Vegetarian experiment

Veggie burgers are disgusting.

I have tried several different kinds, but none compare to the ground beef patty. Last fall, my friend Hannah Moffett and I challenged one other to be vegetarians for a semester. It is important to note that our vegetarianism was not based on personal conviction but simply an exercise in self-control. I love to set life goals for myself.

We made the rules for our vegetarianism relatively easy. As long as the food never had eyes, it was fine. This meant I could still eat cheese, milk, and eggs. I could have made it without ice cream and cheese omelets.

Although I sometimes complain about cafeteria food, Bon Apetit pleasantly surprised me. I regularly ate large meals of spinach salads, cheese pizza, French onion soup, hard boiled eggs, cereal, stir-fried vegetables with rice, or cheese lasagna. I regularly took a multi-vitamin and made sure I got protein daily. Men tend to have less issues with anemia, but I wanted to be safe.

I struggled with meat cravings. During brunch each Sunday, the bacon taunted me, and the sausage gave me sullen glares. One time I got pasta with red sauce, only to realize the sauce had bits of meat after taking my first bite. My mouth watered, and I struggled not to quickly scarf the whole plate. At odd times throughout the day, I found myself suddenly obsessing about meat. I felt like a crazy pregnant woman suddenly wanting ice cream with hot sauce.

Being a vegetarian for a month also made me aware of the plight of the veggie-lover. Although our school cafeteria takes care of its vegetarians, other places do not. I attended several catered luncheons where the vegetarian option was a sandwich with cucumber and tomato instead of meat. Gross. I felt guilty eating at friends' houses and having to refuse meat or pick it out of the entree.

Eating out was the worst. I love burgers, so whenever I eat out, I get a big, juicy mushroom swiss burger and then sink into a blissful meat coma. Vegetarianism forced me to order a lot of omelets, cheese quesadillas, and french fries. My family and friends usually stop at McDonald's when we travel, and during the past semester, I would get a large fries and a Diet Coke since my normal Double Cheeseburger and McChicken were off limits.

Despite my limitations, vegetarianism really was awesome. I now understand the sense of superiority vegetarians feel every time they refuse meat and their secret joy when others have to go out of their way to make a meat-free option for you. Vegans must feel even better--they cannot even eat dairy or eggs!

I also felt healthier as a vegetarian. My meals were filling, but I never felt stuffed. My thoughts were more lucid, my skin was clearer, and I did not gain more than three pounds despite skipping exercise for a semester.

Vegetarian life left me hyper-aware of much meat I used to eat. Now, I view each bite of meat as a special treat, and it only takes a piece of bacon or two to satisfy my cravings. Americans eat significantly more meat than they need to each day. Why are we surprised by our obesity?

I could not be a consistent vegetarian. However, maybe I will take more vegetarian vacations in the future, and one day find a veggie burger I like.