I picked up Jonathan Safran Foer’s Eating Animals in March of 2012 as a joke and a challenge to myself. Prior to reading it my opinion on food was: “Vegetarianism? pft. No way. I love meat.” 20 pages in, my life was changed. It took me a full week to finish the book because I literally couldn’t stomach it. A week for me to finish a book is a long time. After reading the bit about chickens, I nearly up-chucked as I had just eaten chicken for dinner. Before I was willing to give up such a huge staple of my life, however, I needed more information. (Huge staple of my life? Am I a gigantic fatass? Well, yea, kinda. But, eating is such a social thing - I love catching up with friends over feel-good/comfort meals - and meat tastes freaking GOOD. At least it does until you realize you don’t need it at all. Anyway,) after 2 or so weeks of talking to vegetarian and vegan friends, reading some more, and watching a few documentaries, I decided to switch to a plant based diet.

I began this journey with the idea that I would return to eating meat if I could afford to buy from sustainable/ wild caught/ pasture raised, grass fed, wild caught, etc. sources. I don’t really think I ever will. I am still adventurous, and perhaps at some point in the future I’ll try that rabbit and snake hot dog I’ve been wanting to try for the last year, but for now, I’m not missing anything by not eating animals or animal byproducts.

The reason I have a page for this is: ever since I decided to switch away from the products of factory farming (and the reasons I did so were more personal & selfish than ethical - at least initially) I’ve noticed more the disgusting ways our food system works. Not only are we affecting our own bodies with the crap we put in, and treating animals incredibly cruelly, but we are affecting entire economies and the way people are paid. Too much to explain because I’m lazy, but I urge everyone to be more conscious and aware in what they eat. You don’t have to go vegan, but just think about creating a sustainable system and being good to your own body.

Message me if you would like to discuss or have tips! I’m still a newcomer to this viewpoint and am lost at times.

I’ll probably put up links to all the books I’ve read/ movies I’ve watched/ etc. at some point.

to get you started for now

Eating Animals - A father’s journey to learn more about the system that will help him feed/raise his son. What he finds (or doesn’tfind) is disturbing, and should be a wake-up call to everyone
Ellen’s Vegan Page - great page for people looking for resources. Ellen is amazing. I didn’t know until a month after I switched my own lifestyle, but this just made me feel even better
Skinny Bitch - on judging books by their covers… I never read this because I was incredibly annoyed by the title. Only after one of my favorite veg cook(book)s recommended it did I decide to pick it up. It’s very simple & straightforward, and a really easy read! Plus the accompanying cookbook is awesome
Paleo Goes Vegan - actually sent to me by a friend of mine who is all about crossfit & caveman life and is trying to ‘convert’ me back to eating meat