For the last 10 weeks, we’ve stepped out of a strict locavore diet and have confronted difficult choices. The most significant of these was implementing a plan to reduce our consumption of animal products. This was a direction the three of us wanted to pursue, but we found ourselves growing dissatisfied with our meals very frequently. For most of our lives, we’ve been able to count on a lean protein and lots of vegetables at the dinner plate. It was nice to add food items like beans and quinoa, but when they appear on your plate for days on end, the lack of variety can be overwhelming.
We found a temporary solution in spices, especially traditional Indian and Middle Eastern flavors, which helped us put a different spin on these foods. However, replacing meat or chicken with only starches still feels awkward – enough that we’ve continued to buy small amounts of animal products for variety. We’re still avoiding processed food, breads, pasta, soy products and dairy, so that might help to illustrate the challenge we face in making the transition.
As you can no doubt infer, I’m not sure how this will turn out. The desire to eat compassionately, to reduce the stress on our environment and to nurture ourselves with living foods is still strong. At the moment, though, the familiarity of an omnivore diet and its endless range of options is just as potent. So perhaps Michael Pollan got it just right in his book In Defense of Food, “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”
Here’s to tomorrow…
