I started obsessing about vegetables a few years ago and that love eventually led me into vegetarianism. After experimenting with different foodstyles (aka food lifestyles), I found that vegetables, when they closely resemble what comes from the ground, are the most intriguing, varied, and rich food group.
I’m vegetarian mainly out of culinary expression—vegetables are so damn interesting. During job interviews when I’m asked about my interests outside of work, I usually lead with something like, “I study vegetables. I obsess over them and am constantly experimenting to see how they behave when cooked.”
I think we’d all benefit from from more vegz in our lives. Unlike most other areas of life and society, what we eat in a day is a zero sum game. We’ll eat a similar amount of food day to day, so if we consume more of one thing we’ll consume less of another. In this way, I agree with Michael Pollan: mostly plants. Being more veg-based familiarizes us with the seasonality of of food which builds gratitude and appreciation for what nature provides us. Gratitude and developing a deeper understanding of our world, especially about the region around us, can only be a good thing.
While I generally avoid corn, eggs, soy, fish, and dairy, I’ll eat these occasionally when they’re expertly prepared. In this way, labeling myself vegetarian is a little inaccurate, but it’s the east label for others to understand what I eat. Because I focus on preparing the freshest foods in their most natural state, this naturally leaves less room for other things. Choice over avoidance is really what guides me. Or maybe, I’m just picky.