Change your cravings to live healthier and cheaper.

I’m not a vegetarian, but I have lived on a mostly vegetarian diet a few times in the past for various reasons. When you’re used to eating meat, and a lot of it, it’s hard to go “cold turkey” (pardon the pun). Before I left the US, we would often eat huge pork chops and steaks that took up half our huge-ass American plates. In Belize, my first international living experience, meat was relatively expensive. The locals ate mostly beans and rice with varying amounts of fruits and veggies. Meat, usually chicken back and neck, was used as more of a flavoring than a main course, when it was used at all. Meat was often part of big celebrations, and greatly appreciated when you could get it.

I experienced my first meat cravings there. I had never really thought about meat before, it was just part of what I cooked and ate. The main part of every meal. I would ask, what do you want for dinner tonight? Pork, beef, or chicken? I didn’t really know what to do without it. I eventually learned a lot about cooking and flavoring beans in Belize, and using meat and bones to flavor a pot of stew or beans. After a while I even went from feeling ripped off at the tiny, tiny piece of chicken in the middle of the burrito-sized Mayan tamales, to wondering how those wonderful ladies manage to put so much meat in them and still only charge $1.00. But before that transition, I literally dreamed about eating meat all the time.

We returned to the US, and we appreciated the abundance of cheap meat, but missed the fresh, ripe, tropical fruit. The half plates of chops disappeared from my repertoire, and meatless meals more often, but we were still omnivores. However, a few years later we ended up going to Canada, and learned about WWOOFing. Our second host farm, a year-long adventure in the Gulf Islands, was run by a vegetarian couple. We were responsible for our own cooking, but they gave us a weekly grocery ration (which felt like Christmas!). Thankfully, they were ovo-lacto vegetarians who ate a little bit of fish, and they also didn’t mind if we bought and cooked our own meat. They also gave us some soy product – TVP, tofu, soy dogs, etc., sometimes, which really helped. But we ate mostly vegetarian until I had a surgery and was anemic. I needed things with lots of iron to build up my blood. Molasses, eggs, oatmeal, and spinach work good, but our host also sheepishly said “meat has a lot of iron, too”. We got back into the habit then, too, but again with a much smaller amount of meat overall.

After Canada, I spent some time in Washington at a weight loss/wellness retreat that focused on raw vegan food. No soy, either. I wasn’t craving big pieces of meat, per say, but it was so tempting, being back in the states with all that fast food, grocery stores full of quick processed foods just a quick drive away. I did indulge a bit, but I was pretty much broke. It did help to eat the whole foods we were getting, which I’ll share a bit later.

Now we’re in France, and our WWOOFing arrangement gives us free rent, but we are responsible for our food and some other costs. Food isn’t too crazy, but I have to be careful with the small budget we have. Meat is definitely one of the more expensive things. I’m not dreaming of meat anymore, but it is one thing I would like to eat more of.

So what can you eat to fix your cravings? First, why are you avoiding meat? Is it a diet choice, a lifestyle choice, or a budget choice? And why do you miss it? Do you need more protein and iron in your diet? Do you miss the texture or flavor? Or does it have emotional, traditional associations with it, like turkey for Thanksgiving? Your answer to these questions will determine the best substitute or enhancer for you.

If you’re not eating meat, but you’re not a full vegan, you can of course eat cheese, milk, yogurt and eggs. These help with the feeling that something’s missing, and they can also boost your iron and protein. If you are vegan, there are of course plenty of soy-based products. I don’t recommend many of them, and especially not in large quantities. Tofu and TVP are incredibly convenient and versatile, but non-fermented soy products can cause hormone issues for men and women (it’s like taking estrogen. Especially bad if you are on hormonal birth control to begin with), so I stay away from them. Apparently the fermented varieties, miso, tamari, and tempeh, are better for you. I love the flavor, but I still avoid eating too much of it. Miso, however, has a rich, deep, complex flavor that adds a “savory” element to many dishes that seem lacking without meat. It’s a wonderful substitute for chicken or beef stock (but add it at the end of your dish, it shouldn’t be cooked).

If you prefer to skip soy altogether, there are still plenty of ways to get your “meat” fix without eating meat. Beans of all kinds can be substituted in many places, including as part of homemade veggie burgers or as a substitute for ground beef in Mexican dishes like tacos. They are filling and versatile, and tasty even on their own. Mushrooms also have a savory flavor and a springy, chewy texture that can stand in for meat in casseroles and sandwiches (I’m thinking Philly cheese steak, lasagna, beef Stroganoff) . Portabellas and other large, meaty mushrooms can be cooked and served on the grill or in the pan or oven like burgers (just don’t cook them so long). Make vegetable stock using mushroom stems to get the kick that seems missing sometimes. Ground nuts and seeds can be used in a variety of ways to give a meat texture and flavor, especially when mixed with good flavors. We used a sunflower pate at Cedar Springs that could be changed around to become taco filling, dip, or sushi, depending on the flavors.  Seaweed like nori, kelp, dulce and hajiki also add delicious flavor and texture and have lots of great trace minerals.  Some seaweeds make awesome fish substitutes for vegetarian chowders.  Avocados are creamy, buttery, and rich.  Perfect on a sandwich instead of meat and cheese, or mashed as the base of a dip or spread.  Eggplants have a meaty, chewy texture and can be fried, stewed or baked.

If you find yourself being “nibbley”, edgy, or feeling tired a lot after a diet change, you may not be getting all the nutrients you need. If we eat our standard SAD diet without meat, there is a lot to miss out on. Don’t try to live on canned veggies and white bread! Fill out your nutritional quota with fresh veggies (at least some raw), whole grains and lots of variety. I’ve found that mushrooms, beets, and lemons really help me to feel satisfied when I have had to deprive myself for a while, especially when consumed as a whole food in smoothies, juices or soups. They contain the nutrients that I’m missing. At the raw vegan retreat, I found myself eating a lot of beets, and really craving them. And when I was able to eat them, I felt a lot more balanced, physically and emotionally. Especially if you’re eating vegan or raw, you should listen to your body’s cravings when it comes to fruits and veggies. Unlike a craving for ice cream or Cheetos, a craving for beets or peppers is telling you something important. Food and Healing by Annemarie Colbin says that our cravings are caused by imbalances of certain nutrients and types of food. Colbin says that sweets cause cravings for meat, and vice-versa. So if you are vegetarian and eating sugar, even large amounts of fruit, you will have a hard time.

One of the hardest parts of any diet and lifestyle change is training ourselves to eat differently when it comes to traditions, habits, and holidays. Hot wings for the Superbowl, hot dogs at ball games, Slim Jims on road trips, turkey for Thanksgiving and Christmas, ham for Easter. They’re hard habits to break, and sometimes full of emotions and memories. Food is a powerful thing. Your choice for traditions really depends on your reasons for skipping meat. If you’re not a full-time vegetarian, this may be the best time to make an easy exception. But if you are trying to be vegan, or if the thought of eating animals truly sickens you or makes you feel like a murderer, you will want an alternative. Especially if you are hosting a fling for other people who are not vegetarian, this is a time to go whole hog (sorry, again) and roll out the fancy vegetarian dishes that no one believes are vegetarian. Things like hummus and guacamole dip instead of cheese dip, mushroom appetizers, spinach lasagna, the truly delectable GIMME MORE OF THAT things (check the cookbooks below for some ideas). You might even convince someone to change their lifestyle as well.

Are you craving meat? What are your reasons for not eating it? What do you use to get over your cravings? Please leave your comments below!

Photo credit: adamsinger on morguefile.com

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