Do you think about how much meat you eat? Or the quality of it?
My girlfriend texted me the other night as she watched Food Inc, “I’m never eating meat again.”
She said that Food Inc had grossed her out and she was upset about where our meat was coming from., hoping that American practices were different from Australian.
I joked and said that as I eat organic meat I imagine my meat sources roaming free and frolicking in fields before they are slaughtered.
A horrible thought when you think about it consciously but I’ve grown up having my meals revolve around meat. It’s hard to get my head around the fact that you can survive on a diet without it.
Anyone else feel like that?
So I haven’t actually seen Food Inc but I am currently watching Forks Over Knives while my kids make cubbies in the new playroom (how good is that they are finally playing together!!).
I guess the question I am asking myself is….for the sake of my children do I need to reorganise the way I think about meals?
Should I start “crowding out” the meat with more and more yummy vegetables?
What do you think about this?
What are your “go to” vegetarian meals?
Help! I’d love your thoughts.
I find eating organic meat, we can’t afford to eat lots of it anyway! We have for many years eaten vegetarian roughly every second night. Its cheap and its healthy and yummy! Some of our fave things are chickpea and vege curry, vege biriyani (I have the recipe coming up on the blog for this), stirfried veges with coconut milk, zucchini slic, vegetable pasta or pizza. We used to eat tofu, but not so much anymore because I worry about soy!
Yum, eagerly awaiting the biriyani recipe!
it is so yum… we eat it all the time – it’s a good way of getting your coconut goodness for the day 🙂
We are not vegetarian here but we do try to eat really good quality meat – maybe three or four times a week. I actually prefer a vegetarian diet but literally start to fade away if I don’t include some meat – I know that sounds ridiculous but it’s true! I’ve tried it. And I actually believe, after lots of reading and research that good quality meat is good for growing kids – especially my Frankie who has dietry issues and has to leave out lots of things already.
I’m not sure I could give it up completely either, but I definitely can make major improvements to our daily menus – meat-wise. We are eating meat for lunch and dinner most days so its kind of a big part of our diet.
I’m vegetarian, but my long-suffering carnivore of a husband and two little ones are technically not… but because I do most of the cooking, they end up having mostly vego meals. Instead, I ensure they have HEAPS of protein through eggs, avocado, nuts, green veg, etc. My girls LOVE quinoa, and I find it so easy to make yummy with heaps of veg and a squeeze of lemon juice. I’ve even got my kids eating Kale! One little word of warning though – and I hate to say this as I am so supportive of a vego diet – but just watch their little iron levels. I was DEVASTATED when my then-4-year-old was diagnosed with Anemia. Can you imagine the mother guilt? Since then, I’m an iron and protein Nazi, and am even told I make the (occasional) mean meat bolognaise. xxx
damned if you do….damned if you don’t…
Don’t feel guilty, everyone is different and have different needs! If i got to half vegetarian/ half meat meals I would be happy. Maybe I should make it an end year goal…now i just have to get over my recipe dyslexia to make some tasty vego dishes….
Organic does not always mean cruelty free or free range! Read Peter Singer, Ethics of what we eat…. Very Informative
Thanks will do! Hope you and your family are well x I can’t imagine there is a nice way to get our meat but I usually try not to think about it. It’s probably time to stop my ignorance especially as I am an animal lover.
I think everyone has different needs and while some people can fully subsist on a diet of nuts, fruits, vegetables and grains, others can’t. I tried to go vegetarian (and then vegan) last year and failed miserably. I was hungry all the time and found that my energy levels dipped drastically. Because I’ve also watched Forks over Knives/Food Inc/insert other shocking film here and am not at all impressed at how much livestock is raised and slaughtered, I limit my red meat intake to organic and 2-4 times a month. If I can’t find organic meat then I don’t eat it. Fish is still on my menu though as I find I can get iron, good fats and other minerals from it and it’s something my body needs.
For a go-to vegetarian meal, I’m all about huge bowls of salad with a cup of quinoa (superfood protein!) or a warm chickpea, tomato and fennel salad. Cleansing, soothing and oh-so-good.
There is a big difference between conscious thought and changing our ingrained habits of a lifetime! That’s why I thought I would start small and just try and work some more vegetarian meals into our diet. Again it’s habit with me – i think meal – i think meat. And I agree with you that some bodies work well on a vegan or vegetarian diet and some don’t. Your salads sound delicious and I will be trying them out!
In college a veggie friend told me that even cutting out one meat day per week has a huge effect on the overall system. We watch Food Inc in my class and it’s also important to look at things like organic (is it organic CORN that they’re eating or are they grass-fed cows?, there’s a difference!). And “cage free” chickens might be cramped 800 into a tiny dark room, but they can get around it and make people feel better calling it “cage free.” Sometimes I get so overwhelmed with trying to save everything, so I try to do a few things more consistently…especially buying local.
There are so many variables it really is hard to keep up. I think we just need to try and do what is best for ourselves, our families and our community. Eating local is a good one.
I’ve been vego for 13 years and can’t go past Vego Lasagne. Layers of pumpkin/walnuts and spinach/ricotta. Need to use egg to bind the layers so it doesn’t go watery. Best compliment I’ve got for it was from a butcher’s son who liked it better than meat versions 🙂
sounds like i need the recipe!