I grew up a carnivore and will likely remain so, it's in my blood. Hearty Wisconsin fare was what I was raised on.
I've tried eating light, hell, I've tried every way of eating there is and every kind of food to see what works and what doesn't and that has resulted in a diet unique to me and in that diet I eat meat.
I don't eat a lot of it, or a little, I try to make it 'just right'. My daily dietary intake almost always includes that which they call the 'entree', and that one containith meat.
Meat is the star, the prized portion of most entrees, and entrees are what meals are always built around, especially as pertains to fast food, which I used to eat a lot uh.... .....back in the day. There was McDonalds, Burger King, Wendys, Dominos, Godfathers, Shakey’s, KFC, Chick-fil-A, and whatever little local joint I could pop into before or after work that offered quick, take out sort of fare.
I'd go in or call ahead and select my 'meal' of choice. Seems archaic that I used to eat like this, for now I am not that way. I incorporate lots of greens and organic and have cut out the salt and sugar to a great degree, many of the fats too. I don't eat fried so much.
So what did I do to get away from the standard fast food fare? I had to learn make lunch or dinner myself. Well, making it yourself involves learning how to cook which calls for recipes and equipment and ingredients and time and to all that I groaned “Hey- wait a minit- I'm workin' a full time gig!” Cooking, I found, takes time- a lot of time (and that equation applies to your partner too, when you partner up).
I have to ruefully laugh when I read a lot of recipes where it says the prep time and cooking time are only 'this much'. No- the process is actually much longer. Because there is also the shopping for ingredients time and the dishwashing time that comes during and after food preparation which easily doubles the prep and cook time. So what's a carnivore to do? Deal with it, right?
And I did.
The classic burger, dressed up meat bar style
Oliver Sjostrom, Unsplash.com
So imagine this carnivore's delight upon finding such a thing as a 'meat bar', which I did at Whole Foods a couple of years ago. It was like coming across an oasis in the desert of carnivorian choices. I could just buy meat! Already cooked, ready to go, as much of it or as little of it as I wanted. Who woulda ever thunk it?
Being by then a fan of the low carb lifestyle, I was already onto the building of dishes around protein sources, and here was the ultimate protein source, sitting in trays right in front of me. "Hallelujah!" I cried, while simultaneously crying tears of joy. "This is gonna save me so much time....."
Now, like anything else, you can't go hog wild at the meat bar. Too much meat is not good for the system. Balance, remember? Moderation in all things. So standing at the meat bar (or, if I'm at home, staring into the refrigerator) I ask myself two questions. "What protein source does the body need?" is number one. "And what can I combine with that this day?" is number two.
These are the basic questions I ask myself when thinking about food intake. I have asked myself these questions for thirty years or more, on a daily basis, I have really tuned in on occasion and asked "What is the body needing right now?” because sometimes it's not meat but more often than not it is.
So, if I'm looking for meat and happen to be standing in front of the meat bar this day, I carefully peruse the selection in front of me. Do I want brisket? Tri-tip? Pulled pork? Some sort of assorted sausage dish they've thrown together? Chicken? Meatballs? Meatloaf? Ribs? Burgers? Yesterday they had turkey breast, in gravy. Yum!
I load up, then source my carbs and whatnot in other parts of the store, or I have those parts of my diet in the car, already prepared. Its easy and I love it. Costs me some, 'tis true, but every time I hit up the meat bar I think "Thank you, Whole Foods, for doing this, thank you thank you thank you!".
'Cuz on my way out I pass the fast food joints that line the strip on my way to work. They're still serving up their staid old 'meal's of sandwich, fries, and drink and I just shake my head at that. There's even cars waiting in line at some places, five or more deep.
"Not me!" I gleefully say as I’m driving by, while chewing on a hunk of teriyaki tri-tip. I feel like a frickin' king.