5 Mondays

I thought I would take a little time today to talk about one of my newer habits, Meatless Mondays.  I have to say it has been going very well.  I haven't been tempted to cheat, mainly because I have found some delicious options that I am not tired of yet.  Except for the first one in the challenge I have had to work every Monday, and I have had the same thing for lunch each time, a falafil sandwich from the Mediterranean bakery down the street.  It is something I really like, falafil is very lightly fried so I feel like it is a treat, and because of the hummus, babaganouj, and veggies with which I can customize the sandwich it is something I can do once a week and not get tired of.  Is it a perfect meal?  No, a crudites platter, a piece of fruit, and maybe a small piece of cheese would be perfect.  But my sandwich is tasty and not too bad on calories (I figure it about 500), and that helps me succeed.

Last night was another very successful meal in my Meatless Mondays challenge.  I was over with some friends doing them a favor and they cooked me a delicious meal of steamed zucchini strips with an avocado lemon vinaigrette and roasted sweet potato medallions.  First off, I want to thank Sam and Kat.  The meal was delicious and I will gladly come over to reflect light in a menacing way any time you need.  Second, this was an ideal vegetarian meal for me.  Why?  Because it was delicious, introduced some new ideas in the kitchen (that sauce is one I am stealing to use again.  I would be great on a white fish), and had an "treat" element to it.  In this case the "treat" was the sweet potatoes, which were oven roasted in medallions with a honey and black pepper glaze.  Very tasty.

I am really pleased about my success with forgoing meat one day a week.  It gives me control over that part of my diet.  Before I felt like every meal had to have meat in it, otherwise it wasn't really a meal, just a large snack.  That is ridiculous, I know, but it was how I felt.  Another positive seems to be that I can actually eat a little more, both volume and calorie wise, and still have good results on the scale.  It could be the fiber or other good nutrients but because of that Monday has become a day to look forward to because I can indulge a bit with my portions.  I am shocked by just how successful it has been, even with rehearsals, but because of all of that I know I can make this a permanent, positive addition to my life.