Flirt with becoming a vegetarian
I'm not suggesting you have to solemnly swear for better or for worse, but you can... flirt with being a vegetarian or a vegan. You might enjoy certain foods so much that you think you could never live without them. Well firstly you can, you won't die without that cheeseburger (you might if you eat too many), but you don't have to completely give them up either. You don't have to fully commit to being a vegetarian (no meat) or vegan (absolutely no animal products), but you can incorporate some recipes into your repertoire. I am often against any kind of "diet" that absolutely restricts certain foods; there should be no such thing as all-or-nothing diets, but rather the way we eat should be regarded as a lifestyle. When diets get into rules and regulations that's usually when I abandon ship.
I'm not suggesting you have to solemnly swear for better or for worse, but you can... flirt with being a vegetarian or a vegan. You might enjoy certain foods so much that you think you could never live without them. Well firstly you can, you won't die without that cheeseburger (you might if you eat too many), but you don't have to completely give them up either. You don't have to fully commit to being a vegetarian (no meat) or vegan (absolutely no animal products), but you can incorporate some recipes into your repertoire. I am often against any kind of "diet" that absolutely restricts certain foods; there should be no such thing as all-or-nothing diets, but rather the way we eat should be regarded as a lifestyle. When diets get into rules and regulations that's usually when I abandon ship.
(Link to free documentary below)
There is, however, something to be said about eating more "clean" foods. You should be eating more fruits and vegetables any way (at least 5 or so everyday), so my challenge for you is to think about incorporating vegan and/or vegetarian recipes into your diet. There's no need to panic, it just means that maybe you eat meat on the weekends. Meat and dairy both have their health advantages, but it is the quantity in which we eat them that makes them a problem; why not eat vegetables in large quantity in a wide variety. Eating animal based foods really does put a strain on our environment, and not to mention a strain on our health with unwanted saturated fat. I invite you to explore lentils and chickpeas, which are high in both protein and fibre (fills you up for longer), but less detrimental to both your health and our planet.
Vegetarian Adaptations are simple, there are so many vegetarian options that naturally occur in nature that you don't need meat for every single meal. For recipes that call for ground meat, lentils are an easy sub (just be sure to rinse), instead of a burger you can have portebello burgers on the barbecue, well marinated tofu works well with Thai dishes; and you can throw in chickpeas into a salad instead of chicken. It's not difficult it just takes a bit of thinking and creativity. There are so many great recipes out there, and hopefully with a greater demand for vegetables restaurants will catch on. You do realize you are voting with your dollar, both at restaurants and grocery stores alike.
source: food and spice. blogspot.com
Check out this short documentary "Making the Connection" about how animal based production is affecting our planet. I will warn you some parts are difficult to watch, but I think it is necessary that we are all educated about where our food comes from.
Watch this documentary for free: Click here
If you do decide to go vegan or vegetarian there is a certain level of education, that is necessary in order to sustain it otherwise you can make yourself very ill, and very frail very fast. Don't just decide over night; ease into it like any good relationship you want to last.
Delicious lemony lentil soup recipe coming your way soon :)
no pressure, zero commitment, just flirt with it.
sincerely,
sp
Love it, gotta go watch that documentary now :)
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