image via scion cho
In April, I wrote a post on how my mostly-vegan, flexitarian lifestyle began. It’s true that the Great Vegan Experiment began as a weight loss tool, as well as a cleanse. In no way did it ever cross my mind that it would become a way of life. Since then, my food philosophy has evolved even more.
Since the success of the initial 7-day experiment, animal-based meat products have become an afterthought. When I see an enticing recipe for the first time, my first response is to see if I can make it vegan. Cheese and dairy are usually easy to substitute, while substituting eggs depends on what kind of recipe it is.
But why? Why go to all this effort?
I eat vegan/flexitarian for two reasons.
1. I believe that it is a healthier lifestyle.
When you begin to edit meat, chicken, eggs, and dairy from your diet, you are forced to figure out what’s left. You are forced to find other sources of protein as well as new ways to cook food. Since we began eating vegan meals, the number of vegetables we eat on a daily basis has greatly increased. I’ve found new recipes that the entire family loves – recipes that we would continue to eat even if we returned to a 100% omnivore diet. I’m proud that my kids have learned to eat new foods. They don’t love every new recipe that I make –there are always flops!– but they will try and eat almost anything.
Since we’re eating more vegetables as a whole, I’ve become much more aware of buying organic. Why would I want to increase the number of pesticides that went into my family’s bodies? It’s true that organic produce tends to cost a little bit more than conventionally-grown, but it’s an expense I pay gladly.
2. It’s better for Planet Earth.
I’m hesitant to put this in my post, because I’m not a numbers girl. I don’t have the statistics and articles to link to, but I’ve become increasingly aware of the negative affect that ranching has on our planet. I’ve read enough to know it to be true. As a planet, we don’t have the resources to keep up with the average amount of meat that is eaten daily. (I really wish I had the link to where I read this, but I can’t find it right now! — I’ll link it up once I find it.)
I have to be perfectly honest here, and say that “cruelty to animals” is not one of my reasons for becoming vegan. While I don’t condone the mistreatment of animals, it’s just not one of my reasons. I value the human race above animals — sorry. If farmers and ranchers became more ethical about their treatment of animals and started feeding the animals what they were supposed to eat, as opposed to growth hormones and oodles of corn, I would be less suspicious of what I was eating.
Buying locally-grown products –or growing your own– is another way to help Mother Earth. This is something everyone can do: vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores alike. I’m not a pro at this, but I’m getting better. I pay more attention to where my produce originated from, and like many others, I visit my local farmer’s market.
image via NatalieMaynor
Since I don’t abide by a strict vegan diet, I suppose I’m more of a flexitarian. I enjoy greek yogurt from time to time, and I love goat cheese on almost anything. Tomorrow night we’re having grilled salmon, but it will be the only “animal” we’ll eat all week. I consider myself *lucky* because I’m not grossed out at the thought of eating chicken, fish, or read meat. I’m free to have a meal at a friend’s house, without freaking out if there are {gasp!} animal products in the food.
I don’t believe there is a once size fits all diet for everyone. Each person needs to find what works for them and make their own rules. I may believe in all of the above, but I hold no judgement on how you eat.
To sum it all up, I am a preferably-vegan flexitarian, who focuses on organic and local products.
What is your food philosophy?
A good place to visit for inspiration is Nourishing Days’ series on Food Roots — Where Does Your Food Come From?
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I am probably what you would call a Slow Food-ie. G and I both embrace taking the time to choose our vegetables and meats and cheeses, as well as to spend our time preparing them. We can do this, though, in Greece far more easily than we can in the States because there is a built-in 3-hour period in the afternoon where everything shuts down and people go home for meals. Lunch, therefore, is our “big meal,” and we’re able to spend an hour cooking it and half an hour eating it.
We believe very much in shopping organic and in shopping local (another idea that goes well with slow food). We frequent our local people’s market several times a week to stock up on fresh, seasonal vegetables. Not only do we enjoy eating these marvelous foods, we build relationships with the farmers we buy from regularly, and we enjoy the sights and sounds of the market itself.
There are few foods that we won’t eat, and being strictly vegetarian would be hard in Greece, which is why we don’t do it. Suffice it to say, therefore, that our focus is on where the food is from (is it local? free-range?), how it’s raised (no GM foods or preservative-laden foods for us), how fresh it is (no boxed, pre-packaged stuff in our house), and and how much we enjoy it.
We try to make one new dish each week. It’s our little fun project to look up recipes online and choose a new one to make over the weekend.
you have said many good things in this post. There is no “one size” fits all diet. The best diet is the one that makes you feel your best. I love that you have made so many changes to your food philosophy since I started reading your blog. My food philosophy is similar although a little bit of meat does me good and my kids/husband way good. Now, I make sure to buy “good” meat though. I also love greek yogurt thanks to you!
Excellent post! I don’t eat any animals or seafood or eggs and I try to stay away from dairy as much as possible (though I can’t help but cave to the occasional bowl of ice cream!). I’ve been a vegetarian since I was a kid, which is kind of odd considering no one else in my family is one. Though I’m not a meat eater, I don’t mind if other people eat meat (I get questions like this a lot: “Is it okay if I order a steak?” Of course it is!) and I don’t mind if I go to a dinner party and there’s no vegetarian options. I guess I’m just used to it at this point!
Loved this post!!
This is great K! I loved reading your honest and heartfelt thoughts. I have no clue what to call my eating style - as I prefer plant based foods, but am not grossed out by animal based. I really don’t *like* cooking meat, as I never know when it’s done, etc. The hubbie however loves it, so I try to incorporate it so that we all win (pasta with grilled chicken I can pick out). I’ll eat meat, just don’t really love it.
Am I making NO sense at all? LOL. Anyhow, I loved reading this and will go back and reference it as I continue this journey to healthier eating. TFS!
I was raised on our family’s cattle farm with chickens and huge gardens. We ate what we had - beef, chickens, eggs and lots of veggies (fresh in the summer and canned or frozen in the winter). We didn’t eat processed foods very much simply because we would have had to buy them! Now, I rarely eat beef. ( We ate it nearly everyday growing up!! ) I need to know where it came from and what it ate! We all love fruits and veggies. I try to buy organic when I can. We belong to a local CSA and I still make it to my parents a couple times a summer to stock up on garden veggies and help can for winter. I do have to make meat almost every night for dinner for my husband.
So…what was your question? I just sort of rambled! Sorry!!!
What a great post and you make a great point that the way we eat is not a one size fits all thing. I’m mostly vegan, but like you, I’m flexible. I love fish and so eat that most often when I do eat animal products, and I try to include one dish a week that has meat (usually chicken or fish or both-the hubs hates fish!) Being flexible allows me to eat out and over at friends without freaking out about meat, or having to worry about freaking out the hostess who may not know what to fix.
For me it’s all about health and cost, most meats are more expensive than beans or other forms of protein. And it’s also about comfort, since I cannot digest or process dairy. So for me dairy free is a necessity, though it’s certainly not for anyone else in our family!
Great post! And enjoy that salmon tomorrow!
If it was up to me entirely I would probably eat meat once a week - maybe, as I love vegetarian food. But I do love meat and so I generally buy it from a quality butcher that knows and cares where the meat has come from and how it was reared, what it ate and so on. While our butcher is not strictly organic - he knows that the meat is good. Sometimes the organic laws are very strict so some producers who are virtually organic are not categorised as such. The meat is all local. I very much love food. And its central to my life, and my favourite thing in the whole world (apart from a cup of tea being brought to me in bed in the morning) is a fabulous feast with wine and friends and family and lots of laughing and jollity.
I couldn’t agree more with; “I don’t believe there is a once size fits all diet for everyone. Each person needs to find what works for them and make their own rules.”
The more I look into health and fitness, the more I think it’s all about finding what works for you and that there aren’t one size fits all solutions.
My food philosophy is all about organic. We’ve made the switch and have had very noticable and very positive results from doing so. The reason we decided to do it was 3 fold; 1. Far better for our health, 2. Far better for the planet, 3. Now want to support local companies and those who have a conscience.
I have been a vegetarian for about 21 years and a vegan for the last 7. The one thing that always amazes me is how defensive some people get when I tell them that I am a vegan. I personally think each person should do what works for them. I will admit that I think a vegan lifestyle is better for the planet but if someone chooses to have animal products, I always say go organic. Actually, with all eating choices, I say go organic if you can because in the long run it is healthier.
@ everyone~
Thanks for your lovely comments — I’m glad you all enjoyed this post. I truly do not believe there is a one-size-fits-all-diet, for everyone, and I was glad to read that a lot of you agree with this.
I am *lucky* in that my husband is totally on board for eating vegan/flexitarian meals, and he agrees with me on the health-factor as well as the sustainability-factor. As for my kids, my son is a “natural” vegetarian, since he just doesn’t like meat of any kind. My daughter, on the other hand, is a total carnivore. LOL
Thank you. I enjoyed reading all of your responses.
Insightful post, kirwin. I think this reflects where a lot of us hover on the food spectrum. Trying but not obsessing, and we all have our “hierarchy” of choices. I was raised lacto-ovo vegetarian, and will now eat seafood and poultry on occasion to be accommodating and flexible. Organic animal products are a *must* for us and local pesticide-free (vs. strict Certified Organic) works for us. And as a result of nursing, I’ve cut out all dairy and have just recently added eggs back in my diet. I mostly miss cheese.
Hey thanks for introducing me to Food Roots over at Nourishing Days. I like your philosophy as mine is very similar (tee, hee).
My 10 year who has been mostly raised in a non-meat eating house (but we eat some when we’re out & at friends etc) loves meat! My other 2 can take it or leave it.
@ Amy~
I think a lot of us “hover” around here, like you said, but then I’m often surprised when people eat so much “packaged” food and believe it to be healthy. I’ve heard some crazy things in my time, but I do my best to keep my mouth shut. I don’t want to start lecturing people on their eating habits.
@ renee~
I’m so glad you found Food Roots — she has a lot of good stuff over there. As for our kids who love meat…I think that just “proves” that one-size-does-NOT-fit-all. Some people just crave meat, and there’s nothing wrong with that — as long as their eating *good* choices.
K ~ I think this just might be one of my favorite posts of yours. I LOVE how you discovered a new you in what you liked after we ventured out. You also taught me to broaden my horizons by trying it when I seriously thought you were crazy. I am completely with you on the flexitarian thing for all the above reasons. I think organic is absolutely important as well as sustainable farming which is better for the earth
You are doing fantastic in your new lifestyle and I love reading about all the things you learn and do.
I am curious as to why people become vegans… I mean veganism is very unnatural in lieu of the fact that your body needs protein. I happen to have the pleasure of living on a farm where we raise all of our animals and grow all of our own vegetables (much better and healthier than anything you can find in the market). It takes a lot of love and hard work but our family comes together and makes it through. It is important to eat meat in order to receive a number of important nutrients. I find it disturbing that a mother would impose her eating beliefs on her children…I suppose someone has time to explore all of these things when they do not work for a living. If you follow the eating you must also follow the lifestyle, no eggs, no fish, no leather, no fur coats. This is detrimental for both my family and I because your habits are hurting our livelihood. Besides the fact that once you have children it isn’t about you anymore it is solely about them.