Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

I’m gradually transforming my diet, but I feel like I’m taking two steps forward and one step back.  I’ve mostly given up meat, and I’m making significant progress in gradually giving up dairy.  I’ve already given up yogurt and milk.  I now take my tea with almond milk.  Giving up cheese will be difficult, but I’m not in any rush.

I knew I would have more difficulty when I’m traveling, but this weekend I seemed to hit a brick wall.  I was staying at a small town in Wisconsin, and it felt like I went back in time.  There were very few restaurants, and the ones I found only served meat.

I had picked out a restaurant for dinner on Friday, but when I arrived I discovered they had gone out of business.  There was a restaurant attached to my motel, so I gave them a try.  Every entrée included beef, pork, chicken, fish or seafood.  I could have had the salad bar, but it was the night before a race, so I wanted something more substantial.  They had pasta, but it came with either chicken or shrimp.  I opted for pasta with chicken.  I suppose I could have ordered it without the chicken, but I figured I’d make that meal an exception.

On Saturday, I ate lunch at the food pavilion of a town fair.  My choices all included some type of meat.  I threw in the towel and had a barbeque sandwich.  I felt discouraged at how easily I was giving up.

I drove to a neighboring town for dinner.  There was a pizza restaurant I wanted to try, but the smallest pizza they make is 14 inches.  Since I was dining alone, that would have been way too much.  I found a bar and grill down the block, but their menu was mostly steak and burgers.

Things looked up when I inquired about their soup of the day.  It was cheese ravioli.  I order a bowl of cheese ravioli soup and a side of cheese curds.  I was loading up on fattening cheese, but at least I found something without meat.  It was a small victory.

While I could have brought some food from home, trying local restaurants has always been an aspect of travel that I enjoy.  It’s easier in larger cities, with a wider variety of restaurants.  I can usually find at least one with more contemporary fare.

Sunday was better.  The American Legion hosted an all-you-can-eat breakfast with pancakes, biscuits, gravy, sausage patties, and scrambled eggs.  I omitted the sausage and gravy, and had a fine meal.  When I got home, I was able to resume eating home cooked foods.

I’m finding it easy to change my diet when I’m at home, but travel is more challenging than I thought.  I need to do a better job of planning ahead.  Next weekend, I’ll be in a familiar city.  I’ll have a kitchenette, and I know where there’s a grocery store.  I’m also familiar with a few of the restaurants.