Thursday, June 26, 2008
To Be or Not To Be A Carnivore
It's all the buzz over at Dooce right now, but for several years I too have been contemplating my meat-eating diet. I've mentioned it here before. It all started after I read the classic novel The Jungle, followed by Super Size Me, and then Fast Food Nation. I highly recommend all of these, as they are eye-opening to the realities of the meat industry and the impact they have on our health and the environment, not to mention the unethical treatment (and killing) of animals in these places.It's been on my mind lately. Huz and I just talked about it last week and a friend and I touched on it yesterday. Last week I watched a 30 Days episode which was about animal rights and the meat industry, which got me thinking. Also, now is about the time we should start introducing meat to Claire's diet, if we choose to do so.
I've struggled with becoming a vegetarian, though, because I like the taste of meat. I enjoy a good steak, a pork tenderloin, a fish fillet. My problem is with the meat industry and how poorly they treat the animals - they are often sick, abused, forced into small cages, forced to sleep on their own shit, etc, etc. I read an article in the New York Times last week and decided I want to adopt a more vegetable-focused diet, rather than switching to hardcore vegetarianism. This way I don't necessarily have to eliminate meat from my diet altogether, but can eat much less of it - focusing on the greens on the plate instead. I'd like to only buy ethically produced meat (free-range, organic, etc.) from now on. It's more expensive, yes, but if it's not emphasized as much then we won't be buying very much. Also, going organic on produce is a bit more expensive, but I've made that switch on the most pesticide-heavy produce (check this handy list out) because I think it's worth it in the long run - both health-wise and conscience-wise. |
