Wait, I have to cook? … Again?

The need to eat comes around with reassuring regularity. And if you are even just a little bit like me, so does the eternal question about what to cook.

Pretty much every day, as the time to cook dinner approaches, I feel the weight of decision-making fatigue. After a full day’s work, the decision about whether to do pasta or rice or maybe even potatoes feels overwhelming in a way I would be embarrassed to own if I didn’t know it was so common. For some of us, this situation is compounded by other factors: finances, allergies, chosen or necessary dietary restrictions, health.

In short: “what’s for dinner” is a loaded question.

I am personally privileged to have very few obligatory dietary restrictions. I also have enough income that my chosen restrictions are not a burden. I realize this as a privilege, and I don’t take it for granted.

Even so, our dinner-planning is complicated. The other two members of my immediate family have limitations that are born out of health-necessities rather than choice. This is a long way of saying that we don’t eat meat, and we have some limitations on dairy products too. Pseudo-vegan we can call it. Meaning: cheese and butter can’t entirely go (because I’m Danish), and I am partial to half-and-half in my coffee. But as far as our larger meals are concerned, they are all vegetarian and predominantly vegan.

I first became a vegetarian at age 19, in the context of a serious eating disorder. I am sure I did it in large part as a way to keep restricting my diet without having folks asking too many questions. It lasted until I moved to Spain where “just a little bit of bacon for taste” was a constant refrain.

I circled through vegetarianism many times since then, but always reverted to being an omnivore, mostly because I was afraid that restrictions would pull me back into controlling my weight. I am quite reconciled to those choices. I did what I had to do to free myself from compulsiveness around food, and I am still deeply grateful, and somewhat astounded, that it actually worked.

Recently, as a result of delving deeper into yogic principles and knowing more about what meat-eating does to the environment, I have come to the conclusion that eating meat and (most) animal-related products is not something I need to do. I have access to plenty of plant-based protein, there is a lot of fresh produce available, and I can afford supplements if I need to. I am deliberately putting this is personal terms. I know this is not true of everyone, and I believe diet and eating are personal issues. Eating has historically been complicated for me, so I know this is no joke.

I also know that shifting from eating meat to eating less meat can feel overwhelming: the last straw in the daily struggle to decide what to cook. This is why I am adding a “What’s for dinner” column to my weekly newsletter. If you want to get a vegan meal recipe (which I personally tried and loved) in your inbox every week, sign up for my newsletter below.

And regardless: eat your veggies. Honestly. They are super tasty.