Eat, Drink and ...

I have made a decision in our home.  We are going to become vegan-ish.  We will not be full-time vegans but instead begin practicing some the habits of those that choose this as a lifestyle.

 From cows to beans.

What does this mean?  Veganism is the practice of  no longer using non-human animal products.  Meaning no meat of any kind (ouch), no dairy (I need MY cheese and ice cream) and more.  At first thought, this is a lifestyle I would probably say that I would never do 100% but over the last couple of years, I have learned to NEVER say NEVER so I will not be ruled out.  Who knows what might happen.

My reasoning for this choice comes from time spent on how to teach my children healthier eating habits.  Some of my children are built in such a way that as they get older, they may struggle with weight issues.  I want to teach them each to eat right and eat things that are healthy and beneficial for their development.  

I believe the vegans are on to something from the statistics and findings that I have found.  All that to say, I still believe that meat in moderation is ok.  I am a firm believer that God made cows, chickens and fish for a reason.  There has to be a benefit for us to consume those things.  The problem in the US is that we consume way TOO much.  Eating in moderation is not something that is practiced a lot.  

So well planned vegan diets have been found to offer things such as protection against obesity, heart and renal diseases. cancer and arthritis.  Knowing those things make it a little easier for me to proceed forward with this change in our eating habits. My kids are pretty good about eating anything.  I am always trying new recipes and introducing new foods to the table. From the time they were toddlers, they were eating things like mushrooms, black olives, onions, green peppers, tomatoes and more.  This makes my job of eating healthier just a little bit easier.  I am looking forward to this new challenge.  We will be eating more veggies and fruit and less fried and greasy food. 

From what I have heard, those who cut out fast food have more energy.  I NEED that!  I am going to focus on finding new ways to prepare fish, chicken and beef so that we are still able to enjoy those things but in a healthier way.  Maybe they will start craving my cooking instead of a Big Mac.

We will see how this goes and how the kids manage the new menu.