Flexitarian Wannabe

Flexitarian = one who chooses to mainly follow a vegetarian diet, however still enjoys the occasional meat item.

I have discovered that I am a Flexitarian.

Flexitarians are often called "Vegetarian wannabe's," as if we don't have the self-discipline to not eat meat. That has nothing to with it. I just really enjoy a good burger or pork BBQ :)

I have family members and friends who have dabbled at being Vegetarian as well as being Vegan, but I never quite got into it. I mean, why substitute tofu and still call it "Egg Salad?" I love food and I will try anything you put in front of me, but call it what it is! I am disappointed when I am expecting the texture of one food item and instead get an entirely different texture!!

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy tofu and many other vegetarian meatless products. The difference is telling me I am eating "veggie crumbles" versus allowing me to believe (or telling me) that it is meat. My husband has recently informed me he is willing to try meatless items... of course, I don't always tell him what he is eating before the first bite :)

I am still struggling to cook vegetarian meals. Simply substituting meatless items into meals does not quite cut it. And I know there are millions of recipes our there that are meatless without being a "substitution." So I will keep searching and trying. I have a few cookbooks I've picked up and a few blogs I have started to follow to get some ideas.

I have discovered that on the days I do not eat meat products, my body feels better in general. I think the most I have gone is 5 days without any type of meat. WOW what a difference in my overall well-being!!

On a side topic, after reading many blog posts about a product called "Kombucha," I decided to try it. I did some research online to find out what it is. The info is intriguing, so I bought a bottle yesterday to try it out. Here's the timeline:

1. Purchased the bottle at the grocery store. Opened it in the car on the way to the next store. Took 2 drinks... um, ew. I know this is supposed to be good for your body, but, seriously?!?
2. Went to another store. Took 2 drinks on the way to the next store. Tastes slightly better. Maybe it has numbed my taste buds.
3. Went to the third store. Took a few more drinks on the way home. Not too shabby. Either my taste buds have left my mouth, or Kombucha is an "acquired" taste.
4. Finished half of the bottle and placed the rest in the fridge for the next day... there is only so much my taste buds can handle in one day :)

I intend to finish the bottle today. Perhaps I just selected the wrong flavor to start with. if any of you have a good suggestion for my next bottle, I would love to hear it!


UPDATE:
I finished the bottle of Kombucha and it was definitely better tasting once my taste buds had adjusted. I think I will buy a different flavor next weekend and keep the experiment going.