My food identity
Who am I? That’s something I’m constantly trying to define. I took me a long time to find a food identity that satisfied me. I have struggled for years with body image and eating issues. I have never been thin, and I have a horrid time trying to lose weight. I’ve tried so many approaches to eating, restrictions made me miserable, and I still didn’t lose weight. In the end I decided that I love vegetarian and vegan foods, but I wanted to maintain the ability to eat meat. So I self-identify as a flexitarian (a semi-vegetarian) who tries to eat a whole foods and low fat diet.
This blog was started in May 2011 as a chronicle of my branching out into the realm of vegan foods. An arena I once thought was too restrictive and processed. I occasionally post about my vegetarian experiences and my thoughts on being a flexitarian.
An important concept: You don’t have to be a vegan or even a flexitarian to appreciate vegan foods. I try to make vegan foods that someone who can eat animal products would still love.
Outside the kitchen
Now that we’ve established that I have an open attitude towards food, lets talk about my life a little. My name is Miriam, I live in rural Southern New Hampshire with my husband and our list of alphabetically named pets
- Audrey – 4 year old, cat
- Beavis – RIP, cat
- Cooper – 2 years old, Standard Poodle
- Dumb Fat and Happy (aka HappyCat) – unknown age, cat
I’m an engineer working on a Masters degree in Plastic Engineering. My blog posting slows significantly during school sessions. I enjoy running, reading, taking pictures and finding ways to avoid cleaning my house.
Some random facts:
- I’m Canadian, I first moved to the US in Sept 2001. I stayed after college for a boy… it worked out
- My hometown in Canada is well known for being near wine country, big ships and rowing. Want to guess?
- I have completed two ultramarathons (two 50ks), my husband runs 100 milers (show off)
- I run in skirts
- I paid for my undergraduate studies with my body (I rowed division I on scholarship and spent half my time injured)
- I generally read over 100 books a year. I sometimes mention books I like in my blog posts about foods.
- My favorite sweet is actually fresh raspberries, which is also my husband’s favorite. When I use them in garnish it usually means I was sucessful in hiding them (from both of us)
- I live across the street from a small federally licensed zoo. I used to love when the wolves howled across the street, then they got coyotes. The coyotes yipping over the howls kind of takes away the haunting beauty.
Elsewhere
- I can be emailed
- Like us on facebook
- I maintain a tumblr gallery of my vegan recipes (The Sometimes Vegan)
- I keep a tumblr of food I find interesting (Sometimes I Veg Tumblr)
- I have a general twitter account (sometimesiveg)
I'm an engineer, an animal lover, a runner and an ex-rower. I like medical devices, big ships and mountains. This is my journey teaching myself to make healthy foods and explore the world of vegan and vegetarian cuisine.
I love your blog! So many great recipes I’m going to try. I’m a flexi too!
I also love your cat – the grey one who looks exactly like mine. My grey moggy is ‘Tyler’, born an Aussie, lived in Norway and now in Malaysia.
I’m so glad to have stumbled upon your blog. I find it hard to define my identity too, as well as those related to food politics, but I totally agree with you when you say ‘you don’t have to be a vegan….to appreciate vegan foods’. I am mostly vegetarian by the way
I’ve never been able to give up yogurt and cheese. I do try to get my animal products from people who are trying to do the right thing though. For example, I buy eggs from a neighbour who keeps them as pets. When I eat meat, it is usually grass fed (which is expensive but worth it).
I hope that more people become tolerant of flexible food identities. Increased compassion for animals is a step in the right direction without joining “meat is murder” rallies.
Thank you so much for your comment by the way. Readers are what keep me going
Thrilled to have found a flexitarian blog! I wish more omnivores were flex.
I always find it kind of sad that most omnivores seem to think that they need to eat meat with every meal to be happy. Several have told me that if they ever tried vegetarianism they would try to do what I do (meat once in a while, but rarely). Thank you for your comment.
I just found your blog and love it! Your pictures are so refreshing and your recipes look mouth-watering.
I also hate to clean… if only I could cook all day and not have to clean. 
Look forward to following your new cooking adventures.
janet @ the taste space recently posted..Martinique Sweet Potato Coconut Curry with Eggplant and Pineapple
I went into engineering because I thought I would have enough money to hire a maid. I tell you, guidance counselors lie
Miriam, I just found your blog today. I feel like I am reading my own blog! (if I had one, that is) I too am a “flexitarian” (love the label, lol) though I am mostly a vegetarian. I wanted to go straight vegan, but I cannot give up cheese and chocolate (at least not yet), so alas… I am also relatively new to the lifestyle change. I have always toyed with the idea of going vegetarian (huge animal lover) but never thought I liked vegetables enough. After watching Food Inc a couple years ago (which changed where I bought meat!) and then finally Forks Over Knives early this year, I decided to give it a whirl and discovered that I like vegetables a whole lot more than I gave myself credit for, haha.
I am lucky to live in the country, and we have many family owned, community supported, sustainable living farms that raise their animals humanely and naturally, and where we can purchase meat through meat share programs. I was also excited to discover the small farm behind my subdivision sells fresh eggs – haven’t been there yet but I will soon; I’ve heard such great things about truly fresh eggs!
Looking forward to checking out your recipes and adding to my virtual cookbook!
Hi there,
I’m relatively new to your blog but I just wanted to say that I really enjoy your healthful recipes and beautiful photos! The “smoothies” section has particularly inspired me to get creative
Keep up the great work!
Janice
Just wanted to tell you how much I am looking forward to exploring your blog
And also, what a fantastic term “flexitarian” is… I have struggled to describe my diet for such a long time! I was born and raised a devout carnivore, but discovered the health benefits of eating vegan almost a year ago. I aim to eat between 4-10 vegan meals a week so that I can still have the freedom to eat meat or dairy products when the craving truly strikes, but I still see my guy-friends go into panic mode at the mention of the word “vegan.” I will definitely be stealing “flexitarian” from now on!
Can’t wait to try your Blueberry Oatmeal Smoothie–that was what drew me to your blog in the first place, and will definitely be the first one I try!
-Piper
I am so glad that I ””stumbled upon”” your page. I have been trying to reduce the amount of meat I consume in my diet but have no desire to completely cut it out. Now I know I””m not alone
I love the idea of being a flexitarian!
Sarah recently posted..The Old Curiosity Shop 2/5th””s There!
You would be amazed at how many people love the flexitarian term when I explain it to them. Some people feel like it’s cheating. But for the most part, my coworkers don’t mind that I request a vegetarian pizza when they know I occasionally eat meat.
I just came across this site today based on a Facebook post from Udi”s Gluten Free Foods. I never had heard the term “flexitarian” before, but it describes perfectly the way I need to eat. I tried a wheat-free/dairy-free/meat-free diet for three years and I lost so much weight that it actually got a little scary. I went from 150 to 95 pounds in two years. (My target “healthy” weight is between 110-120.) I”d been thin for all my life until I turned 30 and the sudden weight gain scared me, as I didn”t know what caused it or how I could control it, but the extreme weight loss scared me even more, as for a while, it seemed like even when I tried putting everything I”d eliminated back into my diet, I couldn”t put on weight. Of course, now I”m torn because I eventually did put some weight on again and am hovering around the 125-130 mark and I”d feel a little bit happier if I could hold my weight closer to the 115-120 mark. But I don”t want to do that extreme cutting out of everything to my body again … I don”t think it was very happy with me about it. Plus, I missed a lot of that stuff. I like food!! So trying to figure out what to do, how to do it in moderation, how to do it without losing my mind with desire every time my boyfriend grills a steak (and cute as he looks in an apron, the desire was not for my boyfriend) … I think this site could be a huge help, so thank you in advance!