I recently saw a poll, on a foodie blog that I follow, that asked how readers would classify themselves. Helpful suggestions were offered: Vegetarian? Vegan? Omnivore?
I paused before answering. I was a vegetarian for the greater part of a decade; I could never go back. And though I thoroughly enjoyed a vegan dinner in San Francisco recently, that is a much too involved way of eating.
As a mother attempting to raise kids with fearless palates, I think the label I embrace would be: 'thoughtful locavore.' I don't want to limit my food to things that don't have eyeballs. It's more important to me that the food I'm consuming - and serving to my kids - was grown and produced without chemicals, locally, and in a sustainable way.
I want my kids to know where their food is coming from...and to understand why we only eat peaches and tomatoes at certain times of the year. They definitely need to know that lettuce doesn't come from a grocery store, wrapped in cellophane; it grows in the dirt. They need to know that beef and pork once had hooves and tails. I want them to understand that eggs come out of hens; they don't magically appear in paper pulp protectors. And they have to know that the fish on their plates had heads, scales, and tails. I want them to think about their food and I want them to ask questions about ingredients and food sources.
Jake and I went for a date night last night to one of our favorite restaurants...ever. La Balena Carmel. I so appreciate their seasonal menu, their local ingredients, their handcrafted pasta, and that I can order a whole roasted fish...with its head and tail still attached!
If you had to label what kind of eater you are, what would you say? Comment below...or email me at constantmotioncamilla [at] gmail [dot] com. Thanks!
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