Be a Reducetarian ~ a Great Idea If You Are Not Quite Ready to Give Up Meat!

Turns out I may or may not be a Reducetarian!

I came upon this word quite recently in The Guardian; it is the name fairly recently given to people who reduce the amount of meat they eat in the interests of their health and also that of our wonderful planet. Did you guess?

I think this is a great idea … not extreme, something that can be achieved over time and good for everyone (except those in the meat industry, I suppose!) and, as meat is one of our pricier foods, it even saves money!

For myself (as opposed to when working as a chef or when cooking for my real man) I have never thought that meat or fish must be the central ingredient of a meal but rather as something that that may, or may not, be in a dish. This being the case, whilst I do eat meat and fish, many of my meals contain only a little or are completely vegetarian.

I even wrote a post some time ago; How to Eat Less Meat – and Enjoy It! suggesting ways to incorporate a little meat into a variety of meals.

According to the Reducetarin Movement they are …

“composed of individuals who are committed to eating less meat - red meat, poultry, and seafood - as well as less dairy and fewer eggs, regardless of the degree or motivation. This concept is appealing because not everyone is willing to follow an "all-or-nothing" diet.” 

Read more and join the Reducetarians here.

One thing occurs to me, however …

One cannot be a Reducetarian for ever!

Surely you can only keep reducing your meat and animal product intake for a limited time; eventually you will have to stop as there is nothing else to give up in that department!  One will, of course, then become a vegetarian or even a vegan.  

This is why I am not sure of my status reducetarian-wise; I am not reducing my intake of fish and animals, I did that years ago! I am eating a small amount, as I have for most of my life and with which I am happy.  

Is there a special name for people who, like me, just eat a little meat?  I wondered about “omnivore” but as I can’t abide bananas that’s not quite right either.  I know – flexitarian, that feels about right. What do you think?

Scott's Soup plus a Trouser Joke!

Yesterday we visited friends and their son, Scott (actually he’s one of our friends too!) aged 9, had cooked a most wonderful Butternut Squash and Leek Soup.  It was about 4 in the afternoon and we only popped in for a coffee but I just had to eat a whole bowl full of the stuff.  It was seriously good, the sort of thing I would be happy to have on a restaurant menu.  Chaps like Scott surely gives hope for the future of eating in Britain – perhaps it won’t all be bought in stuff after all.

I didn’t take a picture but it was this colour!

So, today's lunch …

~  Menu  ~

Smoked Haddock and Leek Fishcake

Honey Mustard Drizzle

White Wine Spritzer

A few strawberries, surprisingly enough

We have bought our tickets and in about 10 days are off on the next stage of our seasonal wandering – to Tortola in the British Virgin Islands (we lived there for 16 years and still have our old live-aboard boat anchored in Trellis Bay) for a couple of months of sorting out said boat, catching up with friends and maybe taking in a few rays (and rum).

Before we go I am stocking up my father-in-law's freezer for him and today I have made Chicken Casserole, Red Wine Braised Beef and Smoked Haddock in Creamy Leek Sauce. Whilst doing it I had a few bits and pieces over and made myself a well deserved lunch using up a modicum of mashed potato I had in the fridge. 

I munged together a good spoonful of buttery tender cooked leeks, a handful of mashed potato and all the little pieces and flakes of smoked haddock that fell off, or were encouraged to leave, the main pieces of fish.  Formed into a cake, coated in seasoned flour, shallow fried till crispy and drizzled with bought in Honey Mustard Dressing from my store cupboard and with lots of freshly ground black pepper it was delicious. 

We bought some very cheap strawberries in Tesco yesterday  (we're not always in there - honest!); 59p a punnet.  They are a little different from British strawberries, pointy and on the firm side.  I halved and sugared them for dinner tonight and ate just a few whilst I was doing it.

I have to say that my Up a Day, Down a Day Diet is not going as well as expected.  This is through no fault of the diet but seems to be some strange failing in myself!

As an excuse I am using the fact that I am testing a lot of dishes for a couple of articles I am writing and am naturally greedy thorough and have to try everything.
  
Oh - before I go I just want to pass on a joke I saw on Twitter ... 

MEN. Show your wife that YOU wear the trousers by wearing trousers and shouting "Look at my trousers!"

... it was posted by Twop Twips so now I'm following them in case they are often this funny.

Cunning Plan Starts Today - Bugger!

~   Menu   ~

Breakfast … nothing

Lunch ...  2 slices of dry toast with a little Bovril (from my store cupboard)

… which I served on a pretty plate to make it even more exciting!


Basically a few months ago, fed up with creeping middle age spread, I tried an eating regime that seriously impressed me. The diet was invented or discovered or something by a certain Dr. Johnson, you can read all the details (and lots of other stuff) on his site but the basic idea is that every other day for 2 weeks you consume less than 500 calories (yikes!) eating as usual, not binging, on the intervening days.  According to Dr. Johnson and others this can turn on the  SIRT1 or "skinny gene." and, thereafter, being slim and staying young for longer is a doddle.  Nice

After the 2 weeks are up (and yes, it is difficult eating so few calories every other day) you are allowed 1000 calories on the “down days”, which is quite easy, continuing to eat as normal on the alternate days.  A really easy way to check your calorie intake is to register at caloriecount.com and avail yourself of their their excellent info.

I am not sure about the “skinny gene” or it being easier to stay slim because of it but it is definitely true that eating a lot less than normal on alternate days has a positive effect on the old flabby bod.  The beauty for me, is that only dieting for 1 day at a time, if I crave something I only have to wait till tomorrow to have it.  Furthermore this way of dieting need not interfere with my social life, such as it is, I just make arrangements accordingly.  One other benefit for me is that I dabble in freelance food writing and this diet enables me to test (and eat) recipes one day and then write about them the next. 

So, you may be wondering, why if it was so good, did I stop eating like this and allow myself to put on weight again.  Well, my friends, I am Peculiar and spend portions of my life nomading around staying at friends and family and at these times it is difficult to stick to any sort of regime.  Christmas and New Year haven’t helped.  Now, with the festive season finally over (it was a long one, wasn’t it?) and the possibility of being scantily clad in the tropical sun shortly (maybe, maybe not – don’t know yet) I am determined to have another go at it. 

For dinner I think I shall have a piece of salmon with Hellman’s Light mayonnaise, salad and um … I know, more nothing!

To drink today I have had, and will have, black coffee and water.  Delish.

However tomorrow is another day which, as I said, is why I like this way of losing weight.