Week Two of Meatless in May brought some new challenges, but in the end, I kept my commitment to stay vegetarian.

I ate out a few times at restaurants, and just scanned the menu for vegetarian options. There seemed to be plenty of choices wherever I went. When I was looking at the menu, a few non-vegetarian meals were tempting, but once my meal was served I never gave it a second thought. I enjoyed fabulous cheeses and crostini, and Huevos Racheros!

I also ate with my family over the weekend, but my Mom made homemade vegetable pizza and my sister cooked portobello mushrooms on the grill which were excellent. I have had only one major craving – sushi! I picked up an avocado roll from Whole Foods which helped, but I think I need to visit a sushi place which serves a wider variety of vegetarian options.

A few people have asked questions about protein. There is a lot more protein than you might think in many foods. Let’s take my typical breakfast:

1/2 c. old fashioned oats (5 g)
1 c. skim milk (8 g)
1 T peanut butter (4 g)
Total = 17 g, which is more than 2 scrambled eggs

I often eat Greek yogurt in the afternoon for a snack, and the typical 6 oz. container contains 12-14 g of protein. And that’s in addition to the protein which I consume in beans and whole grains. So yes, it is possible to consume plenty of protein without eating meat.

Meatless in May is going strong and I’ll be back again next week with more portable vegetarian recipes since my summer class is starting. I’ll be in class 4 nights a week for a short while. Have a great weekend!

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