No more meat!

[peach_blossom]

I saw on tv how they kill animals for the meat we eat. It was gross! I don't want to eat meat again!

Now I don't kno what to eat. Do any of you have recipes that have easy to find ingredients and easy to prepare? I am getting tired of eating rice with fruits/fish/eggs and salads.

[toman]

Have you seen how the chickens your eggs come from are raised and killed? How about the fish? What about the people who harvest the fruit and vegatables; they have worse lives than a lot of livestock. I'm not sure what a person can actually eat these days and still maintain a clear conscience, so at this point I'n just trying to eat the best quality foods I can find. I figure even if it's cruel to the animals and other people, at least I'm not killing myself as quickly...

[morningsunshine]

Originally Posted by toman

Have you seen how the chickens your eggs come from are raised and killed? How about the fish? What about the people who harvest the fruit and vegatables; they have worse lives than a lot of livestock. I'm not sure what a person can actually eat these days and still maintain a clear conscience, so at this point I'n just trying to eat the best quality foods I can find. I figure even if it's cruel to the animals and other people, at least I'm not killing myself as quickly...

Look for "free-range" on the packaging of eggs and meats, this means they were given, well, free range to roam around and do their live-stocky things. Also USDA organic or NO ANTIBIOTICS are good labels to look for too. They're quite a bit more expensive but, at least for me, it's a small price to pay knowing that they at least lead good lives and were allowed to roam about and eat quality food, and it's also satisfying to know we're supporting the good farmers that care about what goes into their animals.

[toman]

True. I do try to buy those products when I can, but honestly the prices are absurd. I'm sure it really does take that much money so someone makes a profit, but I (and most people, I'm sure) really can't afford it. The funny thing is I know for a fact most the people who have plenty of money to buy those products are the same people who don't give a flip and buy the mass produced crap anyway... while people who actually can't afford it pick and chose whether to eat kind, quality food and get less, or eat the same thing everyone else does and have whatever they want.

[morningsunshine]

Originally Posted by toman

True. I do try to buy those products when I can, but honestly the prices are absurd. I'm sure it really does take that much money so someone makes a profit, but I (and most people, I'm sure) really can't afford it. The funny thing is I know for a fact most the people who have plenty of money to buy those products are the same people who don't give a flip and buy the mass produced crap anyway... while people who actually can't afford it pick and chose whether to eat kind, quality food and get less, or eat the same thing everyone else does and have whatever they want.

Yeah, my boyfriend and I are going to be on a VERY limited budget, but we've decided to cut out other things (such as digital cable-- who needs seven HBO channels anyway? BAH!) to be able to afford meat that not only tastes better but is good for the environment. We're also growing our own produce (raspberries, strawberries, cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, parsley, dill, mint, basil, and romaine) so we can cut costs that way. Do you have a garden? 97 cents for a packet of seeds is a small investment for all the money you save down the road My mom actually refuses to buy organic meat because of the prices, so I've only had it about four or five times, whenever Erik decides to cook me a nice dinner, and the taste is just so much better!! I think that anyone who tried organic meat would buy it from there on (assuming they could afford it) just because the flavor is just so much richer and, well, the meat just tastes healthier, lol.

[ladywithafan]

The last place I lived at had the greatest farmer's market ever. I would save more money going there than going to the grocery store. And I know that this isn't feasible for most people, but my parents would grow their own veggies, harvest the eggs from our chickens, and have our own animals slaughtered for meat. My brothers went to mcdonalds for the first time a few months ago and they didnt like it b/c it tasted funny. I hope that when I have kids that I could do the same thing for them.

[toman]

I would totally dig having a garden, but I live in a fifth story townhouse in the middle of downtown. Not much dirt around here... We do have farmer's markets and some good produce stands though; I frequent those as well as my local old fashioned butcher shop that sells the highest quality meats in town.

[LIBRA]

Originally Posted by toman

Have you seen how the chickens your eggs come from are raised and killed? How about the fish? What about the people who harvest the fruit and vegatables; they have worse lives than a lot of livestock. I'm not sure what a person can actually eat these days and still maintain a clear conscience, so at this point I'n just trying to eat the best quality foods I can find. I figure even if it's cruel to the animals and other people, at least I'm not killing myself as quickly...

My feelings exactly!! I grow my own as much as possible, I buy meats at the butcher, they sell a bulk deal of all kinds of meat for like $89.00 and it last me and my son awhile. I freeze veggies from my garden or the farmers market, I just try to eat as healthy as I can to fit my budget and tastes.

[Herbmama]

No meat here, as for the other stuff I'm truely blessed to live in a town where the college is know for it's sustainable agriculture program...LOTS and LOTS of kind organic farmers in my area, THREE farmers markets one of which a co-operative, true free range eggs, organic raw milk and cheese and all of it suprisingly affordable all of this in a town of less than 10,000 people.

[morningsunshine]

Originally Posted by toman

I would totally dig having a garden, but I live in a fifth story townhouse in the middle of downtown. Not much dirt around here... We do have farmer's markets and some good produce stands though; I frequent those as well as my local old fashioned butcher shop that sells the highest quality meats in town.

You would totally "dig" a garden..
haha I get it..
o_O
But really, if you have a balcony there are balcony boxes you can buy that sit on the rail and you can grow really great tomatoes (or a lot of other stuff)that way, or buy some hanging planters and plant something small, like an herb or something. Or plant peas and let them crawl up the side of your railings or outside walls.. Climbing plants are so much fun... Regardless of gardening to save money, I love watching my plants grow and watching the new leaves pop out.