A Meaty Issue

I have been a vegetarian since I was eleven. 

I watched a documentary on abattoirs and, having been a fervent animal lover my whole young life, this was enough to turn me off animals as a food product. I now knew the reality of the sausage roll on the plate in front of me (golly it was hard giving up those sausage rolls, though - my favourite!).

As years have gone by, I have learned much more about sustainable and ethical farming and meat production, and have relaxed my formerly fundamentalist stance on vegetarianism. I occasionally eat fish and, during my pregnancy with Tiger, I ate some red meat as I felt it was necessary for her development.

And, now that she is developing outside of me, and have commenced solids, she is eating meat again.

I have no problem with this whatsoever. Just as I would not impose any of my spiritual or political beliefs on Tiger, I won't impose my food choices either. I will endeavour to feed her only organic or at the very least ethically produced meat as she grows up, and sustainably caught fish. When she is old enough to talk to me about it, I'll openly discuss it with her.

But. Here's the thing. What do I do myself? Knowing what I now know about the realities of food production, I am aware that it's probably better for me to eat kangaroo meat than soy products, the production of which can have a serious negative environmental impact, and fruit and vegetables sourced internationally are also a problematic issue.

I should eat meat. Particularly if I'm going to feed it to Tiger. I need to model behaviours for her. How do I explain that Mummy doesn't eat animals because it makes her feel bad (rather than any logical rationalisation), but she is perfectly happy for you to eat it?

I don't honestly know if I can bring myself to be a meat-eater, but I know that to be a good mother it's something I need to think long and hard about before Tiger is old enough to have a conception of what's really going on at dinner time.

I'm not asking for advice here (though if any of you have gone through a similar issue I'd love to hear your thoughts). I just want to do the best for Tiger. It's just one of many of these issues I know I'll have to consider as she grows older.

Until then, she remains, as always, lovely.

~ Love, Miss Cackle x