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Vegetarianism in Middle Class America:
Is it for you? by Cheryl
Bruedigam, CYI - 250
Yoga has penetrated
mainstream America therefore many more practitioners
than ever before may be exploring the options of an
anti-meat diet however because of the increase of middle
class America hitting the mat, they may feel frustrated
and overwhelmed at the dietary changes involved.
How easy and realistic is
it to be a vegetarian in a middle class household? With
kids, husbands who like meat and potatoes, school
functions, community dinners, and mainstream shopping,
being a vegetarian doesn’t always seem a practical
option.
Let’s face it, most of us
don’t live just around the corner from a health food
store, Whole Foods center, or a farmers’ market. And as
liberal as the southwest is, unfortunately alternative
shopping sources can be few and far between unless you
are in a major city. By juggling what’s available at the
local stores and an occasional trip to a health food
store plus the Albertson’s in the next town, I can
usually manage to maintain our own style of
vegetarianism.
As we move forward with
our yoga, practicing more, studying harder, finding
like-minded friends or sub-communities, there is more
and more pressure both internally and externally to
forgo meat. We begin to come to an inner realization and
understanding that it is wrong to eat meat and it is not
necessarily healthy. As we delve into Ayurvedic cooking,
we find much that is recommended we abstain from
including meat.
But how to convert, how
to make such a drastic change in a middle class world?
After having this inner realization, we begin to look at
recipes, buy vegetarian cookbooks or magazines or visit
websites online. But to the average consumer, much of
what is suggested is not only foreign to us but
impractical to try to purchase in order to stock a busy
kitchen.
When I do sit down to go
through a vegetarian cookbook, I usually become
frustrated and even overwhelmed at the ingredients. Not
so much that I don’t want to learn them, but the time,
shopping, and unavailability involved. Ghee, argula,
hing, barley, kombu, just to name a few (my
spell-checker is panting) What are these and where do
you buy them? Are they really necessary as a part of a
healthy vegetarian diet? Could this be a case of "cool"
verses practical? Not to mention the extremely high
prices of these and items like them.
Many of us are trying to
eat organic and that’s a big price tag on the shopping
list by itself. Grow your own is great in theory and fun
as a hobby but seriously growing enough food to consume
regularly takes time and care and with families, jobs,
our practice and other projects it is not always
possible not to mention the space it requires. Sure you
can grow a few things in pots or a small area but not
enough to sustain a family. And eating organic is
definitely a part of a healthy vegetarian diet.
Changing our shopping
habits is a major factor to incorporate immediately.
What kind of a food shopper are you? How many items do
you buy based on attractive packaging? What about
shopping in bulk is it practical for you? How many food
items do you buy based on the influence of the media and
its advertisements? We all succumb to the commercials,
they work. Very few if any of these are focused to our
true health and dietary needs, particularly
vegetarianism. How often do you eat out and when you do,
what do you eat? How can you incorporate these changes
into your everyday routine? Bringing mindfulness to your
diet is the best way to a yogic diet. Becoming mindful
of what you consume both internally and as a consumer is
the first step in making changes. And you may have
already taken that step if you are reading this article.
Road trips, fast-food
restaurants, extended family dinners, social or
community suppers, hurried work lunches with co-workers
or clients, grabbing a bite at sporting or any type of
special public event where you are at the mercy of
venders; all of these can be most challenging to a
vegetarian.
Eat at home as much as
possible. If on a road trip, try to at least take your
own snacks. Many hotels today offer suites or at least
rooms with a microwave and refrigerator; booking one of
these can really make it worthwhile when it comes to
food. Our last vacation we opted for a vacation rental
home and aside from making stopovers at hotels on the
way to our future destinations, I don’t know if I ever
care to stay in a hotel again. In the vacation rental
house we were able to plan our meals ahead, purchase our
groceries at the local market and eat according to our
preferences. It not only saved us money but kept us
feeling better rather than eating out three meals a day
and we were at our leisure.
If fast food is your only
source, most places serve salads these days; other
options are baked potatoes, bean burritos, depending on
whether or not you are consuming dairy, pizza or grilled
cheese sandwiches may also be options. As far as social
or community dinners, we eat a light meal before we go,
eat whatever vegetables are being served and quietly
pass up the meat. Work lunches can usually be solve by
either taking your own if eating with co-workers or
ordering salad or a veggie sub or th likes if dining
out. When attending public events,, eat a meal before
you go, if allowable take your own snacks then eat again
at home or a suitable restaurant later.
You Eat What You Read
When reading publications
that focus on the healthy, it is easier to remain
inspired. Flipping through magazines with photos of
sumptuous chocolate desserts, meats, fattening breads,
and ads for processed or fast foods, causes our taste
buds to salivate and the next thing we know we have
either sprinted to the nearest fast food restaurant or
are in the kitchen whipping up the newest dessert we
found in the ladies’ home magazine.
Instead, reading
publications that focus on healthy lifestyles, nutrition
and foods, yoga or exercising, we become even more
conscious of what we are fueling our bodies with and are
encouraged to do more, eat better, be healthier.
.
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