The changes are undeniable:

First off, I feel good- really good.

Secondly, my fridge is not stuffed to the gills anymore.. not sure if it’s because I’m buying fresh produce in more reasonable quantities or that my shopping patterns have changed which leads me to the next point..

Third, shopping IS in fact totally different..more European if I may.  I buy much less and go more often..these are quick trips.

Fourth, there is an initial investment-not gonna lie. Transitioning to a vegetarian lifestyle requires stocking up on items you don’t normally buy like nutritional yeast, garbanzo bean flour, date syrup and all kinds of nuts and seeds.

It’s not cheap.

Lastly, unless you want to eat the same boring stuff every week, you’ve got to try new recipes..and there are so many!!  After decades of cooking (and getting kind of bored with it to be honest) this has been surprisingly fun. Quite a few vegan recipes are designed to mimic other foods so it’s a challenge to get the flavor and texture just right. (See black bean burgers above) Some recipes have been immediate hits, others complete misses; most are “almost right” …and then the tweaking begins.

It’s been an unexpectedly creative, culinary adventure.