Go Veg!
I have finally started announcing to the world that I've become vegetarian. Officially it didn't happen until about a month and half ago. Unofficially I had started giving it thought sometime in 2004 and didn't take the idea all that seriously until last year. It may seem like an easy thing to do, but not for me. I really like meat. In fact, some of my closest friends are still skeptical about the whole thing because they know how much I enjoy treating myself to a good stake or a beef burrito. Though I didn't tell anyone, last year has been a 'transition period'. The transition has been painless by following the habits of people like Nathan and Sharon. Thank you both.
In the last few weeks I've been asked "Oh! You are vegetarian? Why?" I'm not used to this! People back in Eugene seem to know the good reasons for being vegetarian inside out. No surprise: every other person is vegetarian or vegan back there. Well either that or there are so many vegetarians that the whole thing goes unquestioned. Either way, things here are different and I've gotten the question more than a few times. I have a few good reasons.
Food Efficiency
It really seems unlikely that raising a cow produces more food than it takes to raise it. I don't have hard numbers on this right now else I'd be stating it as fact. I think the same is true for most kinds of meat (with fish being a possible exception). This seems like an undue luxury in a world of finite resources where way too many people live through famines.
Health
I normally don't keep track of my health in any 'scientific' way. In my last year of 'transition' and these past couple of months I've felt better and I think I've lost a few pounds. That along with a bit of common sense are enough for me for now. I do intend to look into this more 'scientifically', though.
Specifically I have one experiment I'd like to try on myself. Is it possible to do weight-training and get enough protein without eating meat? Certainly it is possible to stay in reasonable shape, but I'm talking a little bit more than that here. Say, follow a relatively rigorous lifting programme. I haven't worked out like that since I was 18, but I think 'berto and I will try (if the profs allow). I'll let the results be known if it happens.
Animal's Rights
Meet your meat.
I'm a Food Snob
Sharon had a hand in this...
While it is true that I will eat just about anything, I enjoy fine dining a bit too much. For me, food tasting "just right" has a high value. This is not compatible with eating meat regularly unless you are planning on spending a bit of money and/or time preparing it. Bad produce can be ok. Bad meat is just not ok.
Cost Efficiency
I spend no more than $4 on tofu every week and most often I spend less than $2. Back in the day my two roommates and I used to get steaks from Winco in order to eat a steak once a week. It usually ran us $10-$15 for three mediocre steaks. Buying 'all natural' turkey breast for sandwiches used to cost me around $8 every week. Enough said.
Easier to Cook
Meat is a pain (specially if you are a food snob).
First there is the thing about storing it: it needs to be either fresh or frozen. If you keep meat in the fridge for too long it'll go bad. If it is frozen you need to plan the meal ahead of time (defrost on the microwave doesn't work very well). If you know me, you know that planning my meals simply does not fit my lifestyle and I like it that way.
If you decide to cook meat, you really need to do it right. Specially for a stake or salmon and a bit less so for chicken.
Tofu could not be any easier.
In the last few weeks I've been asked "Oh! You are vegetarian? Why?" I'm not used to this! People back in Eugene seem to know the good reasons for being vegetarian inside out. No surprise: every other person is vegetarian or vegan back there. Well either that or there are so many vegetarians that the whole thing goes unquestioned. Either way, things here are different and I've gotten the question more than a few times. I have a few good reasons.
Food Efficiency
It really seems unlikely that raising a cow produces more food than it takes to raise it. I don't have hard numbers on this right now else I'd be stating it as fact. I think the same is true for most kinds of meat (with fish being a possible exception). This seems like an undue luxury in a world of finite resources where way too many people live through famines.
Health
I normally don't keep track of my health in any 'scientific' way. In my last year of 'transition' and these past couple of months I've felt better and I think I've lost a few pounds. That along with a bit of common sense are enough for me for now. I do intend to look into this more 'scientifically', though.
Specifically I have one experiment I'd like to try on myself. Is it possible to do weight-training and get enough protein without eating meat? Certainly it is possible to stay in reasonable shape, but I'm talking a little bit more than that here. Say, follow a relatively rigorous lifting programme. I haven't worked out like that since I was 18, but I think 'berto and I will try (if the profs allow). I'll let the results be known if it happens.
Animal's Rights
Meet your meat.
I'm a Food Snob
Sharon had a hand in this...
While it is true that I will eat just about anything, I enjoy fine dining a bit too much. For me, food tasting "just right" has a high value. This is not compatible with eating meat regularly unless you are planning on spending a bit of money and/or time preparing it. Bad produce can be ok. Bad meat is just not ok.
Cost Efficiency
I spend no more than $4 on tofu every week and most often I spend less than $2. Back in the day my two roommates and I used to get steaks from Winco in order to eat a steak once a week. It usually ran us $10-$15 for three mediocre steaks. Buying 'all natural' turkey breast for sandwiches used to cost me around $8 every week. Enough said.
Easier to Cook
Meat is a pain (specially if you are a food snob).
First there is the thing about storing it: it needs to be either fresh or frozen. If you keep meat in the fridge for too long it'll go bad. If it is frozen you need to plan the meal ahead of time (defrost on the microwave doesn't work very well). If you know me, you know that planning my meals simply does not fit my lifestyle and I like it that way.
If you decide to cook meat, you really need to do it right. Specially for a stake or salmon and a bit less so for chicken.
Tofu could not be any easier.
posted by rz at 12:12 AM
6 Comments:
I think the reason hard numbers are hard to find is that is a hard problem quantify meaningfully, ie you have to show that land and feed being used for the cows could grow food that is consumable by humans (while I intuitively I think you are right, that raising meat seems inefficient). But to show that is the case seems problematic . . . I mean economically in the us, I think all farming is heavily subsidized, and I think the animals are fed the grain that FDA doesn't allow them to sell to humans-- anyways good luck looking for numbers (if/when) you find some post them, but try to make sure they are meaningful.
Yeah, the numbers are harder to find than just googling naively. I don't think it should be such a hard thing to quantify, though. There must be some sort of record of how much feed is produced/consumed every year.
That's fine that the FDA makes it so that they can't sell the feed to humans. The thing is about producing the feed in the first place. We could try to keep everyone fed every day before we start producing feed and cows, though.
I will post numbers if I ever find them. I think I'm more interested in the health aspects of this, the efficiency thing sounds reasonable enough.
Unfortunately, the vegetarien diet is NOT necessarily the healthier diet. If you are looking at cutting down on calories than decreasing your meat intake may help there. However, I think very strongly that you should never eliminate foods, only choose better foods. American diets have some sort of fear of saturated fats... it is misdirected. But since you choose to be vegetarian (and it seems you are more so than me, I chose to re-introduce fish into my diet a long time ago for health reasons) be cautious. Understand that you are eliminating the simple way at getting a complete protein. It's true that tofu has a complete protein, but there have been studies suggesting that eating too much soy products lead to other health risks. So you'll have to eat it in moderation and find other sources of a complete protein, that means all 9 amino acids. Such as rice, beans, seeds, nuts, wheat, corn, yogurt and eggs. And the combination DOES matter. In other words, staying healthy as a vegetarian is hard work and requires a certain amount of discipline and monitoring your daily intakes. I have failed at this. And so for me, being vegetarian is a poor health choice. And eating healthy is rarely cost efficient, but you've witnessed that. Anyway, I believe you'll fair better than me. Good luck and good health.
Oh, and while on the topic of healthy choices. Laura recently informed me that as plastic bottles break down they release carcinogens. (And they break down fairly quickly) That means your Nalgene bottle, especially every time it gets hot sitting in the sun. They are recommending using only glass a steel canisters.
Yeah, I'm aware about both: the protein thing and the paranoia about saturated fats. But I think it is also true that a lot of people eat too much saturated fat and not enough fruit and vegetables. Also, I don't think it is that hard to get your protein. In between soy and other beans, peanut butter, and wheat/whole grain bread I think you are pretty safe.
About the negative effects of soy: any chance you can point me to a few of said studies? It is not the first time I hear similar things, but I've never verified what exactly are the possible negative health consequences of eating too much soy. Also, I'd like to know what is 'too much'. I have definitely keeping up a solid lb of tofu and a carton of soy milk per week.
You know I won't watch my diet in any kind of 'disciplined' way ;-). Nonetheless, I think that this is healthier overall. I am interested in reading material about health & vegetarianism, so feel free to point some out.
I would have never expected it really =)
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