So....pink slime in McDonald's meat? Ewwww....do you just eat the stuff and not think about it? Or do you avoid it? I'm not someone that likes labels. I don't like being called a Democrat or a Republican (I have strong tendencies towards one party, I'll keep silent on that:), BUT if I like an issue, I'll ABSOLUTELY embrace it no matter what party it originates from. I'm never going to say "I don't like country music" because there are, in fact, some country artists I really enjoy listening to. I lean strongly vegetarian, but not totally. I say lean strongly vegetarian, because if you bring me some fresh caught fish or some venison, I might eat it. If you say to someone "I'm a vegetarian", they'll say "oooh, you can't eat meat." Drives me bonkers when people say that. I CAN eat it, I'm just choosing not to and there's a huge difference. I can do whatever I want and that's very empowering. While I think life without some boundaries can be dangerous, living too much boxed into labels can be very confining. I think it's about balance. Finding the right balance in life, now that's what's tricky. If anyone figures it out, please let us know:)
But this is precisely why I shy away from meat: McDonald's has confirmed that they have discontinued to using ammonium hydroxide - an ingredient in household cleaners, fertilizers and roll-your-own-explosives - in their hamburger. Oh, darn, where I am going to get my fix now of fertilizer? No, thanks, I'd rather not ingest that. Intellectually, I just can't think that the human body was designed to ingest fertilizer over long periods of time and not experience some harm even though we may have not been doing it long enough to realize what harm.
Amish culinary culture has unfortunately trended towards processed, prepackaged foods, but certainly not in all areas. Lovina and her mother always have espoused freshly-butchered home-raised meat because "you know what's in it" and I definitely concur. Again, I don't want to act like I'm being sanctimonious with this post because I drink Coke which has an ingredient list that I couldn't begin to pronounce (but I don't like myself for doing it).
So, what do you think? I'd love to hear what others think about food and ingredient labels? It's something I struggle with...am I alone in the struggle? How do you handle it? Or do you just eat whatever's out there, hang on, and hope for the best? (God bless my wonderful Grandmother who is 86 and has ingested probably everything out there that you shouldn't and she's still ticking...by the way, stay tuned for another "Amish Meets Italian" episode soon)..
Roz Winter
Why can companies get away with filling food with total rubbish?? It has to stop. I think a these chemicals we constantly ingest either through eating or from our environment are going to be the cause of our extintion. So many people seem to get some kind of cancer now, think it's one in 3, which is shocking.
I'm not a huge meat eater, but when I choose to eat meat I prefer it to be a piece of meat rather than some processed crap that is called meat and used in burgers etc. When at home we tend to buy veggie versions of burgers made from soya. Hopefully that won't do me as much harm.
Kevin
Roz, good to see you here...But, yes, I agree with you...I'm not sure why chemicalized (okay, I made up that word) was ever permissible....can't be good for us to ingest!
Keneil
You are not alone in this struggle. Food and ingredient labels can't be believed, so we raise hormone and antibiotic free pastured beef and chickens for ourselves and for sale and have a large vegetable garden which I can and freeze from. It is work but we think it is worth it.
Christy
Well yuck, Kevin...what is that pink stuff?? I am going through seed catalogs now and will grow my own vegetables for the first time by myself. Now I really can't wait!
Eva
I'm glad to know I'm not the only one concerned about the garbage we are being fed labeled as food! I think the reason for so much autism,adhd & all the other issues our kids are dealing with has a direct link to food additives. How can we as consumers stop the craziness? It costs so much to live that decent food is hard to come by.
Lisa Suit
I am a vegetarian, I have been since 2008 when I read a book about how animals are treated in factory farms, I haven't had a bite of meat since!! I do occasionally eat eggs/dairy, but that is generally when I am out at a restaurant and that is the only non-meat option for me, or if I have a fresh, local source of eggs or dairy (like my best friend raises her own chickens). I do still make meat quite a bit for my husband and daughter, but we try to get fresh sources or at least not quite so processed.
Kevin
Lisa, glad to see you here, and your post is music to my ears...totally agree with your food philosophy:)
Tiffanie
We're trying to go more natural, for this very reason. It's sad that it's harder to find just normal food, that is real food. There really isn't much good to say about McDonald's, so...no shock.
Vicki Gerkin
I am convinced that preservatives are harmful to our health. At one point in time, my SO had had 2 bypass surgeries, diabetic, triglyclerides 1200 (VERY high) and a cholesterol level of 400. No medication or diet seemed to help. So in desperation, we threw out everything. We live near Amish families in southern IN, and started buying raw milk, I made butter, and we drank the milk and buttermilk, We bought beef and pork from them, and they did the butchering for us, had the lard rendered, and we also bought produce which I canned and froze. the only processed food we used was flour, sugar, etc. I even baked our bread. Even using lard, and frying, etc. after 3 mos. of this diet, his cholesterol was 234, and triglycerides were 500, (still very high, but sooo much better)!! I am a nurse, and have had Drs. tell me the hormones that are fed to beef, etc. to encourage growth are affecting our young girls causing breast growth and menstruation at earlier ages. Must also affect the boys in some way! It is a lot of work for the canning and freezing, but not only does it all taste so much better, it is also better for you!
Kevin
Vicki....Your self-sufficiency sounds awesome, thank you for sharing! As for the health effects....I do think that all of the environmental toxins and bizarre stuff we put in our mass--produced foods would have to have an impact on our health. I'm not a holier-than-thou person that's going to push my "food agenda" on everyone, I don't even know what my food agenda is...I just think we should all be open-minded, ask questions and not literally swallow everything pass our way....again, your self-sufficiency is so admirable! - Kevin