Yay! Let me do a little happy dance for you! I'm SO excited you're here! But let me guess- you're confused? Overwhelmed? Concerned? Am I right?
So how exactly are you going to eat less meat? Well, let me share my story and my family's story with you.
First you should know that my husband LOVES red meat. Loves, loves, loves it. And I was pretty much a vegetarian when I met him. At first, his eating habits rubbed off on me. We spent the first 5+ years of our relationship eating lots and lots of meat.
Then my "awakening" happened. For many people I meet, this usually happens about the time you are starting to feed your own child. There's nothing like introducing your precious baby to solid food for the first time and worrying about all the chemicals and pesticides. This is exactly what happened to me.
Below is a breakdown of how my family changed our eating habits and drastically reduced the amount of meat we eat. I've separated it out for you in easy to tackle monthly sections. My suggestion is to just focus on each month's tasks before moving on to the next. So even though this is a monthly list, for some of you- it may take longer. Perhaps each section will take two months, maybe 6 months, maybe a year. That's ok- take all the time you need to make this stick!
By the end of this, you will only be eating meat occasionally, should be eating more organic foods, considering going vegan, visiting the drive thru less often and eating much more fruit and veggies. Oh yeah- and you'll feel SO much better! Good luck, I know you can do it!
Month 1
- Start by making one day per week meatless. My suggestion is Monday because I love how Meatless Monday sounds and it's super easy to remember.
- At the same time, find one meat that you can reduce or better yet, eliminate from your diet. For us, this was pork. But I have to admit that this was easy for us because I haven't eaten pork in almost 20 years. And since I'm the cook in my household, I just didn't buy it. My recommendation is to figure out which meat you eat the LEAST and just stop eating it all together. Note- that occasionally my boys do eat bacon or ham. Usually if we are out and they order a bacon burger or at someone's house and they serve ham or something. But for the most part, there's no pork in my house, ever.
Month 2
- Add another 2 days per week that are meatless. If you've already been doing Meatless Mondays, then Wednesdays and Fridays are easy enough to add in and easy to remember. M, W & F- all meatless.
- Eliminate one fast food restaurant that you know does not have good quality meat. My suggestion is Taco Bell or Burger King- both of which are notorious for using horse meat. Eww!
- Add in one new restaurant that you don't usually eat at that has healthier options. We like Panera or Chipotle. Note- I said healthIER. I fully realize it is not health food but it is guaranteed much better then Taco Bell or Burger King.
Month 3
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- Continue with your 3 days per week of meatless meals at home. If you're feeling brave, shoot for another day. But remember that slow and steady wins the race! Don't overdo it or it will never stick!
- Start buying some organic meats this month if you aren't already doing so. Price is much higher but remember that you're not eating as much of it.
- Find another meat or meat item that you can eliminate from your diet. Think of removing all chicken or go for something easier like no more cold cuts.
- Time to taste test some recipes with natural meat substitutes. Do not buy "vegetarian" frozen entrees because many of these contain soy protein isolate- this stuff is no bueno! We love lentils, barley, beans and quinoa.
Month 4
- Time to experiment with your meals. Make the change to 5 days per week of meatless meals and try making the same things you normally do, only removing the meat. For example, Chicken Noodle Soup without the chicken. Or Beef and Bean burritos- just the beans. Try your hand at converting some of your favorite meals to vegetarian or vegan entrees. Dishes like meatloaf or burgers can easily be made with lentils or beans instead.
- Eliminate another poor fast food choice. May I suggest getting rid of McDonald's?
- Get rid of all factory farmed frozen convenience items- like Tyson chicken nuggets or anything with the name Butterball. While your at it- think about getting rid of all convenience and pre-packaged items, they simply are not good for you.
Month 5
- Add another meatless meal to your week for a total of 6 days per week.
- Make the switch to organic cold cuts, hot dogs and the occasional frozen chicken nuggets. If you must have convenience foods- make better choices. We love Applegate!
- Remove another yucky fast food option and while your at it- try to cut back on eating out. It's bad for you any ways.
- Consider freezer cooking, meal planning and preparation so that you won't be tempted to hit the drive thru for a quick meal.
- Work on changing the way you shop. When in the grocery store- you should keep mainly to the outer isles. This is where the real food is-you know, the stuff that doesn't come in a box.
Month 6
- Work on adding more veggies to your diet. It's almost impossible to eat the recommended servings, we like smoothies for added protein and much needed nutrients!
- When buying meat- you should only be purchasing high quality, organic meats. No more factory farmed products!
- Ready to eliminate that last day and shoot for 7 days of meatless meals? You should now be in the mindset that meat is an occasional thing. We eat meat "occasionally" or once every couple weeks when we are at home.
- Go Organic!
And finally- here's a video below on factory farming. It's very touching and eye opening, I hope you'll take a moment to watch it.
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