Food thoughts
I’m willing to say I’m pretty educated when it comes to food. That being said, I wasn’t really shocked or startled by the documentary Food, Inc. I thought it was an educational, potentially eye-opening movie for many ,many people, but it didn’t knock me off my feet.
It did get me thinking though. The one part that really hit home for me was when they showed the chicken growing exponentially. These days, chickens grow much bigger, much faster= and with specific larger body parts ( i.e. breasts).
How exactly are they making this happen? For a human to grow bigger, faster, you inject them with growth hormone & steroids. To get bigger boobs without plastic parts you need more of certain hormones. I could hardly imagine it would be a much different process for the chickens.
Now I was curious. I needed to learn more. So I started reading. and reading. and reading.
I started noticing the same things over and over again. Not all of the information was new to me, I was just understanding it in a different way this time. Ignore the whole for-the-love-of-animals part of not eating meat for a minute- I’m talking about understanding the implications that producing more food faster has on our bodies, the animals, and the planet. It’s bigger than “puppies are cute, so I won’t eat cows”. It’s about mass production increasing disease, inducing poor treatment, affecting farmers economically– at what cost?
These are some of the things that have been rolling around in my head. I am NOT preaching about them. We’re just talking. No judging. Just sharing information, thoughts, opinions. It’s a HUGE topic, so I’m not throwing it out there all at once. But here’s the summary of how I feel:
– The effect mass production of meat has on increasing disease bothers me.
– The chemicals being put into animals & what they are being fed and therefore what people are eating bothers me.
– The fact that food travels literally 1,000s of miles to get somewhere it doesn’t grow in a season it would never survive bothers me.
So why did I need to give you all that background of why I eat what I eat just to tell you this? It’s because these things have encouraged me to look at what I eat beyond it’s taste & nutrition. I’m not saying I’m going vegan and committing to a life of local foods. I am saying that I want to be more conscious. What am I really eating? Where did it come from, and what did it take to get it in my hands?
Whether I reduce my meat/dairy/eggs intake, I don’t know. But that’s why you needed the background. I’m not comfortable with labels, or all or nothing. I am comfortable with learning more and being more aware. Even if I decide fish is “bad”, that doesn’t mean I might not eat it if I go to a restaurant. Or maybe I’ll learn something horrible about eggs or milk. I’ll bet you I’ll probably still eat a cupcake . Does that make me a hypocrit? Not in my eyes, although I can understand why some might think otherwise.
Reduction still makes a difference. Just because someone eats one donut doesn’t mean they’ll get fat. And not eating 1000 donuts just because you might have 1 donut sometime, will still help you be healthy. I know it’s not the same, but I can’t really come up with a better analogy.
It’s like Earth Day yesterday- yes, that one plastic bag you don’t use at the grocery store does make a difference.
So here’s where I stand: I’m pretty sure I’ve decided to cut back what little meat I do eat, along with eggs, milk, cheese, and other dairy.
You might have noticed I didn’t say I’m becoming a vegan. My intention to remain label-less is deliberate. If you don’t have a label, or rules, you’re not breaking them, and you’re not being hypocritical.
I believe that even reducing my intake makes a significant difference, and it gives me the chance to learn more—without it being overwhelming.
I’ll share more about some of the things I’ve read & specific issues/questions I’ve come across, but I thought it was more important to put the background out there first.
What have you come across that has influenced you’re eating behavior?
Food thoughts
I am loving reading your comments as I’ve gone through this little food history series- I’m always amazed by how supportive people are and how many people identify with the same things/experiences as I do. So thanks 🙂
Here’s the other parts of the story.…
So what do I eat?
When I cook at home, I’d say almost all of the time it’s vegetarian. Sometimes it’s vegan too.
But it’s not for any “reason” or “rule”. It’s because I like to eat what makes me feel good. What makes me feel healthy, does good things for my body, satisfies me.
I still don’t eat red meat or pork, but simply because it doesn’t appeal to me. I rarely eat chicken at home- I usually make a vegetarian meal and toss some chicken in for the husband.
So here’s another reason why labels don’t work for me. I’d say I’m 97.36% vegetarian, but when I eat out, I might eat chicken. Yup.
When I eat out I still want to choose what will make me feel good and will satisfy me. There’s not always a vegetarian option that will take care of that. The vegetarian options in some restaurants, especially in my area, are seriously lacking. I don’t consider fettuccine alfredo an adequate “vegetarian entrée”. (I’m not hating on pasta, just an example…) I’d rather have a piece of chicken I don’t love to eat, than a bowl full of noodles that will have me clutching my stomach in pain for hours.
I do eat fish. I like it. There’s times when that’s what I want for dinner. And I like that it can provide you with important fatty acids that aren’t found in all foods. I can’t say there’s much I’m missing with beef & chicken.
What about eggs, milk, and cheese? I’m not a huge fan of eggs by themselves, but I have nothing against them as a vehicle for something else. (Cake anyone?!…)
Milk- I grew up on huge glasses of milk with every meal. I loved it. But it still makes my stomach hurt if I drink too much of it. I have it with my coffee and usually cereal, and when a dessert really calls for an ice cold glass of milk. 😉 Other than that, I love almond milk & other substitutes, but as much just for variety than for avoidance of milk.
Cheese also still hurts my stomach, especially if it’s of the gooey melted variety. I try to limit the frequency and/or portion size if it’s up to me. But cheese is good. Especially goat cheese.
Back to why I’m mentioning all of this: Like I mentioned yesterday, I’ve been thinking a lot recently about where food comes from, and how that affects health, among other things.
And that my friends, is what tomorrow morning’s post is about. And then I’m done- promise 🙂
Food thoughts
In case you missed the last few posts, I’ve been wanted to get more into the subject of the food spectrum- why who eats what & what affect that has on the body, on health, and on the planet. Before I can do that, I need to fill you in on where I stand now, and how I got there.
Here’s Part 1 and Part 2…
and now for Part 3:
…Then came college. Dorm life & an unlimited cafeteria plan led to the vegetarian junk food pitfall. You know, when you eat whatever’s not meat…which doesn’t mean it’s vegetables or remotely healthy. Pizza, ice cream, beer, you name it, I ate it.
This is when I started experiencing horrible stomach issues. I’d always had a “bad” stomach, but this was a different kind of bad. I’ll skip over the gory details, but I was in constant pain and could never be more than a few steps from a bathroom.
Eventually it was thought that I had a casein allergy (a protein in milk). I cut out almost all dairy- milk, cheese, ice cream. I still had troubles, but it was nothing in comparison to what it had been. I figured I was back to my normal weak stomach.
Now the only problem was how extremely limited my food choices were. If I had my own kitchen and the determination to make it work, I’m sure it could have. But with my sole source of food being the campus cafeteria, I needed to branch out a little. I started eating chicken & fish again so I could get enough protein while eliminating things that made my stomach hurt.
Around this same time, I had started dating my now husband. When our relationship got to the point that we would have dinner with his family on occasion, I was not sure enough or confident enough in myself to speak up about what I liked or didn’t like – I simply ate whatever his mom made, whether I normally would have eaten it or not.
I’d rather stay quiet and keep everyone happy. I was so concerned with not ruffling any feathers that I got away from what was important to me….
Part 4 is coming…and it’s the last part I promise 🙂
(By the way, I haven’t eaten breakfast yet- I had to fast for the doctor-uggggghh!!!)
Catch ya later! 😉
Food thoughts
Where do you fall on the food spectrum?
Carnivore…Omnivore…Vegetarian…Vegan?
How about somewhere in between?
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the kinds of food I eat, where they come from, and what impact that has. So as not to cause confusion or appear hypocritical, I really haven’t shared any of these thoughts & observations.
I want to, but to be able to do so adequately, I need to take a step back and explain my food philosophy with you.
Everybody’s background & upbringing has some impact on what types of food choices they make as an adult, and I’m certainly no different. Before I get into what I think about the food spectrum & what that means, I want to share what’s gotten me to my current eating “style”.
My Food Background: Part 1
When I was little I paid no attention to what I ate- I just ate whatever was put in front of me without complaint. Like most kids, I didn’t really care what I was eating- what it was made of, where it came from, or what it did for my body.
Then came “Sunday Dinner”:
It was just my mom and I growing up, so my aunt & uncle would invite us over for dinner occasionally. (I think they worried about my mom’s cooking skills…) Every weekend we’d wait anxiously by the phone in hopes of a Sunday night dinner invite.
Eventually it became a Sunday night tradition- no more invitations; it was just assumed that we’d be there hungry! (Oh, and we were!) My uncle is a great cook, so he took care of dinner every time. My mom & I would bring dessert- we would spend all week brainstorming dessert ideas- imagine if we’d been responsible for more than one item!
Anyway, this is relevant because I can solely pinpoint my aversion to red meat to these dinners.
My uncle sat at the head of the table: he was the chef, the meat carver, the server. My aunt sat at the other end of the table, and I was someone in the middle. For some reason I have yet to understand, my mom and aunt like their dinner rolls soaked in the juice left on the meat platter. To get the soaked rolls from one end of the table to the other, it was required of me to pass them.
It only took one glance to learn to turn my head, but the damage was done. That and the fact they referred to this delicacy as “blood bread”. Yup, I’m pretty sure that’s what did it for me. (That and the time that I went to a pig-pickin not understanding the true nature of the name, and ended up face to face with a roasting pig.) I definitely caught flack from the rest of the family when I stopped passing my plate up for meat, but I didn’t care.
Somehow despite all this, Sunday dinners still hold a special place in my heart and remain one of my favorite family traditions. To this day, a wave of nostalgia & homesickness continue to wash over me every Sunday evening, since I no longer live near home. (I always try to find a way to include Sunday nights in my trips home :))
I know you’re on the edge of your seats, but you’ll have to wait til tomorrow for more 😉
I’m also in the middle of making an epic dessert, but this post is already way to long, so you’ll have to wait to hear about that too.
Here’s a sneak preview:
What has been influential in forming your eating habits?
