Day 102

I'm not a vegetarian by any stretch of the imagination; I'm definitely someone who sees the coagulated sausage grease in the frying pan as an opportunity to enhance my tofu-eggplant stirfry. But I've cut back my meat consumption considerably in the past week. A lot of it has to do with how I shop. Ironically, the bell peppers at Berkeley Bowl (my local purveyor of self-righteous fodder) are more expensive than the chicken at Safeway on a per-pound basis. On a per-calorie basis, veggies are definitely more expensive. It sounds a bit absurd, but I need to find a source of fat in my diet.

Anyway, here's a quick rundown of the relative pros/cons of reduced meat consumption that I've experienced.

Pros:

• sustainability
• freshness
• all the entertaining people at Berkeley Bowl
• the taste of self-righteousness
• greater appreciation for meat when I do have it
• bowel movements that could win the Indie 500

Cons:

• constant hunger
• more frequent shopping

As far as cons go, I think the two that I've listed are interlinked. I just haven't gotten a feel yet for the sheer volume of food that I have to consume. As such, I can make a pile of cucumbers and tomatoes disappear for a midnight snack and still feel oddly unsatiated. I think I'm still adjusting to what foods I need to buy in place of meats. I'm burning through bags of bulk dried fruit with alarming rapidity. I probably should have gotten more nuts. Aw nuts!

I have to admit though, that the spicy tofu-eggplant that I whipped up for lunch today was pretty bitchin'. I put in cilantro and lime juice, which were nice touches, though it was the diced jalapeno that really made the dish. It brought so many delicious tears of pain to my eyes. Definitely something I'll try to recreate in the days to come.