La Cantina in downtown Santa Fe pervades an un-classically elegant ambiance, with its balcony location and tan cloth roof protecting visitors from the unforgiving New Mexican sun. While specializing in Mexican cuisine and radiating authenticity (from the whooping coyote-call laughter of the waiters and waitresses to the crisp and sparkling warmth of freshly fried tortilla chips), the eatery provides an unexpected haven for delicate lunchtime chatter and the solitude of slow-chewing wanderers relishing the faint music of a busker downstairs. I, on the other hand, mounted tiled steps to enjoy something a little different from the traditional "Santa Fe vibe"; I was there for the veggie burger.
My journey began roughly fourteen days ago with the road to vegetarianism, or at least 30 days of it. The experiment was less inspired by the passion to protest the meat industry or insistence on fighting cancer, and more from a conversation with an acquaintance and a smidgen of curiosity to top it off. Though the rule was simple (no meat), I wasn't too fond of the idea of chomping on a stick of celery at the table three meals a day, so there I was at ten o'clock at night searching up recipes for the following days to come. Over the next couple of weeks, I found my "go-to" that kept things simple and interesting, despite the fact that I was nowhere near transforming into a Master Chef, stocked up a few tips and tricks to staying on track, and listed one or two pros and cons to weigh in on whether or not this little experiment would go long term. Here's all that:
A Few of The Recipes
1) Sweet Potato Fries: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut the potatoes into thin strips and place on a baking sheet after sprinkling with one tablespoon of salt. Cook for approximately 25 to 30 minutes.
2) Pumpkin, Spinach, Quinoa Bowl: Combine 1/2 cup of cooked quinoa with baked pumpkin, cranberries, and steamed spinach in a bowl. That's pretty much it! From there all you have to do is enjoy.
3) Overnight Oats: Mix 1/3 cup of Quaker oats, 1/3 cup of vanilla yogurt, and 1/3 cup of milk in a container of choice. Combine with one tablespoon of chia seeds, a pinch of salt, and 1/4 tablespoon of cinnamon. Mix once again and place in the fridge to soak overnight. Add fruits of choice in the morning.
A Couple of Tips
1) Indulge in protein.
These will keep you feeling full! To do this on a veggie diet, fill up on nuts (my favorites are almonds, pecans, and walnuts), eggs, tofu, and beans. I especially love a good garbanzo bean and spinach salad. It's quite nice and keeps the stomach from complaining.
2) Try out the "basics."
I've found that the Go-Green 30 Day Challenge has been more delightful when participating alongside followers on mainstream social media-- in other words when embracing "basic-ness." Chugging down a "detox" water of lemons and cucumber is just plain fun regardless of the actual health benefits that all fitness/health gurus swear by. The main idea here is to act the part, even when feeling unmotivated or ready to give in. Actual feelings of preparedness to continue to follow suit.
Pros and Cons So Far...
As I enter week three of the Go-Green Challenge, I've realized several positive and negative aspects of "going green." On the positive side, I've noted that cooking has become a lot simpler, and as a result, cleaner. Gone are the kitchen fumes that lounge around all day from meal to meal. In addition to that, sticking to veggies and all those alternative protein choices keeps me feeling light, which is great during the summertime when temperatures threaten to bake all life forms to a golden crisp. On the not so great side of things, I've found that the challenge has really been eating up my time. I attribute this to the fact that changing lifestyles tend to require energy and effort nonexistent in previous routines. I think that will fade away as the next two weeks roll by. Given these ups and downs, I'm not so sure what I'll do after my 30 days have passed. I'm not feeling very strongly about either continuing vegetarianism long term or dropping the act. I guess I'll just have to wait and see.
