A Change of Appetite
This title is stolen from Diana Henry, because no matter how hard I tried, I could come up with nothing that better reflected how I feel about eating right now. It has not been a very sudden thing, my way of eating has evolved immensely since I was that Soviet deficit era child who mostly consumed sourdough bread (still a huge favourite) and made dessert out of sour cream and sugar when there was nothing else to be had.
I learned to cook by necessity when I left home at 14 and grew to love it in the years that followed. I discovered herbs and spices and exotic cuisines and became both an adventurous cook and eater. One thing that never crossed my mind, however, was vegetarianism. When faced with a traditional Estonian plate of meat, potatoes and salad, I would eat all the meat, half of the potatoes and no salad. Later, I started to eat the salad, but not on the expense of meat. I thought that people who claimed they didn’t crave meat were liars.
I’m not saying I’m a vegetarian now or plan to be. Still, I’m eating less meat, wanting less meat and also consciously cutting down. Why this is, I’m not entirely certain. Partly, it seems to be truly a change in appetite. I felt it especially keenly in Australia, where breakfasts were glorious and mostly vegetarian (or vegan) and I wanted to subsist on beetroot hummus, mashed avocado, sourdough bread (see!) and an occasional egg. It’s also possible my body is reacting to changes I’ve already made or demands vitamins after an extremely intense period at work. In any case, I dream of slow-cooked lamb less than I used to.
Then there is the issue of ethics. I don’t have a problem with animals being killed for food – possibly because I grew up on a tiny farm where this was a reality. What I do have a major issue with, however, is the way animals are treated in modern food industry. The more I educate myself about it, the worse it gets. And strangely, I think my childhood experience was counterproductive here for a long time, as it shaped my understanding of domestic animals and their treatment, while that kind of set-up (a couple of cows grazing, a dozen chickens roaming the garden, two goats I used to take out and “herd”, maybe a pig) is in fact very rare in the Western world. In addition to this, there’s the climate. It’s not clear-cut, but evidence suggests eating less meat is inevitable if we want to reduce the emissions and this is important to me.
Knowing how easily influenced I am, I’m sure zeitgeist also plays a part here. There is simply so much more gorgeous vegetarian food around, people talk about it constantly and the issues around it are frequently discussed, making it more difficult to ignore the consequences of one’s choices. Leaving the weightier topics aside, plant-based food has come a long way from restrictive and sad-looking, becoming exciting, abundant and beautiful. I really like how it combines so many flavous, colours and textures, layers upon layers of nourishment.
My cooking hasn’t quite caught up with my new appetite. I find breakfast the easiest and have, to my embarrassment, come to really like chia pudding (and avocado toast, but that isn’t a new development). Lunch time tends to be at the mercy of available food at the cafeteria (I’ve not graduated to the fancy bento box stage) and dinners are the worst. I have found some things that work for me and the rest of the family, but not enough. It’s probably mostly mental adjustment I need, rather than lack of cooking skill or ideas, so I’m taking it step-by-step. There is progress: I’ve just made baked sweet potato with truffle honey, goat milk sour cream and caramelised leeks.
Are you eating more plants than you used to? Do you have any favourite vegetarian/vegan recipes?
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Congrats on a great decision. As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve been a vegetarian for close to 30 yrs- since around age 13. There is much I have to say about the issue- some of it, oddly enough, critical of fellow vegans/ vegetarians for their proselytizing/ propaganda/ lack of science based nutrition advice. But I won’t 😉.
Instead of writing a long winded treatise, here are quick tips:
– It is not an all or nothing venture. Eat more veggies, fruit, legumes, and whole grains but if your body craves a lamb stew-eat it!
– Don’t become one of those judgmental-holier than thou- vegetarians. Some people apparently do need to eat meat for their survival because of climate/geography/health req.
-Become acquainted with solid research based resources. Here’s one you can download on Kindle: Vegan for Life: Everything you need to know to be healthy and fit on a plant based diet (Jack Norris). Written by two registered dietitians who know their science.
– Check out 101cookbooks.com, Plenty and Plenty More for inspiration.
Finally here is a quick, easy, and delicious protein rich soup.
Orange Lentil Soup
-1 cup split orange lentils, washed
– 5 cups water
– 1/2 tsp turmeric
– 1 tsp cumin powder
-1 tsp salt (more or less)
-about 3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
– 1/2 lemon
-2-3 garlic cloves
-2 carrots diced
-1 medium sweet potato diced
-1 onion chopped
– olive oil
-Sauté onion, carrots, sweet potato with salt in a couple or more tbs of olive oil for about 5-10 minuets
– Add turmeric and cumin, mix
– Add washed lentils+ 5 cups water and cook with lid on for 45 minuets.
– Turn off stove and immediately add juice of half lemon, minced garlic, chopped cilantro and put lid back on. Leave for 15 minuets for flavors to meld together.
Enjoy!
You obviously never know, but I think chances of me becoming a proselytising vegetarian are very low:) And as I don’t think I’d be able to give up meat entirely, I’m obviously very much on board with your approach. I have been eating more veggies for a while (fruit was never a problem, I love absolutely every kind), now it’s more about restructuring my eating so that I can actually leave the meat out while still getting all the necessary nutrients. Not that I’ve necessarily gotten them when eating more meat, my diet has been far from perfect, but you know what I mean.
Thank you for a lovely and useful comment and the recipe as well, it’s much appreciated!
I was vegetarian for fifteen years but found that having a small amount of meat in my diet kept my energy levels higher. I still enjoy meat free meals without feeling there is something missing. Luckily I live in London and there are some fabulous vegetarian restaurants. Out of interest why did you leave home at 14? That’s incredibly young.
I don’t think there is any chance of me giving up meat entirely any time soon… And having good vegetarian restaurants around makes such a difference. Brussels isn’t a bad place in terms of food, but modern vegetarian isn’t its strongest suit.
About leaving home: I went to a boarding school type of a high school after 9 years of primary and middle school (9 years is mandatory in Estonia, after that you can stop or continue in a gymnasium/vocational training). This is not a very usual arrangement, but I grew up in the countryside and my parents, both teachers in my original school, were keen for me to have a good education. I’m very glad I went, it was a transformative experience for me, although pretty wild by today’s standards. I was also one year younger than others, as I skipped a year between 6th and 8th form.
I left home and went to a (hippie-dippy) university around the time millennial food activism was being established so as an adult I eat less meat than I did as a kid. Plus I am (sometimes) one of those people who don’t crave meat because my taste buds were (but truthfully still are) addicted to refined sugar. Also, yes, the mental adjustment part is huge a esp if your starting point is a large roast dinner especially in terms of food prep because Instead of having one focal point, veg dishes tend to have a lot of ingredients and a lot of tedious chopping and measuring, at least in my experience. Having a well stocked spice and herb rack and being fluent in your chosen flavors cuts down on the tedium of measuring and meticulous recipe following. (I would grate a little nutmeg over your sweet potato, honey and sour cream, for instance.) Also being well-stocked and adept (or simply comfortable) at one (veg) cuisine’s flavors I also simplifies cooking because then you can just substitute the vegetables to whatever’s available and still have a semblance of an actual real dish without too much effort. With me, lime, chili, fish sauce and soy sauce are pad thai sauce mixture one day, tofu marinade the next. I also add a lot of chili to my food because I find that the heat gives a sense of satiety, if that’s a concern for you. For specific recipes, I was going to write about my shameful, sloppy but quick microwave lentil soup but Maya’s orange lentil one sounds so much better. Another go-to dish of mine is meat-free inauthentic pad thai which is just rice noodles (starch), bean sprouts, peanuts strips of tofu and scrambled egg (protein), shredded cabbage, carrots and green onions (veg) in a salty sweet sour sauce of soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar and lime. The next day, the extra chopped vegetables are worked into meat-free inauthentic Korean bibimbap with a little sesame oil, gochujang chili paste, rice, spinach, cucumber and fried egg.
Thank you for a helpful comment, I am going to make that pad thai and I love bibimbap, good idea to make it without meat. I love all kinds of spices, herbs and flavourings (Thai/Malasia being special favourites), unfortunately my daughter believes they are all evil, making cooking a rather complex exercise. Then again, with many things, I can prepare the sauce separately and hopefully everyone will be happy.
Hi 🙂 1) Sourdough is life! In any form. I second your opinion that one can subsidy entirely survive on sourdough (with butter and salt as a treat or with butter and sugar). 2) I think the Zeitgeist definitely has a part to play. So many friends are starting to experiment with cutting down on meat. My own husband has somehow managed an entirely meatless January. We’ve now reached an equilibrium – we don’t cook meat at home. So the house is meat and dairy free, but we do indulge when we go out or order in. Surprisingly, the most encouragement on this has come from friends who’ve been vegan for years – they cheer me on and say that every little change towards more responsible/conscious consumption counts.
3) sorry I didn’t manage to reply to your question previously as comments have closed on an old post (I’ve had pretty bad health luck and have procrastinated on replying). I am originally from a city called Kazan in Tatarstan (within the former USSR and now semi-autonomous within Russia). 4) I kept thinking I need a ‘protein’ (I.e. fish or meat, in my mind) serving with every meal, but looks like others do without and are just fine? Good luck to us!
Ah, sourdough… And butter. And salt. And sugar. You’re a woman after my own heart! And how fascinating that you are from Kazan. I know of it, but had to look at the map to place it correctly (Russia is SO BIG). It’s the old stomping ground of Finno-Ugric people!
Regarding protein, I think very generally speaking, it’s good to have it with every meal. But it doesn’t have to be meat or fish, could easily be beans or lentils or soy or eggs or cheese (if one is still eating those). Even nuts.
I gave up meat two years ago, for ethical reasons. It was not easy because I’m a true carnivore at heart. I LOVE meat! But the horrible way we treat animals at industrial farms became too much for me to keep ignoring at one point. I still eat fish, eggs, dairy and the occasional piece of venison, though (mostly for social and family reasons, although I can’t deny that they taste good). And I must say that following a mostly meatless diet has gotten a lot easier over time. I barely miss steak these days.
Anyway, Yotam Ottolenghi’s ‘Plenty’ is the go-to source of vibrant and exciting vegetarian recipes for me, and Kenji Lopez-Alt of seriouseats.com also has a lot of fantastic plant-based recipes (take a look at this collection, for example: https://www.seriouseats.com/2013/03/vegan-recipes-mains-soups-salads-breakfasts-sandwiches-appetizers.html).
I salute you! I really do. I have Plenty at home (or was it Plenty More? cannot remember right now), I will take a look and refresh my memory. And the Seriouseats collection is lovely, although I try to avoid deep frying… I think I would eat nothing else if I started doing that at home.
Thank you so much for stopping by!
I turned vegetarian at 16 (nearly 30 years ago!) and my parents declared that I then had to cook for myself. I had no idea what I was doing and was probably more a carbotarian. I ended up living with my friend’s family in France shortly thereafter and was surprised at the effort that her mother, grandmothers and aunts went to to feed me well. It profoundly, and permanently, influenced how I view food and nutrition. As for recipes, I wing it now. Rarely do I open one of the many cookbooks that I have. It all depends on what is in the house. That said, Deborah Madison was helpful in learning about different grains and even seeing vegetables as the starting point of a meal. Best, Melanie
Hah, I had to google “carbotarian”:) Carbs or not, I am always in awe when young people do things like that, it shows an impressive amount of willpower. And thank you for mentioning Deborah Madison, I hadn’t heard of her.
I have similar background as Melanie (sadly, minus the French family) and I truly do no miss meat at all, even when I make meat based dishes at least few times a week for my husband (whos hobbies are marathons, triathlons, etc) and two big growing boys (and in big, I mean giant)…. sadly eating just carrots and beans will not be sustainable for them, so it is quite ok even to cook meat regulary and not grave it at all
Thank you for sharing! I find these stories so interesting – and inspiring, too. I don’t think I’d manage to refrain if I was cooking meat for others, but that’s probably also a reflection of me being less motivated than people who feel more strongly about the topic.
Sry “crave”