disclosure: i've been a vegetarian/vegan since '92 and if my diet consisted of "grains, produce, legumes, and fake meat products like those Morningstar bacon st

disclosure: i've been a vegetarian/vegan since '92 and if my diet consisted of "grains, produce, legumes, and fake meat products like those Morningstar bacon strips," talk about unappetizing... i'd be a "relapsee" too. plus a meal where meat dominates, the menu is faster and easier to prepare, especially if you can count on someone manning the grill. to adopt a vegetarian lifestyle, you have to be a foodie and like going to the farmer's market, making things from scratch and love experimenting in the kitchen. to turn out yummy, satisfying dishes is labor intensive. thank god for freezers so you have something to eat on those days you don't have time to cook or feel like spending a couple hours or more in the kitchen. not to mention the health benefits from eating whole foods not riddled with antibiotics, chemicals, and indigestible fillers. if your idea of cooking is opening a box and adding water -- forget it, vegetarianism, regardless of the desire to reduce your carbon footprint, is not for you.