Less than a month until I begin my challenge. Really looking forward to seeing what I can accomplish and learn from this experience. Also working on the Crossroads fall menu and trying to incorporate a lot of interesting vegetarian items as well as looking at veggie alternatives to serve alongside our other specials. I’ll keep you all posted on the progress of that!
Last night I caved and got one of these. Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. For some reason every time I eat one of these I expect it to fill some need in my body for yummy food but at the end of it I just end up feeling sluggish and all around sick to my stomach. I’m really looking forward to my commitment to going veg because I really need to take care of myself and be more cautious of what I put into my body and how it affects me.
This epicurious recipe describe quinoa as the “it” grain. Although it’s all the rage I have a hard time finding anyone that knows what to do with it. It’s similar to moroccan cous cous in size and texture and can be eaten hot or cold. My favorite recipe is one served where I work, it’s made with cilantro, green peppers & honey and served cold. It’s so refeshing and easy to make. I think I will do some experimenting this weekend.
As you can see by my affinity for bacon jewelry, going veg will be no easy task. I’m a tried and true lover of bacon and all the glorious meats this planet has to offer. So why would I want to go vegetarian?
For a little background on this project, I was driving on the thruway a few weeks ago and passed a poultry truck. The truck was stacked with chickens and they were crammed into these tiny little crates and I had a moment of empathy for these lil guys. I was also ashamed of myself and thinking about the sacrifice these animals make so I can eat meat.
As I drove and milled it over, the wheels started turning and I thought to myself “Could I really go vegetarian?” I’m currently what you might consider a “flexitarian”, I enjoy eating meat but I don’t have to every day, but that’s different because I’m not restricting my diet in any way. It was then that I challenged myself to do this and tie it in with R.I.T Dining services and experience what it’s like to be a person on campus with a restricted diet.
As a Dining Services manager I hear it every day. “You need more options” “There’s not enough vegetarian/vegan/gluten free/healthy options on campus”. I’ve spent years writing it off, adding a little here and there but never really delving into it.
I’m hoping to gain from this experience a better understanding of what other people have to go through in their lives. I hope you can join me on my journey and learn something from my experiences or teach me something I didn’t know.
Sincerely,
Mel
