I've been making an effort to eat less meat lately. It all started when I met many vegetarians during my couchsurfing experience this summer in Europe.
Their arguments about killing animals being unethical and all that didn't really convinced me but what convinced me was the fact that they cooked some delicious meals without meat. It made me realize that by focusing so much on meat, I'm actually missing out on some great food. I just figured I didn't like beans when I was a kid and never bothered to try again. Little did I know that the problem was that my mom's cooking involves practically no spices. I'm also concerned about the ecological aspect of it all. The amount of meat I ate was certainly not too good for the planet and cutting my meat consumption will make me feel better personally. Cause they say every little thing counts... and I'm naive enough to believe it. Also, meat is pretty expensive... So i've got plenty of reasons to become vegetarian (not really planning to but cutting down on meat is the goal) but none of those reasons involve cute cows.
I'm making a point to try and cook more vegetarian meals for this exact reason. What I was doing in the past was 'Ok this is the meat I have/want to use, how do I build a meal around it?' and the question I really should have been asking is 'Ok this is the protein I have/want to use, how do I build a meal around it?'It made me realize that by focusing so much on meat, I'm actually missing out on some great food.
My wife and I have been married for 10 years now. WOW. For the last 5 she has been a vegetarian. She is a very healthy eater, lots of fruits, vegetables and legumes. I do much of the cooking in the house and I quickly realized that most meals are vegetarian, outside of the giant hunk of meat people put in the center of the plate. I've gotten really good at making lentils, beans, tofu, egg dishes, greens, salads, couscous etc. Cooking vegetarian makes you a better cook in general. I do miss being able to use pan drippings and other animal fats when cooking my greens though. But it's all good.