I am trying to move my, and by extension my family's , diet towards a simple, plant-based diet. As someone who loves a big plate of ribs sitting in front of me, this has proven to be quite the adjustment. Surprisingly though, not in a 'I must have something's flesh!' way. More of a 'how do I keep this new?' way.
For anyone who has never read Michael Pollan, I cannot recommend him enough. Highly accessible, highly relevant. He also speaks of the challenges. In North America, we are expected to have huge servings of food, in which animal protein is a major player. Removing what is in effect almost half the plate and replacing it with something else is indeed a challenge. It is not necessarily better to just load up on pasta or other starches, so legumes and especially plants need to fill the void.
Look, I love salad as much as the next person, but not at every meal. Ditto for stri-frys. So, I am being pulled into a world of creative cooking. Luckily, there are tons of great web sites full of delicious recipes. They take a bit more time, but hey, it's my family's nourishment. Stop watching so many cooking shows and actually cook; there is lots of time!
I try to use Mark Bittman's approach, and treat meat as more of a condiment. I make sure I know the source of the meat (most of the time), and pay accordingly. It is amazing how far a bit of chorizo will go.
Curious to know if anyone else is on a similar adventure. Any knowledge, feedback, etc would be appreciated.