40 days ago, I accepted a challenge to eat no (or as less as possible) meat or fish. The 40 days are over now and I want to tell you guys how's it has been, how my vision has changed and the most important thing: how it's going to go from now on. My eating habits have changed a lot the past 40 days and I think I'm going to take some new habits with me, for my future meals. So here's a quick update!

The last 40 days, I had to enter my meatless days in a 'counter' at the website of Dagen Zonder Vlees. I cheated a few days but I have eaten no meat of fish on 32 days of the 40-day challenge. For someone who didn't think she could never be a vegetarian, I think I did a pretty decent job! They calculated how well the vegetarian days are for the environment. I have saved 491m² at the ecological footprint. That's as much as 339 baths of driving 693km with the car. I'm pretty happy with those amounts. 

The last week was the hardest. I craved something with meat soooooo badly! However, I've discovered some really delicious vegetarian products and meals lately. Tonight, I'm going to treat myself to a huge spaghetti carbonara with my family. I've learned so much about food habits and eating different. I love vegetables so much and you can be so creative with them.

How are things going to go from now on?
I'm thinking about becoming a 'part time' vegetarian. I know that sounds very stupid and I think pure vegetarians wouldn't like it, but I can't give up meat and fish completely. I'm going to try and eat vegetarian meals as much as possible. But I'm not going to hold myself back when I want steak or salmon.

Happy Easter, sweet readers! <3

xx, 
Astrid

40 Days Without Meat: Update 1

Hello there, sweet readers. How was your weekend? It's been almost two weeks since I announced that I was doing this Meatless-days challenge. I'll just jump in and say: It's going quite well! I'm also going to be honest with you guys: it's been 13 days since I started, but I must admit: I have eaten meat on three of them *NOOOO*!

Challenge: 40 Days Without Meat #Dagenzondervlees

My favorite dish is spaghetti Carbonara. I love steak with pepper sauce. Domino's pizza with chicken, tomatoes and pepperoni is one of my greatest loves and Sushi. Just Sushi. The word says enough. So this might come as a shock to some people: I'm not eating meat for 40 days. 

Why am I doing this?
Too be honest, I have no idea. I went to the supermarket monday and I saw some delicious veggie burgers and I saw hummus and I bought A LOT of fruit. I really wanted to buy healthy stuff. When I came home, I noticed I hadn't gotten any meat. Pure coincidence, I admit. So I thought: Okay, I'll do a veggie week. Last night, I was watching TV and I saw that today, February 10, an organization in Belgium called 'Dagen Zonder Vlees' (Days Without Meat) started their annual meat-less 40 days. And was just like: Why not?
I want to eat more healthy and experiment more with veggies. I usually make paprika's or courgettes when I'm at my studio in Ghent. Delicious, yes, but it's time to explore more. I love vegetables and eat every single one of them, I just want to be more creative in my dishes.  

The days without meat challenge started today and will end March 26. Will I succeed?