I usually reply with, "That's right. I'm crusading to shatter the myth of the skinny vegetarian!"

I don't mind the shock so much, really. I used to be an amateur bodybuilder and crusaded to shatter the myth of the wimpy vegetarian.

In fact, in my thirteen meatless years I've sought to shatter quite a few vegetarian myths. Myths such as 'vegetarian food is alfalfa sprouts and tofu,' 'meatless versions of burgers and chicken are yucky,' and 'vegetarians are freakish pinko hippie throwbacks.'

Of course, that's not to say I'm not a peacenik or haven't read my share of Marx. Let's keep it in perspective here. I string my own beads but I find hemp clothing is way too scratchy for my taste.

The next question that I get is if I eat fish. My first impulse is to answer with a quote from Madonna, which I'll paraphrase here: "If it poops, I don't eat it."

Makes you think, doesn't it?

The third question is the variation on the age-old "meat craving" issue. For example, "when you are driving past Burger King, don't you ever just impulsively want to pull in and get a Whopper?"

That question used to be easy. I would just pull in and get a Whopper. A veggie Whopper. They must be pretty common because whenever I order, preparing to have to deal with a skeptical drive-up worker, I just say 'Whopper with No Meat,' and they say "Do you mean Veggie Whopper?" A veggie Whopper is everything but the patty. The taste of the tomato and bun are not overpowered by the taste of grilled flesh, and you won't get a grease stain on your shirt if you dribble.

Now there is the BK Veggie, which I've tried and consider to be pretty tasty.

But then I read Eric Schlosser's 'Fast Food Nation,' and I've have given up fast food for the most part. My heart just isn't in it anymore. That delicious taste of fries and milkshakes just can't drown out the horrors that lurk behind the scenes. So the answer to that inquiry now involves a tirade of statistics that leave most folks sorry they asked.

But I have found more and more folks are considering making the leap into the glamorous world of tempeh and Tofurky. Some are simply reducing the amount of meat they eat. I say either route is an adventure well worth taking.

Rather than dwell on the food that I deny myself, I think about all of the wonderful things I discovered while searching for things to replace prime rib and popcorn shrimp. Instead of reminiscing about the flavor of a charcoal-grilled bratwurst, I try to figure out how I lived without knowing about falafel and pad thai for 21 years. And Indian food! Why didn't anyone notify me about navarattan korma?

If you're thinking about exploring our world, there are many resources available and about a million cookbooks. Or talk to a vegetarian you know. Find out how they converted and coped with the interesting questions. They may also have some great recipes or suggestions for good restaurant that serve meatless dishes.

There are many different reasons to eliminate meat from the diet, from health to political to environmental. It can be as simple as a diet change or as broad-based as a lifestyle. Either way, if you're thinking about doing it, give it a try. There are a couple of links on the site that offer vegetarian starter kits for free, so check them out. Go meatless for a day and see what you think.

Welcome to VeggieHeadOnline. Visit as often as you like and drop us a line and share your comments and ideas.

VeggieHeadOnline began as a member of the Webseed network in 2000. It branched out on its own as an independent webzine  in 2002.

Robin Lickel is a bookish, nerd-like personage with a spectacular sense of wit and modest personality. To keep it together, she plants things, hugs trees and reads Thich Nhat Hanh. Other hobbies include taking naps and learning the world's languages. She resides in America's Dairyland. The current animal companion tally in her household is four cats, after having recently lost her dear canine friend Thor. 

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