It’s time for another update! It’s going to be a short one. We have been vegetarian now for almost 4 months. That doesn’t sound long, but it feels a lot longer. I have to say that it does become easier over time. Where a couple of months ago I had some serious cravings for chicken, at the moment I hardly think about it anymore. The funny thing is that I still can’t say I will be vegetarian forever, but as long as I like it and are able to maintain it, I’ll keep going.

In the last 6-7 weeks since our last update we’ve been experimenting a bit more with our food. Obviously it’s also a lot easier when you have more options in the supermarket. My herbs and spice rack is now my most precious possession in the kitchen. I do believe we can be a bit more adventurous with our meals, but the traveling aspect really makes it harder, as we don’t want to travel around with too much stuff.

What kind of meals do we really enjoy?

Well, my vegetarian (lentil) burgers are still our number one favorite! But we’ve been trying out some meat substitute mixes from the health shop (Vitalea) and they actually taste quite good. We will definitely take some with us to our next destination (Albania). Over the Summer we’re probably going to eat a lot more salads, so I’m looking into ideas for salads with chickpeas, lentils, and couscous. If you have some good recipes, you’re welcome to share!

Last week we discovered this really great vegetarian restaurant in Skopje. They only existed for 6 months. The food was amazing. They had all kinds of salads, vegetarian burgers, wraps, and much more. The first time we were there, we ordered a green salad with ‘chicken’ (made from soy) and it was delicious! Who needs real meat, when it tastes this good! If you are ever in Skopje, make sure to check out: Dren Restaurant.

At the moment I’m experimenting a lot with different types of meals, but they haven’t all been that successful. A bit boring even. I hope to feel a bit more inspired over the Summer and share some nice and of course easy recipes with you.

The only downside for me to our new diet is that it has been affecting my IBS negatively. Certain foods (even healthy food) can trigger severe cramps and other unpleasant side effects. I haven’t found the right balance yet, but I’m sure I will figure it out.

Do you have any good recipes or tips? Feel free to share them in the comment section below!