Pass the peanut butter and jelly
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PRINCETON — Though Kelsey Jensen has been a vegetarian for 10 years, she describes herself as a vegetarian who doesn’t like vegetables.
Eighteen-year-old Kelsey Jensen of rural Manlius said peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and plain cooked noodles without any sauce are her favorite meals. For Thanksgiving dinner at her grandmother’s house, she’ll have the rolls and side dishes, like celery and carrots.
Being a vegetarian isn’t just about the way she eats, it defines a big part of who she is, Kelsey said.
“I’m very passionate about being a vegetarian. It’s a way of life for me,” Kelsey said. “Some people will say it’s not a big thing, being a vegetarian, but it’s a very big deal for me.”
Kelsey has been a vegetarian since she was 8 years old, following in the steps of her Aunt Jenny, who was then a high schooler and a vegetarian.
Her folks, Al and Kim, weren’t too concerned about their only child’s decision to not eat meat, Kelsey said. Her dad and her Aunt Jenny just wanted to make sure Kelsey stayed healthy. Her mom thought Kelsey’s decision was just a passing phase. A few months ... and then a couple years later “the passing phase” has become a lifestyle.
For her, becoming a vegetarian wasn’t about an ethical or moral opposition to hunting or raising animals for food, Kelsey said.
“I’ve always loved animals, but I’m not against killing them for food,” Kelsey said. “Some people think every vegetarian hates anyone who kills animals, but that’s not me. I’m the opposite of that. People have hunted for food since the beginning of time.”
However, it does bother her if an animal is killed and just left to rot, Kelsey said. It’s wrong to kill an animal and not use it. Also, she doesn’t like to see big livestock corporations raise their animals in an inhumane way. It’s OK to raise animals for food, but they should still be treated OK, she said.
Though some vegetarians still eat chicken or fish, Kelsey isn’t one of them. In her earlier years, Kelsey would sometimes eat chicken, but she gave that up a long time ago. She’s never liked seafood, so that’s never been a temptation.
“I’m at the point now, that if I ate any kind of meat, it would make me sick,” Kelsey said.
As a senior at Bureau Valley High School, Kelsey said she doesn’t have any problems with finding a good lunch. The school has a good salad bar and other selections like pretzels, and of course, her peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. When she goes out with her friends, she’ll order a cheese pizza or maybe an order of fries. She’s not an expensive date, she said.
At home, Kelsey said she usually fends for herself when it comes to meals. She doesn’t use vegetarian cookbooks. She usually sticks to her peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or cooked noodles. Her folks will fix their meals, like spaghetti, and set aside some meatless food for her.
Even though she’s a vegetarian, it doesn’t bother her when others around her are eating meat, Kelsey said. She even likes to occasionally cook bacon, though she doesn’t eat it.
The only “meat” Kelsey can’t be around is beef jerky. The smell of beef jerky is just plain nasty, she said.
Ten years after becoming a vegetarian, Kelsey said she’s never considered going back to eating meat. Her friends and family have gotten to the point where they don’t try to convert her back, she said.
The only thing that could make her change her lifestyle is if she developed some medical condition for which she needed to start eating meat again, Kelsey said.
“There’s no reason why I would turn back now,” Kelsey said. “I like being a vegetarian. I like being different, not like everyone else. I’ve worked so hard, for so long at being a vegetarian; why would I throw that away for one hamburger?”
