The Pescatarian Experiment: Update 1

I gave up meat for Lent. I am making an exception for seafood, and actually learned that this particular lifestyle I’m experimenting with is called pescatarian.

So this Juicy Lucy loving, baseball season Dome dog-eating carnivore has really only faced a couple of cravings so far and only one [accidental] fail.

I’d been battling a cold all last week and all I wanted for lunch on Thursday was chicken noodle soup. I knew that was against the rules so I scoured the shelves at the Knollwood Super Target until I settled on a vegetable Minestrone I thought would work. I got back to work, microwaved it, and sat down to eat. While enjoying my first few spoonfulls, I noticed the ingredient label. Right towards the end of the list: chicken broth. Fail.

It wasn’t exactly meat and it was an accident, so I’m letting it slide. But now I’m more conscious about what’s in the soups I eat and I’m looking for some good ones made with veggie stock instead of chicken/beef. Any suggestions from my vegetarian friends out there?

As far as cravings go, I haven’t missed beef at all, which kind of surprises me.

What do I miss?

• BBQ. I have been thinking about ribs or a pulled pork sandwich (topped with cole slaw!) since almost Day 2. (I blame JR because he’s been talking about making them now for a couple of weeks; I’m begging for him to wait until post-Easter or at least promise to make them again.) This Memphis girl has a serious weakness for good BBQ.
• Chicken nuggets.  I don’t eat a lot of chicken nuggets, but I’m craving the breading and everything.  I’m wondering if frozen fish sticks or the Morningstar substitutes will satisfy the cravings.  I’m going to try those and find out.
• Hot dogs.  I haven’t really craved these yet, but as baseball season and grilling season is getting closer, I’m starting to think about things like Dome Dogs, grilling on my back patio, and the smell of a greasy grill topped with hot dogs and brats.
• Bacon.  I actually don’t miss miss it, like I haven’t craved it at all, but I never realized how tough it was to avoid.  Bacon flavors A LOT – soups, sauces, salads, etc., and I’ve had to pass on a couple of otherwise vegetarian dishes because of bits of bacon that are in it.

Other than that, I’m finding myself trying more seafood than before.  For instance, my roommates and I went to The Oceanaire for Restaurant Week here and I tried swordfish for the first time.  AWESOME.  Last week, I had Porter & Frye’s Mahi Mahi, when I typically would’ve gone for the steak.  It was amazing.  I’m also eating more fruits and veggies, which is always a good thing.  I’ve nearly perfected my Eggplant Parmesan.  Last night I made it and added chopped veggies by the cup-full to the sauce to give it even more flavor and texture.  So good!

So, has the pescatarian experiment plus my resolutions to get healthier over all had any kind of impact?  You betcha.  I’m down a 6.5 lbs so far this year.  It’s not quite the one pound per week goal I’d set, but it’s progress and it feels GREAT.  I can’t wait to see how that gets a boost when the workout plan (walking and exploring my neighborhood and getting back into yoga) gets implemented (soon?).

The only downside?  My absolute all-time favorite pair of jeans (tapered leg X2s from Express a few years back) are now too big.  Shucks, huh?    Oh well, guess I’ll have to shop for new ones!  If I didn’t hate jeans shopping so much, that might actually be fun.  Who knows?  Maybe being a size smaller than I was at Christmas will make it more enjoyable.

So that’s the progress!  So far so good!