Where's the Beef???

Apparently it's in my home. Yup, you read this right, this almost lifelong vegetarian, sometimes vegan is now an omnivore. It was an evolutionary decision and one I of course have the right to change at any time.  I know some of you are cheering, some are booing and others are thinking, who cares.

I became a vegetarian originally for mostly health reasons. And it was easy. I didn't really like 'red' meat (except ground or smoked) so there wasn't much there I was giving up. I loved exploring all the new  options being a vegetarian offered over the meat, starch and veggie meal I grew up with. Plus I found a wealth of information touting how great and healthy a vegetarian diet is. I think I read every book the library and book store had on the subject.

The books still exist, they are still worth reading. But there are many other books out there that promote the opposite  that a meat based diet (low or now grain) is actually the best. Both 'sides' support their positions with studies, statistics and anecdotal information. The web is also full of reviews that praise and slam each.

So what do you believe? You believe what makes the most sense for you that you can work/fit into your life. I think there are benefits and drawbacks to both ways of eating. I will continue to read and explore and adapt based on how my body and that of the kids respond to the changes.

The kids. Whole other subject. I'm in my late 40s now. And while I may want more kids, it's incredibly unlikely that they would come from my body. So while getting extra hormones in my food supply might cause mood swings or a more difficult menopause, it won't affect my growth and development, but it will theirs. To that end, meat sources that come into the home won't have them. Poultry in Canada can't have hormones, but the red meat supply can. Antibiotics in meat are another concern. Nathan has had antibiotics once, Corwyn never. If they ever need them, I want them to work. Too many infections are becoming antibiotic resistant and having it in our food chain is part of the problem. No meat with antibiotics at home.

That means very limited choices for meat that enters the home. And what does is expensive. So there will not be meat at every meal, or even every day. But it will be an option some days. When eating out, unless its Oceanwise or organic, they will be eating vegetarian.

So far, for me, it's been a couple of weeks. I'm fuller longer. I'm not sure if that is because of the meat in general, or because my body has not had to digest it in almost 2 decades and doesn't know how. I still don't like steak or similar cuts of beef. Chicken is wonderful. I roasted one last week and all but devoured it. And bacon, ah bacon. I've found some great no added nitrate bacon and am loving it. While all the official problems I had with my digestive track were official over a couple of months ago, some things never returned to normal. This seems to be helping (so far).

Corwyn is my little protein fan and loves eggs, yogurt and tofu. He's tried fish and thinks some of it is good (not all, so need some mild ones). He's had some chicken 'nuggets' (not from the place with the big yellow arch) and thinks they are okay. Nathan ate half a nugget, but he doesn't like eggs, yogurt or tofu either (at least not at the moment).

My friend Monika over at www.aias.ca is another recovering vegetarian for a few years longer than I am. She is also a mom to a selective eater. I'm looking to her for food ideas and sources of the protein without hormones or antibiotics.

Anyway, for those who follow along with us, that's what's new in our life. I'm not saying a vegetarian diet is bad or unhealthy. My kids are 4 now and at the top of their physical growth and developmentally normal so clearly, they are fine. I'm just saying read everything, then decide what works for you. Feel free to change your mind later.