Tuesday, April 1, 2014

My Life As A Pollotarian

Hi, my name is Natalie and I am a pollotarian. A pollotarian is someone who doesn't eat red meat, but does eat chicken and meat products. So, that's right folks I don't eat meat, and I haven't touched beef in a few weeks. (the only reason why I ate meat then was because of medical reasons) I've decided to not eat anything but chicken in late November, making Thanksgiving a virtual nightmare, but sometimes ate meat. However, I decided to give this pollotarian a shot and actually try to actually not eat meat.
Some say that pollotarians are like the stepping stones of the process of becoming vegetarian. Others, called pesce-pollotarians, eat both fish and chicken. Some do this for ethics, others do it for health. However there are people, like me, who just choose to eat chicken and turkey.
I decided to do this as a push to become more healthy, first of all. Beef and red meat do have iron and al of that good stuff. However, I wanted to get more vegetables in my diet becaus those are important things to have. Ever since then, I've noticed a big change in my eating habits. I am eating more salads, and other vegetables. I also decided this because I really don't feel comfortable eating something that was a mammal. I thought that it was unethical because we're mammals, and it feels wierd eating a mammal. 
Ever since December, I have lost over 6 pounds. I feel a bit more healthier. However, I have a hard time getting my daily amount of nutrients, so I often eat a lot of spinach and other leafy vegetables. Some other sneaky ways to get protien are greek yogurt, and nuts. I also don't eat as much white bread, and have been subsituting it with rye or wheat bread. I also have been eating a lot of protien bars, such as balance bars and Special K, because they have about 30% of my daily value of iron. It's hard trying to get every nutrient that you need, so sometimes supplements may be neccesary. 
Are you a vegetarian, pollotarian, or semi-vegetarian? 

5 comments:

  1. I'm not an anything-atarian but I do agree with you on the adding more veggies to my diet! I eat way too much junk food and bread!

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  2. Hello,

    I didn't know what pollotarian meant until today. I felt my whole life growing up was upside down because of food. I'm 40 now and remember still when I was a kid. Of course I ate meat. My mom and family gave me beef and steak. But I could not stand sea food, or pork. I remember refusing pork since I was five and shrimp , fish , crab , lobster, oyster, octopus, squid seemed the most disgusting thing for me. I couldn't stand the smell and still can't. No one made me eat as a kid and when as a teen, my step mother obligated me to eat fish, I knew I had to come up with a plan of sneaking out and throwing the fish away. I never tried and other sea food ( except a little shrimp that was given to me as a mistake) and I got so k right away. Besides that, the worst meat was liver in which my step mother obligated me to eat as well at the age of 15. My whole life was scary because of that. Knowing everything was so strict, I heard criticism from my parents friends, doctors, etc.
    In 2000, I stopped eating beef and never looked back. I did not miss and after a year I felt disgusted to think even about eating Big Mac ( one of my favorite sandwich growing up). 18 years later I still don't eat beef. I was in Portugal and decided to try in the Brazilian restaurant, but could not finish my plate.
    There is a part of me that loves animals and environment but I am not sure I'm what I am because of that. I am a big fan of chicken though. I hear people asking me all the time why I eat chicken only and perhaps turkey in Thanksgiving. I don't know. Is it because they put eggs? No... I never thought this was the case. I would not be able to eat turtles and crocodiles, or any other alive thing. Some people can eat frog and snakes, and even bugs. I guess I'm just simple and limited and the older I get, the more allergies I get to everything. But I'm grateful to find a name I can call myself today. I never considered myself as vegetarian though. Even though i still eat eggs ( as long as they aren't over easy) , I can't think of drinking plain milk. It makes me sick too.

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  3. Thanks for sharing your experience !!great content abs diet for vegetarian

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  4. Hello. I have been recently teytry to decide to give up res meats. I have been pork free for almost one year (I follow Torah and don't eat pork nor shrimp nor catfish). I have want to become a pollotarian. Wish me well

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