My Meat, Vegan and Vegetable Dilemma

I have a dilemma….

Ok, well I have many but in this case, I’m talking about a specific one: my eating habits.

I eat and feed my family fairly well. I always have a butt load of fruits and veggies on hand, my pantry is well stocked with whole grains, organic foods and minimally processed things. We have some treats on hand too but I try to not have too much on hand.

The past few months, I’ve been thinking a lot about the types of foods we eat, why we eat them and if we’re really eating as well as we think we are. I mean, I feel good most of the time but I find that I’m still dragging, still feeling bloaty and uncomfortable and not as energetic as I’d like to be, or that I feel I should be. Granted, I have two small kids and never get a full 8 hours of slumber but I think that most nights, I get a decent amount of sleep.

So I started tracking my food. What I’ve noticed is that on the days I’m eating more meat, more processed foods and drinking more coffee, I feel much worse than the days I don’t. I’m specifically feeling it with the meat. This past weekend, we had family in town and my parents anniversary to celebrate and there was a lot of meat consumption. I felt like crap all weekend long. My stomach hurt, I had zero energy and my head was pounding.

What I’m noticing is that the days I eat a more plant-focused diet, I feel much better. I don’t need the extra coffee, I feel more alert and I’m not craving as much crap.

Maybe I’m having an epiphany or maybe it’s all in my head. I haven’t quite decided yet but one of the reasons I haven’t been doing too much menu planning is that I’m trying to figure some food stuff out. The way my brain has been gearing lately is pointing me more to a plant-based diet. That’s a pretty scary thought for me because it comes down to more than what works for me. I have my family to consider too. Would this be the best for them? Can I ensure that I’m providing enough good foods for them to grow healthy and strong?

I have a bit more investigating and pondering to do but for now, I’m definitely dabbling.

What are your eating habits? Have you ever considered vegetarian or vegan eating? Anyone out there raising young kids on a plant-based diet?