#14 - Eat Vegetarian for 14 Days in a Row

Tofu, broccoli, & shiitake stir fry

It's been my intention to eat more and more plant based and pescatarian, for health and also for environmental reasons. I don't plan to ever go fully vegetarian or vegan or even pescatarian, but I'd like those to be my default options, with meat and even dairy being rarer in my diet. 

In 2020, my parents joined me in doing 8 days of eating vegetarian, with one fully plant-based days. I really appreciated how just thinking a little about what I was eating and how to focus mostly on plant-based options changed some of my overall eating habits, as I learned some great new recipes and realized I can get enough protein and feel strong without eating meat.

In 2020, I made a full meal plan, mapping out what each meal would be each day, throwing in some recipes I wanted to try with some easier options (like store-bought ravioli). This time around, I realized I've already incorporated a lot of vegetarian eating in my regular schedule, so I didn't do much planning. 

Lemony lentil soup

I did want to stretch myself a bit, so I bought some Impossible burgers and chicken nuggets. I've always been leery of fake meat. It reminds me of that episode where Chris makes this super elaborate veggie burger and everyone loves it. Ron then serves a beef burger on a bun with no toppings, and everyone agrees the beef is better. Meat substitutes just feel like they're trying too hard to be meat and aren't succeeding in taste or flavor. I'd rather just eat other plant-based proteins, like tofu (which, yes, I do like), beans, cheese, etc. I've heard such good things about Impossible and Beyond meat, and my friend Jewel served us a nacho platter with Impossible meat a couple months back, and it was great, so I thought I'd give some other Impossible options a try.

Scrambled eggs & rainbow fingerlings

I bought chicken nuggets because for some reason, chicken nuggets, chicken fingers, fried chicken, fried chicken sandwiches, all varieties of this food are my comfort food. I just love it. The first time I made the Impossible nuggets, I warmed them in the oven, and they were... okay. But then, my air fryer arrived, and I tried them air fried, and they were really good! They can't quite replace chicken fingers or fried chicken, but they definitely have the texture of a nugget! I'm definitely going to get them again.

And then there was the burger. The first one I made was with Swiss cheese, grilled onions, and mayo. It was really flipping good. I rarely buy burgers at all because I don't have a grill, but I see myself keeping a pack of these in my freezer at all times. So satisfying and tasty.

I'm pleased that I've found even more plant-based options to incorporate into my diet and will certainly keep a version of this item on my list for years to come!

Impossible burger!