Prince of field greens

Prince Fielder was once the spokesperson, along with his father, for the McDonalds triple cheeseburger. But those days are long gone.

Yesterday, Prince announced that he has become a vegetarian.

From the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinal:

It wasn’t always this way. Fielder used to enjoy a stacked burger or a juicy steak as much as any carnivore, but a few weeks ago he received a book from his wife, Chanel, that changed his outlook on what he puts in his massive frame. The book described how certain animals are treated and slaughtered for food.

…”After reading that, (meat) just didn’t sound good to me anymore,” Fielder said. “It grossed me out a little bit. It’s not a diet thing or anything like that. I don’t miss it at all.”

Fielder is a begginner vegetarian. He’s still just getting his feet wet. So I’m here to offer a few tips, from one vegetarian to another.

1. The secret craving of every vegetarian is bacon. Fight the temptation. And remember, if you really want a BLT, there’s always facon!

2. Quinoa is a great source of protein. I like to make curry quinoa mango salad. Big Papi says mango gives him power, so this should be a staple of your diet. I know you’ve had some friction with your own dad, but it’s always a good idea to do as Papi does.

3. Tofu is your friend. Bake it. Fry it. Live it. Love it. It is admittedly a texture that takes some getting used to. Start out with the extra firm tofu and then ease yourself into the more silken stuff.

4. Foreign foods are often very veggie friendly (except for those damn Koreans). Indian food and Ethiopian food are both great for meat avoiders. Chinese food can be tricky, but there are more and more Chinese restaurants with vegetarian menus, many with a lot of faux-meat options. When I lived in Atlanta I used to get the vegetarian sesame beef at Chinese Buddha on 10th Street and … well … fuhgettaboutit. It was the bomb.

5. Buy a wok. Then buy the book “Breath of a Wok” by Grace Young. It’ll change the way you look at cooking. There’s nothing more fun that getting your wok super hot and tossing your dinner up in the air. And the sound the soy sauce makes when it hits the hot cast iron … so sexy.

6. Pasta is still your friend. My girlfriend makes a great puttanesca sauce, only she skips the anchovy paste. You don’t need it. The capers and the kalamata olives make the sauce plenty salty. And the red pepper flakes add a great spice. And if you want to really get crazy (and healthy), you can substitute spaghetti squash for pasta. Just bake the squash for 40 minutes and then scrape it into a bowl with a fork. You’ll love it.

There’s nothing wrong with Boca Burgers, Prince. But hopefully these tips will help you expand your vegetarian horizons. Remember, the best part of being a vegetarian is — you guessed it — the vegetables! So don’t be afraid to try something new, whether its broccoli rabe or rutabaga. And congratulations on embracing a lifestyle that is the most important thing anyone can do to save the earth.