Just another Meatless Monday

A few weeks ago we watched the movie Food, Inc. and the impact it had on me was profound. If you have not seen this movie you should. It really might change the way you look at your food forever. (We also watched Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution and that is a whole other post!!!!)

I am not someone who is naive to what goes on at chicken and beef farms, or slaughter houses for that matter. I have always enjoyed my proteins and I try to push the yucky stuff out of my mind because of it.

Some of the things mentioned in Food, Inc. made me angry. Cows are fed corn, because corn is cheap, and the government subsidizes it. But corn is bad for cows, and therefore it is bad for us. Because the cows are fed corn, they have a much higher level of bacteria (e coli) in their systems, therefore there is a much higher level of bacteria in our meats. If a cow is fed grass for 7 days prior to slaughter, the level of bacteria decreases by eighty percent. But because of the demand to produce, produce, produce as cheaply as possible, this simple, natural easy step is avoided, and antibiotics and "washes" are used instead. And don't even get me started on how this is all McDonald's fault.

And then there is the soybean...

While I am not totally against genetically engineering a better and stronger seed, I am One Hundred Percent against any soybean that comes from Monsanto seed. Trust me, buy organic soy products with no GMO's. Talk about getting me angry!

Since having the kids, I've wanted to provide them with better. I want them to develop good eating habits now, so they don't have to make any wholesale changes when they get older.

To the best of my ability I've tried to use primarily organics. Milk, number one on my list has always been organic. Chicken, organic. Fruits and Veggies, organic when available. Now, I'm not 100% and I'll admit that they have eaten a few too many goldfish, or other crackers, or hot dogs, (the hot dogs are grass fed, nitrate free, which does make me feel better) but I'm all about balance. I limit sugar, and no high fructose corn syrup, I try to use products with little or no preservatives, I read labels. Still there are limits.

Since watching Food, Inc. we've instituted Meatless Mondays, and we've joined a CSA (thanks Lindsay). I'm really finding Meatless Mondays fun, and challenging. I've had to expand my repertoire, (thanks Meredith, love the cookbook) and I've been able to make a small change in all of our diets. AND, it is making an impression. Today during dinner, Ryan told me "I love meatless Monday" (yea! for my little carnivore that is saying a lot). We even had a meatless dinner on a SATURDAY in ADDITION to the regularly scheduled Monday!

Thanks to the CSA, I've had to really flex my creativity to use all of the ingredients in my weekly box. (I had no idea Swiss Chard was so yummy just sauteed with garlic and olive oil!) So far I've been able to find recipes that include the items in the box and I'm sure that as the weeks go on it will become easier and easier. Sorrel, anyone have something I can do with a ton of Sorrel? It's very bitter but yummy, I may add a little to my lunch salads each day, but I seriously have a ton of Sorrel. It's kind of fun to plan my meals around what came in my box, or to know that I have all the ingredients for a yummy salad.

In addition, I hope that helping me collect our box each week, and looking at and tasting all of the new things we get from "our farm" the boys will be more inclined to try some of these new things.

While these are just small steps to a healthier lifestyle, they are steps.
(if I could just get Scott to eat seafood, so many more steps could be taken!!!)