I have been mostly adopting a produce diet and so far it is going well. I say mostly because I am intent not to be a fanatic about this. Here is my outlook:

* I have meat in the freezer that I'm not going to throw out since an animal died to provide it.

* I don't have much experience with vegemite dishes, so I've been perusing vegetarian cooking magazines. That has provided an influx of ideas.

* One success was the idea of fixing a nice meal, to both try out new recipes and to illustrate that a change like this doesn't have to be a martyr's experience. On the menu were stir-fry turnovers and sage/pumpkin-balls with white wine and then desert (a chocolate-pie with date-nut crust). Everything looked, smelled and tasted good and I was both satisfied and full.

* Cheese is really good on a lot of things and that will be tough to eliminate. I think I'll start to reduce the amount of cheese I eat by using Parmesan cheese grated on things, as well as a sprinkling of nutritional yeast. It is a quality vs. quantity approach.

* Life is short and uncertain and there are times when I am going to consume animal protein (i.e. holidays, Super-Bowl parties, weddings). I'll leave horror, guilt, and shame (and moral superiority) to the vegans.

* I want to strive to make food that tastes good in-and-of itself. Vegetables have a lot of color and flavor and simple techniques like roasting or sautéing develops them further. I don't think there is any need to make "meat-like" dishes and I believe this approach only invites comparison and sets you up for disappointment (whether you admit it or not).

So far this approach is working out well-enough for me. I have had a pizza with friends here, and burger at a BBQ joint there, but on the whole I have reduced the animal protein in my diet to approximately a meal a week.