This is my fourth official day of being a 'vegetarian.' I've been doing pretty well so far. I didn't even eat the bacon that was made for breakfast a few days ago, even though I really wanted to. With having dips, hummus, and pesto on hand, I can find snacks and things to eat that'll make me just as happy and keep me from immediately going that out of habit. Only thing I've given in and eaten was the sushi my constant companion and I shared for Valentine's Day dinner. And it was totally worth it.
So, to clarify, here's what I have given up:
*Poultry
*Pork (Pork chops, Ham, Bacon, etc.)
*Beef
*Bison
*Miscellaneous other meats (like venison, which I actually did enjoy)
*Dairy (With exceptions, see below)
*Most Sugared Things (I switched to sugar free/diet)
*Caffeine (With exceptions, see below)
What, despite these changes, I am still eating that might be assumed I'd give up:
*Eggs
*Most seafood (I have to be careful with this because I'm still figuring out what I can eat and what I can't.)
*Yogurt and the occasional bit of sour cream or cottage cheese
*I do partake in the occasional blended mocha or diet Dr. Pepper, and some of the teas I really like are caffeinated. However, Starbucks still makes my green tea frappe, and I can get most of those teas decaffeinated now, so it's a rare thing.
*At holidays, I fully intend to partake in a small amount of turkey. Note - small. By the time thanksgiving rolls around again, I may not be able to handle it, so this is still up in the air.
Now on to the product reviews.
Tofurkey Tomato and Basil Italian Sausage.
Pros: Great flavor, good with pesto and pasta. The consistency isn't really all that close to a real hot dog, but seeing as I'm not a huge fan of eating straight up hot dogs, this doesn't really bother me.
Cons: Frankly, if it gets cold, it tastes absolutely awful. It's like chewing on a piece of tomato flavored rubber that squishes if you happen to break through. Seriously, absolutely awful. Not paying attention, I ate the last piece of the sausage I had cut up after setting it aside for about twenty minutes while watching television. Never again.
Final Recommendation: If you're adventurous with meat substitute products, go for it. But, wouldn't suggest eating it straight (mix it with something, the package suggests onions and bell peppers on some sort of bread, I'd do pasta with pesto or marinara sauce). And for the love of all that is holy, do not let it get cold and try to eat it. You'll regret it. This needs to be eaten right away while warm.
Morning Star Bacon (Substitute).
Morning Star actually has a pretty good record with me for having decent substitutes. I like the 'barbeque ribs' and the fake chicken patties. So, at the suggestion of someone, I gave the bacon a try so I didn't feel so left out when breakfast rolled around. Unfortunately, I have to deal with it being referred to as my "Beggin' Strips" as my fiance' is convinced they look like the bacon dog treats. Can't say I disagree. They're unnatural red and white, just like the dyed strips you'd feed your dog. Don't think about it if you're eating it. You may be turned off before you even give it a try.
Pros: Smells amazing, crisps pretty easily in the mircowave or pan, good flavor (even if not completely 'bacon-ey')
Cons: Looks like dog treats/visually unappealing, burns easily if you over cook it, the consistency takes a few bites to get used to (if you don't eat crispy bacon normally)
Final Recommendation: Go ahead and try it! I actually really, really liked this stuff. Despite the fact that I accidentally tried to light it on fire, it tasted great as a 'BLT' on my wheat flatbread. Suggestion? Pay attention to the cook times on the box. Go over by even five seconds, and you could go from having yummy crispy bacon to charcoal. I'd suggest trying it as a BLT like I did. The smokey flavor really does kinda help give it a similar flavor to the real thing. The other thing I'd do is an omelet (if you can eat eggs). I'm going to try the sausage patties next.
Final Product Review: Gardein (Garden Protein) Thai Chik'n (Chicken) Curry
This was today's dinner. After making three different batches of gluten-free cookies, I was too lazy to make anything, so I gave this a try. I was really looking forward to it. Roughly four minutes in the microwave and it was finished.
Pros: Easy and quick to cook, the sauce is fairly decent, enough for one person
Cons: Chicken is flavorless, rice is dry, the combo of flavors (rather than working together) make it obvious you're not eating the real thing
Final Recommendation: Save your five bucks and make this yourself. Although the sauce was decent, "Taste of Thai" makes curry sauces that are thicker and far better tasting than this packaged curry-flavored plastic. You can add your own veggies and herbs (such as basil) and cook the rice to your own desired softness. (If you can get it, use black rice. It's the best for you and the most carb friendly. If not, do brown). This way, you can use straight up tofu instead of this fake chicken crap and it'll taste far better. I guess this is good if you're in a real hurry and need something to heat up at work, but I wouldn't bother. The whole point to buying something with rice and sauce is to help convince you that you're not eating the fake stuff - which this doesn't do.
Next goal: Post gluten-free peanut butter and nutella cookie recipes and vegan restaurant reviews.
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