Last week I got it into my head that I should try out vegetarianism for a couple of weeks. Not because I espouse any related ideologies, but because I don't eat that much meat anyway and I figured it'd be an interesting way to shake up my diet. "Heck," I thought, "maybe I'll even find an exciting new recipe or two whose main ingredients are not flour, sugar, and eggs." I also decided that if I could last two weeks as a vegetarian, I might go really crazy and try to make it through week three as a vegan.
So on Monday last I gave up meat, and it was really no big deal. Except I ate a lot of yogurt and cottage cheese for protein and knew pretty much immediately that the vegan idea had to go. Then on Tuesday I went to the pantry in search of dinner and found a Ramen-like cup of soup that looked sort of yummy but was off-limits because it contained chicken fat. Boo! I found squash and onions in the fridge, sautéed them, mixed them with black beans, and ate all of that on a wrap instead. On Wednesday I heated up some leftover brisket for Sean, managed to keep my fingers out of it, and ate a not so good mealy apple and cottage cheese salad instead. (I did not adequately prepare for this experiment, by the way.) Then on Thursday I messed up and popped some of my cousin's taco meat into my mouth without thinking, but I recovered nicely on Friday with a veggie burger and oven fries. (P.S. I've been eating veggie burgers for eons because they are super convenient, low calorie, and really really tasty. I've tried most of the big brands, but I have to throw my endorsement behind Morningstar Farms [invest in Spicy Black Bean! or Tomato & Basil Pizza if you're feeling Italian.] Just don't bite into one expecting a beefy taste. The only mock-beef patty I've tried is Boca and it made me sick. Yucko!)
By the end of the night I'd already decided that one workweek of vegetarianism was all I could handle (I'm already so strict about what I put into my tummy that I just can't nix a whole 'nuther food group from my diet), so I convinced Sean to take me to Cosmic Cafe--a vegetarian restaurant and #32 on tripadvisor.com's list of Dallas eateries--on Saturday night for one last hurrah. He was wary at first since he thinks a meal without meat is just faking it, but I think he started to change his mind as soon as we walked through the door. (The place has a major Hindu theme going on, which makes it really unique and fun.) Of course, I knew for sure he'd changed his mind after he bit into a deep-fried samosa and announced (in so many words), "I've changed my mind!"
So the vegetarian experiment might have been a total dud, but at least it finally gave the beau and me a chance to dip our toes into Dallas culture. And now that we've finally realized how much exotic cuisine exists in our own backyards (we've tried Indian and Greek food recently as well) we can start sampling those rather than maxing out our credit cards on bi-yearly vacations. Win win!
So on Monday last I gave up meat, and it was really no big deal. Except I ate a lot of yogurt and cottage cheese for protein and knew pretty much immediately that the vegan idea had to go. Then on Tuesday I went to the pantry in search of dinner and found a Ramen-like cup of soup that looked sort of yummy but was off-limits because it contained chicken fat. Boo! I found squash and onions in the fridge, sautéed them, mixed them with black beans, and ate all of that on a wrap instead. On Wednesday I heated up some leftover brisket for Sean, managed to keep my fingers out of it, and ate a not so good mealy apple and cottage cheese salad instead. (I did not adequately prepare for this experiment, by the way.) Then on Thursday I messed up and popped some of my cousin's taco meat into my mouth without thinking, but I recovered nicely on Friday with a veggie burger and oven fries. (P.S. I've been eating veggie burgers for eons because they are super convenient, low calorie, and really really tasty. I've tried most of the big brands, but I have to throw my endorsement behind Morningstar Farms [invest in Spicy Black Bean! or Tomato & Basil Pizza if you're feeling Italian.] Just don't bite into one expecting a beefy taste. The only mock-beef patty I've tried is Boca and it made me sick. Yucko!)
By the end of the night I'd already decided that one workweek of vegetarianism was all I could handle (I'm already so strict about what I put into my tummy that I just can't nix a whole 'nuther food group from my diet), so I convinced Sean to take me to Cosmic Cafe--a vegetarian restaurant and #32 on tripadvisor.com's list of Dallas eateries--on Saturday night for one last hurrah. He was wary at first since he thinks a meal without meat is just faking it, but I think he started to change his mind as soon as we walked through the door. (The place has a major Hindu theme going on, which makes it really unique and fun.) Of course, I knew for sure he'd changed his mind after he bit into a deep-fried samosa and announced (in so many words), "I've changed my mind!"
So the vegetarian experiment might have been a total dud, but at least it finally gave the beau and me a chance to dip our toes into Dallas culture. And now that we've finally realized how much exotic cuisine exists in our own backyards (we've tried Indian and Greek food recently as well) we can start sampling those rather than maxing out our credit cards on bi-yearly vacations. Win win!
2 comments:
You know how I feel about the no-meat-eatery! I swear it's a big part of why I've had an easy time maintaining my weight. It's easier for me to pass up really bad greasy food at restaurants because I'm not going to order the fried chicken or the bacon cheeseburger... shoot, vegetarian "meat" products (Morningstar and Boca are my faves) are actually good to eat and good for you! Hooray!
I hope you enjoy your experiment. I know a lot of ladies who started out giving up meat for lent, etc, and stuck with it because they liked how they were then forced to eat. Good luck!! :)
what a fun experiment!
i think being a vegetarian makes me really unhealthy actually, because instead of eating chicken and fish i usually eat lots of high carb foods. it probably doesn't help that i'm a really picky eater, don't like most vegetables, hate to cook, and am a sometimes lactose intolerant (makes every dairy item a gamble!)
i also love morningstar's black bean burgers! i can't stand veggie patties anymore since discovering them. i'm also with you on the fake meat boca ones. gross.
i wish indy was forward thinking enough to have a vegetarian restaurant. i mostly have to order side items if i want to eat anything most places.
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