October Unprocessed

I tell you--I obviously go around with blinders on because I constantly discover neat awareness campaigns when they are already happening, instead of when I can actually plan to capitalize on them. For example, did you know today is "World Vegetarian Day?" Me neither. However, since it is just the first day of Vegetarian Awareness Month, I guess it isn't a catastrophe.

Today is also Day One of the October Unprocessed challenge. For this month, the challenge is to try to eat unprocessed food. In other words, make it yourself. That should be relatively easy if you also tend to eat toward the vegetarian end of the food chain. I am not a vegetarian, although I eat mostly fruits, veggies, grains and dairy. My husband eats very few fruits or vegetables, and I doubt that will change--he had a heart attack about 13 years ago, and it didn't affect his lifestyle a bit. However, he doesn't get a lot of unprocessed food, because I cook most things from scratch.

However, I did take the October Unprocessed Challenge. I don't buy much processed food anyway--we'll just see if I can cut it back even further. Before I knew about the challenge this morning though, I did eat some toasted cheese sandwiches (not grilled cheese) for breakfast using store bought bread and American cheese slices (so, I'm not a saint)--even though there was fresh baked bread right next to it on the counter. I made anadama sourdough bread yesterday. Pretty good, but not going to be one of my favorites. I had been thinking about having baked potatoes for dinner, so I guess that will be a go. It's one of the few vegetarian meals I can get hubby to eat. I like to saute some peppers and onions together and add some butter, cheese and diced tomatoes. I might just throw in some broccoli tonight (my husband won't eat it, but my daughter and her husband will.) I also still have a fresh pineapple from my last Bountiful Baskets pickup, so we'll have that as well. Sounds yum to me!

The point of these campaigns is to make people aware of alternatives and to get people to think about healthier lifestyle choices. Will I probably break down and eat some processed food this month? Most likely. And the world won't come to an end because of it. But if I can continue to add more unprocessed food to our diet, that will be great. I hope to find more recipes for things I buy I can make myself.  I am not likely to become a vegetarian either. However, if I eat a little less meat and a little more veggies, that surely can't hurt me or the environment. Being a little more conscious of our food choices is a good thing for all of us.

Bon appetit!

I Love a Good Steak--Rarely

I do love a good steak, but I don't eat many. I probably have one a year at  home--the rest are ordered at restaurants a few times a year.

Have you noticed you almost can't get vegetables with your entree at a restaurant any more, unless you order an extra side? I am staying at a hotel with my daughter and granddaughter while my daughter is in a practicum for her Master's program, so we have been eating out every day. Last night was the first night vegetables were part of the dish without having to order as an extra. Every other night, the entree has consisted of meat and a starch (usually potatoes or rice.)

In most restaurants, a salad is iceberg lettuce with maybe some shredded carrots, a tomato and some croutons. That hardly qualifies as a veggie. The side list also usually includes macaroni and cheese, baked beans, etc. There's nothing specifically wrong with these sides, but they are not green, orange, red or yellow.

I know a lot of people who won't eat anything green. My husband is largely in that group, although he does eat green beans and corn--not a big variety to work with in meal planning.

The US is largely a nation of meat eaters, although we do appear to be eating slightly less meat than in the past, although. Eating a lot of meat has a significant impact on our health, our budget, and the environment. NPR ran an excellent story on the environmental cost of eating meat recently. According to the graphic in the blog, a quarter pound hamburger requires 6.7 lbs of feed, 52.8 gallons of water, 74.5 square feet of grazing land, and 1.036 BTUs of energy. Quite an expenditure for the small amount of meat.

With a background in biology, I am not against meat eating in a moralistic sense--nature is pretty draconian in its approach to the food pyramid. However, what meat I do eat, I want to be produced humanely and safely. And like most sedentary humans, more fruits and vegetables, legumes and grains would be an improvement in my diet.

Did you know there is no vegetarian restaurant in Wichita Falls? You can find one or two vegetarian choices on the menu in some restaurants, but they are few and far between. If you know of a restaurant with good vegetarian menu choices, please share. I know many of my vegetarian friends eat frequently at the Thai Orchid because of the vegetarian options.

I suggest using comment cards at your favorite restaurants to lobby for more vegetable choices; and entrees with more veggies and less meat. If you find someplace with a decent vegetarian choice, make sure the restaurant knows you eat there because of the choice.