Big Mouth

EcoGriff

Vol. 7

March 31^st brought a close to our Meatless March. I learned a few things over the month. Here are 10 pieces of wisdom I can pass along to you:

1. Vegetarianism is a life choice, not a cult (really there are some nice vegetarians!)
2. Meat is not the only food group
3. Quorn is almost as versatile as corn
4. Vegetables other than carrots, celery, lettuce, radishes and peppers deserve a spot on the dinner table. Hell, they do well at lunch and breakfast as well!
5. Most restaurants only have a couple of veggie options on the menu. Sure, you can order things without the meat, but the price stays the same.
6. Veggie Burgers are not created equal! Some just plan suck. Some are delicious. Like bean burgers and portabella burgers!
7. Meatless meals are much less expensive than ones with meat (except at a restaurant. See # 5).
8. Meatless meals do not have to be choked down. They are very tasty.
9. Everyone will have a meatless recipe that you MUST try.
10. You will increase your gas production. Now that I think about it, maybe vegetarianism is not good for the environment!

It was a great month. I can honestly say that Kelly and I feel better since putting our meat intake on pause. It has us still thinking about what role meat will play in our lives as we move forward. Today (April Fool’s Day no less) we had the option to go back to meat and we didn’t. We didn’t really even miss meat at all (Well, Kelly did read an article about Chipotle a few days ago and began to crave pork, but other than that nothing). We are pretty sure that we will stay meatless at home. I will choose to eat meat when we go out to dinner, but Kelly is not sure yet. Only time will tell.

I am still walking to work a few days per week. This week I have actually walked every day so far. I am really enjoying it. Great for the environment, great for my heath, and great for my attitude. It gives me time to think which can be dangerous at times! It is in these types of moments I come up with things like Meatless March. My poor wife!

Here is something that I have found interesting since becoming more Eco-Friendly. People still view this choice of ours as being odd. The first thought is that we have gone off the deep end and become modern day hippies. Even though Walmart sells organic products, a high percentage of the people I talk to misunderstand or don’t know what organic means when talking about food. Some who think they know immediately think I am talking about eating tree bark and berries. I assure you I have not eaten any tree bark. None than I am aware of anyway. I have had people want to argue that we pay more for food that is not any healthier. To their point: Yes, you can purchase organic foods that are not good for you (i.e. chips, candy, pastries, etc.). My counter point is that they are healthier for you than their non-organic counterparts as they do not have pesticides, antibiotics, and other chemicals that are harmful to our bodies. We all have choices to make with our lives. This is just a the choice Kelly and I make now. We prefer to choose foods that lack the ingredients we can’t pronounce. You should not listen to only to me, but do your own research and come to your own conclusions about it all. I am not an expert, but a learning environmentalist with a big mouth!

I have also learned that there are not a lot of chubby environmentalists! I am bucking that trend. Good for me!

ECOcation:

Learn more about organic: http://www.organic.org/

Best,

EcoGriff