Yesterday I introduced Meatless Monday: a fun and easy-to-remember challenge.
At the beginning of each week, I'll revisit this challenge by way of reminding readers of the budgetary, ethical, and health benefits to reducing, refining, and replacing meat in one's diet.
Though I am a meat-eater, I'm doing my best these days to locate humanely-farmed versus factory-farmed meat at the grocery store.
Yet, this exercise has been more of a challenge than not eating meat on a Monday!
I mentioned yesterday that I'd found "Certified Humane" eggs recently, and while at the dairy case, I also picked up Applegate turkey bacon which, according to their website, is also "Certified Humane."
Do I really feel as though I can trust what I've purchased to be exactly as its labeled?
No, I don't, but I do feel more confident about "Certified Humane" than the loosely defined "organic" and "natural" meat and dairy that I was purchasing because I've done my research.
Today I grabbed a take-out lunch, not something I usually do, but having dipped into Righteous Porkchop, I knew that Chipotle Mexican Grill buys their pork from Niman Ranch and other ranchers practicing traditional farming methods.
I bought the to-go bowl of cilantro rice, pinto beans, shredded pork, tomato salsa and lettuce. It's a substantial lunch and I have the leftovers in my fridge; I'll mix them with other fresh ingredients tomorrow to create another meal.
Changing my purchasing habits and making simple, value-driven choices is my way of saying "No" to the kind of corporate farming practices documented in Food Inc., which by the way, I thought would take home the Oscar on Sunday night.
Despite that another worthy documentary, The Cove, won the Oscar it's impossible to deny that we are in the midst of a food renaissance, the result of the domino effect of a series of inconvenient truths, the most obvious: obesity and diabetes.
When I feel overwhelmed by what I'm reading and researching about our food, and what I'm finding or not finding at the grocery store, I feel more compelled than ever to make value-driven choices like those I mention above and in many of the posts that make up this blog.
My choices can make a difference, and so too can yours.
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2 comments:
Great challenge! I am also passionate about living sustainably and eating responsibly. Before meeting my husband I was vegan for some time. Now with a toddler I am trying again to instill some of those values back into our diet. This is a great way to ease back into a routine of less meat!
You're right, it is a great and easy way to remind ourselves that we can do with less meat.
Thanks for your comment,
Louise
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