FAQs

Some frequently asked questions, and their answers!

Does your husband eat the same way you do?
My husband is not a vegetarian, but eats what I eat at home typically, because I do most of the cooking. I enjoy cooking, he likes what I cook, so it works out pretty well!

Do you feed meat to your pets?
I have two cats and they do eat meat. In fact they eat a mostly raw meat diet, with some grain-free canned. Cats are obligate carnivores, and while some may claim they can survive on vegetarian or vegan diets (note: cats require taurine and cannot manufacture their own, they cannot get this on a meat-free diet without supplementation), I personally do not believe they can thrive on it. Feeding meat was something I accepted I would need to do when choosing to own carnivores as pets. Eating meat-free works very well for me, but that does not mean it works well for every creature.

Do you eat fish?
Nope. No seafood at all, unless you count seaweed (which is delicious)! Vegetarians do not eat fish, as fish is a type of meat. The term for people who avoid all meat except fish is "pescatarian."

Where do you get your protein?
This is still the most common question I get when people find out I'm a vegetarian and don't eat dairy. Protein is actually very easy to get from plants! Plant foods high in protein are beans, whole grains, lentils, nuts, and seeds.

Where do you get your calcium?
Calcium is synonymous with milk to most people thanks to very aggressive advertising on the part of the dairy industry, but dairy isn't the only (or even the best) source of calcium. Calcium is found in nuts and seeds (such as almonds), seaweed, beans, quinoa, broccoli, tofu, brussels sprouts, bok choy, and many leafy greens (such as spinach, kale, and chard) to name a few options.

Are you a vegan?
I do not consider myself a vegan. A vegan diet is one that avoids all animal products. While I frequently eat and enjoy vegan meals, it wouldn't be accurate to call myself a vegan as I sometimes eat eggs (although usually not when I prepare food at home, and not very often even when I eat out). I also sometimes eat foods containing honey, which is generally considered not vegan.

But I thought you were allergic to dairy? How can you eat eggs?
Eggs aren't dairy. I've gotten this question a few times and I assume it comes from the fact that eggs are usually stored with the dairy products at the supermarket. Dairy specifically refers to animal milk and products made from it (i.e. cow's milk, goat's milk, butter, cheese, sour cream, etc). This question comes up a lot at restaurants when I ask about sauces, dips, and dressings. Mayo is dairy-free, although sometimes sauces made from mayo also have dairy added to them.

What about lactose-free products or products labeled "non-dairy?"
Lactose-free products are great for people who are lactose-intolerant, which is a different issue. People who are lactose-intolerant cannot digest lactose (a sugar found in dairy products). A dairy allergy is an immune reaction to dairy protein (usually either casein, whey, or both). Since lactose-free products still contain dairy proteins, someone who is allergic to dairy cannot eat them. As for "dairy-free" products, I always check the ingredients label before trusting the claims on the front. Many products labeled "dairy-free" such as whipped cream, creamers, and even soy cheeses often still contain casein and/or whey. I don't personally know why these products are allowed to be labelled "dairy-free" when they're clearly not, but I always check the ingredients label of anything I buy to be safe.

I could never give up (insert dairy product here)! How do you handle it?
I was a cheese addict before I gave up dairy. In high school and college my diet consisted mostly of processed carbs and dairy. I used to joke that because i didn't like wine much, I wanted to go on cheese-tasting trips instead. I will admit when I first realized I couldn't have dairy anymore, I cried. It was very hard at first. But the longer I went without it, the less I craved it and the less I missed it. Now I can make foods to satisfy any sort of craving I would previously satisfy with dairy (savory, salty, creamy, tangy, etc). It just took a lot of research, experimentation in the kitchen, practice, and time. These days, I rarely even think about how to make some sort of substitute because it's become second-nature to me and I just don't think about dairy as a food or cooking ingredient anymore. On the rare occasions I've accidentally eaten some, it's actually kind of grossed me out. These experiences seem pretty typical from what I've heard from other people who gave up dairy.

What's your opinion on oil?
I don't feel I have enough of an understanding of the topic yet to have a firm opinion on it. There are two schools of thought on oil at the moment: one being that any oil is unhealthy and damaging to the lining of your blood vessels, the other being that certain oils, such as extra virgin olive oil, are a good addition to one's diet. Not being a doctor, and not being convinced 100% either way yet, I'm not sure what is really best, so I use oil occasionally in moderation. I try to avoid cooking or frying in oil too much because I have concerns about the carcinogens formed when heating oils to high temperatures. If you're concerned about oil, I'd recommend talking to your doctor or doing your own research. I don't feel knowledgeable enough to offer advice on it.

What about fat-free or low-fat diets?
We need some fat to stay healthy. You should never try to remove all fat from your diet. A doctor may recommend certain individuals lower their intake of high-fat foods, but that is not the same thing as removing all fat from every source. How much fat you can eat depends on your own body and health situation. It may even vary based on what sort of fat you're eating. My diet is definitely not devoid of fat, but I get most of my fat from whole plant sources. Avocados are my most commonly-eaten high-fat food, and I usually eat anywhere from 1/4 to 1/2 an avocado a day (or a whole one on a rare occasion). As mentioned above, I eat a little bit of olive oil here and there, but not much. I sometimes eat nuts and seeds, but in very small quantities as I find they make me feel ill if I eat too many at once. Other fatty foods I eat regularly are almond butter and whole olives. The fat sources I try to limit the most in my diet are eggs (I eat these rarely, and usually in the form of egg whites only), canola oil, and processed fats such as Earth Balance or vegetable shortening.

Do you count calories?
I could rant for paragraphs on this topic, but the short answer is: no. Calorie counting is a flawed and oversimplified method of tracking what you eat. Not all calories are equal (certain foods, such as refined sugar, affect your weight in ways beyond their actual caloric value), and while calories may be helpful as a loose guide on what to avoid (a single food item containing 2000 calories is probably not good for you) obsessing over calories, in my experience, results in more stress than actual benefit. Your actual daily calorie needs depend on a lot of little factors, and if you put strict calorie limits on yourself and pay more attention to calorie counts than the ingredients and nutrients you're eating, you're probably going to end up hungry, unhappy, and potentially unhealthy because you may not be getting enough nutrients. I lost 35 lbs after I stopped counting calories and started paying more attention to the nutrient quality of my food. My personal diet philosophy in its simplest terms boils down to (borrowing a bit from Michael Pollan here): eat real whole foods, mostly plants, whenever you're actually hungry.

Why don't you eat much fruit? Is fruit unhealthy?
Fruit is the healthiest sweet food you can eat! It does contain a lot of sugar, but these sugars are packaged with fiber (which slows the absorption of said sugar) and other important nutrients. Whole fruit will not spike blood sugar as fast as refined sugars because it must be broken down first. It may be a problem to eat massive quantities of fruit, especially for people trying to manage specific medical conditions where any additional sugar is a concern, but in general I don't think fruit is unhealthy. I don't eat it very often because I just don't have much of a sweet tooth. I'll eat a little here or there on the rare occasions I crave it, and that's enough for me.