I decided to eat roast beef or pork today…

So, off I went to the grocery store…thinking about how good that pork chop or slab of roast beef was going to be. I went to the meat section and I looked at the roasts. They had a decent prime rib there (which, in my opinion, if you are going to eat roast beef it might as well be the best) and it looked ok…but it really didn’t do it for me. Off, I go down the row because afterall I am sure what I really want is a pork chop. I get to the pork chops and they look ok too…but, I don’t really want that either. So, I walk away after grabbing a package of hot dogs for Deb.

Then the usual dilemma starts – what will I have for dinner. I can’t really eat beans for a couple of days so that is out. Then I see a huge zuchinni and I think that would be really good in soup. So I buy it. Then I look at the other squash and remember that I want to make a butternut squash soup…so, in that goes. Oh, and I love spaghetti squash. Then I decide to have tofu stroganoff for dinner, I grabbed some refried beans and wholewheat tortillas for burritos later in the week. The only meat I left with was the stuff for Deb.

I think for me making changes has to do with giving myself persmission to have whatever it is I am trying to reduce or get out of my life. It worked when I quit smoking. I walked around with cigarettes for 2 weeks and told myself I could have one in 5 minutes if the withdrawl was still as bad. It never was. So now I have a week of veggie dinners planned and stuff purchased. I feel good.

All of this is not to say that I have completely given up meat. I did have a subway sub with meat yeserday and some bacon. But I have certainly reduced the amount and frequency a great deal. Progress!!!

Something is happening in my brain…

I no longer really think about eating meat (well except for bacon). It has been a little over a week since I last had meat (it was bacon). I actually let a grocery store chicken come into the house without eating any of the skin (my favourite part). I am not sure what is going on but something has shifted.

So, what have I been eating? I have had some prawns (they are good for me as they don’t promote inflammation and they have omega 3s in them), potato soup, veggie lasagna, hummus, cucuumbers in yogurt with dill, eggplant caponata twice, veggie sub, veggie pizza, nachos. So quite varied. I intend to make daal this week – although if it gets as hot as they say I think I will just go somewhere and die.

Flexitarian?

I was doing some reading the other day and the author described herself as a ‘flexitarian.’ She defined her eating habits as mostly veg with occasional meat. This seems to describe now. I don’t really eat meat as the centre part of my meal but more as a condiment. I think I can embrace this approach quite easily and my natural inclination will be to include less and less meat as time goes on.

I know that denying myself something never works, it never has. Even when I quit smoking (which is really an all or nothing proposition) I walked around with cigarettes for 2 weeks and told myself I could have one if it was still this bad in five minutes. It never was. I have not had a drag of a cigarette since I quit April 21, 1991 at 10 pm. I have never looked back. I am sure I can do the same thing with meat…over time!

Oh and I made a wicked eggplant parmesan for dinner!

things are coming together…

So I have not been cataloguing my meat sins here but I have had a bit here and there over the last couple of days. I have to say that I have not been as enthusiastic about it as I once was. It actually does not seem to taste as good as I think it will. A couple of times it has not been great. The good news is that the cravings seem to be going away as well. I think part of the problem for me is that as soon as I restrict something from my diet that is all I can think about. It is crazy-making. I am also getting some ideas from the new cookbooks I bought. My dish for next week will be eggplant parmesan. I love eggplant!

Last night for dinner I made grilled zucchini pizza with tomatos on a tortilla like base. It worked well except the tortilla went soggy. I had baked it and I think that may have been the problem. So I will broil it next time on something that will allow air to circulate underneat. I also used an Italian cheese blend rather than mozzarella and found that to be too overpowering. I love fresh tomatos on pizza so that part was excellent. I think it would also be good with some cilantro but I couldn’t find any. Maybe I need to grow my own…anyone ever grow cilantro?

Even more thinking…

Well this is not something new about me but I am now applying this knowledge to changing my eating habits. I am a creature of habit and I seek familiar things because I find comfort in them. I am loathe to try new recipes. So, my new goal (besides eating less meat as it really does not taste as good as I think it is going to except for bacon!!!) is to try a new recipe a week. Hopefully, by doing this I will increase the number of things that are familiar and therefore comforting to me.

Today I made my okra barley soup with tomatoes. I added a can of chick peas and it was really good. I enjoyed it. I have a bunch left to eat now!

July 13, 2008

Well being around my mother is not good for my food choices. I ended up eating a Macdonald’s burger yesterday! Very unlike me. Anyway, she is gone now and hopefully we can get back to some semblance of normalacy. I find her very stressful. I did end up eating a veg dinner though.

Hopefully today will be a meat free day!

Knowing myself…

I have been thinking about my goal all day and why I suddenly don’t feel like I am able to achieve it. I think that part of the problem for me is that I don’t do well when things are forbidden as in “I am no longer eating beef.” Now, all I can think about is eating beef. Yet I went 2 months without eating it. I suspect it is not going to be as good as I think it is or maybe it will be better who knows.

I am going to change my strategy. I am going to strive to have 2 meat free days per week and then gradually increase as my body is more able to handle the vegetables and beans. Right now, although meat causes inflammation it does not wreak havoc in my intestinal tract. So, I think this is going to be a much slower process than I had originally thought.

I was inspired at the grocery store as there was fresh okra. I love okra! It is one of my all time favourite veggies. I am going to make a soup with barley, okra, tomatos, eggplant, zuchinni and lots of onion some time on the weekend. Sounds good to me!