Originally Posted by
Machka
Yesterday, while I was putting together my couscous with apple and sunflower seeds (and a little bit of chicken) ... I had another meal conversation with a couple coworkers.
One of my coworkers grew up with "unusual" meals (i.e. not the traditional Aussie meal of meat and 3 veg) including what I was making ... and curries, and Asian foods, etc.
From what she described, they were all quite healthy choices ... lots of veggies, whole grains, plain yogurt, nuts, legumes, etc., and not much in the way of meat.
I agree with you about the dead animal and side dish mentality. If someone asks you what you want for dinner, they're usually asking if you want steak or chicken. At Christmas, "What would you like for dinner ... turkey or ham?" They never ask, "What would you like for dinner ... baked potatoes or spicy brown rice? Veggies with curry or plain veggies?
I've had people ask me the meat for dinner question many times, and every time I think to myself, "I don't care about the meat side dish which I may or may not eat ... I'm more interested in what you're preparing for the main part of the meal."
Yes, even in the rather mainstream "MyPlate" stuff from the U.S.D.A. they recommend less than 1/4 of the plate be protein (and not even all animal protein). Yet, in most people's minds, that 1/4 dominates all the rest of the plate...
And, I have found that to be my biggest challenge as a non-meat eater. Everything is fine while I am in my house -- I even get the standard .8g/Kg of protein each day. But, as soon as I try to eat a meal that I did not prepare, the first question is: "What do you want along with your meat?"