Ah, meat...I was a vegetarian in my 20s for about 2 years, but one day caved and ate pepperoni pizza. I found that I had started craving meat too often to deny myself. And I was fine with that. I figured I was a healthy person, had a pretty balanced diet and that if I was craving it then well, I should eat it. In the 15 or so years since then, I've discovered and read and seen a lot about meat & meat production. About 10 years ago I read Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser, and years before had read My Year of Meats by Ruth Ozeki. Both books were key to my learning more about the commercial meat industry. They both reveal some gory details, but I did continue to eat meat. I read Michael Pollan's Omnivore's Dilemma and saw the movie Food, Inc. and still continue to eat meat. BUT, I feel that as a consumer I can make better, more informed choices for myself and even for the environment. I have decided to vote with my dollars, if you will, and support small producers & farmers, local foods and my local economy. As buyer for the shops, I also feel more empowered to carry the items we do - those that support these same philosophies.
Pollan's 23rd rule explains that the average American eats meat at 2 or even 3 meals a day. In many cases meat takes the place of vegetables. He suggests eating smaller portions of meat and larger quantities of veggies, which will improve our health long term. Not a bad idea, given the rate of obesity, heart disease & cancer in our society.
As I've written in this blog before, I'm only advocating what works best for me by sharing my thoughts on Pollan's Rules. I know I find certain things challenging though. And now I'd like to hear from you. So I'm wondering what you all think of this: have you seen this movie or read these or similar books? Have you made changes to your eating routines? What are you finding challenging? Rewarding?
Thanks for sharing!
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