Raising Kids on REAL Food–Chicken

May 18th, 2010 in Raising Kids on Read Food, cooking

Let’s talk chicken. Yep, read the post. You need to know. Let’s talk the treatment of the factory workers, animal cruelty, how huge companies are bullying farmers and all the lovely “fillers” that go into those juicy big breasted chickens.

Nearly all chickens are raised on factory farms under inhumane conditions. YES, inhumane for chickens, which is saying something. These industrial farms are also dangerous for their workers, pollute surrounding communities and are unsafe for our food system. Watch a fun video on that here.

What about the synthetic estrogens injected into the chickens so they can grow BIGGER & faster? I mean, their breasts sometimes get so big, their poor legs snap and they can’t walk more than a couple of steps without giving up.

Oh! And the FDA has already told us it would be safe to eat cloned animals. Geez, that sounds like something I really want to feed my children. Something to look forward to!

Hey Guess What? This is all GROSS. Common sense should tell us IT’S NOT GOOD FOR US.

Guess what? I’m sick of paying so much for actual HEALTHY chicken to feed my family. Guess what? I want others to take a stand, cut back on other things to fit healthy chicken into their budgets and buy it too. Guess what? Then I can pay LESS because the demand will be higher. We have a lot of power as consumers.

We made a recent decision as a family that we aren’t even going out to eat at restaurants that support and fuel this horrible process that has become the norm for meat in our homes. I am not buying it, even if I am in a rush, even if it means I won’t have money to buy fun items for yummy desserts. I am working hard not to buy it. This is disgusting that we have accepted this.

And you DO have control. Choose to shop local, find a local vendor that raises and sells organic meat. There are plenty of online companies that raise, slaughter and package up organic & free range chicken. Mainstream grocery stores are starting to carry it and health food stores do too. It takes effort to cook this way but it’s important and doable. When you eat the right portion sizes and eat less meat in general, it helps even more. Every single time you are standing in the checkout line or planning your meals for the week, you get to vote. You get to vote to support these companies or decide to not support them.

I want to also note and show some sensitivity to families that really, honestly do not have money to buy organic or local. It is hard for them. They are hurting and glad to just have something at the end of the day for their kids to eat. I have been there, I know. I hope that those of us who CAN take a stand DO take a stand, so that someday people with all different budgets can choose healthier choices for their families.