28 Days Crave Veggies (Day 25)

17 April 2014

Time for a Food Change
For the past few weeks I have been on a vegetarian diet (eating no meat and fish) to help myself become healthier and feel better, inside and out! – I called this my 28 Days Crave Veggies Challenge. As I enter my final (peas-ful) days on a vegetarian diet, I ask the question: Would you go meat-free for a day, or weekend with me? It’s actually easier than you might think. This personal meat-free challenge has been a new food experience, I have seen myself cooking more at home from scratch, being more adventurous with vegetables and flavours to replace the flavour of meat, and have felt less bloated and tired.

Kicking the ‘habit’ of eating meat and giving the veggies a chance to take centre stage for a whole month is something we should all try and encourage others to do so too.

Breakfast
Bran flakes with soya milk and fresh fruit.

Lunch
Not a boring Vegetarian lunch date with @irish_keith. Delicious avocado, grilled onion, carrot and cheese toasted sandwich with skin on fries at Kua ‘Aina – NOT made for sharing!!  Kua ‘Aina’s not really a place you’d go to if you’re a vegetarian with their menu being burgers or meaty toasted sandwiches, but I still wanted to go – I wasn’t going to let being on a meat-free diet stop me from going into some of my favourite London eateries! Their Sweet potato fries are recommended. I did like the large carrot served alongside the sandwich – at least there’s a chance to get one of your seven a day this way – perhaps more if you include the avocado, tomato and lettuce, too? :)

Dinner
Kiss canned soups goodbye because making homemade soup recipes is easier than you think, and I decided to be experimental in the homemade soups department this evening. Stripping a bunch of sweet potatoes and parsnips naked, I chopped these into smaller pieces and cooked then soft with some garlic and inions in a cooking pot with 2 litres of veggie stock. Puree the soup using a blender. Transfer the soup back to the pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Taste and season with additional salt as desired. Ladle the soup into individual bowls and serve with crème fraîche and chives (optional).

During this meat-free experience, I have loved using my Russell Hobbs Illumina Hand Blender; it is a powerful piece of equipment and made pureeing soups a quick and easy task – a great investment for everyone who wants to create quick, healthy and easy meals. Crème fraîche is completely optional for soups, but rounds the dish out nicely with a slightly tangy flavour and creamy texture (I love a good dollop of the stuff!).

A change in diet doesn’t have to change your lifestyle. It’s not so much about the label ‘vegetarian’ as it is about challenging myself to be more conscious of what I eat and how it impacts me physically. I’ll continue to keep you updated daily on this blog and twitter of my final week on a vegetarian diet. Bring on Day 26 – thanks for reading :) – Cindz

Missie Cindz