Part Time Veggie – One Month In

You may remember at the beginning of January I wrote this post. I had decided to cut down on my meat consumption for a few reasons, mostly because I don’t think it’s sustainable for us to continue the way we are easing meat products. I wasn’t sure if I could do it because I have nearly always been the kind of person who builds each dish around a meat. I mean there were days I’d have a meat free dinner but I may have had bacon for breakfast or a chicken sandwich for lunch. On my meat free days now I don’t have any meat or fish at all.

So how am I finding it?

Well, surprisingly easy actually. In fact on a few weeks I’ve even found that I’m actually 3 and once 4 days meat free. I still don’t think I’ll ever give up meat. I know some real veggies/vegans will have an issue with that but it works for me. I still enjoy meat when I have it and I consider it an important part of my diet. I don’t need it every day, none of us do.
A few times I’ve almost opted for meat out of habit on my meat free days but I’ve stopped myself. My biggest test was grabbing a hot chocolate in Maccie Ds the other night with my sister, I was hungry as I hadn’t yet had my evening meal and well I could smell the burgers and the nuggets … but I didn’t. I waited till I was home and had a veggie noodle curry pot instead. Yay for Naked noodles.

Have I seen any benefits?

Yes. I feel less sluggish and my stomach is more settled and behaving the way it should. This is more than likely due to my increasing my fruit and veg intake rather than any real difference to just cutting out meat but I’m ok with that. I am experimenting more with dishes and when I do eat meat it’s higher welfare and better quality because I can afford to do that as I am buying so much less of it. I do quite often still cook meat for the girls and more often than not my veggie days are days they are with their dad for most or part of the day. They have enjoyed the various veg based meals they’ve had with me such as veg filled pasta bakes and occasional curry or stir fry but also they eat meat as part of their school dinners frequently so I know they are still getting what they need for their growing bodies. I even surprised myself on the weekend when eating out with my friends by choosing a veggie brunch. It was in the Tinto Lounge in Bristol and it was GOOD, I mean when it includes cheddar cheese fritters instead I am here for it.

My grocery shops are cheaper which is a big perk and I just feel good about the fact that it is an easy change I can make into be more sustainable and green. I try not to go on about this subject much as I know people are a little overwhelmed with the sheer volume of news and online posts about saving the world. But it’s the world in which my children are growing up in, it is the world their children will live in and I ( along with all of you) have a duty to my bit to make it a place they can live in happily for many years to come. I am also cutting down on my beef intake in particular, I watched a programme recently which opened my eyes to the brutality of the beef market and it has made eating beef less enjoyable for me. It’s not something I’m stopping but I am eating less grab and go beef such as burgers etc rather than saying an outright no to it. Maybe it’s hypocritical of me to say but I do enjoy steak a lot and as someone who quite often is slightly anaemic it is one of the things I tend to cook when I know I need it. Don’t come at me with all of your replacement vegetable/iron ideas, I know about them and I quite frequently choose them but I like to be straight with you on here and I’m still eating steak and minced beef, just not all the time.

I am hoping to soon share some of my veggie recipes with you, they are hardly groundbreaking ideas but I figure we could all use the occasional fresh new meal inspiration in our meal plans.