“The good of people’s bodies and the good of the planet are more or less perfectly aligned.” – Professor Gidon Eshel.
Okay, so I promised my sister I was done being the Vegetarian Vigilante (that’s just fun to say – I feel like I should have a mask and cape or something!) but then I came across this article in the NY Times and I just had to share the highlights with you (Sorry Laura!!):
– The average American eats 1/2 lb of meat per day.
– 30% of the world’s ice-free land is involved in livestock production
– Livestock production generates nearly a fifth of the world’s greenhouse gasses – more than transportation. The geophysicists at the University of Chicago estimate that if Americans reduced their meat consumption by a mere 20% it would be the equivalent of everyone in the country switching from a regular sedan to an ultra-efficient Prius.
– 10 times more grain is required to produce the same amount of calories in beef than to get the equivalent calories straight from the grain.
– Livestock production is responsible for 3/4 of the water-quality problems in the US.
But What About My Protein?
As a vegetarian, the question I get most often is “But how do you get your protein?” Mark Bittman answers thusly: “We each consume something like 110 grams of protein a day, about twice the federal government’s recommended allowance; of that, about 75 grams come from animal protein. (The recommended level is itself considered by many dietary experts to be higher than it needs to be.) It’s likely that most of us would do just fine on around 30 grams of protein a day, virtually all of it from plant sources.”
Especially in fitness circles, it is often said you need 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of weight to build muscle. I’m no nutritionist or health expert of any kind but I can tell you my personal experience with it. I ate well over 100 g of protein a day for a year and a half (following the Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle plan) and I did get leaner and more muscular. But, as a vegetarian consuming about 30 g of protein a day I am significantly leaner and more muscular than I was as an omnivore. Today I weigh about 8 lbs less and have a body fat % 3 points lower. My hair, nails and skin have not suffered, nor has my bone density. That’s just how it worked out for my body. Incidentally, Bill Pearl, a five-time Mr. Universe, is a vegetarian.
The Omnivore’s Dilemma
Michael Pollack in the book The Omnivore’s Dilemma addresses these issues by saying we should simply try to eat less meat and make the meat we eat high quality (for instance, grass fed free-range beef instead of factory-farmed, grain-pumped, antibiotic-doped ground chuck). “Make meat a treat” says Prof. Eshel.
I’m not telling everyone to go vegetarian – I know this isn’t realistic for a lot of people. But just try adding one or two vegetarian meals a week into your diet (or even a whole day!). You’ll get more vegetables in your diet. You’ll save money on groceries. You’ll improve your health. And, as an added bonus, you’ll be helping the planet out! And you won’t even have to splurge on a Prius:)
I am actually going to write a “carnivore manifesto” on my blog soon. This subject of vegtarianism had always facisnated me. I’ve rarely met people that are vegetarian “for health” or “to loose weight”, most of my vegetarian friends are simply repulsed by eating other beings. I eat meat daily, but not mass amounts, and i prefer veggie burgers to most hamburgers. What i sort of found suprising was that there were absolutly NO vegtarians in my culinary school! i mean, thought “oh well there must be one…” but no, at least not in the culinary arts program (i dont know about the baking a patisserie program). We dealt with only meats and fish last quarter, each week dedicated to studying a different fish or meat. We fabricated tons of chickens and fish, and saw our chef fabricate a whole lamb! I came out of the class refusing to eat veal. What i did like was what my chef taught us. He taught us that a real chef respects the food. I think he must be buddhist or something, but i kinda liked his theory. Some of my culinary peers fooled around with the fish heads we cut off and making faces with it, but that ticked off the chef. This was an example to disrespect to the animal. Its actually something a lot of celebrity chefs are “into” now. Jamie Oliver did a whole seminar on humane animal care. I am not justifying eating meat, but i do agree that you should respect the food you eat. Think about where it came from, what it got fed, how it got killed, and appreciate your blessing for being able to afford it.
I giggled inside when your recounted that age-old question posed to vegetariasn, “But how do you get enough protein?” because this morning, as I wored out, I was drifting mentally and began planned my dinner for tonight. When I realized that no chicken or fish would be involved in my b-fast, lunch or dinner, I DID think, “But will I have enough protein?” And I was a freaking nutritional sciences major! It’s just so ingrained in us – meat…meat…meat. But considering the 3 hard boiled egg whites, Fage Greek yogurt and skim milk I’ve already had before 9:30 am, I’m pretty much ALREADY fine in terms of protein. No chicken breasts required.
I’m reading Pollan’s “In Defense of Food” right now. I’m very interested in reading “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” when I finish it. Of course, since I mostly get a chance to read it on my bus ride to work, it may take a while ;).
I’m of the opinion that the industrial machine that produces most of the meat we eat sucks, but that doesn’t mean that not eating meat is the healthiest or best option for an individual (though, barring changes in agribusiness, it might be the best choice for the collective good).
I eat more meat than the average person — about 1 lb of meat and 3-4 eggs a day. To be fair, I also eat a lot more veggies, fruit and nuts than the average person. Most of the problems with meat consumption comes from eating the stuff that comes from grain-fed, horomone-injected, antibiotic-stuffed animals who lived short, cramped miserable lives. The difference in taste and nutritional value between grass-fed, horomone and antibiotic-free beef and the normal stuff is staggering (unfortunately, so is the difference in price).
Someone great once said,
“Meat should be eaten sparingly, in times of cold and famine.”
While I could never be a vegetarian, I love the taste of bacon, I can see having 2 or 3 days a week with no meat in my diet.
Check out this article!
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120122116182915297.html
Actually, here is the correct URL…sorry
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120122116182915297.html
Sarah – that’s a fantastic article!! I love how it mentioned Jon Hinds too – I didn’t know he was vegan! Just goes to prove you can still build muscle & not kill animals.
Waif – looking forward to your manifesto! IMO the world needs more vegetarian/vegan chefs, then we’d get better cuisine at restaurants instead of always having to order the same 2 or 3 things!
Comrade GoGo – I love Pollan’s books. He makes the case very well, I think.
There’s nothing wrong with “killing an animal” for food, although that terminology does sound rather sadistic. Animals were put on the earth for our use. The hungry Waif had a great point about respect. There’s no way I’m going into a big debate over the terrible treatment of animals and the resources they gobble up. Yes, that IS an issue. Thank you, Charlotte, for not telling us all to go vegetarian. I respect anyone’s wish to eat whatever foods they want. Just don’t tell ME that YOUR choice is the only correct way to eat. Are vegetarians healthy? Probably most of them are. But I bet some of them aren’t! Can I be an ominvore and be “healthy” also? You bet your little honed butt I can! I love whole grains and dairy and veggies (and whole wheat brownies, for Pete’s sake!) and I love to eat good meat sparingly–thank you, Jason. I love vegetarian meals. The whole key is balance. Too much or too little of any essential nutrient is lethal–eventially. (You’ve heard of marathon runners dying after a race because they drank too MUCH water!) There’s almost always more than one good way to accomplish the same goal. Okay, off my soap box. Once again, Charlotte, you managed to inform without preaching. I think I was the preacher here! We ARE very passionate and protective of our eating habits, are we not? Especially those of use who are also passionate about our “health” (there’s that word again!).
“Animals were put on the planet for our use”? Really? Where did that info come from? I eat meat a couple of times per month and don’t think that there is anything wrong with killing for food. But I think that saying that “animals are here for our disposal is a bit of a “strong” statement. I don’t think any of us would stand a chance against a hungry Lion, Tiger, or Bear…oh my!
I am also reading “In defence of food” and my family and I are in the process of changing our diet. We realized that the processed stuff that we were giving to our kids wasn’t even food and they are using this to grow with!
I luckily get to talk with Charlotte and get great ideas and places to get the good stuff. Will let you know how it affects our family expecially my third child. We are going to see if it will help with her behavior!
Candice
Sarah, “Oh, my”, indeed! While I was talking about domestic chikens and cows, and fish from the sea, I never imagined someone conjuring up an image of me in a jeep on a safari with the next Crocodile Hunter trying to bring down a wild tiger–for dinner! My bad! I never said they were here for our “disposal”. That IS harsh. Sorry to offend.
“Drink no liquor, and they eat But a very little meat; They are seeking to be great and good and wise.” -Eliza R. Snow in the Hymn In Our Lovely Deseret
When my husband was singing this the other day I had to laugh at that part. While we try in our family to eat meat sparingly I really don’t see it as a church wide practice. I try to stick to the rule of only serving meat in one of the daily meals. So, if we eat eggs for breakfast we skip it for lunch and dinner.