In January I posted that I would be cutting out red meat and pork out of my diet by only in taking fish, chicken or turkey. After about 6 months I must say, it has been incredibly easy! Not only do I not miss it but living in Seattle there are so many alternative options I don't ever feel deprived of anything.
A few ways I have gotten away with it......
Tacos
I absolutely LOVE tacos. Shawn and I cook tacos about once a week and usually the leftovers last us about 3 days. In Seattle replacing hamburger meat was a breeze. I tried turkey, however I found the flavor bland and lacking. So once I moved here my Seattle friends Kassie and Jerome introduced us to ground chicken. Let me tell you guys not only is ground chicken a great substitute for ground beef but it is BETTER! Ground chicken has this amazing ZING that adds to the spices and makes taco night my favorite night of the week.
Tip: Add brown rice and beans to make the tacos last longer
Hamburgers
Mmmm just thinking about grilling out makes my mouth water. So how could I ever deny myself a mouth watering, cheesy, red meat concoction? In Seattle, it's super easy. Just a block away from our house our favorite hamburger joint has several options to keep me more than happy. I have tried the vegetarian options (So many different sauces that you don't have time to miss ground beef), chicken sandwiches which let me tell you are not like any you have had in the midwest, and there is even a lamb option which I haven't decided if I want to try but received the thumbs up from my grandfather. (I'm open to thoughts on if eating lamb is bad? I can't help but think of little lamb chop from my childhood with her red gloves begging me not to eat her....)
Bacon
So this one is easy. Try turkey bacon. If cooked correctly it's super crunchy and perfectly delicious. Although pointed out my friend Kit it mostly has the same amount of fats and calories. So why deny myself? Well I hardly ever eat bacon anymore as it is and I felt that I had made a promise to myself so pork bacon is out for now.
Overall my transition to healthier living has been pretty easy. I must attribute this to my home in Seattle. Seattle has so many different options and heavily supports vegetarian, gluten-free, all natural and an overall healthy lifestyle. My trick has been that if I truly want something I'm going to eat it. My favorite sandwich is a super unhealthy but amazingly delicious sandwich from Paseo. It has roast and tons of sauces that probably equal out to more than enough calories for the day, but If I really want it I eat it. Being healthy isn't about denying yourself the things you love, it's amount limiting them.
My challenge for you is what are you eating or using that could easily be replaced with something healthier?
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