The first question I always receive when I say that I don't eat beef is, "Are you vegan?".
Nope. I am not vegan, and I don't think I could be. There are some foods I just don't want to give up. But, I have began to transition my eating habits to ones that are plant-based.
Why it Started
I quit eating beef back in August of 2019. Right around then, the Amazon was getting burned. I started looking into the cause of it, and learned that some of the fires were intentional in order to create more beef pastures!!...
The Amazon Rainforest is a creator of 20% of the oxygen on Earth. So, at that moment, I decided to stop eating beef; not because I care about the cows (which I do), but because I am the Lorax and I stand for the trees. lol
I later watched the movie, Kiss the Ground on Netflix. I learned that you need 1 acre per cow you have in order to properly nourish them. That explains why the beef industry needs so much space.
It also takes about 1800 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of beef. This industry is just unsustainable.
How it Started
The first month was super difficult. One reason because I also quit dairy products at the same time. And, the second because no one else in my family stopped eating it, and I was still living at home.
I began to get in a habit of just choosing chicken when I got fast food, or throwing together my own food when I got home if my family made a beef meal. Little by little it got easier, and by 3 months, I didn't even crave it anymore. (I did slip one time, when I drank a little too much with some friends...I got a burger, a milkshake, and I used a plastic straw... I am not perfect, but I will always use that blackmail as motivation to do better).
How it's Going
At this point, it has been a year and a half, and I don't even remember what beef tastes like.
I love Beyond Burgers to cook at home. I'll even break up the premade burgers for dips, chilis, pasta, etc.. When I am out, and really craving a burger, I look for the vegan options. beet burgers are currently my favorite plant-based burger (I got it at a bar called "My Parent's Basement" in Atlanta, GA).
My boyfriend does hunt, so if he gets a deer I will eat the deer meat (it is soooo delicious!). But, I have to have a small portion because my stomach is not used to red meat anymore. I am okay with eating deer because it grew up on a grassy meadow on my boyfriend's family land, eating natural grasses and berries. Hunting, in my opinion, is the most sustainable way to eat meat.
What are your thoughts on the beef industry? Do you think you'd ever consider quitting beef?