My SMART goal is I will only eat 3 servings (serving= 3 oz) of hormone-free, grass-fed meat, per week. In achieving my goal this week I did okay. The strategies that helped me be successful were to look online at ways to find this kind of meat and to study the packages of meat, looking for hormones or other additives listed in the ingredients. Some challenges I faced are actually finding a good selection in the grocery store of these kind of meats. I think I would have better luck going through a local farmer but because I am not from this area it would be harder for me to do this. Also, when I go to a restaurant they do not usually list how they get their meat. The only restaurant I have went to recently that states their meat is hormone-free and their animals are grass fed is Chipotle. I know I could easily ask how they get their meat but many times I have young servers who mostly likely will not know the answer to this.
The feelings I experienced were confusion, nervousness, embarrassment, and excitement. I felt confused because many times it was not specifically listed on the front of the meat. Before when I have bought hormone-free meat there was a big orange sticker that said this on the front. Also, I felt nervous and embarrassed because I did not know how to ask the butcher or waiter where the meat came from. I know it is silly to feel embarrassed about an issue like this but when you have a table full of people or a line behind you at the local deli the last thing you want is to hold up the line or get a crazy look because they may have never been asked a question like this before.
I learned this week that my goal is a little more difficult than I thought it would be. For this week I plan to do a little more research on my favorite restaurants to see if their websites list where they obtain their meat. I also plan to ask my roommates, who work at a local restaurant, if they know where they get their meat from. I came to the realization that I should not be scared or nervous to ask a simple question like this especially from butchers in a deli because this is their job to know which meat is what and where they get it from. For right now I am going to keep my goal the way it is and see how this week goes.
"Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 2 hosted by Amy@Amy in the Rain."
"Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 2 hosted by Amy@Amy in the Rain."
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I think that's great that you are pushing yourself out of your comfort zone because that is where you grow the most! I totally understand your feelings of embarasment though because I blush just thinking about asking where the meat came from because Im sure the first answer will be "...The cow duh". But I think you are doing a great think by doing your research and asking around.
ReplyDeleteWay to go Alicia. I love that you pointed out your embarrassment and think that it is natural to feel that way. It is just like the person who has 90 thousand coupons at the grocery store that holds everyone up. However, I think that once you get past the initial couple weeks, you will have great ease in finding the meat you want to eat. I say go right ahead and ask. What is the worst that could happen? Good luck this week!
ReplyDeleteAlicia, I can imagine it was probably tough finding a good selection at the grocery stores and or restaurants because if I'm not mistaken they don't have to list some things on their packaging or menus. I too felt a little embarrassed but in a different way in that I was embarrassed that I didn't follow my goal like I wanted to and I also found my goal to be harder than expected. You do seem like you're really trying and that you're being proactive about changing your behavior. Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree about the embarrassing feeling! I tend to feel rushed in the grocery store because I feel like I'm being judged if I scan over the labels for too long. I like that you are willing to do more research on your favorite restaurants to see where their meat comes from. Great job this week!
ReplyDeleteAlicia- I definitely know what you mean about getting embarrassed about seeming too picky when grocery shopping. It must be tricky trying to sort out what meat you can and can't eat at restaurants too! I would definitely have trouble with that but it sounds like you're doing your best despite the embarrassment and nervousness. I'm also interested in looking into restaurants in Duluth that use only hormone free grass-fed meat, so if I stumble upon any I will let you know! Good work so far.
ReplyDeleteAlicia, I know what you mean about the embarrassment. For some reason, I used to have a really hard time ordering food from the deli because I didn't want them to think I was stupid and had no idea what i was doing ("Uhh..Can I uh.. get some tofurkey, er I mean turkey, turkey! Sorry..") Or maybe you don't want to come off as snooty. Either way, I'm glad you're overcoming your obstacles! And good job taking initiative on researching resources! Good luck this next week!
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