I’ve got a joke for you:

A Vegan, an Atheist and a Crossfitter walked into a bar…


I know because they told me as soon as they came in.


LOL because it’s true. What does this have to do with my post? Am I telling you that I’ve signed up for Crossfit?

No, because that scares me. I’m reminding you of a different life choice I’ve made.


I do not eat meat. Technically, I’m a Pescatarian because I do eat fish. Even though meat-free is becoming a lifestyle for more people each year, I still get lots of surprised reactions when people find out. Recently, there has been lots of buzz in the news regarding meat causing cancer. Here is one CNN article about the recent WHO reports. I figured it would be a good time to explain my choices again.

What do you eat? 
Are you one of those PETA people? 
You probably aren’t getting enough protein. 
Are you trying to lose weight?


I made a choice in April 2012 to be meat free for 30 days. It was part of my 30 before 30 list. I wanted to try new foods and get outside of my comfort zone. It just continued longer than planned. It wasn’t a very thought out thing.

Let me be really honest. The first few weeks, I ate PB&J sandwiches and cheese pizza. By the middle of the month, I was starting to feel guilty that I wasn’t really accomplishing my goal. I started with some documentaries. I wanted to learn more about meat. I know that sounds so weird, but I was a 26 year old with high cholesterol and a desire to be healthier.

Forks over Knives was the first one and it was a snowball effect. The more I saw, the more I was interested in learning. I reread Fast Food Nation (and threw up in my mouth again multiple times.) There are so many resources out there with recipes, ideas, facts, terrifying pictures. You can find it all.

At the end of my 30 days, I just didn’t miss meat. I had learned a lot and there wasn’t any part of me that wanted a hamburger (or turkey burger.) I was learning new recipes, eating better and having less stomach issues. My husband had jumped on board and was feeling way better.  We added fish back into our diet after eating out multiple times and realizing that fish is a great option when you’re sick of pasta.

We just haven’t looked back.

I care about animals, I care about the environment, I care about my health. None of those really sparked this change in my life. I just wanted to try something different. It’s really that simple. But it’s cool that there are other benefits and the more I learn, the happier I am with our choice.

I don’t judge anyone around me on what they put into their mouth. Would I love it if my dad stopped eating fast food? Yes. But I don’t preach about it and I don’t roll my eyes at the table when he orders a double cheeseburger. It’s a decision we made and we love it, but we don’t expect everyone else to feel the same way.

I reread my original post about this topic which has been popular on this blog and definitely feel like it had more of a cheerleader tone for anyone considering making a change. I definitely still encourage everyone to learn more about what you’re eating, challenge yourself to try new things and always enjoy your food.

So that’s my answer.

I want you all to know that I’m beyond happy to share our favorite meat free recipes and I will answer any questions you enter below. I’ll pull together a post with some of my favorite resources.

Just to make sure we are clear: I am not a role model for healthy eating. Pizza, cocktails, brunches (not the super healthy kind) and cupcakes are in my weekly rotation. Nobody is perfect. I’m just doing me.