My Week as a Vegetarian

Happy #LivingLovingWriting … it’s week 22 and this week I tackled one of the items on my 2020 bucket list – eat more veggies!

We all know by now, that a plant based diet is the one we should be eating. The nutritional benefits are obvious, as well as the health. For almost ten years I sold cholesterol medicine, and because of that I’m aware of the health risks that certain foods can cause, as well as how being deficient in others can impact this. Many people count calories, but I’d like to use this example to show you what a difference can be made to your body by adding vegetables.

One cup of white rice 206 cal, 4 ounces of chicken 184 cal, combined = 390 calories and just part of the stomach filled. Now imagine 3 cups of lettuce 15 cal, 2 cucumbers 32 cal, 1 medium tomato 24 cal, and 1 large red bell pepper 27 cal = 98 calories. If you are adamant about a meat protein, add on the chicken and still the total is 282 calories. It should be obvious how the second meal is better than the first, and if it’s not, might I suggest you research on Google benefits of a plant based diet.

In our house, we like meat. For my husband and I, it’s been ingrained in us since we were little the food pyramid and how to portion a plate. So many diets scream protein protein protein, that I picked this alternative up at the store just to see how it tastes. I know there are a lot of options, but surprisingly this one was really good and I do recommend trying it if you are curious.

So, how did my week go? Here’s the day to day list of what I ate for my meals:

Monday – Memorial Day – Beyond Burgers with air fryer green beans.
Tuesday – Cheese Pizza and salad
Wednesday – Roasted Vegetable Risotto
Thursday – Homemade Hamburger Helper with ground Beyond Burger
Friday – Tacos with a filling mixture of vegetables, rice and black beans, Chips & Salsa
Saturday – Eggplant Parmesan in the air fryer with a Salad
Sunday – Italian vegetable soup, grilled cheese, and a salad

I also had lunch out with my friend Kelli where we ate at a restaurant called Mekenita Cantina. I found that there were a lot of options for us, but what we ordered was the charred vegetable enchiladas, the main vegetable being butternut squash. Yum.

If you are wanting to give a plant-based diet a try, then I suggest starting with the basics and following a plan like the one on Forks over Knives. Years ago, I watched the documentary, but I wasn’t aware there is so much more to the brand until I recently saw this magazine in the grocery store. Turns out they have an amazing website and a beginner program.

Also, if you love to follow people on Instagram like I do, Alexis from Hummusapien is darling. But if you find someone you think is awesome, tag me in their comments so I can follow them, too! @kandrewsauthor

Stay healthy my friends. Be kind to your bodies, you only get one.