Coming from a family that has its share of vegetarians and those who only eat organic I have always felt a little guilty about my food choices. Oh sure I avoid fast food restaurants except when I am on the road traveling but somehow I know that we Americans eat an unhealthy diet of too much meat, salt and sugar.
This year my New Year's resolution was to eat vegetarian one day a week. First question was which day's dinner would it be. Couldn't be Friday as that is burger day. Thursday is fish day. Sunday is usually a day to make a chicken or some other meat that takes too long to make during the week. I finally decided on Wednesday as it is pasta day. All I would have do is forget the meatballs. Breakfast would be easy as yogurt, oatmeal or scrambled egg whites are my usual breakfast choices. Lunch is a meal that I have frequently skipped so a cup of coffee and toast is a more than enough.
If you noticed my choices for meals doesn't include many vegetables and relies heavily on carbs. Maybe I would be more accurate to say I have a "meatless" day. My vegan daughter calls my diet a "junk food vegetarian." Being vegetarian doesn't always translate into a healthy diet if it is heavy on the carbs. I have tried to experiment with vegetables that I have avoided most of my life and have found a few that I really have come to enjoy. Artichokes, brussel sprouts and asparagus aren't bad with a little balsamic vinegar and parmigiana cheese. Sauteed in a pan with a little olive oil and they taste better than I ever thought. I have even found that ground mushrooms can be a decent substitute for meat in some dishes. Pureed carrots and sweet potatoes work well when added to many dessert recipes and I have added grated carrots and sweet potato to many of my meat dishes.
P.S.
The last month I have tried to add a second vegetarian day each week. Maybe I am inching my way to avoiding meat.
P.S. 1
Surprising fact. In Maryland gun deaths from suicides and homicides now exceed traffic deaths each year.
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