Should I eat meat?
In my home we practice a flexitarian diet which is a diet that has a high concentration of plant based foods but also includes animal products in moderation.
Six years ago, after I (vegan) got married to my husband (meat eater) I realized pretty quickly that my diet choices were at odds with those of my spouse. Making separate meals every day wasn’t working. When we tried each buying and making our own meals that pretty much turned into endless snacking and unhealthy fast food pick ups. For a brief time I went over to the dark side and even started trying meat again to try and find a compromise but it didn’t take. My conscience thrives on a vegetarian diet.
So we finally ended up at flexitarianism for my husband. It’s better my husband’s health as well as for the environment and ultimately his conscience as. well. High consumption of meat and dairy is a known contributor of the most significant health problems a human can have. The easiest way to avoid health problems later in life is to adjust your diet and lifestyle as early as possible. How to do that is actually quite simple:
Prioritize vegetables followed by fruit and then whole grains
Consume animal products only 3 times a week or less
Get plenty of exercise and spend time outdoors
The primary way that I get my protein is to start off with a high quality plant based protein powder. Personally I don’t like the taste of artificial sweetness so I will go with an option that uses stevia or nothing for a sweetner. Right now I’m using Sun Warrior (vanilla) and alternating with Vegan Shakeology Recovery formula in Chocolate. This gives me 20 grams of protein that I throw in the blender with 1 frozen banana, 1 tsp of coconut oil and 1 cup of coconut milk (protein / fat / fiber).
When animal products are consumed I try to make the most ethical choice first and not just pay attention to whether it’s organic. Organic does NOT = Humane.
There are a couple of certification labels that you can look for that certify meat as humane. Additionally the ASPCA website has a list of humane brands to make it easier. However these are not always up to the standards that you might be expecting. Your best bet is to shop locally and know exactly where any animal products that you purchase come from. Another website called eatwild.com will give you a better look at farms in your state that pasture raise their animals. This site also does a really good job of explaining the tangible benefits of pasture raising animals. Bottom line if someone won’t let you visit their farm directly then do not buy from them.
Almost all of the animal products found in your big box stores comes from factory farms that use confined animal feeding operations. Conditions are horrific. To see it and think of it as something that will later nourish your body has always seemed implausible to me. But to be totally honest it’s not something that my husband spends a lot of time thinking about like I do. Co existing with different diet mindsets is easier than you think if you can simply agree on a few fundamental ground rules.
Another website that I highly recommend as a resource is the Cornucopia Institute scorecards for organic products.