We're giving up on meat. It's not just this week because we've been doing it for a while. My husband and I have been eating less meat for more than a month now. It started out as a financial reason. We need to trim our budget. Then we watched Forks Over Knives which made us consider how we may want to make the lifestyle change in an effort to improve our health long-term. My husband has Type 1 diabetes, but was diagnosed as an adult. We are hopeful this kind of lifestyle change could possibly allow him to go off insulin and control it through his diet.
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| {fresh lettuce from our garden} |
But you see, we love meat. I love steak, chicken, pork, fish and lamb. When we first started talking about eliminating meat ((and other animal bi-products)), I got kinda scared and sad. I questioned how I could get by without eating cheese. I love cheese! But we decided to do it in moderation. We're eating lentils and fresh vegetables and way fewer carbs ((goodbye pasta and bread, hello quinoa and brown rice)). After several weeks of this, I must admit that I'm feeling pretty good from eating so many more veggies and less dairy.
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| {kale + potato soup} |
So you're probably wondering what an average week looks like as far as dinners go. Do we eat tofu every night? No way, but maybe once a week. Here's an example of a week's worth of dinners:
- Sunday: fish tacos (made with sockeye salmon)
- Monday: black bean, roasted corn and avocado quinoa salad (makes leftovers perfect for lunch)
- Tuesday: tofu and peppers in masala sauce over brown rice
- Wednesday: warm kale and potato salad
- Thursday: baked cod, salad and grilled veggies
- Friday: vegetarian saag over brown rice
- Saturday: black bean burgers with homemade sweet potato fries (baked)
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| {smoothie example} |
We're learning to use seasoning and cooking techniques to add flavor. Even though meat tastes great, I think Americans consume far too much of it. By cutting back on the amount we buy, we are able to spend more money on nutrient-rich veggies and fruits. I also love making smoothies and if you follow me on Instagram you've probably noticed I love to share my latest concoction there. It's been challenging at times, but I think the benefits will outweigh those in the end.
Have you made any lifestyle changes recently?
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This is awesome! My hubby and I don't eat too much meat either (although Josh would probably want to eat more!). I find that I'm more creative and eat better when meat isn't the center of my meal! I feel much better, too, when I'm eating more variety :) I also love smoothies--one of my favorites is what I call mochalicous...cocoa powder, almond milk, a dask of instant espresso, frozen banana (and sometimes some oats!)...so good!
ReplyDeleteps. have you heard of the blog www.ohsheglows.com? Angela is a vegan, but she has some pretty awesome recipes!
Wow, good for you guys!! That's awesome! I have recently drastically changed the way I view food. I cut out grains and dairy for a whole week and increased my veggie and fruit intake and felt amazing as a result! I will work dairy back in (i simply can't live without cheese) but will be eating much less of it. I will also be adding grains back into the picture but healthier ones like quinoa and brown rice like you said. Bread and pasta will be a rare treat (feels so weird to say that!) And I'm cutting way back on sugar. Also I'm going to buy as few processed foods as possible and everything organic (and grass-fed) that I can. I realize it's going to be way more expensive but I think our health is worth it. Yay for us!
ReplyDeleteWoohoo! Good for you guys! I really will have to try out that soup!
ReplyDeleteWe've mostly given up on meat (not dairy though - don't think we could do it!) for ethical reasons. And we don't miss it at all anymore! So much cheaper and healthier!
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