It was a good 10-year run.
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| | | | I stopped eating meat back in 2013. The last straw for me was a Stop & Shop rotisserie chicken with slimy skin. Aside from being completely grossed out by that experience, I had good reason to believe that meat had been making me sick for months leading up to that point. (I found myself stuck in bed with severe bloating, cramping, and fatigue every time I ate it, which I later confirmed through food journaling.) | | I held strong for 10 years, occasionally fighting the urge to order boneless wings or a medium-rare steak while dining out. Then, last September, I finally let those cravings win. I've been eating meat again for almost a year now, and I truly believe my body needed this change to feel healthier — despite how sick it was making me so long ago. More on that later on. | | | | Let's dig in,
Morgan Mandriota
Newsletter Editor, Healthline | | | | |
| |  | | Written by Morgan Mandriota
July 26, 2024 • 5 min read | | | | | | | |
| |  | | | What it's like to eat meat after a 10-year break | | After I stopped eating meat, I tried to follow a pescatarian diet — mostly eating eggs, dairy, fish, and lots of veggies. However, in reality, and for reasons I'll go into later, my day-to-day eating habits looked a lot different than that. ️ | For me, consistently eating a balanced diet full of nutrients, especially protein, turned out to be a big struggle. I'm also not a big fan of tofu, legumes, or those fake meat products. Yes, there are plenty of vegetables high in protein. But I've never been particularly interested in, or motivated to, cook a diverse rotation of veggie-forward recipes. Plus, eating a lot of veggies makes me gassy and still doesn't feel quite as filling as, say, a salad with grilled chicken. ️ | Personally, I felt limited in my choices — even if technically there were many options out there. It didn't help that I've never been great at sticking to a supplement routine either. | | So, I found myself eating bigger portions of simple carbs (like pasta and rice) to fill me up and loading up on fruit snacks and cookies during the day. ️ | | Could I have snacked on berries, nuts, seeds, and other healthier things? Yes. Could I have gotten creative with meal planning and cooked more fun dishes? Also yes. But the truth is, I live with certain health conditions that make cooking, grocery shopping, and similar tasks a huge undertaking.️️ | | All this to say, I consistently toyed with the idea of eating meat again. I resisted the urge until this past September when I went to a nice restaurant with my partner who ordered a filet mignon that looked incredible. He offered me a piece, and I accepted almost immediately. It tasted just as good, if not better than I remembered … and I didn't feel sick after!️️ | | I continued to test the waters by stealing bites of steak, chicken, lamb, and bacon for months. I have no clue what changed, but I no longer felt that same discomfort that made me stop eating it many years ago.️️ | | So, I've officially integrated animal protein into my diet again. I don't eat it every day, maybe 3 or 4 days per week. Now, veggies are back to being a side dish instead of the main course. ️️ | | Since this change, I've definitely noticed an improvement in my health. I'm more energetic, I stay full for longer, and I generally feel better — possibly because I'm getting complete protein sources again.️️ | | Bonus perk: My menu options have totally expanded! Just the other day, I ordered a 16-ounce New York Strip steak, and a man at the table next to me said, "There's no way you're going to eat that whole thing!" I proudly proved him wrong. And it felt great.️️ | | | | | | | |
| | | | Fish spatulas for life | | | | | | |  | | OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Fish Turner | | I've always used bamboo or plastic spatulas for eggs, fish, veggies, pancakes, and whatever else I was making. I still do, but nothing — and I mean nothing — beats a fish turner. This stainless steel curved spatula is amazing at lifting, flipping, turning, and doing every other motion you could think of when cooking. But don't just take it from me. Try it for yourself! | | | | Every product we recommend has gone through either Healthline's or Optum Store's vetting processes. If you buy through links on this page, we may receive a small commission or other tangible benefit. Healthline has sole editorial control over this newsletter. Potential uses for the products listed here are not health claims made by the manufacturers. Healthline and Optum Store are owned by RVO Health. | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | *It can not be combined with your health insurance. Healthline and Optum Perks are owned by RVO Health. By using this Optum Perks service, we may receive a tangible benefit. | | | | | | | | |
| | | | A few weeks ago, we asked if you're Team Shoes On or Shoes Off in the house and received a ton of responses! Most of you prefer a shoe-less home like me. 🙌
For those of you who don't know how to approach this topic with your guests, here's a helpful tip from reader Sadie C. (also on Team No Shoes): "I purchased plastic covers for visitors to use and they appreciate that better than taking their shoes off."
Thanks for reading! Have a great weekend, and we'll see you again on Monday. | | | | | | |
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