Going Semi-Vegetarian

In the last few months I have been slowly phasing out any non-organic meat, but more specifically non-local meat.  I am veryspecific about what food my son eats, especially when it comes to animal based products.  It has been just recently that I decided to become a semi-vegetarian.  What does that mean, you ask?  Well I have decided to limit my meat intake to only the local organic meats that I buy.  Both my son and I will not be eating any meat outside of our home, unless I know where it came from.

You may be asking yourself, “what is the reason for my choice?”  It is simple, I want to know how my meat is raised before I decide to put it in my body.  When you buy meat from the grocery store there is no telling how far it travelled to get to you, what type of conditions it was raised in, what types of illnesses the animals had, what types of antibiotics were used to treat them, and what hormones were use to make them grown bigger faster!  The farm where I buy meat is a place that practices ‘sustainable agricultural methods are practiced where the animals are given nothing which is not natural – no hormones, antibiotics, chemicals, etc. All animals are offered free-range during the grass growing season. In addition to chicken eggs, seasonal duck eggs and seasonal goose eggs, chicken, turkey, duck and seasonal goose are raised for meat. Beef (grass-fed and natural), grass-fed lamb, pork and rabbit are also available. All animals are treated humanely, allowed to associate with each other and cared for when sick using homeopathic remedies first.’

Something has changed in me since I became a mother that has given me a greater drive to make a change.  I’m sure many mother’s feel the same way, wanting only the best and safest for their children.  I want my son to have a chance to have the most healthy foods that will not affect him in such an early stage of development.  This world is full of things that we cannot control, but if I can make a difference towards a greener world and a healthier child than I will do just that!  As a breastfeeding mother it is clearly as important that I treat mybody well so that my son can thrive off of the milk that I produce.

Some people may be leery of making such a change for fear of a higher price tag, but I have found that by limiting the pre-made meals and only buying local essential foods, our grocery bills remain relatively close to what they were when all of our shopping was done at the local Trader Joe’s.

Ultimately I would like to make a similar change with eggs and dairy, going semi-vegan, but this is a bit harder when we are on the go, eating at family and friend’s houses on a regular basis.  Im  making small steps to making a big change!

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