I grew up amongst a family of quasi-vegetarian, white-meat eating fish-lovers. As a child, my only exposure to red meat occurred at the occasional block party or at roadside fast-food pit stops. I actually disliked meat in general. It wasn’t until about two years ago when my desire for red meat blossomed - ironically amidst my Environmental Ecology education at UCSD.
When we first become vegetarian, often we’re bursting with zeal, and try
to convert everyone we know to our new religion. It’s one thing to be
right, but quite another to tell everybody else. As Mark Twain said, "Few
things are harder to put up with than a good example." Miss Manners
adds her bit: “Ideological differences are no excuse for rudeness.” Below you will find information on advancing the cause through good manners, diplomacy,
and public relations.
I'm 25 years old. I have been a vegetarian - by choice - for 14 years. I have a 1 year old daughter, a 6 year old son, and two step-children. I am no longer breastfeeding because my milk production slowed to a halt several months ago. I drink some milk, very little eggs, some fish, but no chicken or meat.
The number one question most vegetarians are asked is "How do you get enough protein?", and the first question from people considering a vegetarian diet is "How will I get enough protein?"
Withing the growing trend in the vegetarian lifestyle, here are a few top questions for those new to the world of vegetarianism.
This Savvy Vegetarian report is formed by almost 40 years of experience and observation as a vegetarian, and ten years of helping others go vegetarian. Often there is 'scientific evidence' to back up what I say, but mostly this is my personal experience talking. I don't claim to be scientific, and I don't make any guarantees. It's up to you whether you accept what I say - I'm a firm exponent of healthy skepticism. But, if you'd rather not re-invent the wheel, these practical observations might be useful to you as a place to start going vegetarian.
There are so many reasons to go vegan. Some people simply don’t have the palette for the flesh of dead animals.
Other people go vegan because of the health benefits: Vegans have reduced risk of high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, allergies, asthma, obesity, and multiple cancers.
Still, others choose veganism because they’re true environmentalists: The 400-page report recently published by the United Nations states that animal agriculture is the primary cause of global warming. (Factory farming emissions beat out transportation and industry emissions!) Every year in the United States alone, we raise and kill ten billion animals for food. As strange as it may sound, the pee, poop, burps, and farts of these animals are contributing to global warming. In addition, the amount of land, water, energy, and fossil fuels required to raise “meat” is exponentially higher than what’s needed to raise crops. It’s been said that if we all went vegan, we could use all our resources to end world hunger.
And finally, many people do choose veganism to spare the lives of animals. My whole life, I called myself an animal lover. But I never thought about farm animals, and how they went from living, feeling beings to “meat.” One day, I got a magazine in the mail that showed pictures of the “how” and described it in detail:
Cows and pigs are kept in pens so small they can’t even turn around. Chickens have their beaks seared off their faces with a hot blade (so they won’t peck each other or workers). Egg-laying hens are packed into cages so tightly they can’t open their wings. Male baby chicks—useless to the egg industry—are thrown (alive) into garbage bags and piled into dumpsters. That, or they’re fed through a grinding machine (alive) and used for feed, fertilizer, or rendering.
Even free-range animals are subject to the most alarming and barbaric acts of cruelty. There are very few laws governing the transport of farm animals, and of the few in existence, almost none are enforced. Animals spend hours overcrowded into trucks without food, water, temperature regulation, or protection from the elements. It’s common for many animals to die before they even reach the slaughterhouse. And if the weather is extreme, it’s even more common. In the cold months, animals will literally freeze to the floor or sides of the truck (alive). Workers will simply rip the animals (alive) off the truck, often leaving behind a limb.
From a health standpoint, there is no reason we need to eat animal products. There are countless atrocities in farming practices. To turn a blind eye to them simply because we like the taste of meat or dairy... Yes, the decision to be a vegan or an omnivore is definitely a moral issue.
A recent (May 24, 2007) Scientific American article discussses a new study's findings that overweight adults who were instructed to focus on lower-calorie foods lost more weight than their peers who were simply told to cut their overall calories. A team from The Pennsylvania State University reported their findings in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Apparently one of the main attributes of vegetables and friuts for wieght loss is their relative high water content. And while this is pretty interesting stuff, it just further underscores the importance of sticking to basics when trying to lose weight. Bring on the fruits and vegetables...
You just discovered a great vegetarian recipe only to find out it calls for lots of butter and cream...tastes great, but has tons of calories. Sound familiar? We know finding healthful recipes can be hard, that's why we've pulled together some of our top recipes that are vegetarian and low calorie.
