The Why Over the What

With the teams buy in regarding the daily diet tracking, the idea of returning to a vegetarian lifestyle is big in my head. I enjoyed being vegetarian; the challenge, the variety (if you look) and the way it made me feel better when I woke up in the morning and when I looked in the mirror. I felt better about myself. I miss it. I only returned to meat when I became pregnant as I wanted to ensure my kidlets would get what they needed from me.

But now, I find myself in a similar situation. I won’t make my kids become vegetarian; they are in such a critical time and what I feed them needs to fulfill and support the growth of not just their bones but their brains. So, I plan on continuing to cook meat for them in the hopes that they can choose for themselves when they are older and wiser.

Problem is, kids will be kids. I cooked up a big batch of penne alfredo for them. They both love pasta and they both loved the sauce when I put it on zucchini noodles. Then I added chicken for protein. And... no one will eat it.

This is where the reasons why I want to be a vegetarian kick in. I love me a big, juicy steak. I don’t believe it’s necessarily healthier; I’m good at eating poorly no matter what. The only reason is, as Sifu Brinker mentioned, because of the life that is needlessly lost so that I can have that steak. And beyond that, the creature who had to suffer because it was seen only as potential revenue and not a living being. When it comes to the meat industry, you can bet your pennies that money is more important than quality of life or life itself.

So to stay true to vegetarianism, I would not eat that pasta dish. And I’m sure Nick would put a good dent in it but then the rest would end up in a dogs belly or the trash can. In which case those multiple chickens who suffered and died that that I could fry them up in garlic would have died for zero reason. Or zero good reason- they did serve to line the pocket of someone.

I would have to be mindless to just say no because I decided no without thinking about why I said no.

Which is how the vast majority of us go about food. Myself included. But that is what I want to change. So yes, I will eat that pasta just as I ate the fish I made for them (which they also didn’t like). I will choose vegetarian for myself at every chance I get, but I will not let any meat otherwise in this house be wasted. In this way I hope to set an example for my kids and those around me; it’s not just what you do but why you do it that matters.