Concerns about factory farming brought me to PETA.com where I saw an offer for a free vegetarian starter kit. I had been thinking about a vegetarian diet for several years, so I entered my information and eagerly awaited its arrival. I read it from cover to cover upon receiving it and stopped eating beef, poultry, and pork that day.
If you are exploring vegetarianism for ethical reasons, I highly recommend the starter kit. It includes information on unethical factory farming conditions and the safety of a vegetarian diet along with recommended recipes and books. If you’re not considering becoming a vegetarian but have concerns about factory farms, you may enjoy the starter kit as well. In addition, more and more people are trying to cut back on their meat consumption for health reasons and are preparing at least a few meatless meals each week. These non-veg readers may also enjoy the resources and recipes included in the starter kit.
NOTE: I’m not currently a vegetarian but was for almost two years. I found that the craving for turkey was impossible to resist when I became pregnant with my daughter in 2004. Now that I’m breastfeeding, the craving for poultry is still strong, so I’ve decided to listen to my body. We are now eating organic chicken a few times a month but still do not consume beef or pork. I am on several vegetarian email groups and it seems that the urge to consume meat during pregnancy and lactation is common. I know I was getting enough plant-based protein as well as protein from organic dairy and eggs during my pregnancy. I was even counting the grams each day, but my body had other plans. I wonder if the urge to eat chicken and turkey will subside when my daughter weans. I certainly hope so!