Noodlebowl

Reflections

The 40 days officially ends today. It was a quick 40 days! I didn’t get a chance to put up the entries I had wanted to during the time so will endeavour to do so over the course of the next few weeks.

I found the challenge reasonably easy to adapt to my life. The hardest part was probably going to friends and family’s home’s to eat. I didn’t feel comfortable imposing my choice on others when they have gone to the trouble of hosting and cooking. As a host, I know also how annoying it can be to cater for all food preferences. I tried my best to not be an annoying dinner guest by steering towards takeaways where I could control what I ate or to eat around things without jumping on a soapbox.

Going out was another tricky thing. As a variety seeking gourmand, I found my choices quite restricted but also opened at the same time. There are a lot of great vegetarian and seafood alternatives on menus that I had not even considered previously. When I went to a breakfast conference, I found the vegetarian alternative actually more delicious looking than the norm.

Eating at home and preparing for lunches was pretty easy as I had control over what went in. My husband probably lamented the lack of meat in dishes but I tried to include a few meat dishes over a week just ethically raised meat. 

What now? Will I keep going? I have been a vegetarian before and it failed after a few months simply because it was too hard.  I’m not one for extremism I’m learning. I think I will try to continue this way of eating as it seems a way of moderation to me. It is probably a cop out but at least I’m a justified omnivore now

I’m learning that my choices have repercussions and we have to be aware of this responsibility. Making an informed choice is important. If consumers exercise their right to demand and start to demand that animals are produced in a more ethical manner, the producers will eventually have to listen. I am exercising that right and I have to believe that the powers of demand and supply will work.

Information is power and I do not want to be a blind consumer. It is in my capability and rights to know what I am eating and how it is affecting me and the environment as a whole. Ask questions, do research and be a knowledgeable buyer.