Pasta - Por Fin!

Happy Easter to me!!!! Forty days and forty nights later Lent is over and so is my commitment to live without rice or pasta for the duration! Those last few days in the Amazons were a bit rough when pasta and rice were served at every meal except breakfast, but I did it. Didn't even cheat once - not even on Sundays (cause I don't really believe in that anyway).

Moral of the story: For a woman who used to eat rice or pasta on an almost daily basis, especially in college, life without is not that different if you provide yourself (or are provided with) other choices. In the past forty days I ate more meat than I used to, not in large amounts, but just a little bit to add substance to my meals. I also used fruit and vegetables more in my meals and used eggs as a base for some meals. I already eat a ton of fresh produce, especially living in Colombia where fresh food is so cheap and easy to find, but Lent really caused me to increase my intake of fruits and veggies. I also discovered that rice and/or pasta do not need to be the basis of meals, as I used them in the past, but can rather be side dishes to complement other things like veggies or protein.

As evidenced by my dinner I am definitely returning to a life filled with delicious carbohydrates, but this experience put my intake of rice and pasta into perspective. While there will still be times where these foods form the basis of my meal, or are my meal entirely, for the most part I hope to use these foods more often to complement more vitamin and nutrient filled foods.

In summary: Lenten experiment = success.

Looks like I can cross #29 Give up pasta for one month off my life list! :)

What did you give up for Lent? Were you successful???

Happy Easter to all!!