Day 10 Or... Keeping the TVP Industry Alive

Paul McCartney says I'm saving the world. It sounds crazy, but it's true. And no, unfortunately, he didn't contact me personally because he was so amazed with the Go Veg Project.

However, while researching vegetarianism I mistakenly wondering over to the PETA website where I stumbled across a quote from Sir Paul that read, "If anyone wants to save the planet, all they have to do is just stop eating meat. That’s the single most important thing you could do. It’s staggering when you think about it."

It seems that one of the greatest songwriters of all time is a very outspoken advocate for animal rights and vegetarianism. Paul is literally a poster child for PETA.

But, I certainly don't feel like I'm saving the world. I do feel like I'm single-handedly saving the textured vegetable protein (TVP) industry though.

If you've ever passed the Morningstar Farms and Boca Foods shelf in the freezer section of the grocery store and wondered, "Who buys that?" ...then rest assured that if no one was buying it before, I'm buying a lot of it now. At this point of my temporary lifestyle change, I'm beginning to really miss burgers, chicken, and pork. The good news is that, thanks to the TVP industry, I can continue to buy soy and vegetables that have been mashed up, seasoned, and shaped to kind of taste like (and kind of look like) meat.

- What did I eat on Day 10?

Breakfast. I had a couple donuts at church. Mmmm... donuts.

Lunch. I tried minestrone soup for the first time. I really enjoyed the broth, but I just couldn't make myself enjoy the large amount of kidney beans and garbanzo beans. I know that beans are a popular meat substitute, but I've never really liked them.

So, I suggested plan B, which was also new recipe #5. Using a recipe from the official website of Newman's Own, Carolyn made what they call The Lord's Dish . . . or Somebody Up There Likes Me Pizza. For my non-meat-eating diet, she obviously made it without pepperoni. It's basically a tasty super-thin crust personal pizza. It's a really simple dish that you make and bake and eat in under 15 minutes. You probably already have all the ingredients for it in the kitchen, so feel free to try it for yourself!

Dinner. Like I've already mentioned, the Massengale household is keeping Morningstar Farms in business, even if no one else is. Tonight, we had the "Asian Veggie Patties" with shredded carrots and potato chips. The verdict: two thumbs down. Unlike almost anything else I've tried from Morningstar farms, these veggie burgers were very disappointing. And I love Asian food. Go figure.

Still, I'm in the double digits now.

10 days down. 30 days to go.