The hardest thing...

I'm not sure how many of you are aware because I never really said anything about it but I did end up deciding to stick to a vegetarian diet for the most part. That's not to say that I never eat meat because sometimes it is really just too much of a hassle for me and for others for me to find alternatives to meat. Also, regardless of what health benefits may or may not exist from not eating meat; it really is delicious. Anyways, as I have continued to expand my diet and my recipe book, the most difficult part of the adjustment has been a surprise to me. I thought initially when I started that it would be really tricky to transition to a new diet and eating new things. I expected to have trouble with refraining from meat, finding alternatives that I enjoyed, adjusting to cooking new things, and making new habits of my food choices. In all reality, these things have been really easy. I have very much enjoyed trying new foods and new recipes and making positive changes in my diet. The thing that has been really hard is finding all of the things that I need in the grocery store. It's a little ridiculous. Before I'd drive to Smith's or Fresh Market or whatever and hit the canned food aisle and the frozen section and be out in twenty minutes. Now, before I go grocery shopping, I sit down with my vegetarian cookbooks and plan out menus. I make a shopping list and go through my kitchen to find out what I already have and what I need to buy. Then things get tricky. I drive down to the grocery store and have to find all of these obscure foods (many of which I've never heard of previously.) I have spent ridiculous amounts of time walking up and down the aisles looking for all kinds of things. Even the stuff that I thought would be pretty easy and know is at most stores is a little tricky. Like tofu, for instance. No two stores keep it in the same place. Sometimes it's with the veggies, sometimes by the meat, some tofu is kept with the oriental foods un-refrigerated. It gets a little ridiculous to keep track. There should be an index available for grocery stores, maybe as an android/iPhone app? I think it's genius.