The Only Thing You Will Hear Me Say About Food and Ethics
This is probably the only thing you will ever hear me really say about vegetarianism. I just want to get it out of my system, and the LJ-cut means that you don't have to read it if you don't want to. And at the end, a vegan Q&A! And below that, one day's food intake with a nutritional summary.
I know that people have lots of excuses and scenarios and hypotheticals and what-ifs. I'm not asking to hear your excuse. I just want you to maybe think about it. Really, really think about it.
Excuses I don't want. Honest questions I will take. I have been vegetarian for quite awhile, and I have lots of resources laying around and bookmarked in my favorites, and I'm happy to inform and have civil discussions.
Meat eating is cruel. When you eat meat, you are saying that it is right and unproblematic for an animal to die because you like the way it tastes. Not only are you saying it's okay for an animal to die because you like bacon or steak or chicken nuggets more than plant foods, you're saying that it is completely acceptable for an animal to live its *entire life* in cramped, foul, unsanitary conditions for that meat dish. Your hamburger represents not only the death of an animal, but an entire miserable, inhumane life that led up to it. Because you like the way it tastes.
Let's take an imaginary man named Simon. Simon likes to keep dogs in small cages in his basement, does not allow them out of the cages or permit them any sunlight or fresh air. He periodically rounds up some of the dogs, marches them to a shed in the backyard, stuns them with an electric prod, dips them in scalding water to remove their fur, slaughters them, and has a dog BBQ with their meat. When asked why he does this, Simon replies "Because I like it."
You might say, "Well, he's a sadist." I say, "At least he doesn't hide the nature of his choices from himself."
I am a nice, nonconfrontational person. You will rarely hear me attack religions, political affiliations, dietary choices, or any other aspect of a person's ethical and moral decisions as long as their actions are consistent with their beliefs. Even then, "attack" is not the right word so much as "discuss" or "address." I have friends of all stripes and polarizations. I go to barbecues, dinner parties, and restaurants with meat-eaters. My own dear, sweet boyfriend rarely eats anything without meat in it. My father, whom I love very dearly, must have a diet as high in meat as my cats. I am the only veghead in my family. I have only a handful of vegan and vegetarian friends. I coexist very well and very politely with meat-eaters.
I don't preach, or most of the time even explain. I assume that all of you who choose to eat meat are informed consumers. And because of that, here, meat-eating friends, is what I am thinking when I sit next to you with your pepperoni, hot dogs, or chicken wings:
I am thinking about your pets, and my pets. The ones that you and I love and cherish, who cuddle with us or sleep in our beds. I am thinking about every time I have ever seen you express your admiration over any beautiful animal, in a house or on a leash or in a zoo or in the wild: dogs, cats, goldfish, peacocks, bears, turkeys, rabbits, horses, sheep, cows, turtles, sharks, everything. I am, sometimes, thinking about how many different animal products are on your plate, how many animals lived short and harsh lives specifically so that you could eat them. If I'm really intent at that meal, I'm thinking about how many bodies you've eaten from that day, and expanding that into a week or a month. And because I assume that you know about the cruelty and senselessness of the farm industry, I think that you are selfish.
You are eating the fruits of another creature's pain, not to mention the environmental impact of large-scale agriculture and the harm done to farm and slaughterhouse workers by their workplace conditions.
"But what if it's the dead of winter in Canada, or scorching drought in Africa, and all you can feed your family is an animal you hunted down?"
There's a huge difference between hunting and killing a wild animal for subsistance and picking up a bag of frozen processed meatballs in the grocery store because you'd rather have that with your spaghetti than broccoli.
"But we can digest meat, so why shouldn't we?"
Just because you are physically capable of eating and digesting something doesn't mean that it is moral or ethical to support a corrupt and cruel industry.
"What about protein?"
Nuts, nut butters, dozens of different kinds of beans, lentils, whole grains, seeds. Where do you think cows and chickens get protein? From plants. Not to mention that your current diet probably has far more protein in it than you actually need to be healthy.
"What about calcium?"
Broccoli, sesame, molasses, leafy green vegetables, tempeh, soybeans, okra, almonds, calcium-fortified soymilk, tofu.
"What about iron?"
Soybeans, lentils, molasses, kidney beans, chickpeas, black-eyed peas, seitan, Swiss chard, tempeh, prunes, prune juice, black beans, beet greens, peas, figs, tahini, bulghur, bok choy, raisins, kale, millet, watermelon, and lima beans, among other things, contain plenty of iron. One cup of lentils contains 6.6 milligrams of iron. One cup of cooked soybeans contains 8 milligrams of iron.
"What about vitamin D?"
The human body synthesizes D from sunlight. The vitamin D in dairy products is added before sale. So... you could take a supplement, if you want to continue supplementing your natural production of D, or don't get outside much. Or you could eat any number of other vitamin-fortified products containing vitamin D.
"What about vitamin B-12?"
B-12 comes from bacteria that is present in dirt on plants, which is how herbivorous animals obtain B-12. However, we rarely eat our vegetables complete with dirt. So while all sorts of vegan and vegetarian products are fortified with B-12 (any fortified non-dairy beverage, Vitamin Water, and "mock meat" products), it is sensible to supplement your diet with a multivitamin containing B-12. However, it is considered sensible to take a daily multivitamin anyway.
Here's what I ate one day last week, with a nutritional summary brought to you with the aid of the USDA MyPyramid Tracker program. It does not take into account my multivitamins or my particular brand of margarine-substitute, which is Omega-3/6 fortified through the use of flax oil.
Breakfast: multigrain toast w/raspberry fruit spread, strawberries, water
Soundtrack for breakfast: Damien Rice, "9"
Lunch: avocado, spring green mix, Nayonaise, lemon juice, black pepper, crushed red pepper, and salt on multigrain bread; peanut butter on multigrain crackers; orange juice
Soundtrack for lunch: Cat Power, "You Are Free"
Dinner: brown rice and lentils cooked in broth with crushed red pepper, black pepper, and Tabasco; homemade dinner roll with Smart Balance; salad with avocado, strawberries, mixed spring greens, green beans, and a dressing made of lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper; OJ w/seltzer
Soundtrack for dinner: Gomez, "How We Operate"
Here's a summary of my nutrient analysis. The recommended intake is based on my gender, height/weight, and level of physical activity (which for the day of this menu, was practically nothing).
I consumed 1578 calories, which is within a healthy range of my recommended 1500 calories.
My intake of protein, carbohydrates, fiber, fat, omega-6 fatty acids, vitamin C, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, B6, phosphorus, manesium, iron, selenium, and sodium from food were all within healthy recommendations and above. I consumed no cholesterol (less than 300 grams was recommended) and a healthy amount of saturated fat (9.9 grams, when less than 17.5 grams was recommended).
My intake of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin B12, calcium, zinc, and potassium from food was below recommendations. As I mentioned, this program does not take into account my multivitamin or my particular brand of omega-fortified margarine.
The only dietary guideline recommendation (how many cups each of carbohydrates, vegetables, fruit, protein foods, and milk that one should have in a day) that I did not meet was the one on the consumption of milk.
-Nadia