A series in which I explain my decision to stop eating meat and want to encourage you to have a more plant based diet, fast from eating meat (like Meatless Monday), or become a vegetarian. Please be advised that I respect all opinions and am not a health expert.
I should have became a vegetarian years ago.
I chose palate over my personal thoughts and feelings about eating animals. I ignored the idea of where these animals were coming from and how they lived prior to getting to my plate.
My mom grew up on a farm. She had a cow named Charlie, who happened to look very different over the years. She grew up on real grass fed, organic meat from cows and chickens and drank real whole milk straight from the cow. I grew up hearing about how well she ate and that she can’t believe how the meat industry has changed. My mom would also talk about the hormones that is in our food. I still grew up eating meat and dairy.
In college I became friends with a vegetarian and because of the amount of fruit and veggies I ate around her, she assumed I was a vegetarian too. One day while we were out I ordered something with chicken and ended up changing my order after 5 minutes of her telling me how and why she became a vegetarian. She apologized for her reaction and getting on her soap box, but I felt guilty because she was right. I totally agreed with her. But, I just continued to ignore it all.
I’ve read lots of Michael Pollan. Jonathan Safran Foer is one of my favorite authors and when I read about Eating Animals, I knew that reading it was going to change a lot for me. (After reading the book the first time I stopped eating meat for about a month. I re-read the book and then I completely stopped). I read The Kind Diet and agreed with everything Alicia Silverstone had to say.
I read more vegetarian and vegan food blogs because I liked being able to cook veggie dishes or veggie sides that were different from what I was used to having with meat.
Finally, I made a decision that I couldn’t eat meat anymore. It’s been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made and have reaped numerous health benefits. In the next severals posts in this series, I’d like to share the health benefits you reap from a plant based diet.
rachelle renée 
Great post!
Thanks! I look forward to posting more about the transition!
Read quite an interesting post on Offbeat Home the other day, complete with photos, about a guy who breeds meat rabbits.
It totally grossed me out, which is ridiculous when you consider that that is probably the most ethically sourced meat anybody’s ever eaten.
I need to think about this stuff more. I think I refuse to do it because I know I won’t like the answers, and hide behind my anaemia and poor eating habits as a reason why I shouldn’t stop other than that I genuinely enjoy meat despite the implications (but I know you could give me a list of supplements as long as my leg that would do the job just as effectively).
While I doubt your posts will change my mind, I’m looking forward to reading them.
My Pappy and his brothers hunt and do their own butchering. It’s stuff I ate growing up and I’m glad I ate that instead of factory meat. Plus, it’s how they grew up and knew how to provide for their families.
D has followed my eating practices, for the most part, but hasn’t quit meat. Joe is working with his best friend on a farm and they’ve been taking care of all the cows that are grass fed. He’s also looking forward to the meat… I can’t imagine eating the cow that my brother tells me stories about (they hang out in the field and lay in the grass with the cows).
Let me know when you need a list 🙂