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Clean Eating.. or my attempt
Over the past year, I have flirted with the idea of vegan/vegetarian/organic eating. But because my hubby isn't on the same page... my idea of clean eating in our house never lasts more than one month at a time. But after sharing my interests and research with my husband we have decided on a compromise. So I'm combining the basics of a vegetarian organic diet with "clean meats". Because lets face it, its not easy being a vegan and not realistic for our lifestyles. If I am so against animal cruelty, then why are we supporting it at the grocery store? I have read (and love) Alicia Silverstone's book, The Kind Diet, along with Eating Animals, and recently watched Food Inc. I am also intrigued by this new Eco-Atkins diet and I am still searching for a book. My new diet plan will consist of certified organic, hormone and antibiotic free, free range chicken and eggs. The documentary helped me understand the difference between corn fed and grass fed beef. Corn fed cows are at an increased risk for developing E. Coli. Grass fed cows have a signifcantly lower chance of carrying E. Coli. So yes, I am willing to spend the extra $$$ on organic, grass fed beef. As far as veggies and fruits go, buy organic, locally grown, and only seasonal. The Kind Diet revealed the downside of dairy, so I have since switched to almond or other nut milks. Still looking for healthy alternatives for cheese (not processed vegan cheeses). We are motivated to make a change for our health and environment, so hopefully we are moving in the right direction. Please feel free to share more ideas of healthier eating, or your favorite healthy recipe!!
Re: Clean Eating.. or my attempt
That lifestyle change is going to increase your costs a lot. I eat similar, but I do eat dairy. You can browse my blog for recipes. I also wrote a blog post on affording your lifestyle choice on a budget. I can a lot to make seasonal stuff last longer. We also own a chest freezer that gets filled every summer. Some of my favorite recipes:
Bacon wrapped pork tenderloin with Cumberland sauce
Strawberry soup
Homemade yogurt (includes a source to buy nondairy yogurt starter)
Slow cooker curried chickpea stew
Refreshing snap peas
Pumpkin and rice stuffed grape leaves
I have also flirted with the vegetarian/vegan/clean diet for a long, long time. My DH is a hunter, and avid meat eater. So I hear you.
I recently read the book: Food For Life by Neal Barnard. I can no longer eat anything that contains animal products. Dr Barnard breaks down the body functions and what animal protein/fat does to your body, The transition has not been easy in our household, as DH thinks I have literally gone crazy.
However, I have stuck to it for 3 weeks now, and am loving the change. I google recipies by adding vegan in front, or go to VeganDad. He has some amazing recipies. Every change takes time, and as I am learning what different substitutes are used for, ei: nutrional yeast flakes (cheese substitute), the process is easier.
Dh and kids still eat animal products, but less than before.
I ususally will make my dish of say rice and lentils for supper, and cook a few pices of chicken or whatever for them to add if they wish. I find they are eating more of my meals 3 weeks in, then in the beginning, maybe because I am getting better at cooking vegan meals?
I was a vegetarian long before I met DH who is the typical midwestern meat and potatoes guy. The only veggies he would eat were lettuce smothered in dressing, canned mushrooms and tomato sauce on pizza. When I first started cooking for both of us, I did the same thing as Labrnr and made a meal where I could add meat for DH. Over time, the meat meals decreased and the varieties of veggies increased. We've been married for 5 years now and nearly all of our meals are vegetarian or vegan.
Don't give up! Change is possible but don't expect it to happen at once. It also seemed like when I expected DH to change and got all preachy, he was more resistant but when I let him think it was his idea, he was fine.
Tired after a long morning of hiking and swimming.
This is true, men are like children, if they feel like they are being preached at(nagged) they tend to go the opposite way. I had to learn to back off, as once I became vegan I wanted to share all my newfound knowledge. He just felt like I was pressuring him.
Same here. I have been vegetarian since I was 11. When we met, my husband was all about meat and potatoes and kind of stared blankly at me when I said his diet was unhealthy. But now the only meat he buys is deli ham for sandwiches once or twice a week. That's it. Everything else is vegetarian, and without a complaint from him.
I refused to cook meat for him. When we first lived together he would cook meat on the side of any meal, but with time became lazier and lazier and eventually stopped doing it. I don't think he even thinks about it anymore.
Thanks for all the great advice, I am very interested in reading more about the paleo diet. I can really appreciate the vegan diet and was successful for four months, but I am not sure thats something I could do again.
Thanks for the motivational words and recipes!
DH and I were vegetarian for a year and decided it wasn't for us. Now we eat the same way you're looking to. That's a great goal, good for you! We buy our meat from the Farmer's Market, where we can talk to the farmer and ensure the animals were raised humanely.
I would recommend easing into clean eating, if you try to do it all at once the shock to your pocketbook will be enormous. Buy healthy pantry staples (like good quality olive oil, rice, and quinoa) in bulk when they're on sale, and try to use meat sparingly. You can also make your meat go further by mixing it with veggies, like an entree salad topped with a small chicken breast, or stir fry with a 3:1 ratio of veggies to meat.
Here are some recipes, including some really filling vegetarian ones.
Roasted Autumn Harvest Skillet http://itaintmeatbabe.blogspot.com/2009/09/roasted-autumn-vegetables.html *We use spicy beef sausage, but it's good with vegetarian sausage too. This is a great recipe that includes almost all of the fall crops you'd find at the Farmer's Market.
Sausage and Sauerkraut Skillet http://stolenmomentscooking.com/sausage-sauerkraut-skillet-dinner/ *We omit the brown sugar any use wayyy less butter, like 1 Tbsp. We add potatoes to make it a filling dinner, you have to boil them for about 10 minutes before you add them to the skillet. If you add them with the onions like the recipe says they won't be cooked enough.
Indian Saag Paneer http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/indian-saag/Detail.aspx *Add paneer (a firm, Indian cheese) to this and serve over Basmati rice. You can get paneer from Whole Foods (it's next to the packaged cheese) or better quality paneer from an Indian market. Cut up one block of paneer into cubes and saute in olive oil until browned. In our cast iron pan, any other oil makes the paneer stick and it crumbles. Mix paneer into the pureed sauce when it's done. You can use 1 pound of any "bitter" green (mustard greens, kale, collards, turnip greens) and 1 pound of any "mild" greens (spinach, chard, bok choy, beet greens.) We think it's best with kale and beet greens.
Pasta with White Beans and Arugula http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000001911294 *This is an awesome, super flavorful 20 minute dinner. We add 2 tbsp of the oil from the jar of tomatoes also. This is great with home-dried tomatoes too.
Eggs in a Nest http://www.animalvegetablemiracle.com/EGGS%20IN%20A%20NEST.pdf *This is from the wonderul book "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle." It's a great way to enjoy fresh chard. We don't like runny eggs, so we cover the pot for like 10-12 minutes rather than 3-5 like the recipe says.
Quinoa Veggie Salad with Zesty Vinagrette http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/quinoa-veggie-salad-with-zesty-vinaigrette/Detail.aspx *This is great with whatever garden fresh veggies you have on hand. Tomatoes, zucchini, squash, whatever. We throw in a can of chickpeas to make this an entree.
Grilled Eggplant Stack http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000001634738 *Top 5 favorite recipe of all time. We don't go through all the trouble to cook the dressing. I just whisk together 1/8 cup balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Eggplant is very meaty, so we usually have this as an entree with cous cous.
Chicken with Salsa http://ymlp.com/zZK0Ai *This is seriously good and easy. We use homemade green tomato salsa, but any salsa would work. I don't recommend complicated salsas like black bean or mango though, they might conflict with the spice rub.
Haha.. love the comic strip! Thanks for the great recipes!!