Yesterday, I treated myself to a chicken dinner for the first time in a long time. Nothing fancy, 3 pcs with 2 sides of rice and potato wedges. Halfway through, I was FULL. So full I had to force myself to finish the meal, a meal I couldve easily inhaled before. Ive been on a restricted diet the past few months, and have lost quite a bit of weight on an almost all vegetarian diet, but this still surprised me.

It became less surprising when I read this article in Psychology Today that outlined the mechanisms behind food cravings. Food as the original addiction. In fact, considering that most drugs tap into the reward mechanisms that food uses, this TOTALLY makes sense.

Ive become quite good at quickly whipping up a satisfying meal in a rice cooker. But after that meal, the cravings for processed food started again. I walked into a store and looked around - there was NOTHING healthy in there. Theyre good for the quick snack, but Im now seeing why it is so hard to keep a reasonable weight level in this society.

I have to keep reminding myself, what I paid for that 3 pc chioken dinner can buy enough rice and beans to keep me fed for a month. Hey, add a little garlic, vegetables and simple spices - and those meals are highly satisfying. And doesnt feel "vegetarian".

I prefer "simple", "economical" and "good".