My Efforts to Eat More Naturally – Meat and Dairy

There is a lot of information out there about what is healthy, what will make you lose weight, and what
better for you. It is really hard to keep up! How are we supposed to separate the good information
from the bad? It is almost impossible. I’ve decided that I want to stick to the side of simple, pure and
unprocessed. It is almost impossible to completely avoid processed foods but here are some rules I try
hard to stick to as often as I can.


The first thing I started trying to cut out was meat and dairy from mass producing farms. It is truly scary
how these animals are being treated, let alone what they are being fed! I believe in the circle of life and
animal food chains but what farming has become scares me. (Modern Day Meat iModern Day Meat Industry) Here are some things I have slowly started implementing into my shopping for meat and dairy

• First and foremost, I have cut down on our meat consumption because of the cost of 

buying meat to my standards, and the rising prices. If you can afford it (or aren’t as

cheap as I am), more power to you, but I also don’t really think we need as much meat

as we are used to consuming.

• I try and shop for meat that is free from antibiotics, hormones and steroids. Grass fed 

for beef, if possible. If you can source your meat from a local trusted farm DO SO! Not

only are you eating meat without any risky stuff, IT TASTES SO MUCH BETTER! You really

can just smell the difference when you open the package and start cooking it. It almost

makes me sad that most people will never get to taste the difference. Another good

option is to find a butcher or deli in your area that sells meat from small local farms with

high standards.

• I try to avoid lunch meat and bacon with fillers and preservatives. 

• I TRY to buy chicken and eggs that are free range and grain fed from companies that are not so big 

that they seriously mass produced. If you know someone who has chickens they would

probably be more than willing to supply you with some eggs. Or maybe you are up to the

challenge of owning some? Definitely worthwhile if possible. Also, don’t get sucked into

the general thought that free range chickens are brown... That has nothing to do with it.

The color of the eggs is based on the color of the chicken!

•  I don’t do too well with dairy so I don’t have to worry about being too picky with milk. 

If you do prefer milk from cows, go for whole unprocessed milk from cows that are not

treated with antibiotics or hormones. I just buy almond milk and use it in place of milk

for almost everything. I buy organic Greek yogurt, which I also use plain in place of sour

cream. When I buy cheese I have started buying it at the deli counter at the grocery

store. Their natural brand cheese is made from cows not treated with hormones or

antibiotics and they never use fillers or preservatives. Our one cheat is ice cream. We can’t seem to do

without some good ice cream. Just being honest! OM NOM NOM

• My new venture is going to be buying butter from grass fed cows. It is much pricier but 

from the research I have done it is worth it! We have always been fed the idea that

butter is bad for you and needs to be avoided, but honestly, in moderation, butter from

grass fed cows is really good for you! It’s the processed butter and the margarine we

should try to avoid. I can’t seem to find this at my local grocery store but I have

found some at Sprouts I am going to try.

• When I go out to eat and I do not know if their meat is up to my standards, I try to look 

at different options like vegetarian or seafood.


I started with meat and dairy because they make up such a huge part of our diets and a lot of the meat
is beyond scary. I am disgusted with what the overdose of hormones has done in general to society and I am TERRIFIED of the repercussions of the overuse of antibiotics through our meat. We would
think twice about a doctor who had us taking antibiotics every day, so why are we okay with consuming
it every day through our meat?

I am all about just doing what you can with what you have. I am not always perfect but sticking to my
rules about meat and dairy is the most important to me. I wonder at what point profit outweighed the
health and safety of our people. It gets a little bit overwhelming, doesn't it?