was the Stone Age (a.k.a. dial-up internet and pre-Google searches about basically everything), I bought vegetarian cookbooks or borrowed them from the library.
I can’t remember exactly how long it lasted, but I know how it ended: I was going past a McDonalds, and the smell was too good to resist.
And so, with a Big Mac, my teenage righteousness flew out the car window at a drive-thru.
My folks never said a word about it, though I’d imagine they were secretly relieved.
Over the next 25 years, I said more than once, and equally emphatically, that I’d never forego meat. Sitting here, I still agree with that sentiment.
But I don’t know when I’ll eat it again.
Before we went on vacation, my husband and I watched some documentaries on Netflix about food, its sourcing and its long-term impact on the body. Some were eye-rollingly wacky, and proved that no matter how far out there a position someone takes, there is an expert out there who will support it.
Some, however, made sense. They relied on Ivy League-educated, practicing doctors who used a plant-based diet to help patients control both chronic illness and weight.
When Mike suggested we try it after vacation for 30 days, I didn’t think we would actually do it. I was wrong.
The month of August was spent eating vegetarian. It resulted in a combined 35 pounds of weight lost between us, which was awesome, but beyond that, it also left us feeling figuratively lighter. It’s something I talked to a former colleague about – that inexplicable feeling of being completely full, but not feeling sluggish.
For the first few days, it felt like a huge sacrifice … but in the modern era of WiFi and Google, if you can’t find great recipes to suit any dietary requirement online, then you really aren’t looking. (And for anyone curious — I’ve been making meat for the kids … often, though, they choose to eat exactly what we’re having.)
When we neared the end of the 30 days, Mike didn’t want to quit, and neither did I. One of our staples has been hummus — chickpea, black bean or white bean, we’ve tried them all. We use it as a dip, a condiment on sandwiches, a mix-in with salads or tacos or a sauce with veggies. It’s versatile, filling and delicious.
Maybe at some point, I’ll get another Big Mac Attack. This time, though, I can’t imagine not getting back on the wagon if I fall off.
Black Bean Hummus
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed well
3 cloves roasted garlic (or ½ clove raw)
¼ cup cilantro
½ roasted red pepper
Juice of ½ lime
Salt/pepper
1-2 teaspoons cumin
Pulse the black beans in a food processor with the garlic and cilantro. Add in the lime juice, and ¼ of the roasted red pepper. Pulse until blended. Check the consistency, and if still seems dry, add the remaining red pepper. Season with cumin, salt and pepper, and pulse again. If the hummus still seems dry, add water by the teaspoon until it reaches the desired consistency. We like ours thicker, because we use it as a sandwich spread, but if you intend to use it as a sauce or a drizzle, thin it out until you get it to where you want it.