#2013alive: Are You Cutting Out Meat - At Least Once a Week?

We’re midweek at the end of month 7 in our 12 Months of Wellness journey. We’ve been talking, this month, about ways to be kind to our planet, since our environment factors in a big way toward our own health and well-being.

This week, because livestock factory farming contributes a disproportionate amount of greenhouse gases into our atmosphere, we’ve been looking for ways to cut meat out of our diet, at least once a week.

We thought we’d share some of our stories about how we’ve gone about reducing our meat consumption.

Sandi Gauvin, Senior Editor: My husband (and personal chef de cuisine) began cooking full time for our family about 10 years ago. His initial forays into chefdom were a little bumpy at times, but we hung in there and have been amply rewarded since.

His vegetarian go-to was “Potato Surprise” which involved two staples: potatoes and cheese. The potatoes were always accompanied by a mélange of whatever veggies we had on hand (hence the surprise), but the pièce de résistance was always the melted cheese on top—a kids’ favourite. Though they’re now adults, they still request Potato Surprise for dinner occasionally.

Isabela Vera, Editorial Intern: I rarely eat meat as a means of saving the environment; the truth is that I’m just too pressed for time to eat much meat during the year when I am away at university! It’s much easier to crack open a protein-packed can of beans than it is to spend a precious half-hour of study time on roasting a chicken breast or pork chop. My main source of animal protein is probably ocean-friendly canned tuna, which I toss onto a salad every now and then. Oh well, at least my simple student diet is also an environmentally conscious one!

Colleen Grant, Editor: My parents are meat and potatoes sorts of people. So, my efforts to vegucate them over the years have been met with comments like, “Yeah, it’s pretty good—but it would be better with chicken.” To compromise, we alternate nights: if I cook a colourful veggie stir-fry on Monday, my parents might add chicken or fish to their leftovers on Tuesday.

Have you taken a pass on meat lately?

Sometimes giving up meat is as simple as grilling a veggie burger—sometimes a lot tastier than the old beef standby. Let us know what you’ve done lately to steer clear of the meat. Share your stories via blog posts or Facebook comments, or by using the Twitter hashtag #2013alive.