Culinary Discipline

After binging through May on burgers, fries, milkshakes, potato chips, burritos, refried beans, margaritas, and countless other delicious things, Carlos and I decided it was time to cut back. We were inspired by our friends in Santa Barbara spent 30 days on a whole food diet as a dietary, economic, and spiritual discipline. Ashley and Paul ate tremendous amounts of vegetables, avoided dairy, and even made their own flour and bread. While were were impressed, we had no intention of giving up cheese or milk, which in our household is equivalent to selling your soul. Carlos argued that since he is Mexican and forgoing carne asada is a true hardship, we should be vegetarian for the month. Sort of.

What we worked out instead was a vegetarian diet on the weekdays, and limited meat on the weekends. Milk, cheese, and fish are still welcome, though we banned soda and hard alcohol for the month, especially together (Carlos had to sacrifice his Jack and Cokes--an absolute favorite). We planned out our meals ahead of time and only shopped for what we knew we'd need. I think we've learned quite a bit from this experience, apart from some really killer recipes. Here's what you stand to gain from giving up meat for a period of time (or forever):

-Money
-More energy
-A creative mind in the kitchen (it's not easy to think up protein balanced meals without meat)
-Lots of vitamins and minerals from diverse vegetables
-Spices in your cabinet that you lacked (3 cheers for smoked paprika!)
-A patient enthusiasm for when the rules relax (or an intense appreciation for turkey bacon)
-Less impact on the environment by consuming less meat
-A better understanding of what you really need and do not need, and possibly by extension a better appreciation for the abundance provided to you


Recipes from our vegetarian adventure to come.