Meat-free Month: week three

Three weeks into the meat-free month, and not eating meat has stopped being a challenge. In many ways, sticking to vegetables has become the done thing at ours; no longer an oddity or a departure from the norm but an accepted part of the normal routine.

Not that the week has been entirely free of challenges. When nipping out for a pizza before meeting a friend, I noticed a combination of my favourite toppings on the menu; a bit of a rarity in a take-away joint. The temptation to plunge for the full salt-feast of anchovy, capers and olives (instead of a sweet tooth, I guess I was born with a savoury tooth) was considerable. I mean, eating a few anchovies isn't exactly like tucking into a sizzling side of beef, is it? But I gathered my resolve and ordered the pizza without the fishy bits - although I suspect my request to leave out the anchovies was delivered in a barely audible sigh loaded with longing for a bit of heavily salted sea life. At a work event, I was faced with a heaving no-cost buffet table starring delicacies from all corners of the world. Most of the many items on the table contained meat or fish, so I had no choice but to drag myself away from the heavily loaded tables and venture back to the office to munch on my distinctly unexciting packed lunch - veggie pasta leftovers. Earlier in the week I found out - much to my surprise - that beers aren't entirely vegetarian-proof due to the presence of an animal-derived ingredient which is most definitely not listed on those labels that boast of the brew comprising of nothing but pure water, hops and barley. But since I'm much less a devoted vegetarian than a tourist opting for a month-long break in the meatless country, I'm not going to let this little problem deprive me of my workout routine at what's referred to as the half-a-kilo (or pint glass) gym back home in Finland. There have been signs that I could well be cut out for more extended bouts of meat-free existence. Although I still have to keep well away of the fish counter when doing the food shop, less I give in to the temptation to sample the tastiest specimens that seas, rivers and lakes can boast of, I don't crave meat at all. In fact, I had a dream the other night where I was presented with a juicy chicken kebab, but couldn't stomach it due to the treat's unpleasant texture. Now, if only they'd been able to offer me a tasty vegetarian option...