Around Town

Five things I learned during my meatless May

By Corey Inscoe
David T. Foster, III dtfoster@charlotteobserver.com

I love meat. We should probably start there.

But for the month of May I was a vegetarian. Thirty-one days.

I’m not asking for an award or anything, but for someone who loves burgers and fried chicken and hot dogs and livermush (don’t knock it ’til you’ve tried it) and bacon as much as I do, this felt like a pretty significant accomplishment.

//><!--Why did I do it? Honestly, just to see if I could, and I wanted to eat more healthy foods and this seemed like a lazy way to do that (see #3).//--><!

Five things I learned while being vegetarian:

(1) I didn’t miss meat all that much …

I found plenty of good vegetarian recipes to make at home (mostly prepared by my wife, an awesome cook) and I didn’t miss meat all that much at dinner.

Except when we hosted a Memorial Day cookout and one guy brought a steak and lobster tail. That was tough.

(2) … except when I went out to eat.

Most restaurants only offer a few good vegetarian options.

Sure, vegetarian/vegan-centric restaurants like Fern and Bean have great selections, but at places like Bakersfield in Dilworth? Entree-wise, you’ve got a couple salads, one tostada and two taco options. 

(I had the rajas tacos. Darn good.) 

The best places to eat as a vegetarian? Thai and pho restaurants. Pho Plus uptown and the Thai Taste in Matthews hit the spot.

(3) Vegetarian ≠ Healthy

At Bad Daddy’s I ordered fried pickles, the Western burger with a fried black bean patty and onion straws, and tater tots. No meat, all of the calories.

Also, cheese. I ate a lot of cheese, especially of the pimiento and grilled varieties. Again — not healthy.

(4) I can overcome temptation

On May 1, my first day of vegetarianism, coworkers brought Price’s Chicken Coop into the office. It smelled amazing. I could taste it, but I didn’t.

I just ate some tater rounds instead.

(5) I still love meat.

On June 1 I ate fried chicken at Leroy Fox. The first bite? Indescribable.

But I learned in May that I can — and should — eat less meat. I have set a goal for myself to eat, at most, one meat-based meal each day, and regularly go days without eating meat.

Now who wants to go grab a burger for lunch today?

Photo: David T. Foster, III/Charlotte Observer

Corey Inscoe is editor of CharlotteFive. Follow him on Twitter @CoreyInscoe.

This story was originally published June 2, 2015 at 10:55 PM with the headline "Five things I learned during my meatless May."

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