How far do I go? Struggling with food…

by Rachel on February 4, 2010

I have been struggling lately with food.  I haven’t made any new changes to the way I eat, beyond recently becoming what some people term as a localvore.  I say I struggle because I have been eating strictly vegetarian outside of my home, and I don’t know if that is far enough.  I keep telling myself that I should go vegan outside of my home, but it seems almost impossible to me.  What would I eat when we go to my inlaws or my parent’s houses for dinner?  What would I eat if we went out to a restaurant?

I know that it is not only the meat industry that treats the animals inhumanly, this extends to the dairy industry as well.  I buy all my dairy from local farms, but that doesn’t hold true when I eat food at other’s homes or in a restaurant.  I have heard and even read more recently that just because you are a vegetarian, doesn’t mean animals aren’t dying.

What do they do with the male chicks?  The male cattle?  I have seen footage of male chicks being forced into a grinder alive and I have heard that male cattle are left to die in the trash.  Think about it…we only need the males for breeding, but beyond that its the female chickens that provide us with eggs, and female cows that provide us with milk.  So, my point is, being a vegetarian doesn’t rule out the fact that no animals have died for me to eat what is on my plate.

I think being vegan would be wonderful!  I think at least being vegan when I haven’t seen the farms where my animals products came from would be more realistic.  Right now I think I’m living a dream.  How far can I go?  I want to do what is right for our planet, our country, our world, my body, but what is realistic?  I read labels on everything I buy now, I mean everything!  Things you wouldn’t think that have milk products in them, do.  I have recently tried rice milk, its actually pretty delicious, and worked perfect in the scones I made the other day, or scrambled eggs I had this morning.

Oh, that brings be back to eggs.  I read that just because a carton of eggs is labeled “cage-free” and/or “organic,” doesn’t mean they are free range and treated humanly.  ”Cage-free” may mean that they have 1.5 square feet to call their own amongst hundreds of other chickens.  I try to buy my eggs from a farm where I know they have been roaming freely around (I see them when I pull up to the farm store pecking through the parking lot).  I don’t always have a chance to get these eggs however, I sometimes buy the organic cage-free eggs from Trader Joes.

So, now that I’ve rambled on, I’m looking for some answers, some feedback.  What do you do?  Do you have similar struggles when it comes to food?  We can’t avoid the stuff, we need it to live!  Where do you think I should go from here?  Do you have recommendations for what questions to ask your local farmer?  I’d love to hear your thoughts!

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Article by Rachel McFadden

Before motherhood I had an appreciation for our planet, but once I knew that I was bringing a new life into the world suddenly my urge to live a greener life was much greater. I knew that I must do my part to help create a beautiful place for my future generations to live. I take steps each day to reduce my carbon footprint. This blog is dedicated to documenting the changes I make in order to help others do the same.

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  • http://www.ezactly.blogspot.com Melissa

    I have a lot of the same struggles with food every day. Unfortunately I’m breastfeeding and, although there are lots of vegan mom’s who have the energy to pay strict attention to what they are eating so they know that they are giving their baby the proper nutrients, I just don’t have the desire to spend the time and energy it requires. Vegetarianism is hard enough. Like dairy. I love dairy and although I’ve read about all the bad things in cow’s milk, and even soy for that matter, I don’t love the alternatives and I will never give it up. I feel like having a limit is ok and I do as much as I can and I am very comfortable with that. What is realistic? This is realistic for me. I’m still conscious of what is going in my body and that is my main priority. I have to not get caught up in all the other things I could be doing or shouldn’t be eating because the guilt of it all drives me mad and the resources I spend trying to be “perfect” should really be spent elsewhere.

    As for only going vegan outside the home…for me there are other options. If you are going out to eat go to restaurants that support your local farmer’s market and use in season veggies. I admit we have only two such places in the area I live but they are excellent and I like being a regular there. My family is incredibly understanding of my eating habits and if I were to bring groceries to them, such a true free range eggs and dairy products, they would use those in substitute for our meals together. Maybe in the process they will be enlightened! I know my dad makes vegetarian meals even when I am not there and never did that before.

  • http://www.ezactly.blogspot.com Melissa

    FYI when I say resources I mean emotional resources not monetary resources.

    • http://www.greenbabiesblog.org Rachel McFadden

      Oh yes, that is what I assumed.

      My family has been fairly accommodating as well and my sister has since become a vegetarian for similar reasons and they know not to cook what we won’t eat.

      They have been through all of our crazy eating from the time when we were in highschool and would only eat low-fat food…we kinda went overboard when I look back.

      This past Thanksgiving I bought the Turkey that my step mother cooked, it was from the farm where I “shop” and the whole family loved it!

      I am also breastfeeding and don’t want to give up meat and dairy, but have a hard time eating it out of our house. There are a few restaurants in town that cook only local and I go to them when I can, but my in-laws own a restaurant that is far from local fresh food and occasionally we are going there for family things…they don’t even have anything vegetarian on the menu.

      Thanks for sharing, its nice to know someone is on the same page!

  • Julie

    I have been teetering on the edge of veganism for a while now. I became a vegetarian about 2 years ago when I began to research where my food was coming from. For I while I’ve kept fish in my diet because my doctor told me I was anemic and should make sure I was consuming protein that my body would readily absorb. Tofu looked like a nice alternative until I learned that soy tends to be both over-farmed and over-processed. So where do I turn now? Well, dairy is a good source of protein, but then with more reading I ended up in the same place as you are in.

    Honestly I feel that this will constantly be a struggle for those of us who desire to eat seasonally and locally. American food-culture does not cater to us, it actually fights against the lifestyle we want for ourselves and our loved ones. What I’ve found works best is to never stop gently imparting what I learn on my family and friends. Sure, I am made fun of and told that I’m “over-thinking” what I eat, but of anything to “over-think” it should be what we are putting into our bodies. My parents and siblings continue to eat meat on a regular basis and they probably couldn’t tell you which vegetables grow in what season, but slowly and surely I am getting through to them.

    My suggestion… offer to cook and/or contribute to a meal on a regular basis. Check out Michael Pollan’s books too! I have read “In Defense of Food” and “Food Rules.” The latter is easy to share with people who are not typically interested in this topic because it’s short and simple.

    I need to remember though, that my eating habits did not change overnight, so I need to be patient and share with them what I’ve learned in whatever ways I can.

    • http://www.greenbabiesblog.org Rachel McFadden

      Thanks Julie! Denny just suggested reading the Food Rules book, I will definitely check that out!

      I know when I talk about my eating habits and my sisters as well, it is slowly getting through to my family.

      This year I forwarded the farm share information to a bunch of people and was surprised by how many people have decided to sign up, including my step mother and Rose and Timmy!

      If you need advice on some good high-iron vegetarian food let me know, I’ve been trying to boost Connor’s iron and I’ve found a lot of great foods!

  • http://marlieandmommy.blogspot.com Teresha@ Marlie and Me

    this is a tough question, and I don’t think there are perfect answers. For me, going vegetarian/vegan isn’t an option because of Hemoglobin C which means I need more iron/protein than the average person. I know there are ways to get what I need nutritionally from plants, but I can stand only so much quinoa, beans, etc…I need variety. I recently read an interview with Micahel Pollan in TIME mag (http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1955590,00.html) where he says healthy eating is more about moderation, knowing where your food comes from, and voting with your fork to shift the current food processing trends. I totally agree!
    Also lots of produce is grown/harvested in ways that harm the environment with pesticides and genetically-alterations. I made me wonder how truly eco-friendly a typical vegetarian/vegan diet is because of the prohibitive cost of organic food. Me and my hubs just joined a local co-op to purchase our veggies/fruits/meat (I’m still off dairy until baby weans). It’s more economical than we thought!

  • Auntie E

    Rachel,

    You should look at Sally Fallon’s book, Nourishing Traditions. It is one of my favorite sources for nutrition and healthy eating.

    I also wanted to support what Julie wrote about soy … not only is it over farmed it is also shipped from ALL over, it doesn’t support your local goal. Plus there are different views on how much soy is good for you, especially women. Like anything it is okay sometimes in exchange for milk …

    … Almonds. Almond milk is great, maybe not by the glass ;) If you buy raw almonds and soak (water with a little salt) over night they will begin to sprout which actually makes them better for you. You then remove the brown skin and dry them out again … a little tedious although well worth it. Before this process they have enzyme inhibitors which block your body from using there nutritional benefits.

    They are wonderful! You can eat them like that or turn them into butter or cheese-like products. I did about 3 gallons worth the other day, making raw almond butter with about 1 gallon … put in small glass jars and froze, allowing me to pull one at a time to use.

    Rachel, I truly admire your dedication to living a life that you believe in as well as helping others do the same! You are amazing!! Keep doing amazing things …Marty is also really a wonderful support for you!

    A little side note .. have you looked into Baltimore City regulations on having chickens? I know that in most cities out west you are allowed in certain areas, Salt Lake just allowed the entire city after some debate I believe. Anyways, they are really easy and fun to have …

    • http://www.greenbabiesblog.org Rachel McFadden

      Thanks Elizabeth! I have the read the same about soy, that it’s not really a healthy alternative to meat.

      I tried to buy some almond milk, but I was looking for almond milk with nothing added and all that I saw was flavored or with sugar. I’d definitely like to try to to make some myself.

      I don’t know about the City, but you have to have 1 acre or more in the county…I’ve looked into it! I found a house in Parkton with over 1 acre if we don’t get the one in Stoneleigh. Marty doesn’t want to move to Parkton though :( .

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