On Moving Toward Vegetarianism

If any person reading this have ever thought about trying to live a veggie existence for a month; I urge you to try it.
You will not regret it, and chances are it'll make you healthier and richer!

One thing bothers me about vegetarianism. We omnivores, we actually do need a balanced diet in order to be healthy. Living on fruit and vegetables was anathema to the people we are descended from, it was done because there was nothing else around. Similarly, in some places the diet is way too heavy in meat, that's not healthy either.

I think the key was in the word "balanced."

And I so agree about going to a butcher where you can be reasonably sure the meat isn't injected or sprayed or otherwise maltreated, and you can ask where it came from. I asked the local butcher where the meat I was buying came from and he semi-flippantly said "Oh, the abbatoirs." I left without completing my purchase and now buy from a butcher a few miles away but who can tell me to the farm where each of his meats comes from...

I have gone through the same experience as yourself; cutting the majority of red meat for health reasons, then pulling back from poultry because of the process and fish because of the environmental impact.

I still enjoy sushi, the odd piece of chicken, and even hamburgers, but I would say that it is only around once a week.

This summer I started a vegetarian diet. It's truly difficult to start out. I was confused about nutrition and how to make meals without meat as the centerpiece. A friend let me borrow some books with mostly recipes, but what I found most useful was the information about nutrition and how to balance that.

I honestly don't miss meat at all now. I'm enjoying eating healthier and experimenting with different menus and cooking ideas. I've eliminated drinking milk and eating eggs, but I do still consume cheese and milk and eggs when they are in some other dishes. So I'm working towards eliminating those too, but that is going to be much harder for me to do.

I like the idea of giving assignments and plenty of information to help people ease into the idea of it.

Kelly:

I was truly excited to read your piece, until I read that you're not a vegetarian. There's a huge gap between being omnivorous and being a vegetarian.

Thanks, but no thanks,

Tony
St. Louis, MO

P.S. Treehugger, are you really going to allow this? Next on the slippery slope: how McMansions and SUVs are good for eco-living.

Hmm is there a real reason why people should be vegetarians?

Something that hasa real non lopsided study done on it?

Most of these studies state about cows but do not do an equal study on the polution involved with farming the veggies and the tractors spewing out diesel smoke and stuff to farm them.

Somebody give me a real scientific reason for this.

You lost me at bully, guilt and scare.
If you want to write a series to inspire, encourage, and uplift? I'll be all over it.
Yes, I am sensitive, and I think that's a very very good thing.

I'm very interested to see where this leads. I reduced my meat consumption to fewer than 4 servings per week when my agronomy prof showed the class a table of how many pounds of feed are required for each pound of various meats.
A few years later, I did a little experiment to see how long I was willing to go without eating meat. With limited exception (my wife isn't a vegetarian, and we cook fish about twice a month), I've eaten vegetarian for about three years. I even realized that (quite by accident) about a third of my meals each week are vegan.
While I recognize the desire to make reader commentary something other than a recipe swap, I'd be remiss if I didn't point out how important Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian has been to me. This massive tome lives up to its name and includes everything from traditional dishes from all over the world, to modern fare, like several types of veggie burgers.
On the whole, Americans think they don't know how to cook without meat. I think it's important for people who want to go meat-free, even if only a couple of times per week, to have a broad repertoire of recipes, including lots of familiar dishes. It makes the shift much less intimidating and- well- appetizing.

Sounds like a great column you've started, and I like the approach of making change in the right direction as opposed to the vegetarian or else (!) tactic of some. These approaches surely shut down many a would be sustainatarian due to inability to go from all to none but also feeling put on the offensive for anything less. I think your focus on working to connect eating choices and habits with their far reaching ecological implications is key to the food revolution. With this broader approach we find ourselves wondering just how much a veggie pattie grown and flown all over the globe actually outdoes a free-range chicken in your local farmer's backyard.

I am a 28 yr old vegetarian. I have been a vegetarian for the past 10 years and I am thinking about giving it up. I have been a returning education student for the past three years and though I work a full time job on top of going to school full time, I am still a member of the working poor. I cannot afford convenient sources of vegetarian protein (sure soy beans are cheap, but cooking takes time, time that I don't have), and I have been suffering serious health effects due to a dramatic lack of protein. Due to all of that I have been considering abandoning my vegetarianism. But I am still left with serious ethical problems. How can I eat the poorly farmed, hormone laden crap in the stores that I can afford. Why should I be forced to give up my health now for my health in the future? I lose either way and the way I see it, it is equally the fault of the money hungry vegetarian food industry and the unethical meat production industry.

My wife and I read the book "Skinny Bitch" and after reading that, we have started eating as vegan as possibly as we can.

What got my wife was the slaughterhouses and how the animals "know" that they are going to be killed by the screams of the animals ahead of them. This fear and anger goes through their bodies. And that is what we consume.

We have the occasional seafood and cheese, but no land animals or poultry.

There are other reasons our bodies cannot handle meat as well as carnivores. The book goes into that. Give it a read.

It is not something you can change overnight. Headaches and such come from the body cleansing itself.

We feel a lot healthier since we have started eating this way.

Don't forget to take your B-12 though. Vegans will need it!

Vegetarian is the best thing to do for the environment, and your health. I agree the best way is to just cut back, if you can't do it at least you've cut back, and are healthier for it. They say being vegetarian is better than having a prius(and I've seen some studies where it's twice as good as having a prius).

Vegetarian diet is balanced. Meat was a luxury item for the longest time, only served to chieftans and their families up through nobility. Medieval times and the renaissance people would have meat perhaps once a week if they were in the upper class of peasants. To eat it daily is just a dip in hte luxurious lifestyle(I myself prefer chocolate!). Meat is abundant and cheap now, far different than what it was

The tractors produce pollution to make the veggies, but think of it this way, those same tractors have to do it for several years and trains and trucks bring that food to the animals to become meat. Cows aren't planted and harvested within a year. And you only get a few hundred pounds of usable meat, compare that to how much dung is created, and how much water and veggies are fed to them.

Again, I hate the veggie-or-else method, cut back and smile, you've done something great. If you go all the way, more power to you.

In the interest of commenting honesty, I am a vegetarian, and 60% of the meals I cook at home are vegan.

fyi
From the World Health Organization:
"Although two thirds of the world’s population depends on cereal-based or tuber-based diets, the other one third consumes significant amounts of animal food products. The latter group places an undue demand on land, water, and other resources required for intensive food production, which makes the typical Western diet not only undesirable from the standpoint of health but
also environmentally unsustainable. If energy intake is balanced with the expenditure required for basal metabolism, physical activity, growth, and cellular repair, the dietary quality required for health is essentially the same across population groups."
http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2004/9241546123_chap17.pdf
from page 16
although the entire article is pretty informative.

"Households across all regions should select predominantly plant-based diets rich in a variety of
vegetables and fruits, pulses or legumes, and minimally processed starchy staple foods. The evidence that such diets will prevent or delay a significant
proportion of noncommunicable chronic diseases is consistent." p17

I've been a vegetarian for thirteen years now, so this isn't much of a challenge but I do have some suggestions for topics. I am constantly on the lookout for cruelty free cosmetics (they seem to be hard to find at most conventional shops), leather free shoes that are still actually green, and the right thing to say to people who think it's appropriate or even acceptable to question my vegetarian lifestyle at dinner parties.

"Eat just one dinner without meat or fish in it".

Does pizza count? Haha

KR: Sure, especially if you make it yourself. Check out my post at Planet Green. Hold the Phone! Make Your Own Takeout Food: Pizza http://planetgreen.discovery.com/food-health/make-pizza.html

teddlesruss,
If we're to mimic the eating habits we are biologically predisposed to, we should start farming termites, and splitting open the bones of carrion to get out the marrow. :)

LNR,
Have you tried black beans? They're super-cheap and cook quickly. Also, cheeses and many whole grain breads are quick and inexpensive ways to add significant amounts of protein to a vegetarian diet.

majortom1981, vegetariansim is inherently better for the earth than eating meat because of the rule of 10.

Primary producers are plants that take the sun's energy and grow.

A primary consumer is something that eats a primary producer

A secondary consumer is something that eats a primary conusmer (etc).

For each trophic level (primary producer to primary consumer) you lose 90% of the energy. That means a person that eats a cow that ate corn only gets 1% of the corn's energy. But if when you eat corn directly you get 10% of it's energy.

The more levels of processing anything has to go to the more energy is lost because of inefficiency.

yay for Bio 101

Being a vegetarian is more than the diet it's mainly ethical (although I'm a bit puzzled that people are starting to be vegs because of climate change) which means it is a way of being.

I appreciate that the poster is launching a positive and feasible challenge which I'm looking forward to read but I actually find it more interesting and relevant to everyone here that eats little but organic and certified meat if you would share tips for the balanced diet you already have.

As previous commenters have said, balance and conscience are the keys to any problem and that is what I like about small-scale organic farming:
you waste nothing and you give as much as you take be it soil, water or animals.

I'm confused at why a non-vegetarian is writing about the benefits of being vegetarian.

BUT I must point out, arguing that tractors and water to grow vegetables takes as much energy to grow a cow is a moot point. Cows are not free ranged in pastures that naturally get plenty of rain to grow plenty of grass, well 99% of the time they aren't. Most cows, chickens etc. eat feed. What is feed? Grown soy/wheat/corn etc. They are grown in factory farms, whose industry is a MAJOR polluter.

Oh I'm sick of people questioning my vegetarianism too. I never ask people "so why do you eat meat"

LNR: The average adult only needs 2-3 servings of protein heavy foods a day (nuts, beans, etc). A serving is quite small, about half a cup. Your problem might not be protein, but iron or b12. Maybe you should get your vitamin levels tested before making any rash decisions.

If you're still convinced you're not eating enough protein give chickpeas a shot. I eat chickpea salad for lunch at least once a week. It takes about 5 minutes to throw together and makes a great sandwich. No cooking required. There are some other good raw bean salads out there, just google it.

I have a hard time reading an article about the virtues of vegetarianism when it was not written by one. Furthermore, from a purely journalistic standpoint, one should learn the correct spelling of the possesive form of 'it'.

I think most articles about trying vegetarianism are written by vegetarians, and an article written by a non-vegetarian brings a different perspective, one that may be more amenable to non-vegetarians, including those who aren't sure how to go about it. I was a vegetarian for 12 years and became a vegan 8 years ago.

LNR: For cooking beans, can you try a pressure cooker? they cook in 15 minutes (after the 4-hour soak). I cook a batch of grains and one or two of beans each week and then quickly add them to whatever veggies I'm cooking. It's pretty fast because each day I only cook the veggies. I find I'm very satisfied if I always make sure to have protein (like beans), grain, and a veggie with every meal.

CarterL: Maybe we *should* start asking meat-eaters why they eat meat!

i'm so disapointed that the author of this article is not vegetarian. nothing is more depressing than a person who knows the facts and chooses to ignore them.

i was raised vegetarian and am now vegan. i went through a period in my teens where i ate meat and can honestly say that i weighed more, was sick more often, and overall felt not up to par. now that im vegan, i run 10ks, i'm hardly ever sick, i save a ton on groceries, and i've never felt better. i also know that i took the most effective step possible to help the environment.

like ANY diet, you need to make sure you're getting the necessary supplements. if any person, meat eater or vegetarian, lived on fast food and oreos they are not going to be healthy.

check out goveg.com or vegadvantage.com for really easy recipes and information for someone making the compassionate switch to a veg diet. and i strongly encourage the author who is doing a great thing by advocating for vegetarianism not undermine it by eating flesh themself.

To All,

I have been a vegetarian (lacto) for some two years now. My decision to do so was mainly for environmental reasons and secondly for health reasons. I’m sure these issues will be explained in the forthcoming updates to this article but I might as well explain for those whom are thinking of making the switch or curious as to some of the issues for both my reasons.

Vegetarianism for the environmental reasons:
There are numerous reasons why eating meat is just not good for the environment, from waste produced by the animal to the massive amounts of pesticides used on the crops to feed the animals. The waste from cows releases methane, pollutes waterways and ground water sources, plain old smells and can transmit diseases. I single out beef because that is by far the biggest contributor to pollution from meat sources however each type of meat causes these issues on a smaller scale. The massive amount of water needed to produce a pound of beef is staggering (something like 800 gallons of water per pound of beef), which only a fraction of that is used produce a comparable amount of vegetables (yes I realize there are less calories in vegetables). A large % of crops are used to feed cattle in the US which could otherwise be used to feed people instead, most of these crops area heavily fertilized and sprayed for insects which enters these harmful chemicals into the food streams. Factory farms are just disgusting, though PETA is a little aggressive in their recommendations, their hidden cameras inside slaughterhouses warrant multiple viewings to see how a real factory farm functions. These are just a few of the MANY…

Vegetarianism for health reasons:
My father and three uncles thus far have been diagnosed with colon cancer…the biggest cause of that according to studies? RED MEAT…That says a lot right there, but there are other issues as well…blood pressure, fat content, etc. When you think about it, there is really not much in meat in the way of vitamins (beef, chicken, fish, etc.) that you can’t find in some sort of bean, vegetable or the like. The massive amount of hormones pumped into poultry have actually caused girls to enter puberty much earlier in life according to studies. Again, these are just a few of the reasons. For the most part I believe that meat is one of the dirtiest things you can eat, it costs a lot, and does very little to satisfy my hunger. I started slow by substituting my red meat with ostrich meat and weaned myself off of meat all together with a LOT of beans and such (contrary to popular belief, there more you eat the LESS you toot). I actually don’t like tofu all that much and find it’s a very small part of my diet. It’s really not that hard to do this, I and my wife have embraced it and am happier because of making the switch. I now find myself not buying leather goods (why indirectly support the meat industry if you don’t have to) and doing a little research of where my consumer products come from.

Hope this helps…any more questions you can write me at incajm@gmail.com

It does take more time to prepare meals than to go the prepackaged route, but it is worth the effort. I work long hours but still manage to make some great meals. Planning is essential (saves money on wasted food and trips to the store as well!)

Prep on Sunday for the week -cook all the rice you need, cut up onions, prepare beans - and you are set for fast easy meals all week.

Keep track of recipes, shopping lists and menus to repeat what works and fix what doesn't. You can double a recipe and freeze a portion for another time. It takes practice and commitment but the pay off is huge.

I live by a slaughterhouse so many times I have no choice but to follow behind a truckload of doomed pigs to the "Home of the Happy Porker." It disgusted me enough to go veg.

My 13yo daughter and I are vegetarians for humanitarian reasons, and so is my husband when we eat at home (because I won't cook dead flesh for him).

For about a year before we became full-time veggies, I felt bored by food. There's only so many ways to cook a steak, gussy it up with sauce, whatever. Same old, same old.

But in the past 5 years or so, chefs and cookbook authors have been doing amazingly creative and delicious things with vegetables and fruits and grains.

We eat a more interesting diet because we are always looking at new combinations of vegetables, beans, grains.

I urge the non-vegetarians out there to just take a look around and see what you're missing. Mark Bittman's cookbook is great and there a bunch of others available too.

And there's some fabulous veg recipes in this month's Food and Wine as well. There's a whole world of food you're missing out on. Good luck!

I have been a vegetarian for over 25 years and a vegan for over one. I applaud your efforts to look at this way of eating from an environmental standpoint. I started out veggie for my health and moved to animal issues and the environment.

For those worried about protein: first, vegetarians as a rule get plenty. second, protein is not the ingredient you should be most worried about. We don't need as much as you think - and too much is bad for you. If you don't believe me there are many studies to prove it. I am sure I eat more than is good for me, that's for sure.

I also laugh when I read comments about how much work it is to get a balanced diet as a vegetarian. It is important for everyone to pay attention to what they eat, vegetarian or omnivore. Veggies have a leg up in this area - and the old story about how we need meat because cave men ate it? Seriously, cave men mostly ate fruits and veggies. Meat eating was a luxury then, and health experts are finding that this way of eating does work best for our bodies.

I think efforts to cut down on meat are great, but it doesn't follow that if you eat one or two vegetarian or vegan meals, it necessarily follows that you could 'really' cease to be an omnivore and be just as healthy - especially if you're going vegan. I've seen the long term health effects of veganism on family and friends, and they are not great - exhaustion and depression to name two. And yes, these people were taking B12 and eating a mix of things. I'm sure it's OK for a couple of years, but in the longer term I strongly suspect that the body's resources run out, at least for most people.

I have great sympathy with the poster who says that she can only afford rubbish meat if she buys it at all. One possibility might be fish like mackrel which is very cheap, not farmed and I think tends to be lower in polluting things...

I've been vegetarian for 21 years. I'm healthier and in better shape now at 40 than I was before I gave up meat. Like LNR, I had problems feeling I was getting enough protein at times. Nuts are a great way to get protein if you don't have time to cook beans. I eat them for breakfast every day. Although they're more expensive than dried beans they're still a better value than premade veg meat substitutes, especially if you buy them in bulk. You can also get large cans of cooked beans from warehouse stores if cooking your own is not an option and price is a big concern.

Making any move towards a more vegetarian diet is better than doing nothing at all. I love answering challenges about why I'm veg; if I can make a few people think about changing their diet I've made the world a better place. Cooking veggie meals for omnivorous friends or family that show how great tasting food can be without meat is a great pleasure. Any conversation about the issue is a step in the righ direction.

I say "Boo" to the people who are attacking this author for not being 100% vegetarian. As a person who has stopped eating meat in the past 3 months, I can tell you that there are many reasons not to eat meat. And any effort to significantly reduce our meat consumption to a sustainable level is noble, environmentally advantageous and should be valued.

For me the decision was similar to many of the commenters: current industrial animal husbandry practices are not sustainable and are inhumane. As an omnivore, I don't take issue with raising and slaughtering animals for human consumption. But what angers me is the way in which these animals are treated, and disrespected by the meat industry. And the volume of meat that is raised, consumed and wasted by Westerners. I have bought meat from people who have raised their animals consciously, given them a life that is comfortable, before taking that life to feed themselves and others. For better or for worse, the lives of these stock would not exist were it not for their final destination. But the time they do have on earth should be made acceptable.

Any label is insufficient, and I'm sure there are vegans who would poo-poo the vegetarians on this thread who eat eggs and cheese and wear leather. I think we should all respect the decisions of each person, and admire those people that strive to improve themselves and become conscious of their actions.

'Eat just one dinner without meat or fish in it. '

Wow! You mean that some people eat meat with every meal! I would never have believed it.

Myself I haven't eaten meat for many years and I haven't noticed any detrimental effect to my health. I'm in my mid-fifties and I cycle well over three thousand miles a year so it doesn't seem to be doing me any harm.

I've been a vegetarian for over a year now and I'll never eat meat again! I eat 80% vegan meals, the 20% of non-vegan being made for me by others.

For health reasons, ethical, environmental and the idea of eating rotting flesh doesn't appetise me at all.

"I've seen the long term health effects of veganism on family and friends, and they are not great - exhaustion and depression to name two".

LOTS of people have depression and exhaustion, probably mostly meat eaters who generally have bad habits such as eating processed foods most of the time. Maybe it's their lifestyle, work etc and not their diet, you can't pin something like that on diet without studying their lifestyle. At least they aren't dying of heart disease from consuming to much animal fat.

I'm thrilled to see that more and more tree huggers are making the connections between what they eat, and the world we live in. Two years ago we were still mostly in denial.

As far as the author of this post not being totally veg - she's getting there, and that's great! Any step toward a plant based diet is positive, courageous, in fact - because going veg represents a complete 180 degree turn in attitude and lifestyle - the ways you think about food, all the new things you have to learn and do. For some people, it's easy, and for some it's a struggle. Everybody should feel free to make the vegetarian transition in their own way, in their own time.

I started a vegetarian support site five years ago, and I hear from lots of people of all ages who just realized that they can't eat animals any more, but ... now what do I eat? And many others who jumped into a vegan diet with both feet, and a few months into it are reporting mild to severe symptoms of malnutrition and/or allergic reactions - because they haven't learned enough about vegetarian nutrition, cooking, shopping, etc.

One of the biggest concerns I hear about is protein. We're brainwashed from birth that if we don't eat meat and other animal products, we're going to shrivel up and die of protein deprivation in about 24 hours. That's hard to get past for a lot of people because it's an emotional issue, and deeply embedded in our culture. Even when people know that's not true, their family and friends often don't want to know.

To help people deal with the protein question, savvyveg published a four part series on plant based protein. That was two weeks ago, and they're already the most popular articles on the site. Here's the url of the lead article for anyone who's interested:
http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/articles/get-enough-protein-veg-diet.php

Also, for anyone - from just thinking about it, to long time vegetarians or vegans - I recommend the books, 'Becoming Vegetarian', and 'Becoming Vegan', by long-time vegan dietitians Vesanto Melina and Brenda Davis. These books are veg nutrition bibles, to keep by your side and read daily until you know them by heart!

Of course I don't often hear from them too often, but I know there are lots of successful vegetarians, and the numbers are growing strong. It is the most delilcious, liberating, and exciting way to eat - once you know how, and once you realize that you don't have to eat animal products to be healthy - just the opposite!

Hi. Whether Kelly is a totally, partially or not vegetarian at all, is a moot point with this post. She is extolling the virtues of the vegetarian diet. She is challenging non-vegetarians to try the diet. She should be commended for starting this thread.

The truly pure vegans and vegetarians can and often do scare off the person who is attempting to change their diet. Self-righteous comments can be intimidating to the ones just starting out.

For the record I eat a totally vegetarian diet 3-4 days a week. I was diagnosed pre-diabetic 3 years ago. I was never a big red meat consumer, but I do love wild fish and organic chicken. After my diagnosis I started being more vegetarian and found it really helped controll my glucose readings.
Just one thought here, stay away from white rice, white potatoes etc. Color in vegetables is generally better.

Tonights dinner was a tofu, lentil and goat cheese
shepard's pie with a mashed sweet potato crust.

I am sorry in advance if this post offends anyone, but i am a firm believer that the world needs more hugs and less harsh words.

Thanx for reading. Don

As I write this I'm looking up at the previous commenter's description of what had for dinner. Sounds delicious.

I also echo Don's opening statement. Well-said. Kudos to Kelly for honesty. Not to mention recipes that are delicious, nourishing and plant-based -- and adaptable for those who are still "weaning" themselves from a meat-based diet.

If you read Kelly's posts on Planet Green, I think you will see how much effort and integrity she's put into helping her family and readers eat mindfully, healthfully, locally and sustainably, whether we are vegan, vegetarian or omnivores.

Disclosure: I am vegetarian.

You are F***ing awesome. I'm a vegetarian and I just have to say that I think grilled vegetables and well-done salads are tastier than any meat-meals I've had.

I've been a vegetarian for 6 years now and I'm happy to see this subject come up. I definitely think one of the parts you should cover is the idea of protein and how to eat balanced meals as a vegetarian. Advice from a nutritionist is a good idea.

I wish I could care for and kill my own animals.