April 2, 2012
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Amsterdam, Netherlands
This has become habit. This has become lunch. For many years, every time I had lunch on a work day, it included bread. Some sandwich bought at the V&D Department Store in Amstelveen, a bread roll with cheese at the local cheese shop, or a bun with delicious meat at the butcher shop. There was always bread. But no more. A couple of weeks ago I switched to a low-carb diet, and that means that I’m trying to avoid any foods that have a high rate of carbohydrates, such as pasta, rice, potatoes and – yes – bread.
So these days, in the morning, I fill a box to the top with all kinds of salad stuff. The contents vary on a daily basis and depend on whatever veggies I have in my fridge. There’s typically a huge variety to choose from. Typically I start with a layer of lettuce (often iceberg lettuce because, even though it’s not the best type, it deals best with being kept in a non-refridgerated lunch box) and some pieces of tomatoes, and on top of that it can be almost anything low-carb. Today that meant gherkins, small yellow onions, sultanas and boiled (and cooled off) carrots. On top of that a thin layer of olive oil, sometimes some balsamic vinegar or herbs, and presto! And you know what? Much to my own surprise, it’s absolutely delicious! I don’t miss the bread at all, and if you’d told me that a month ago I would have thought you were a lunatic.
