Last May I stopped eating meat. We’d been on holiday and camped at a farm in Dorset. The local restaurant’s menu was limited, and consisted mainly of beef products – which I ate happily. Happily, because I knew the source of the beef was hand-reared on the farm we were staying. For years I have felt conflicted about eating meat – but knowing the origin always helped.
Then when we returned home, I stopped eating meat. Honestly I do not know why. It just felt the right thing to do.
It’s the right thing for me, but I cannot dictate whether it is the right thing for anyone else.
The other members of my family have continued to eat meat, and I continue to prepare the meals for them. After all I ate meat for over 40 years of my life, so getting squeamish about handling it now feels a little hypocritical.
Meat products are a great source of protein and contain many nutrients. I may not eat meat but my varied taste means I can easily find alternatives to replace the lacking protein in any dish. For my children it isn’t so easy.
As I continue to buy meat, I am even more vigilant about where I buy it from and what I buy – this includes the quantity I buy.
One way to ensure I only buy what will be used and thus reduce potential waste, is not to buy pre-packaged quantities.
And as I am also keen to reduce the plastic waste I produce, buy buying local and from the butchers counter I can even take my own reusable glass (Pyrex) containers.
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By doing this I am taking small but effective steps to reducing the meat and plastic that we waste here.
It may seem a drop in the ocean, but every slight improvement has value.
Just because you do not do something ‘perfectly’ does not mean you shouldn’t do what you can.
I shop local when I can and support local business – maybe I pay a little more but that’s okay, it’s very likely I’m also buying a little less. This means I’m consuming less, wasting less yet investing more in the community.
(billboard at Essington Farm – not sponsored)
There are still a lot of products I tend to buy from large retailers – these products may not be found at smaller shops or it’s a specific type or brand of product that someone wants. These tend to be pre-packaged products such as cereals etc…
I am looking at reducing my spend on such products, but it’s one step at a time – too much too soon and it becomes a chore and hard work to sustain. It’s a balance living a semi-suburban life and also trying to move toward a more conscious existence. There is more of that to come – this is a subject I’m keen on exploring further.
Please do consider using the hashtag #foodwastefriday if you are joining in the less waste conversation today – it helps us all find one another on social media 🙂
Good evening! I am a new reader here 🙂 I loved this post. I am also trying to find balance in feeding and cooking for my family to use more sustainable and organic sourced food! We ate vegan for the first 21 days of the year, and now are hoping to maintain a mostly plant based diet.
Good for you, Jo. Rom and I have a “compromise” eating style and it does raise the ire of some. We are vegetarians at home but we will eat meat if it’s served at someone’s home or (rarely) at a restaurant, especially if the menu is limited. I feel that any drift toward a plant-based diet is better for the environment. I do not lecture my extended family and we all co-exist!
Go for it. I’ve been vegetarian for about 15 years for similar reasons. My choice has helped my friends and family see every meal doesn’t have to contain meat and to eat a wider variety of food than before.
Interesting and wonderful post!
Although I’m not a vegetarian I support your choice. I’m also looking for the best meat for me and my family when I go shopping. I strive to buy and eat quality food most of the time. Congratulations!