A New Year, A New Plan

During my work holiday party, a colleague and I were discussing how we planned to change our diets with the new year.  She's going vegan and I reported my husband and I are going vegetarian but eating eggs, dairy and fish.  Both knowing there is a moniker for such eating, but both unable to remember the name, I did a google search when I got home.  "What is a vegetarian that eats fish?"  Yahoo Answers gave me many options but the funniest was "A liar."  We are, it turns out, becoming Ovo-Lacto Pescatarians or vegetarians that eat eggs, dairy and fish.

Basically, we're eating everything but not poultry, pork, beef or other animal meat. We have agreed to try it for 30 days and see if it's manageable with our house and lives.  If so, we'll continue.  If not, we won't die trying. The kids will remain omnivores (with an accent on the carnivore) but will increase their fish and reduce their overall sugar and wheat intake.

Our new menu is 4 days Ovo-Lacto Vegetarain with 3 days Ovo-Lacto Pescatarian.  I love my new vocab words.

Seven "essential", "ultimate" and "complete" vegetarian cookbooks are on my shelf.  All the authors agree that the best vegetarian diet is a balanced diet that provides enough protein.  So how much protein do we need?  I found a great protein calculator at http://www.healthcalculators.org/ which, based on our age, height and activity level, said I need 72 g of protein and my husband needs 92 g of protein.  How many beans am I going to have to eat?  Maybe I should retitle this post "Beans Beans the Magical Fruit..."

Typically when I plan a menu, I focus on dinner only.  Since eating ovo-lacto-vegetarian/pescatarian requires paying attention to a balanced menu, I have to raise the bar. I can no loger worry what's on my hot buttered toast or slap some turkey on bread and call it lunch.  So I've planned 93 meals for the month, and it wasn't easy.  Plus some desserts with reduced sugar and fat.  I was on a roll.  I have no idea what the kids are eating for half the month, but I have pinto beans soaking and plan to make 30 bean and cheese burritos on New Years Day.  They won't starve. I don't think we will either.

We are being more conscientious eaters. Call me vegetarian or pescatarian or ovo-lacto whatever, just don't call me a liar.

To your health!  Happy New Year!