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Tuesday July 12, 2011

A Lil’ Lesson on Everythingtarianism

Hi friends! Tonight, I’m turning the blog reins over to one of my very favorite bloggers and very favorite people, Holly from The Healthy Everythingtarian. I knew we’d be good friends the first time I met her and our nail polish matched. But seriously, if you don’t read her blog, you should. She’s pretty freaking great…as you’ll be able to tell from her post below. Enjoy! [Thanks for the wonderful post Holly! <3 you!]

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Well, hello to all you A Foodie Stays Fit readers! My name is Holly, and I write the healthy-ish living blog called The Healthy Everythingtarian. I like to call it healthy-ish because quite frankly, I love eating brats + drinking beer as much as I love eating massive junk salads + drinking kombucha.

It’s all about finding a balance that works for ME. Not you, not Teri, not Mama Everythingtarian but me – Holly. The newly redhead, politico by day and freelance writer + beer connoisseur by night writer of the aforementioned blog.

Two years ago, I finally found my true calling as an Everythingtarian. I realized that for me my body feels best when I get a little bit of everything in my diet – fruits, veggies, dairy, meat, tofu, beer, wine, tea, ice cream, seaweed salad and yes, even Arby’s curly fries.

I like to think I am a vegan, vegetarian, flexitarian, fruitarian, raw foodist and all-around American gal all wrapped into one curly-haired bundle. Some days I may not eat one vegetable. Most days I am a tried and true vegetarian. And yes, sometimes, it may even seem as though I am on the much-hyped about yet major letdown known as The Atkin’s Diet.

But not on purpose.

I eat what I crave.

And sometimes, that just happens to be Mashed Faux-tatoes.This recipe is Atkin’s-friendly. It is also vegan-friendly, which means it is also vegetarian-friendly. It’s meat-friendly (add a steak to anything, and it will taste good, I swear). I apologize it’s not fruitarian-friendly. That version will take some serious tweaking.

Mashed Faux-tatoes

Makes 2 to 4 servings

1 head organic cauliflower
2 T cream cheese*
2 T milk *
1 T nutritional yeast
1 T minced garlic
salt + pepper, to taste
green onion, for garnish

*to make vegan, sub Tofutti Better than Cream Cheese and your choice of non-dairy milk

Chop the cauliflower into florets.

In a large pan over medium heat, boil the cauliflower until fork tender. Drain out the water and put back on the stove, reducing the heat as low as possible. Mash the cauliflower with a potato masher or fork until it becomes creamy, similar to mashed potatoes.

Add the cream cheese, milk, nutritional yeast, garlic + seasonings, and mix well.
To serve, top with green onion.

What kind of eating style do YOU identify yourself with? As I always like to say, sharing is caring!
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That is a great question Holly! I identify mostly with vegetarianism but there are a lot of days I’m totally vegan. But once in a blue-cheese moon, bacon or North Carolina BBQ or a Ruth’s Chris steak calls my name! How ‘bout you guys?

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28 Comments

Kaley [Y Mucho Más]

I don’t identify with any eating style, honestly, except the not-clogging-my-arteries type. I love salads and I eat them a lot, but not really because I think spinach will work miracles, but because I like the way my jeans fit if I eat foods that are “good for me.” I’d be a bad healthy living blogger!

Anyway, I love your blog precisely because you love beer & brats. Also, I have really been wanting to try faux mashed potatoes for a while. I love cauliflower. Really. I do.

Jess @atasteofconfidence

I eat basically everything, but I would like to limit my meat intake a bit. It’s hard still living at home!

Krystina (Organically Me)

I’m a vegetarian. It makes me happy now. 🙂

Holly

i love you teri, i love your readers, and thank you again for letting me guest post! mwah!

Sarah K. @ The Pajama Chef

i don’t really identify with anything…but i do eat a lot of fruits & veggies, but usually have chicken or fish or some type of meat for dinner 4-5 nights/week. my husband is willing to eat veg sometimes but it’s hard for him and i don’t want to cook separate meals all the time…so we compromise. 🙂

Miss Type A

I would say I’m an “everything but seafood” girl. I didn’t use to eat a lot of meat either, but the last few years (living with my fiance) have taught me the gloriousness that is a nice steak or a pulled pork sandwich. As for the seafood thing- the whole idea, thought, smell… just repulses me! I can’t say why, but it just does. Maybe one day I’ll wake up and crave some crab cakes or a piece of salmon and it will all change, but for now, I’m not forcing it!

Liz @ Tip Top Shape

Ha, I was laughing at the fruit-tarian thing there! Cheers to being an everytthingtarian!! I’m the same! lol

dana @ my little celebration

5% meat, 50% vegetables, 25% fruit, 20% sweets! Perfect balance.

Annette @ EnjoyYourHealthyLife

I am mostly vegetarian, but I love chicken or turkey once in awhile. I eat dairy on occasion, and I LOVE fish/seafood.

I guess it depends on the day—-cause I eat what I crave (but I never eat red meat, I can’d digest it well at all, and it makes me sick. yuck).

GREAT post!

Liz @ iheartvegetables

I’m a vegetarian, but only because I don’t like meat! I think you’re right, we have to eat what we crave! And I LOVE this recipe!! I’ve never tried it with cream cheese. I’ll have to try that!

Alicia

I’m with you Holly! I was telling my husband the other day I kind of have multiple personalilities when it comes to food. I love eating healthy, fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains, etc. but I also love oreos, Taco Bell, and lots of other really tasty but really not good for you foods. I would definitely classify myself as a everythingtarian too!

Katie

Yay!! Love Holly!! Also, I met my best friend because our toenail polish matched in high school…hot pink with sparkles. It’s a great intro to good friendship. 🙂

Corrie Anne

Hahaha. Sort of a flexatarian… sorta an everythingtarian like yourself. I like the faux potato recipe with cauliflower. Trying to convince my husband that’s a good vegetable…. 🙂

Mama Pea

I was there during the great nail polish twin spotting. I miss you guys. Both tell me you are coming to Foodbuzz again or I am going to cry myself to sleep.

MelissaNibbles

My eating style is put it in my mouth and chew. These fauxtaters sound great. I’ve tried to make these before, but they never come out right. I’ll try it with these ingredients. Thanks!

Alaina

I’m definitely a little-bit-of everything eater. One day I’ll be having greens all day and the next I’ll be craving a burger. Whatever I feel like eating that day, I will make sure to enjoy it. 🙂

kate

brilliant! I am definitely a Everythingtarian too.

Katelyn @ Chef Katelyn

I love love loveee this post! First of all, I love that you consider yourself to be basically everything wrapped into one. More power to ya girl. Lately I want to be one of those too, and at this point, I pretty much am. Hey, if I want some greek yog, I’ll have some!

[email protected]

Cool recipe! I once made something similar to this but without cream cheese and all–what was I thinking?! 😛 This looks great. I agree in that moderation in what works for our bodies is important, instead of following everyone else 🙂

Katie G.

Great post! I totally relate! I have tried out vegetarianism and veganism…and have found that I am a vegetarian with a little bit of meat thrown in on occassion (bacon, sushi…) I definitely go on what I am craving that day, and yes, sometimes meat totally disgusts me and other days a turkey burger is calling my name! It’s crazy how our brains work but I’ve found that if I tell myself that I CANNOT have something, it becomes all I want!

Pure2raw twins

love both of you!! great post Holly, love cauliflower 😉 and our diet is always changing, so we have no labels…just eat good food

Grace

I call my food section my blog Gracie-tarian! I am a lacto-ovo-pescatarian and who the heck even knows what I mean when I say that! So basically I am a vegetarian who loves eggs and ice cream and eats fish on special occasions when I know it will be cooked well! Love the cauliflower recipe-I’ve tried some before and it was yummy!

melissa

Hmm, after reading your blog I realized how complicated my answer is when people ask me this question (like when someone notices me skipping the hamburger for a veggie burger for instance). It goes something like this “Well I’m primarily vegan I guess but only about 15-20% of the time”. I leave the 20% in for things like cows milk in my coffee(sorry milk subs, there’s no way you compare and I’ve tried them all) and yes for those nights when I want to go out for LoLo’s fried chicken and waffles and homemade ice cream. But it’s also for social reasons. One, because I don’t want to burden my meat-eating friends with trying to figure out what nuts and berries to serve me when invited into their home for a meal. Another would be not wanting to answer 100 questions about the choice to go primarily vegan. ( Literally, one time it took over an entire afternoon worth of conversing with friends we don’t see often. Granted, most of the time I like the discussion b/c it’s something I’ve put A LOT of thought into but other times I really just want to know how their kids are doing, and what movies they’ve seen lately. I guess they might be looking to get inspired to do the same. It’s not like I’m asking the same stuff to them about why they’re choosing to eat pork loin, right?

Lynne

I love the phrase everything-tarian. I just know that I could never give up meat….don’t know if that comes from being raised on a farm with pigs, cows and chickens that were raised for meat or not. If others don’t want to eat meat, that is great, but boy would I miss it. A good pork chop is one of the best tastes in the world. I like fruits and veggies too, and I will say that as I get older I do find myself eating less meat and more fruits/veggies.

courtney (pancakes and postcards)

I love this “diet”. I have been veg for the better part of a year now but am getting more convinced that it’s not necessarily the right diet for me. Reading stuff like this makes me more willing to bust back out of the veg bubble and try meat again and see if my body has really been craving it.

Joy

I have been most successful eating what I crave while still eating mindfully. If I start restricting myself, I always end up overcompensating and eating a whole bag of *insert forbidden food here*. I also try and make good food choices, but if I am craving something, I will eat it!

Molly

I love this post because it’s a perfect representation of how I feel too! Labels are no fun anyway – being flexible is the name of the game as far as I’m concerned!

Laura

Love the Everythingtarian word! It definitely describes me. I’d say I’m 70% vegan, 25 % vegetarian, and the other 5% I’m eating a cheeseburger, sushi, or shrimp!