Go Green- eat less meat!

Listen, I am a Texan and red meat lover.  You will never hear me say, “I eat only chicken.” I will either be a vegetarian or have red meat in my diet, period. You may have heard the argument that it takes several pounds of vegetables to produce 1 pound of meat. There in lies the reasoning for reducing green house gases by eating less meat. If we just ate the vegetables ourselves, we would cut out the middle-man and all of that GM-corn whose fertilizer pollutes our water supply. That said, I never trust health experts who say they have proof that eating meat is bad for us physically. We have to eat meat in moderation like almost everything else. Even my favorite guru, Dr. Fuhrman, has to concede that eating the right kind of meat once daily poses no health risk.

What can you do to try and improve your diet and help the world with every plate? First, decrease the portion of meat you usually eat or feed your family. Second, buy organic, free-range or grass-fed meat products. Third, eat low fat meat produce and avoid all processed meat products.

We can all reduce the amount of meat we consume daily. The easiest way is to decrease your portion size. Another method, one that I am working on, is to only eat meat once daily. Finally, you will save a ton if you simply cook with less meat. Many call this seasoning your food with meat. For example, cook spaghetti with 1 pound of meat instead of 2 pounds. Never use meat to cook vegetables. Cabbage, green beans and baked beans all taste great without meat in them. Use Ms. Dash (a salt free seasoning) or explore the effect of other spices on your vegetable dishes.

Grass-fed, free-range and organic meats are more expensive for a reason. They take more time and effort to produce and are healthier for you and the environment. These animals are usually not fed genetically modified feed and are allowed to grazed as nature intended. Organically raised animals are not given any antibiotics, GM feed or hormones ever. This is healthier for your family as well. Best of all every dollar you spend on these items is a vote for safer food for poor families in our country. Twelve years ago if you wanted organic food you had to go to Whole Foods Market. Today, I can find wonderful food right at Kroger and Tom Thumb even Wal-mart. Try Springer Hill Ranch grass-fed beef found at Tom Thumb for about $5 per pound.

How does eating low-fat meat and avoiding processed food tie into this edict? Many animals are used to make your hot dogs and lunchmeat. They pump them with nitrites even though they have been proven to cause colon cancer.  Simply put, these "foods" produce the most green house gases. Not only are the animals feed the gm veggies/grains, they are shipped using gas and processed at plants using even more energy. Outside of that, they can kill you with high blood pressure, high cholesterol and cancer. These “foods” are barely edible. Limit them to annual consumption for special outings.

Just think how good you will feel both inside and out by making a few changes.