Vegetarian Update

So folks, I figure you all deserve an update as to how my vegetarian challenge is going.

As far as dinner and breakfast goes, I've been doing awesome. The last meals I've made with meat were ham for Easter, beef stew for Valentine's Day, and turkey for Christmas (I didn't make it). I've been enjoying lots of beans, although it admittedly has been a little stinky around our house lately, if you know what I mean.. I've been utilizing different cookbooks, like Pasta Revolution, Bean by Bean, and ATK's Healthy Family Cookbook.

However, I did start to feel deprived at work. They recently changed their cafeteria to a quick-service style cafe, so there are no daily specials, just constant, never-changing menu items. Instead of having something different to pick from every day, I had limited myself to just a few vegetarian items (with some of them not being healthy at all): tofu stir-fry, cheese quesadilla, veggie burger, grilled cheese sandwich, make-your-own salad, and veggie wrap. I was getting SO sick of the food (and I wasn't going to start bringing my own lunch because I get free food), I considered ditching the whole vegetarian concept. Plus, I started gaining back the weight I'd lost when I stopped breastfeeding. Scared at the number on the scale and frustrated at my self-imposed diet restriction, I decided to make my own compromise: I can eat meat at lunch only. So, now I eat salads with grilled chicken breast and deli meat sandwiches. Believe me, it's all made all of the difference. I don't feel as deprived, and I'm losing that weight (but that's a different story anyways).

Graham and I have come to the conclusion that we don't even really feel deprived with our dinner choices, which has definitely been an adaptation. We've made the change to "mostly meatless", which I am absolutely happy about. I eat less fast food, I try to choose more organic and natural forms of foods, I only eat hamburgers twice a year (which is definitely a big thing for me), and I feel like I'm making a *small* impact on a food system that is so corrupt and flawed. If you want to know which movies that have changed the way I view food and health, watch the videos Food Inc and Forks Over Knives. At the very least, you'll be more mindful of what you eat, especially when you visit a fast food restaurant.

Anyways, I promised a while ago to post a recipe for amazing corn muffins, so I'll do that next time, along with the story about me getting healthy and physically fit. I think I just used that phrase because I heard that song on Madagascar, "I like to move it move it". Until then.. I'll see you later.