Being vegetarian on an island breeding cows

When we first got to the island it was the weekend. We were staying in a hotel and it the commissary was closed. this meant our food options were limited. I noticed right away that the convenience foods were very limited. The vegetarian selection was almost non-existant. Let's just say eggs, ceral with milk and PB & J quickly became my favorites.

Once we were settled in our house I was able to get to the commissary and local grovery store in order to find more selection. I was happy to find that the local grocer carried yogurt without gelatin and the commissary had tofu. So, I am off to a good start. But eating the same thing over and over again for a protein source can get old pretty quickly.

The commissary does have Amy's frozen entrees and a limited selection of Morning Star Farms products. Now, luck for me, I added fish and seafood back into my diet while I was working on my nutrition degree. With all the health benefits I felt like it was the right choice. This is great for us because it means I have more selection and more options when preparing dinner. So far, so good.

But how does a vegetarian survive on a island full of cows. There are so many lush green pastures around. I have cows across the street, I can see them behind my house, I even had to pull over this morning to allow a herd to pass since they use the street to travel between pastures. It is unreal how many cows there are. I don't eat, but I do respect the farmers here. There is something to be said for someone who invests everything to making these cows stay healthy and have pleasant lives while still raising them for a profit. I do not agree with some practices of the cattle industry, but the people here seem to do things differently. I mean what cow wouldn't want an ocean view.

In all seriousness, how does a vegetarian survive on this island dependant upon beef. For starters, I am thankful of the fact that I eat fish and seafood. Some of it I recognize (like cod) and some are not familiar to me (like the wreck fish). Over the next 2 years I will have plenty of time to learn about the culture and local food. Good thing they have lots of fresh seafood, produce and a love of sweets. Now all I need is to work on my Portugese to make sure I can navigate my way around a restaurant!