I watched Food, Inc last night .... and let me tell you, it almost made me a vegetarian.
I believe this movie is a MUST SEE for everyone. Not really for the 'bashing'/exposure of the companies, but really, to see WHAT goes in our meats/poultry, etc and how the industry has changed over the last several decades.
It has made me want to shop at our corner vegetable stand and buy meat only from the local butcher. Now, is that realistic? Probably not.
The movie showcases several MAJOR manufacturing companies and every one of them declined to comment - which makes me wonder. They had hidden cameras in the processing facilities, so it 'appears' to be absolutely TRUE what was being reported.
....and don't even get me started on how fast food is prepared.
Big Daddy and I were talking last night about purchasing half of a grass fed cow ~ have any of you ever done that before?
If you haven't seen Food, Inc yet - I definitely recommend it! You can read about it here.
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College Bound ~TTUT~
11 years ago
10 comments:
before this all came out on Oprah and all I had been reading up on it all..and that is a Huge reason I went Vegan last year.
Seriously I have felt so healthy since I made the switch and it is not that hard! I still eat wonderful delicious meals! It just takes preparation!
I'm glad you posted about this...it is Really important that everyone know the facts!!!
I am so looking forward to watching Food, Inc. I am a vegetarian and recently turned vegan, after reading the book "Skinny Bitch." It is a huge eye-opener as to what we are 'feeding' ourselves and supposedly nourishing our bodies with!
Thank you for sharing, I'm going to watch it ASAP!
We sell beef to locals who want to buy it from us rather than the store. It's great for the consumer bc they know where the beef came from, that it's healthy, etc. I think in the long run it ends up cheaper than the grocery store too (assuming you always buy the good meat at the store).
Grass-fed is great, but if they are finished with some corn, there will be more marbling and actually increase the flavor. That part is up to you though. The important thing is that you find a rancher who does not give growth hormones to his cattle. If the beef is certified "natural" it means that it received some medications (which are necessary to prevent illness, but they are a natural type), but no antibiotics or hormones, so it will be safe for you. Also, the best meat will come from a yearling (1 year to 24 months old) beef.
When we sell our beef we deliver them to the butcher shop for our customers then they call the butcher and tell him exactly how they want the beef cut and packaged (i.e. thickness of steaks, pounds in each hamburger package), then the customer picks up the cut and wrapped beef from the butcher. It's hard to sell half a beef unless we have another buyer who wants half, so we typically recommend that the customer find someone else to split it with rather than us have to do that for them.
Sorry for such a novel...but since you asked I thought I'd give you a little insight about buying beef from the rancher's perspective. If you ever have questions about it let me know!!!
Growing up, my family would buy half a cow from a local rancher and though all I knew at the time was that once a year we had a huge freezer full of beef, I know now why my mother insisted. It's grass-fed, no synthetic meds or antibiotics, etc. And once I got older, moved out, tasted other beef... well, ew. So, if you decide to go that route, I think it's a great thing. Occasionally we went halves with another family, which helped.
I watched Food Inc. yesterday, too, and though you hear things here and there, I was really grateful for the reminder. Though I thought I was doing okay before (going to farmers markets, Whole Foods, etc.) I think I can do better, and I think we all can do what we can and make a big difference in what we're allowing in our food.
I started watching it last nite as well, have to pick it up later this week. I've been a vegetarian for almost 11 years but I seriously need to rethink what else I eat... it's nothing but junk!
I grew up on a small farm and we shared a cow with the neighbors. The cows were always named "T-bone, RibEye, etc etc" Not that funny, but 1/2 a cow lasted for a good while. I remember my parents saying it was a little bit of money upfront, but we always had nice cuts of meat. They have a separate freezer that was just for the cow, it was a lot to bring home at once!
I could never go vegan - but am in awe of those who do - i just love steak way too much. As far as what you saw it was probably all true - and that's why my parents do exactly what you were talking to C about - they buy half a cow from their neighbor each year. wish i could!
Why the "almost" - do it! If you really want an eye-opener, read "Slaughterhouse" by Gail Eisnitz. It is an easy read - she's a great writer - but it's a shocking story.
Most people want to "turn off" when they start digging deeper and deeper into the animal husbandry industry. It's really awful, really sad and disgusting.
I'm glad you were curious enough to watch "Food, Inc". Trust me though, it's such a PG-rated version of what really happens that you owe it to yourself and your family to do more research.
As far as half the cattle, I have known some friends in New York to do that. You'd have to do research on your local farms (buy local!) but they send you the meat and as long as you have room to freeze it, it's a better option. They're typically treated better too.
I myself am a vegan. I lied to myself for 24 years about how animals are treated. And let me tell you girl, NOTHING is better for getting in shape/toned than becoming a vegan. I eat whatever I want all day, but since most of it is fruits, veggies, whole grains, I lost 20 lbs over Christmas and have had to buy a new wardrobe! I don't feel deprived of anything.
Hope this helps!
I keep hearing lots of buzz about this movie, and I have got to see it. Honestly, I am kind of nervous to find out the scary facts about what we are putting into our bodies.
Guess who's only had a half of banana with a little peanut butter on it to eat all day?
Guess who is totally on the fence about watching that gross movie?
Guess who has her husband not hungry?
Guess who's tried all day, with no luck, to find good clean, healthy meat? Who knew that was so hard?
Yep...ME!
The ex-boyfriend's parents buy a cow every year. They gave us some of the meat. I couldn't taste the difference but knowing where it came from was a super plus!!
Moving on to chicken, Keith and I don't buy chicken from the store any more. When his company runs a special (i.e. buy the chicken fresh straight from the plant prior to being frozen and sent to the grocery store) we stock up on it. We have a freeze full of fresh chicken. It's yummy.
-Leslie
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