Welcome to new member Whitney Donohue

[Guest guest]

Hi Whitney and welcome to the group. Thank you for giving detailed answers to

our questionnaire, I'm forwarding to the group where they can serve as an

introduction as well as a start to possible discussion topics. Your attempt to

move away from dairy is relevant to some recent discussions on the list - I've

found it's often surprisingly easy to go without dietary items which we thought

we really needed - relevant of course to any transition, from omnivorous to

vegetarian, from vegetarian to vegan etc. I always thought I loved cheese and

really needed it but it seems to be silently disappearing from my diet, with

various sorts of cheese getting older in the fridge as a testimony to my changed

tastes. On another level, not to do with veg*ism, I used to eat grapefruit every

day for about 50 years until the doc said I needed to take some meds which were

not compatible with grapefruit, so they disappeared from one day to the next -

though with occasional

looks of longing as I pass the greengrocery store!

 

Best, Piers (co-owner with Pat)

 

Whitney's answers:

 

1. Which description best fits your situation?

- I am a vegetarian who eats eggs and dairy (lacto-ovo vegetarian). I am

trying to move away from dairy, but I love milk, and my family loves

cheese...so for now we've cut down on milk and use almond milk anywhere we can

substitute in recipes. But regular milk is still here for drinking...

 

2. What is your main reason for choosing a vegetarian or vegan way of life?

- Personal health, well-being and/or weight loss - my daughter became an

(almost full time) vegetarian a couple of years ago and it has really helped

with her health and well-being. I love veggies, so it seemed like a natural

progression for the rest of the family. On top of that, we started feeding our

dogs a (mostly) raw food, meat based diet, and now meat kind of grosses me out.

 

3. Is your household totally vegetarian? If not, do you find you need to

produce non-vegetarian meals some of the time?

 

No, my household is not totally vegetarian. My husband and son eat some

fish, and my mother really wants nothing to do with any type of vegetarian

lifestyle. My goal for the meals that are not totally vegetarian are to have

enough options that I can eat a full meal without worrying about my tummy.

 

4. Do you like hot and spicy food? If not, what is your favourite kind of

food?

 

I love it!

 

5. Is there anything else you would like to tell us (such as your country or

region, age group, household pets/companion animals, hobbies, activities,

interests, indoor and outdoor sports, etc.)? Let's hear it!

 

I'm from the US in Southern Nevada. I live in a very small town (7200

people) with one tiny grocery store. I write several blogs, and I am also a

contributing writer for our local newspaper. I love food in general, and I love

to cook, although my lifestyle is extremely busy, so quick recipes work better

for me. My son is a Boy Scout, and my current project with his troop is to teach

them the Cooking Merit Badge. My goal is for them to have healthy tasty meals on

their campouts instead of basic ramen or burgers...