what about eating at places like McDonalds and other restaurants? isn’t the quality of meat a problem?
not necessarily.
the reality is that most places, unless otherwise specified, are using the same quality of meat, from the same sources, nationwide. check it out. . .
CAFO’s are Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations. these are the operations that, 10 years ago or so, got such bad press about living conditions, slaughtering practices, and so on. and although there’s been a lot of progress over the years in the name of humane treatment of animals, we still have a lot to go, AND at the same time, this meat qualifies as real food. animals that come from CAFO meat include:
- beef cattle
- dairy cattle
- turkeys
- chickens for consumption
- chickens for eggs
there are over 250,000 CAFO’s in U.S. spread throughout the entire 50 states. all meat comes from CAFO’s unless otherwise specified. even organic meat and eggs are produced in CAFO’s that are the same operation just using different feed.
- when you eat at McDonalds – CAFO meat.
- In and Out? CAFO meat.
- Pho 87? CAFO meat.
- eat out at a your favorite restaurant and order prime rib, ribeye, NY strip, sirloin, filet minion – CAFO meat.
- when you get meat from a local butcher? unless otherwise specified – CAFO meat.
so what we are saying here is this – don’t be so proud that you refuse to eat meat from a fast food restaurant, and then turn around and go out and have a steak at a fine dining restaurant, because most of the time – it’s the same thing.
don’t let perfection be the enemy of doing the right thing!
we are not saying this is the best quality of meat. but we are saying it’s acceptable, it’s prevalent, and it’s an option. don’t let perfection be the enemy of progress. eating real food is our focus, even tho we understand we may not be in a situation that allows us to make the best quality choices, it certainly doesn’t mean eat a pizza, or a pop-tart, or sandwich, because there are options out there! if you made smart choices at fast food restaurants (burger with no bun and no sauce, with lots of veggies), you still look, feel, and perform amazing, especially compared to if you consumed processed foods.
my takeaways are this:
- our priority is real food. make real food choices no matter where you are, even if it means going thru a drive thru and making a smart fast food choice.
- if my budget dictates, I will eat the best quality meat I can. AND I will also eat lesser quality when that’s all I have available or all I can afford.
- if I can typically afford better quality meat, but I find myself in a pinch, or at someone’s house serving less than optimal quality meat, it’s totally fine.
- I always say a prayer with every meal to help mitigate some of the “damage,” and to give honor and respect to the plants, animals, and energies associated with this sacrifice. my meal prayer goes like this:
“thank you for this food I am consuming. thank you for the people, plants, animals and energies that made this possible. thank you for your sacrifice. your essence lives on forever, your substance becomes a part of my substance.”
