We eat meat very sparingly. Pound-wise, per week, as a couple, I estimate we average around 1 lb of meat of various kinds...so perhaps 55 lbs per year.
I am awfully uncomfortable with the poor quality of artificial diets/mass-production/unhealthy conditions and inhumane slaughtering practices in the US. And I don't like the idea of raising and killing animals needlessly, and using such a huge percentage of the earth's resources to do it, when there are other nutritious possibilities for my food.
And, I'm the cook.
My husband was raised with lots of meat and it has been interesting for him to go along with me. He likes to fish and several of our friends like to hunt (and sometimes give us elk or venison). This seems to be enough for him to be content with. Interestingly, his large family is very big on meat and all but my husband and one brother have health problems related to obesity and excess meat consumption: high blood pressure, heart attacks, diabetes, gout.
I am not vegetarian...I do love trout, white fish, shrimp and wild meats when we have them. I feel these creatures have had a natural and wholesome life. Once in a while, we find ourselves with extra roosters and my husband has no issues with butchering and eating them. But for me, it is an unhappy thing to eat a creature I have "known" and cared for. So we struggle a bit with that.
We use a lot of fresh eggs
and legumes, nuts and whole grains (grind our own wheat, flax, quinoa for tortillas, breads, pancakes) and also raw dairy/cheese/yoghurt, which all seem to do very well for us as high-nutrient proteins. We use real butter a lot, and olive and coconut oils to cook.
I'm sure that's more than you wanted to know...sorry!
