i'm not a big meat eater, but in the grand scheme of things, evaluating my meat consumption and protein levels are important. i could rattle off a bunch of scary health facts, but that's not fun or entertaining. when you think about it though, Americans in general eat a LOT of meat. this isn't Brazil or anything, but i know for a lot of people, a meal just doesn't make sense unless a piece of meat takes center stage, unless it's breakfast, for which my poor stomach cannot handle a lot of heavy foods or flavors. personally, i arrange my menu based on the meat i'm going to serve. i defrosted a piece of steak... i guess i'll go low-country/southern and make cheese grits and sauteed french green beans. that's just how i roll.
i was once told that i could undo a meat-tastic week by just taking one day off from eating it. and that, kids, is how i was introduced to Meatless Mondays 4 years ago. Meatless Mondays is an endeavor to decrease the average amount of meat consumption by 15%, but it is also instrumental is reducing a host of health and environmental factors as well. a lot of people are not aware of how much energy goes into transforming meat from farm-to-fork. chickens don't hatch eggs of vacu-packed breaded tenders.
back in 2007, when i was trying to become the real adult to go along with the job and midtown apartment i had, i looked into Meatless Mondays as a way to not receive scary health reports from my doctor. i tried it out for a month, got bored, and ditched it. it wasn't as though i didn't have a wealth of information and recipes to keep me busy, but, as i've said, a meal just doesn't seem to make sense without meat. once, i made rigatoni with a carrot ragu, which was delicious, but i couldn't help to think how much better it would be with a piece of broiled salmon perched atop of it.
well, i am actually a real adult now and i have to make real changes. changes that stick. that frame of thinking no longer suits my maturity level. the goal is not to become a full fledged vegetarian, because i do have theories on whether or not humans should eat meat altogether. i remember going to a NY restaurant with my vegan bff Rachel and getting a burger, much to her disgust. but i do wish to change the way i consume food. i wish to be more conscious and considerate, not to mention more creative. i'm gonna start next week, which will give me time to re-up on some veggies and fruit.
