Hi all,
happy October!
October is special this year: in Finland the month of October has been dedicated to vegetarianism. The hosts from the TV-show "Docventures" have challenged everyone in Finland to decrease or stop eating meat for this month. This came to be because one of the hosts, who is known to be very fond of meat, was himself challenged to go vegetarian in October by a guest in the show.
A Facebook event was created and I was also invited to join it. I already am a vegetarian, so my joining the event is a bit on the cheating side. As of today, out of the 120,000 people who received an invite almost 30,000 people have said they would join it, which I think is a very nice number for such a strongly meat-eating country. (Facebook page for meatless October https://www.facebook.com/events/516481648435327/)
I am very happy about this. Many people will be eating more healthily than they probably have been so far; however, I find that the open-mindedness people are showing when they agree to try this is even more impressive. Other benefits from trying to go vegetarian for awhile include acquiring a broader palate and finding new and delicious recipes that can be used also in the future.
I predict that there will be an overall increase in the consumption of vegetables, fruit and fiber and a decrease in the intake of cholesterol and saturated fat in Finland. I hope that restaurants there will recognize this as an opportunity to add more variety and creativity to their menus and add a couple of vegetarian options for those that are going vegetarian this month. It would also make it easier for these people to stay vegetarian when going out for lunch or dinner.
My tips for going vegetarian:
- make what you used to but instead of meat, use fake meat (such as meatless meatballs), if available (in California this is not a problem)
- cook with tofu, beans, lentils or cheese
- try out new recipes boldly, the internet has tons and tons of great recipes
- don't worry about getting enough protein: dairy, eggs, soy, beans, lentils, nuts and even grains have plenty of protein, it is very hard to not get enough to cover daily needs
- consult your friends and relatives and share your experiences with others that are trying vegetarianism out too
If you decide to try going vegetarian for any period of time, let me know how it goes. I would love to hear your experiences and if you have found nice recipes, please share them!
Good luck! It is not as hard as it seems!
Wishing you a great fall,
Anna-Kaisa
Here is a link to the Docventures Internet site (unfortunately it is in Finnish only)
http://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2013/10/01/lihaton-lokakuu-alkoi-mita-nyt-syodaan
happy October!
October is special this year: in Finland the month of October has been dedicated to vegetarianism. The hosts from the TV-show "Docventures" have challenged everyone in Finland to decrease or stop eating meat for this month. This came to be because one of the hosts, who is known to be very fond of meat, was himself challenged to go vegetarian in October by a guest in the show. A Facebook event was created and I was also invited to join it. I already am a vegetarian, so my joining the event is a bit on the cheating side. As of today, out of the 120,000 people who received an invite almost 30,000 people have said they would join it, which I think is a very nice number for such a strongly meat-eating country. (Facebook page for meatless October https://www.facebook.com/events/516481648435327/)
I am very happy about this. Many people will be eating more healthily than they probably have been so far; however, I find that the open-mindedness people are showing when they agree to try this is even more impressive. Other benefits from trying to go vegetarian for awhile include acquiring a broader palate and finding new and delicious recipes that can be used also in the future.
I predict that there will be an overall increase in the consumption of vegetables, fruit and fiber and a decrease in the intake of cholesterol and saturated fat in Finland. I hope that restaurants there will recognize this as an opportunity to add more variety and creativity to their menus and add a couple of vegetarian options for those that are going vegetarian this month. It would also make it easier for these people to stay vegetarian when going out for lunch or dinner.
My tips for going vegetarian:
- make what you used to but instead of meat, use fake meat (such as meatless meatballs), if available (in California this is not a problem)
- cook with tofu, beans, lentils or cheese
- try out new recipes boldly, the internet has tons and tons of great recipes
- don't worry about getting enough protein: dairy, eggs, soy, beans, lentils, nuts and even grains have plenty of protein, it is very hard to not get enough to cover daily needs
- consult your friends and relatives and share your experiences with others that are trying vegetarianism out too
If you decide to try going vegetarian for any period of time, let me know how it goes. I would love to hear your experiences and if you have found nice recipes, please share them!
Good luck! It is not as hard as it seems!
Wishing you a great fall,
Anna-Kaisa
Here is a link to the Docventures Internet site (unfortunately it is in Finnish only)
http://yle.fi/aihe/artikkeli/2013/10/01/lihaton-lokakuu-alkoi-mita-nyt-syodaan
