Lent: A Lovestory
Regardless of my feelings for Catholicism or organized religion in general, there is no doubt I believe in God. I pray everyday and the extent of my religious activities peaks at Lent. Lent to me signifies something larger than Christianity - its a time to see how trivial some things are and get a small peak at sacrifice (even if its just sacrificing pizza). Lent gives me an opportunity to push my boundaries and get uncomfortable, and this one has been particularly eye-opening.
I’ve given up lots of things throughout the years - social media, cheese, fast food. This year, I really wanted to step up my game - what can I give up that I indulge in often and really love? The answer was eating out. No Starbucks runs, no late night fast food runs, no going out for drinks, no celebration dinners. I only gave myself access to foods that I can buy at a grocery store. Now, this did require a bit of clarification - can I buy a Pub Sub? If someone else buys it, can I still eat it? No and no. A Pub Sub can be found at a grocery store (technically) but its being prepared for me via order, so nope. The second one was irrelevant, since who was buying or getting it didn’t matter, it was more about what it was (or rather, where it came from).
I anticipated a bit of weight loss and lots of temptation, but I got much more than I bargained for.
This sacrifice fueled my love of cooking, has forced me to get creative and has inspired hangouts that don’t revolve around getting something to eat or drink. I always considered myself a decent cook, no Padma Lakshmi, but a decent cook nonetheless. With a few fails and odd combinations, I can now confidently say that I am a great cook. I know what spices go well together, I know how to time things in the oven without a recipe, I know what I’m doing. I can even argue that I make a better buffalo chicken wrap than most restaurants. This challenge forced me to recreate things I craved, and I got a new found confidence while doing it.
Some highlights of the random revelations along the way:
If you don’t have croutons, crushed chips do the job perfectly
Cheese and honey are very underrated (grilled halloumi, basil and honey - heaven)
As a society, we are sleeping on chicken sausage
Grated tofu is so versatile - rice bowl, taco, you name it
Vegan parmesan cheese is comparable to the OG (yes, really)
Whipped cream from the freezer can be ice cream
Air fried onions are the new chips (also damn good croutons)
And those are just the ones that I can think of, I’m positive I’m missing more. Anywho, cooking has ended up being a creative outlet, a stress reliever after a busy day - and one with the best reward - a clear mind and a full stomach. It didn’t hurt that I also lost 10 lbs during those 40 days, but it really was the cherry on top and not the star of the show like I was anticipating.
One of the components I wasn’t factoring in properly when I chose this was the social one. ‘Do you want to grab dinner and catch up?’ ‘Let’s go get lunch.’ ‘It’s been a week, lets get takeout.’ Yeah, none of that. This was probably the hardest part for me, which I wasn’t expecting. I am an extrovert (for the most part), and this turning down of plans definitely took a toll on me. I had to force myself to swap out those tried and true choices for things like movie nights, dates in the park. Sometimes those adjustments were sufficient, and other times they weren’t, but it really does make you realize how much socializing revolves around eating out. I knew to some extent, but this magnified that immensely. There was always the ‘I’ll join you’ with me bringing along my own food - which worked, kind of. I loved the thoughtfulness in their inclusivity, but nothing will make you hate your perfectly good food from home more than seeing others eat takeout. Crazy how once your food from home is around one made in a professional kitchen how it suddenly sucks!
I am well past Lent and I have eaten out significantly less, I’m just not craving it the same way. Not because I have grown to dislike eating out, that’ll never happen, but I don’t feel like I’m missing out. Eating out for me is more convenient than anything else, I really can satisfy my own cravings at home. That’s a good analogy, right? Very 'you have to love yourself first before you can love somebody else.’
That being said, I am always going to be honest with y’all. Some things are quite tricky to make at home, but not impossible! The two foods that came to mind during this challenge were sushi and donuts - that just requires a lot of tools and time that I wasn’t willing to commit to.
I feel like this challenge really reset my mind and even my physical health, and I may repeat it before next year’s Lent is upon us. My own version of a detox - but a way healthier (and realistic) one. For those who are curious, my first post-Lent meal was a vanilla shake from McDonald’s, but just know I could totally make that at home.
