On January 1, 2019, I stopped eating meat. It has been far easier than I expected.

For one thing, I still eat dairy products, eggs, and fish, although I may work on reducing my intake from those groups. For another thing, we are living in a Golden Age of Fake Meat. If, like me, you’re the kind of meatless eater who still craves meatlike foods from time to time, they are more available, and better, than they’ve ever been. I’ve enjoyed umami-rich, burgerlicious meals with Impossible and Beyond burgers, in addition to eating black-bean burgers and other vegetarian meat alternatives. I’ve even learned to cook Smart Bacon in a way that almost kinda makes it taste like bacon, or at least act like bacon in a sandwich.

One exception to the meat-free life occurred early and accidentally, when, after working out, I picked up my semi-regular post-gym deli sandwich, brought it home, and ate it, only to realize later that, um, it was a turkey sandwich. (Since that slip-up, I’ve found a new deli regular; it leans heavily on cheese, avocado, aioli, and Mama Lil’s peppers.)

The other exception was deliberate, and just this past week: sublime roast turkey at my friends’ Thanksgiving dinner. I will probably always make an exception for holiday turkey, if I know and respect the source. It’s just a whole thing.