Being a vegetarian for a couple of decades means that I have some practice at it. Now it is definitely a lot easier to go veggie than it was when I started. There are many more options for things to eat as well as a more mainstream acceptance of the vegetarian lifestyle. As part of Lift’s Quanitified Diet project I was assigned the Vegetarian Diet, which is pretty easy for me since that’s the way that I have been eating. Not vegan, but with some free-range eggs and cheese (mainly local). The great part of the project is that it provides a chance to look more closely at what is on the menu and what can be prepared and how my activity and eating are related.

The best way to control what you are eating is to make it yourself. It can save you money as well. Figuring out meals is the biggest challenge. In the house I’m the only vegetarian, so that means sometimes I will have to have an alternative protein when the main meal features meat. The simplest solution is to use veggie protein substitutes such as soy-based veggie burgers or sausages. They’re fast and easy to make, but not really the best since they’re usually processed and pressed and formed to look like their meaty equivalents.

Over the years I’ve moved from having a lot of the veggie meat substitutes to seeking out recipes that feature simpler ingredients and try to be who they are on their own, instead of trying to simulate something else. One of the staples of my diet are black beans. They don’t take too long to make (and you don’t need to soak them), and when I make up a batch they have many uses. First it’s just the beans on their own. Then some can be sprinkled on top of tortilla chips along with cheese for nachos. Then they can be refried and put into burritos along with rice and that provides lunches for a few days too.

Getting into the routine of having a big meal and then having leftovers for lunch is one of the nicest ways to control what you eat and to save some money. At the college where I teach there aren’t a lot of healthy and affordable options for eating there, so bringing a good homemade lunch saves money and keeps me feeling good. The biggest temptation for me comes from the vending machines which have lots of salty chips in them. The machines require change, so I consciously will not have change with me to make it more of a challenge to get those snacks. That can help. Sometimes I’ll walk out to refill my water bottle and look over at the machines, but then walk by and keep walking to get a bit of exercise in too. The big thing is to establish habits that are healthy. So bringing a lunch from home, walking around the building, and avoiding snacks seems to be the combo that results in my weight begin stable or going down slightly. I’ve not seen a huge change in my weight, but I’m learning more about the factors that I can control to change it in ways that make me feel better.