From Plant-Based to Regenerative: The Jones Family's Journey with Force of Nature Meats

July 19, 2024 Emily Wylie

Meet Eric and Megan Jones, a couple who recently transitioned from a 20-year plant-based lifestyle to incorporating 100% grass-fed, regeneratively raised meat from Force of Nature into their diet. This significant change not only improved their health but also transformed their entire approach to food and sustainability. In this blog, they share their journey, the challenges they faced, and the profound impact regenerative agriculture has had on their lives. Read on to discover how the Jones family embraced a new way of eating and living, inspired by the principles of regenerative agriculture.

Introduction to the Change:

When did you become vegetarian and why? Megan: I became a vegetarian in high school after learning about the health conditions of livestock in conventional meat facilities, like factory farms. At that time, I was so young and didn’t know much about farmers' markets or pursuing other quality offerings of meat. I was raised in California on supermarket counter meat, so to say I was horrified by what I was eating is an understatement. All I knew at the time was I didn’t want whatever it was being fed/injected into the cows making its way to me.

Can you describe the factors that led you to consider incorporating meat into your diet? Megan: I began to reconsider being vegetarian after having kids, I had two young children and I was already scrutinizing labels and planning meals to ensure we were eating the best way possible for our health. I realized as vegetarians a lot of our meals were carb heavy, that coupled with the lack of protein being providing for my kids was enough for me to shift our way of eating within days.

Dietary Transition:

What was the transition process like for you and your family? Megan: It was a pretty fast transition, once I made the decision, it was the next day that I introduced meat into dinner for our family. My son, who was three at the time, was all in, and hasn’t looked back, it would be meat at every meal for him if possible. For my daughter, who was already a very smart six year old, she was hesitant. She had already lived so many years accustomed to one type of diet, so the transition was much slower.

How did you learn about incorporating meat into your diet? Megan: Already being very aware of ingredients and the quality of our food I had known eating meat could benefit our nutrient levels and it was honestly the next step for us. It was having a new friend in our life, Emily (who actually works for Force of Nature), that was the connection for me. She was my ah-ha moment. Emily talked about Force of Nature’s values and how they operated as a company and for me it just made sense to leave the plant based lifestyle behind. My thought was - here is a company that through a friend found its way into my life, at the moment I am re-evaluating the way I support my family through food.

Were there any challenges or surprises you encountered during the transition? Megan: I thought it would be strange or hard after so many years, for so long I never thought about meat. I was surprised how easy and enjoyable it was for a whole diet shift.

Ethical Considerations:

What role did the concept of regenerative agriculture play in your decision to choose grass fed meat? Eric: I first stepped into the concept of vegetarianism because of the narrative involving the meat industry and climate change. In 2008, I read a major newspaper article centered around this very subject and how the industry was negatively affecting the water and land in the world. In this moment of my life, I chose to walk away from eating meat in a conscious effort to positively impact the world I was living in. Fast forward to 2022, I continued my no-meat diet throughout those years, but was looking in on the meat industry because of my friends and family. Meeting Emily from Force of Nature is honestly the first time I had heard of Regenerative Agriculture. The fact that there is a positive way to handle agriculture and farming opened my eyes to the relationship we can have with our food and environment.

How do you explain regeneratively raised meats in your own words to family and friends? Eric: When people hear that I eat meat again, the first words out of my mouth are ‘Regenerative Farming’. Going further, I share the story of Force of Nature and how Emily Wiley was a true ambassador of the culture. I describe it as a responsible way to handle agriculture and farming, with the emphasis on conservation of the land and soil. It is a sustainable path forward that allows us to continue to have a relationship with the meat of the land.

Family Dynamics and Social Impact:

Has this dietary change affected your family dynamics? Eric: We now revolve our food choices solely around our meat and dairy choices, with that being the foundation of our diet.

Friends and community? Eric: Following in the footsteps of Emily Wiley, I’ve become a self appointed ambassador of this ‘regenerative culture’, and the positive impact of my dietary change.

Work? Eric: Meal planning is hugely important for my day to go well. As a tattoo artist, fast food is all too often the choice we have to keep our day going, well, “fast”. If you’ve paid attention to the last 20 years of information surrounding ‘fast food’, a person can only come to the conclusion that the quality is not sustainable nor healthy.

Your future? Eric: We seek to be the impact that I came to in 2008, making a conscious effort to be mindful of our choices surrounding food.

Long-term Perspectives:

How do you see this change impacting your long-term health and lifestyle? Eric: With newer studies coming out daily, and the overall way I have felt in the 2 short years back on the meat diet, the change to my health has all been positive. I have a full day of energy back in me, with the fulfillment of each meal satisfying my hunger.

Do you have any advice for others who might be considering a similar transition? Eric: I am a “do as thou will” man, meaning, make your own decisions. Freedom of choice is everyone’s blessing if we truly believe in that concept. That being said, tread lightly and wisely, making your decision based on the meat source, first and foremost, and take it easy on the amount first consumed. As a society, we have eliminated the concept that meat is a positive choice, and to go deeper, ‘a spiritual choice’. I think that comes from us having a backlash intellectually to the ‘fast food’ industry.

Reflections on the vegetarian Experience:

Looking back, what are your thoughts on the time you spent following a vegetarian lifestyle? Eric: The choice was first environmentally driven but it did transition into a spiritual base. I found myself taking on beliefs in which I wanted to live in harmony with all aspects of life, that hasn’t changed in me. I never criticized meat-eaters, for in the back of my mind I always said, “if I can hunt it, clean it, I will eat it." I wanted to be responsible for myself in choosing meat, and I think that aspect for the longest time kept me vegetarian, not knowing where and how the meat was processed. The diet worked for me in the sense that it answered where I was mentally and spiritually.

How has this experience changed your perspective on nutrition and dietary health? Eric: Having friends that were honest with their diets helped me have a 360 degrees view of diet and nutrition. I think we as humans take stances in the sand that make us concreted in very subjective views. We polarize ourselves into camps that support our stance and put blinders on to other aspects of the same subject. I did this for a long time, allowing myself to be blind to anything meat-related. Force of Nature was a welcoming change to my diet and my health, something I think I was internally searching for without knowing it consciously.

Closing Thoughts:

What is the most important lesson or insight you’ve gained from this experience? Eric: The insight of a culture that is making the changes necessary to sustain a healthy lifestyle for all to partake in.

Force of Nature is not the only regenerative meat company, but they are the ‘vehicle’ in which my eyes were opened to a new view and diet.

Is there anything you would like to share with others who are exploring their dietary choices and health? Eric: ‘Listen to your gut’ is an age-old saying that rings true today. First, follow your own convictions, Second, do research into the ways of health. I think there is enough information out there for one to decide what is best for themselves. I honestly listened to my gut, and I could hear it telling me that my diet wasn’t sufficient for me.

What is your favorite FON product and recipe to make with our products? Eric: We love the morning products, I think that’s because we come together and share that meal no matter what. Being a tattoo artist, I often forfeit dinner meals with the family because of my work hours. Bison and beef sausage and scrambled eggs is a great way to get a solid protein base right out the gate. I want to say thanks for this opportunity to share our family story, to Emily, and to FON. What a journey life is, and I’m so grateful for FON and the change they are creating.

Do you have a powerful story about how diet has impacted your life? We would love to share it. Email us at info@forceofnaturemeats.com