Vegetarianism

[Catherine]

I think my real problem is with the nature of factory farming. The whole situation is cruel and I doubt the meat is healthy. The increase in the number of health issues is a red flag. We have created an unhealthy food source. We certainly don't need to eat the quantity of meat that people eat.

Animal Family, eggs from your chickens would be "happy eggs" because you have happy chickens. I doubt eggs from cage hens even taste the same.

I am shifting my diet from heavy meat consumption and I am making sure I eat balanced meals. I am not craving foods so I must be okay.
I feel good. I needed a more balanced diet anyhow so this is good.

I think if people are seriously craving meat they must be missing something in their diet. If you just cut out meat then of course you would crave it. I don't plan to eat veggie fake meats like hot dogs. I seldom ate hot dogs and burgers anyhow. I am finding ways to cook food I like with alternatives to meat protein sources.

I can eat nuts. I love nuts. As a kid I ate them when ever I could get them. I need to find a good bulk food nuts source. I distinguish food nuts from treats nuts. The treats are all fat/salt and sugar and I can't eat like that. I could chop nuts into stir-fries and make nut grain patties and "meat balls" that would cook into my usual recipes.

I do still eat dairy products. Milk has always worked to settle my stomach. Think of this as a conscious food overhaul. I am choosing fresh veggies over frozen. I can get them all year round. It is easy to throw a few raw veggies on the plate with every meal. Bread choices can be healthy. Rices and pastas have food value when combined with the right foods. I am less tolerant of lentils, but hummus is working for me. Other lentils I will just need to test out.

I think with food there is a need for certain textures and flavours. I did a pizza slice yesterday, but I got the one with veggies on it. It is still pizza and I enjoyed it. If I am in a meat eating situation, I eat less meat and more of the other choices. Even non vegetarians need to do that. We have become unbalanced in our diet and there are a lot of health problems as a result. I see it in the seniors I care for. Heart issues, strokes and diabetes are epidemic. Now there is more kidney failure. I think the excessive meat protein and salt intake are factors in that.

It is a complex issue, but one thing I am sure of, intense factory farming is not the right way to produce food.