As a kid, I was weirdly obsessed with cows, so when I found out what hamburgers were really made of, I had a full-on breakdown.
I refused to eat meat for a month, and my mom panicked that I'd stunt my growth. But then I had grandma's Lasagna Bolognese and literally forgot about the whole ordeal.
In my early 20's, I broke out with acne and tried cutting out dairy. As someone who love-love-loves cheese, I failed like, every day.
It's tough now because I've tried going vegan a few times in my life, and I genuinely feel better when I'm eating like that. I know my parents were super worried about my dabbling with veganism, but the amount of protein we can get from plants is astronomical! If only I had the discipline to sustain it...
I felt really guilty and beat myself up about it until I discovered "Flexitarianism."
It's like vegetarianism, but not as strict! It's apparently the ideal diet for athletes and is so much better than using meat as your main protein source.
Flexitarianism is a mostly plant-based diet with occasional meat or fish. I also like the flexibility in that if I go to a restaurant that's known for its juicy burgers, I don't have to order the one sad vegetarian option on the menu.
The only time I struggle is in my own kitchen. I make pasta with dairy-free pesto all the time, but it's getting boring, and I need more veggie options to mix it up.
My old roommate used to get HelloFresh, and it dawned on me that they have a vegetarian plan - I could use HF for my vegetarian meals, so I know I'd have at least 3 plant-based meals a week! They send you all of the pre-portioned ingredients you need, as well as step by step recipe cards that make whipping up a yummy meal at home super easy.
I went online, and even though they had some mouth-watering meat and fish options, I wanted to use it as a plant-based back-up.
For my very first meal, I chose a Roasted Vegetable Paella. With rice and garlic and the roasted savory goodness of the veggies, I was all in.
Most of HelloFresh's recipes take around 30 minutes, but of course, I picked a 45-minute recipe. Hilariously, it took exactly 45 minutes, nearly to the second.
My ingredients arrived individually portioned in recyclable packaging, and the instructions were clear as can be. I often battle with awkward wording in recipes, but this was so clear and easy-to-follow.
After 45 minutes, I looked down at my brightly colored home-cooked paella and dug in. It. was. Amazing! I actually had completely forgotten I was doing no-meat recipes only.
What I love most about HelloFresh is the flexibility - if I have a friend coming over, I can add an extra meal to my order, without changing my plan and I could add extras like brownies or garlic bread.
With HelloFresh, I'm able to eat meat and fish only when I really want to - I don't feel like I need to pad my diet with meat, just to hit the right amount of protein when I'm getting such nutritious vegetarian meals from HelloFresh. All of the produce arrives so fresh, and I'm trying new vegetables or spice blends all the time.
It's also so much easier to cut down on meat when you're not tempted by grocery shopping. Because I shop less now, I'm more particular when I do shop. With HelloFresh, nothing goes to waste, so when I do grocery shop, I try to model my trips after my HF meals - how can I only buy what I'll use? I'm still figuring it out, but at least I know with my meal kits, I'm not wasteful.
I never knew that the convenience of food delivery would change my life so much, but it's been incredible.
I'm a proud flexitarian thanks to HelloFresh.
Update: Our friends at HelloFresh are extending a special New Year's offer to our readers. Follow this link to get 10 meals free, including free shipping!