"Vegetarians Have More Fun" or "Real Girls Eat Meat"

That is the question for the day...okay not really a deep way of looking at vegetarianism but it's a fun start. Being a dietitian I often have people assume that I am a vegetarian. Well, actually I am not a vegetarian and the anal detailed person in me always wants to shoot back additional questions to these people making these assumptions like..."Well what type of vegetarian did you mean? Were you thinking vegan? flexitarian? lacto-ovo vegetarian?" Most people would just laugh at me, but it is true that there are actually many (approximately 7) types of ways you can "be" vegetarian.

1. Vegans avoid all animal products. They don't eat eggs, dairy products, or even honey. Many vegans also avoid anything made from animal products, such as leather, fur, and wool.

2.Fruitarians eat only fruits, seeds, nuts, and other plant components that can be gathered without harming the plant.

3. Lacto-vegetarians eat dairy products, but not eggs. They may or may not avoid non-dietary use of animal products.

4. Lacto-ovo vegetarians eat both eggs and dairy products. This is the most common group of vegetarians and what most people think of when someone says they're "a vegetarian."

5. Pesce-vegetarians include fish in their diet.

6. Pollo-vegetarians eat fowl, such as chicken and turkey, but avoid red meat and pork.

7. Flexitarians mainly eat vegetarian food, but will occasionally make exceptions.

You might wonder why I am even bringing this up, but the topic has been on my mind all day ever since I put the beef roast in my slow cooker this morning for our spicy brisket dinner we will have this evening (or at least Dustin will have). You see I love a good steak or a well done burger (ya know to avoid e. coli) every once in awhile, but to be honest most times if given the option I order a veggie burger or I get fish or chicken in place of a steak (also cost plays a part sometimes since I only like the high end filets). So, a few weeks ago I got the stomach virus that was going around and to spare you the details it just so happened that we had this same brisket the night before I became ill. So today I have been suffering from a persistent nausea from the meat smell and I eventually had to put the slow cooker out in the garage :-)

So I am not writing this to state that I am announcing I am becoming a vegetarian (although after looking at the 7 types I really am already a "flexitarian"), but I just think it is funny how certain foods you once loved can sometimes become those foods you could care less if you ever ate again. Now this blog entry does require a disclaimer since we are talking about eliminating meat from a person's diet, not chocolate. Unfortunately, my taste buds for that have only heightened with age....And even though Dustin is the only man for me, there is one other guy that could potentially catch my eye ;-) You wouldn't be able to resist either and you know it!

The 100% Chocolate Man