Ethical Eating

**EDIT** I remembered a few more things to add to my list. See below :-)

Yesterday I came across an article in Earth Garden magazine. It was by my fave author Jackie French and was all about how what we eat defines who we are. It's something I have been pondering for a long time, ever since I came across a book called 'Native Nutrition' which was all about the meat eating cultures of the world. It is so hard to work out exactly the best diet for the human race, but I wonder if it should actually be based more on the peasant cultures of the world rather than calorie counts and carbohydrate intake.

With my fruit and veggie garden, as well as my chooks, I feel I am halfway there to a peasant-type diet. But I worry about all the meat we consume. My hubby is a big believer in every meal containing meat. I used to be a vegetarian who ate seafood (I refused to eat something I couldn't kill myself). I enjoyed being a vegetarian, but I really did miss meat. Nowadays, I eat meat, but I refuse to eat any poultry product that has been produced in a feedlot situation. I still worry at the conditions at our free-range and organic farms (Watch Jamie Oliver on Wednesday 23rd July to find out exactly how poultry is treated). I eat Beef, but I am aware that beef is usually raised in a similar fashion to our poultry. Lamb, on the other hand, is fairly safe to consume due to being grass reared in Australia.

So, after much thought about it, I have decided to put my money where my mouth is (so to speak). Here's what I plan to change in my diet:

1. I am giving up meat entirely for two days every week (to start with). And giving up beef, unless it is ethically obtained.

2. I WILL eat more from my garden from now on. Even if I have to live on Silverbeet and Rosemary. Any vegetable I purchase, will be locally grown or organic.

3. I am cutting out rice - the food miles are just not worth it.

4. Buy more local produce - especially the staples such as milk, cheese, bread, flour and sugar.

5. I am also cutting out packaged food. Hopefully anything that includes a number after an ingredient.

6. Change to Fairtrade. We have already done this with our coffee. Tea will be easy (we are not big tea drinkers), but chocolate will be the hard one. I am ADDICTED to the stuff. Don't get me wrong - I love the fairtrade versions. Green & Blacks 'Maya Orange' is the best flavoured chocolate in the world. But how am I supposed to give up Cabury's 'Creme Brulee'?

7. Buy everything second-hand. Iknow this isn't food related, but I have been toying with this idea for a while. By re-using recycled items instead of buying brand new items, your ecological footprint is significantly reduced.
I think that is about it. I'm giving myself 4 weeks from Monday 14th July to phase myself into it. I wonder how I'll go?