My Vegetarian Experiment

October 1 is annually World Vegetarian Day (WVD) and October is Vegetarian Awareness Month. I responded to a challenge issued by the organizers of WVD. The challenge? Experiment with being a vegetarian for a day, a week or a month.

I made a pledge to try vegetarianism for a week. If I succeed I'll be entered into a drawing to win $250. (I pledged to try vegetarianism for a month the drawing prize would be $1,000.)

I'm day five into the challenge. And, what a challenge it has been. Here is a taste of my week.

Monday - Columbus Day holiday
On a "normal" holiday Monday?

• Big breakfast with BMG at one of our favorite local diners, complete with mounds of bacon and sausage
• Big lunch out with BMG at a spot near the water
• Small dinner with copious amounts of wine as I geared up for the work week

During vegetarian week?

Toast, with butter for breakfast

Frozen bean and cheese burrito from Trader Joes for lunch (with an apple cider chaser)

Monstrous amounts of baked potato chips

Picked over onion rings from BMG's big lunch out with non-vegetarian friends

Big dinner - spinach, veggie sausage and whole wheat pasta. And copious amounts of wine as I geared up for the work week

Tuesday
On a normal work day?

• Toast with sliced turkey for breakfast
• An apple or grapes mid-day
• A chicken or beef burrito with guacamole from Boloco or Chipotle for lunch
• Dinner at home or out - likely grilled chicken with pasta or rice and a veggie

During vegetarian week?

• Fat free pumpkin muffin with apple butter for breakfast
• Grapes for a mid-day snack
• Teriyaki "burrito bowl" with tofu, broccoli and onions from Boloco for lunch
• Truffle fries and a veggie burger for lunch

Wine tasting dinner at our favorite Boston restaurant, Brasserie JO, on Wednesday?
On a normal day?

• Mounds of passed appies like mini Croque Monsieurs and foie gras sammies
• Veal and tomato bubble as an amuse bouche
• Seared scallops in a vanilla beurre blanch
• Frisee salad with poached quail egg
• Braised short ribs
• Interpreted beef Wellington with cremed potatoes
• Cheese course with poached pears, bleu pot de creme and tomato confit
• Pumpkin tart with burnt caramel ice cream
• Copious amounts of wine (and martinis) beautifully paired with each course

During vegetarian week?

• Mini martinis during the appie course
• Specially prepared tomato bubble as an amuse bouche (thanks Chef!)
• Frisee salad with poached quail egg
• Cauliflower steak with cremed potatoes
• Gnocchi with a delicious cilantro-esque pesto
• Cheese course with poached pears, bleu pot de creme and tomato confit
• Pumpkin tart with burnt caramel ice cream
• Copious amounts of wine (and martinis) beautifully paired with each course

Thursday and Friday proceeded much like Tuesday.

As I head into the weekend I'm confident I can live with two more days of this. I'm heading to a grocery store opening on Sunday, which is certain to be filled with tempting samples. But I'm certain http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifI'll be fine.

I'm also certain I'd like to go back to being an omnivore. I miss bacon, and my daily turkey toast for breakfast. If I felt healthier or less physically polluted I might consider moving to a more vegetarian diet. But I don't. During the last five days I've eaten the same amount of fat and salt as I do during the week. I've also eaten WAY more dairy, in the name of "getting protein," than I should.

It has been a good experiment. I hope I win the $250. And I'm ready for this to be done.