Does 'turkey bacon' count as meatless?

... I know it doesn't.

But, in my mind, "turkey bacon" does walk a fine line between meat-substitute product and meat — closer resembling some overly processed imposter like "vegetarian chicken" than bacon, which can, of course, only come from a pig.

What I'm saying is that I don't really even like "turkey bacon," and yet I accidentally ate it this morning — on a would-be Meatless Monday — because I was tired, late for work, and not thinking about what day it was (or for that matter, much of anything) when I grabbed a quick bite — a turkey-bacon, egg and cheese sandwich — from the office cafeteria.

But, Meatless Monday or not, I have no business eating "turkey bacon." This fake meat has at least two big strikes against my personal food philosophy — it's processed, and it's not local.

I've been so busy and rushing around so much that I've let my commitment to eating healthy, local, high-quality, whole foods go by the wayside more and more lately, as evidenced by this morning's slip up. It's definitely time to recommit — not just to Meatless Mondays — but to eating conciously.

Note to self: Give yourself time to make the healthy, informed breakfast decisions you want to make — don't sleep so late!