AG-863 2000

EXHIBIT A

The Cutting Veg

Think being a vegetarian means peeling the pepperoni off your pizza? There's a little more to it than that. Read on to find out how to eat right - without eating meat.

By Melissa Thorino, June 1997
Seventeen Magazine, used with permission

My so-called vegetarian life

I don't know why I thought that my becoming a vegetarian should be my decision. Maybe because I was the one choosing not to eat meat. So I was the only one who had a say in the matter, right? Wrong.

My mom flipped. She stared at me in disbelief as I delivered my heartfelt reasons for no longer wanting to belong the meat-eating majority. I'd never liked steak to begin with-and definitely not after the time I was fooled into thinking that a piece of venison was a nice juicy sirloin (ha, ha). Furthermore, I didn't think I could take it if I had to cut into one more snapping vein in a chicken cutlet. After listening to what I considered a persuasive argument, Mom flashed me her you-must-be-joking-but-this-is-only-a-phase face. Then she took a deep breath and said she'd let me go veggie-but only after I'd written a 10-page paper about vegetarian nutrition and had my 16th birthday (I had six months to go).

Though my mother wasn't thrilled, she didn't stop me from taking my first step toward an herbivorous diet. I planned to eat only chicken, turkey and fish until my birthday-then turn total veg. Actually, it was easy giving up pot roast and all that. But there was one thing I couldn't imagine life without-pepperoni. I loved piling those spicy circles on crackers. Yup, the scariest, most unidentifiable meat product of all was the one thing I couldn't let go. Still, I knew I had to stop munching my fave crackeroni snacks when my family started doubting my cause.

And doubt they did. My dad and step-mother began to dread taking me out to dinner, because now I was checking menus even before we got past the hostess station. As if that wasn't compulsive enough, once my supposedly meatless meal was served, I'd inspect it up close, lifting the plate to eye level to search for meat particles. Everyone but me laughed when my dad cracked, "Uh-oh, sweetie, I think that broccoli is still breathing." But I let them scoff and roll their eyes. That was how I discovered (aha!) that Szechuan tofu contains chopped-up beef.

With only a month to go before starting my life as a vegetarian, I could put off my research paper no longer. I headed to the library, hoping to get the whole thing (2,500 words!) over with ASAP. Funny thing was, what I expected to be boring busywork, turned out to be informative and helpful (my mom's probably grinning as she reads this).

I couldn't wait to inform my annoying family that, contrary to popular belief, vegetarians are not usually in dire need of protein-finding a day's worth would be as easy as opening a can of lentil soup. I also learned that the vegetarian vitamins I was taking, which contained absolutely no animal derivatives, supplied me with plenty of B-12 (usually found only in animal products) and a good amount of iron (I could fill the gap with leafy green veggies like broccoli and spinach).

Finally, I found an answer for my cafeteria mates, who kept asking, "How can you be a veg if you're going to eat eggs and milk?" I couldn't wait to explain to them that this is called "Lacto-ovo" vegetarianism, not veganism.

Writing my paper wasn't exactly my idea of a good time, but it did help me see that a good lunch does not consist of a bag of Smartfood and a giant iced tea (which was a shame, if you asked me, but good to know). It also helped my mom see that I was serious about being a vegetarian.

Then my birthday came. I started experimenting with recipes from the vegetarian cookbooks I got as gifts-most notably, my now-famous veggie cannelloni; most regrettably, an eggplant casserole that turned into a bitter, brownish mush. My loved ones became, suddenly, surprisingly open-minded, though perhaps my mom was just relieved that she didn't have to cook two meals each night. Of course they turned on me occasionally-like the time I made barbecued teriyaki tofu kabobs, which tasted great but compelled my dad to create a strict no-tofu-on-the-grill rule.

Eventually my family learned to accept, if not embrace, my vegetarian ways. Sure, my grandma still offers me shrimp cocktail-"it's fish, not meat!" -and my brother waves the gristle from his prime rib in my face. But I just ignore them and keep eating my vegetable pitas, and ordering my plain cheese pizza. So they may never see the appeal of a tofu dog on a bun. I'm happy, not at all unhealthy--and I'm eating exactly the way I want.

Substitutes for favorite foods

Try: tofu
A.K.A.: soybean milk solidified into bricks.
Nutrition lowdown: chock-a-block with protein, iron and B-vitamins.
Use it: in a grilled veggie kabob with green peppers and mushrooms. Or toss it into a tempura stir-fry and dish over brown rice.

Try: tempeh (tem-PAY)
A.K.A.: Indonesian soybean-grain mix formed into blocks.
Nutrition lowdown: lots of protein, iron and zinc.
Use it: in a curried vegetable stew for a meaty texture, or barbecue thick slabs of it in hot sauce for an alternative to meat patties.

Try: seitan (SAY-tan)
A.K.A.: chew wheat gluten-or "wheat meat"-shaped into cubes.
Nutrition lowdown: the protein queen of the meat subs.
Use it: as a beef substitute in veggie chili or fold slices (along with lettuce, tomato, sprouts) into a spicy pita pocket.

Try: veggie burgers
The best kind: spicy bean patties. Or go for the less organic but equally satisfying fake-meat taste-alikes.
Nutrition lowdown: less fat and cholesterol than the real deal, plus a small percentage of your protein RDA.
Use it: Grill 'em up and serve with lettuce, tomato and your own special sauce. Just don't expect 'em to actually taste like Big Macs.

Try: veggie dogs
A.K.A.: tofu "sausages" that could fool even Oscar Mayer.
Nutrition lowdown: free of fat…as well as vitamins (kind of like, uh, real hot dogs).
Use it: Nuke and slip into a toasted bun, then slather with ketchup or mustard and pile on onions or relish for a superyummy snack.

• A semi-vegetarian eats no red meat but chows on chicken or seafood.
• A lacto-ovo vegetarian eats no meat or fish, but will consume eggs and dairy products.
• A lacto-vegetarian won't eat meat or eggs, but will eat dairy.
• A vegan won't eat any food that contains an animal product.