Below is the TED talk that inspired me to become a weekday vegetarian.
Although I see the value in going full vegetarian ... I am too much of a carnivore to swear off meat forever. My partner grew up in a totally vegetarian household until he was thirteen and claims he would be happy to go full veg BUT I just can't do it. I love a good medium rare steak, a tasty lamb curry or a juicy Christmas turkey. I also thoroughly enjoy a spicy chickpea veggie curry, an asparagus sun-dried tomato pasta, or an herb filled minestrone soup.
And so, weekday veg seems to be the answer. As Graham Hill explains in his TED talk, if the world simply went weekday veg, we could cut down on 70% of our meat consumption. The North American diet traditionally centers meals around some kind of meat protein which causes us to consume much more of this nutrient than our bodies require. By switching the focus of my meal planning to vegetables, grains and lentils during the week, I am forced to become more creative and I've found that I enjoy the challenge.
I would love to one day have a big veggie, herb, and flower garden that supplies my home with most of its produce in the summer and fall. I would also like to learn some preservation techniques so that my homegrown produce can be enjoyed into the winter and spring.
Here I will chronicle my venture into vegetarianism - during the week and my attempts at gardening on the weekends.