My grandmother and I. Do we look alike?

Typically for Christmas or Thanksgiving I make my own little dishes that I can quietly eat while everybody else eats the “main” course. This year however my mom rented a house for all our family to share in Carmel, California. It was a great way to spend Christmas … a block from the beach … with beautiful views. Yet there is always the touchy subject of food.

My family has a long tradition of making pork tamales for Christmas dinner. Of course for the last seven years I have not participated in this tradition. Instead I munch on some salad or bread and try not to make an issue about not eating the tamales. For Hispanic families, tamales are a BIG deal. My 91-year-old grandma spends days preparing the masa and then my mom and step-dad go to her house and help make a zillion tamales assembly-line style. I get that tradition is important. I absolutely do. But if I asked why the tamales have pork in them, the answer would likely be “because it’s always been done that way”.

This year I felt adamant about not being left out of our family tradition. I really wanted to learn how to make tamales from my grandma. Long before our Carmel get-together, I broached the subject of making vegan tamales with both my mom and my grandma. This caused quite the uproar. I heard many excuses about why we couldn’t make tamales at the beach house or how they just wouldn’t be good with vegetables, etc. But I pressed on. After all I am part of this family and I want to be part of our traditions. Finally, my grandma agreed to teach me how to make tamales with VEGETABLES!

My grandmother and I cooking tamales.

I was so excited, I could not wait for our cooking session! I found this great vegetarian tamale recipe from razzle dazzle recipes. It sounded delicious with edamame, corn, zucchini. We spent an afternoon cooking the vegetables and assembling the tamales. My grandma showed me exactly how to spread the masa in the corn husks, how to fold the tamales exactly right so they don’t fall apart, and how to cook them in a steamer. It’s a day I will never forget.

Now here’s the best part. When it came time for dinner, we served both the pork tamales and the vegetarian tamales. I didn’t bring out many of the veggie version because I assumed most of my other family members wouldn’t be interested. But they were! Practically everyone tried the vegan version and several asked for seconds. I couldn’t believe it! I was so happy to spend the day with my grandma and absorbing her 90+ years of experience making tamales. I’m even happier to think that perhaps I’ve changed the family tradition just enough to accommodate those of us who prefer compassionate food choices.

During this holiday season, I know it can be tough to be vegan. Remember why you have chosen to live this way. Is it for the animals, the planet or for your health? Any and all of those are great reasons to bring your vegan message to your friends and family who may not think about how their holiday traditions effect animals, the planet, and their health. How can you help others make compassionate food choices?

Cheers to making new traditions!

The Hickman Family earns millions of dollars ever year from caged chickens.

No so long ago I had the unique privileged of meeting Glenn and Clint Hickman. They are brothers that run Hickman Family Farms, a massive egg producing company in Arizona. A group of us had gathered with our fearless leader, Kerri from the Humane Society of the United States, to come up with a plan that encourages restaurants to not use eggs from chickens kept in battery cages. I guess the Hickman brothers were a bit nervous (or just curious, who knows) about what it is we might do to jeopardize their business. While you might think that we were throwing eggs at each other (ha, ha!) we actually had a rather civil debate. And it was fascinating!

I was riveted because Glenn Hickman confirmed all my greatest fears about the egg industry. I have read many things about chickens being kept in tiny cages where they can’t spread their wings, being forced to produce eggs in unnatural quantities, and then killed at a young age when they are no longer able to produce the product valued so highly by their owner. Glenn substantiated all this and more. And he continually claims that he “loves his chickens.” Hmmmm … I use the term love a bit differently.

Here’s what else Glenn Hickman taught me …

• Hickman Family Farms has about 4,000,000 (four million!) caged egg laying hens. They have 400,000 (four hundred thousand) cage free hens.
• Chickens are raised in a hatchery … usually a separate operation from the egg producing facility. The chicks are incubated and hatched at the hatchery. Then the females are sold to egg producers like Hickman Family Farms.
• 

  These are male chicks that were spared from the macerator only to be thrown into a dumpster alive. This photo is not from Hickman Family Farms.

  As in the dairy industry, males are not valued in the egg laying industry. What happens to them is equally as horrible as what happens to baby male cows used for veal. Baby male chickens are fed to a macerator (something like a wood chipper) just hours after they are hatched. They are GROUND UP ALIVE just because they were born male and not female.

• The females get to act like somewhat normal chickens for a few days albeit being kept in tightly packed quarters. Then when they reach 7 days old, the tips of their beaks are cut off without anesthesia. Why? So when they move to the small confined battery cages, they don’t peck each other to death!
• When they do move to their permanent home, the female chickens are provided approximately 67 square inches of space to live in for the two years of their egg producing life. If you hold out a regular 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper, the allotted space would be smaller than that very piece of paper.
• The chickens live on “floors” that are stacked from ground to ceiling! In some cases the birds have conveyor belts under the cages so that their poo is carried away from their living area. In other cases, the poo literally falls from the top floor to the bottom, landing on tens of thousands of chickens on the way down.
• 

  This are hens living in typical battery cages. This photo was not taken at Hickman Family Farms.

  The Hickman “barns” in Arizona have about 200,000 chickens in them. Can you imagine? 200,000? To give you some perspective, about 70,000 students attend Arizona State University and it is one of the largest in the country!

• 1,100,000 (1.1 million!) eggs are shipped from Hickman’s Family Farms EVERY 24 HOURS!
• After laying eggs for two years, the Hickman employees come around with a gas cart. I imagine something like an ice cream cart but one that ends in finality for the chicken. They are dumped into the cart 20 at a time and gassed to death.
• And you might think their flesh is used for chicken breast but in fact it is not. Their bodies are ground up as “green waste” and used as compost that Hickman’s sells for more profit. Their breasts are not as “tasty” as the fryer chickens used for food.

Wow, I say to Glenn and Clint. Wow! Is this what you call love? You see I love my dogs and I would never ever put baby boy puppies in a wood chipper. I would never keep my dogs in a cage so small they can’t turn around. If I did put all four in a tiny area for their entire lives and let them shit all over each other, they would indeed kill each other. To prevent that though I would never, ever cut off their teeth without anesthesia. And I would never, ever put them in a “gas truck” when they are two years old just because they couldn’t produce something I could sell to something else.

You see my dogs don’t produce anything of value to society but they give me uncompromising devotion and constant companionship, they keep my house safe, and they are always good for a hug. That’s it. In return, I let them live a fulfilling happy life as they are meant to. That is what I call “love”.

When I asked Glenn why the chickens can’t be housed in a way that is more comfortable for them, he replied, “It’s economics.”

Glenn filled me in on one other detail that did in fact horrify me. USDA inspection of egg laying facilities is optional. What, I say? Optional? It is optional for farmers to have the USDA inspect their facilities. My friends I ask you … what has your government done for you lately? If they can not ensure food safety, then what the hell are they doing over there in Washington D.C.

If you find any of this information doubtful, take a look for yourself at www.hickmanseggs.com. Clint is featured with Mike Rowe on Dirty Jobs. They actually show the inside of a chicken barn, caged chicken and the way in which they have to discard of thousands of pounds of poo every day.

My friends, an egg is not just an egg. We’ve been taught to eat them because they are a cheap source of protein. But think of the suffering another living being has endured just so someone could eat the byproduct of their reproduction cycle for breakfast? Those eggs aren’t looking so delicious after all.

Don’t miss Part 1: Why Go Vegetarian, Part 2: How to Become Vegetarian, and Part 3: Vegetarian Nutrition.

Gene Baur from Farm Sanctuary speaking at an event.

This five part series has been dedicated to helping people make the transition from an animal-based diet to a plant-based diet. I’ve covered why go vegetarian, how to become vegetarian, and vegetarian nutrition. Now I’m going to tackle one of the social components in part 4:  speaking vegetarian. It might sound funny to think you need to talk a certain way to be vegetarian but truthfully, as you begin to make this shift, you will notice that people treat you differently. They ask you strange questions. And it’s helpful to have some standard responses. In this post I will give you ideas about how to respond to people who have genuine questions and people who are just being idiots.

As Carol J Adams, author of the book Living Among Meat Eaters, said to VegNews magazine in the October 2009 issue, “Until a vegan or vegetarian enters the room, people don’t see themselves as meat-eaters. They are merely ‘eaters,’ and it is we vegans who have made them aware of what they are doing. Often this is discomforting.”

Following are some of the questions I am asked quite often. Responses are offered for your amusement and preparation for times when you too are confronted about your vegetarian choices. Remember, these are just my ideas here. I’m not telling you what to say. You have a brain to think for yourself. If you have better, funnier, more appropriate answers, please share them in the comments section below … we can all learn from each other.

Q1: Why are you vegetarian/vegan?

• A1-a: Plants don’t scream.
• A1-b: To lessen the suffering of people and animals on our planet.
• A1-c: So I can live to see the future. Don’t you know that factory farming creates more harmful green house gas emissions than the entire transportation industry? And, more than half of all the water consumed in the U.S. is used to raise animals for food. If we don’t stop eating meat, we won’t have a planet to live on.
• A1-d: For my health. Animal products have been shown to cause cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and many other health problems. By eating a plant-based diet, I lessen my chances of dying prematurely from preventable diseases.

Q2: What’s wrong with eating a big juicy steak … nom, nom, nom?

• A2-a: Um, it bleeds. Where do you think that blood comes from?
• A2-b: Farmed animals today are sick. These sick cows produce diseased and bacteria-laden flesh that even industry standards call ‘unhealthful’. (Thank you Michael Greger, MD!)
• A2-c: Taking a life is a very serious thing, you better have a damn good reason. (Thank you Isa Chandra Moskowitz!)
• A2-d: If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be a vegetarian. (Thank you Paul McCartney!)

Q3: What do you eat? Pasta and salad?

• A3-a: Becoming vegetarian opened up a whole new world of food to me. I eat a greater variety of food now than I did when I ate meat.
• A3-b: There are a zillion more varieties of plants and grains than there are food animals. The diversity of food is in the plants, not the meats.
• A3-b: There are many alternatives to eating meat that are better for your health including tempeh, tofu, and seitan.
• A3-c: For more on this topic, see the post How to Become Vegetarian.

Q4: Weren’t humans meant to eat meat?

• A4-a: Just because we can, it doesn’t mean we should. (Thank you Colleen Patrick-Goudreau!)
• A4-b: Perhaps, yes, humans can digest meat but that doesn’t mean we have to. We have evolved to a place where we can make conscious decisions about what we eat. I choose consciously not to eat dead animal flesh.
• A4-c: In caveman times, people sustained primarily on plants. Meat was caught and eaten sparingly. In this day and age, we have flipped that idea on it’s head. To produce the amount of meat people are eating today, animals, humans and the environment are subject to extreme suffering.

Q5: What’s wrong with drinking milk or eating cheese? The cows aren’t killed.

• A5-a: Only female cows produce milk. What do you think happens to the male calves? They are sold for veal. This means they are kept in tiny crates, chained by the neck, and unable to move for several weeks before they are slaughtered for their baby flesh.
• A5-b: By supporting the dairy industry, you are supporting the veal industry. I would rather not inflict pain and suffering on baby calves when they have done nothing to harm me.
• A5-c: Dairy cows are constantly impregnated so they can produce milk which was meant for their babies. But they are not allowed to give their milk to those babies. Humans drink it instead. Doesn’t that seem a bit odd?
• A5-d: For humans, drinking cow’s milk has been linked to heart disease, some types of cancer, diabetes, and even osteoporosis, the very disease that the dairy industry claims its products are supposed to prevent!

Q6: The bible says humans are supposed to eat animals because they have no souls.

• A6-a: There are several passages in the bible that state animals can seek redemption just as humans can. These are a few: (Revelation 5:8-13), (Romans 8:19), (Romans 8:21).
• A6-b: I don’t think humans have ’souls’ as you define it either, but I’m still against cannibalism. (Thank you Kipp Lanning!)
• A6-c: Regardless of whether or not you think animals have souls, why do you want to intentionally cause pain and suffering to animals that have done absolutely nothing to harm you when you don’t have to?
• A6-d: Adam and Eve were vegetarian in the Garden of Eden before they sinned.
• A6-e: For more on this topic, see the post Do Animals Have Souls?

Q7: Aren’t there laws that protect farmed animals?

• A7-a: Sadly there are not many laws to protect farm animals or even the people who eat them.
• A7-b: The atrocities committed against farm animals would be illegal if dogs or cats were the victims and yet much of the time, these farm animals are just as smart and sentient as the dogs and cats we treat as family members.

Q8: What if scientists breed pigs so that they don’t feel pain? Then would you think it’s ok to eat them.

• A8-a: No. Just because an animal can’t feel physical pain it doesn’t mean they don’t suffer psychologically from inhumane living conditions and separation from their natural social groups.
• A8-b: If scientists can spend so much time and money figuring out how to breed pigs that don’t feel pain, they could better spend that time coming up with an artificial meat that has the benefits of pork without the harmful effects. That would be even better for humans and there would be no animal suffering.
• A8-c: If scientists can genetically modify pigs so that they don’t feel pain, what else are they modifying? It sounds like weird science to me and I would rather put non-genetically-modified foods into my body. Who knows what effects the genetic modification will have on the humans that eat the pigs.

Q9: Don’t you care about people? There are so many people suffering, how can we care about the animals?

• A9-a: I do care about people. Factory farming is not only inhumane to the animals but the industry is inherently awful to the human workers as well.
• A9-b: I do care about people which is why I promote vegetarianism for health reasons. Studies show that vegetarians have less incidence of preventable diseases like heart disease, obesity, and some cancers.
• A9-b: Who gives a rip about people. The animals have done nothing to cause us pain and suffering. It’s not right that we should impose our harsh treatment on them by making them pay for our gluttony with their lives.

Q10: Plants are able to chemically respond to their environment and stimuli. Your vegetables have feelings too.

• A10-a: At this time there have been no studies to prove that plants are sentient beings … meaning that they are not capable of feeling pain, sorrow, joy, love, loss, and happiness. If there comes a time when that is proven to be true, I will make different choices then.
• A10-b: I will watch my vegetables harvested and brought to table if you watch your chicken, cow or pig ‘harvested’ and brought to table. Then you can decide which one you feel better about eating. (Thank you Lacy!)
• A10-c: Wouldn’t you agree that there is a fundamental difference between tearing up a head of lettuce and slitting a live chicken’s throat or removing the skin of a cow while it’s still alive?
• A10-d: The ability to feel pain requires a brain, a central nervous system, and pain receptors. All mammals, birds, and fish have these things; plants do not. Animals feel pain, just as we do. As far as we know, plants don’t.

One thing you must remember is that some people will never, ever change. Instead of wasting your energy being frustrated with those people, move on. If a person is relentless in “attacking” you about your choices, stay calm. Don’t fight back. Simply say, something along these lines. “I choose this life because it is what feels right to me. If you feel ok about the choices you make, then we agree to disagree.” There is really no point in getting into it with them. They likely don’t even care what you have to say, they’re just trying to rile you up. Be the bigger person and know that you are living a life that makes you feel good and in a way that shows respect for others.

There are many people out there with open minds that are looking for inspiration to change. You can be that inspiration simply by being a positive role model. Go forth and inspire …

Don’t miss Part 1: Why Go Vegetarian and Part 2: How to Become Vegetarian

So far in this series that is meant to help people transition to a plant-based diet, I’ve talked about the many reasons why it’s a good idea to become vegetarian for your health, the planet, and animals. I’ve also explained how to take those first steps to become vegetarian with easy meat and dairy substitutes. Now it’s time to talk about how to be a healthy vegetarian.

About Vegetarian Nutrition

Let me preface by saying that I am not a doctor, nor am I a nutritionist or any other type of health care professional. What I am is an avid-reading vegan that wants to be healthy. People ask me all the time what I do for protein or calcium. That’s the reason why I’m sharing this information with you. If you have specific concerns or questions, go see your doctor … and if they tell you to eat meat … find another one! That said, let’s get started.

There are some things – essential vitamins and nutrients – that all people need to be concerned with in their diets. However most people (albeit wrongly) assume they are getting all their essential vitamins and nutrients in an animal-based diet. By choosing a plant-based diet, I think it’s important to understand what foods actually fuel your body and which are total crap. Americans like to eat a lot of crap. Don’t let yourself be one of them! I know it’s kind of shocking but you don’t need to consume mass quantities of high-fructose corn syrup or carb up on pasta every night. There are other options.

A few months ago a good friend of mine, Mireille, decided to go vegetarian. She watched Earthlings and that was enough for her. She didn’t want to touch meat again. But she’s a busy woman with a career and kids who relied on fast food prior to becoming vegetarian. She was not an avid cook. She turned to pasta and baked potatoes to fill her meat void. But she gained weight in no time so I had to have a little nutritional intervention with her. There are other foods out there. Pasta is not the only vegetarian food on this planet! For some easy substitutes, see the post on How to Become Vegetarian. What Mireille, myself and many others didn’t realize is that we need certain vitamins and nutrients to feel good.

According to Dr. Michael Greger, the following is a guide for optimum vegan nutrition. Each of these micronutrients are of utmost importance:

Vitamin B-12

Vitamin B-12 is needed for cell division and blood formation. Plants do not contain vitamin B-12.¹ We only need 2,000mcg each week. This is a very small amount but a lack of B-12 can lead to anemia and irreversible nerve damage. So it is important to look for vitamin B-12 fortified foods like soy milk or cereal or to take a B-12 supplement. Vitamin B-12 deficiency isn’t just a vegan problem. There are a whole lot of meat-eating American suffering from this condition which is a growing area of concern for the health community.² So get your B-12! It’s easy and painless. I take a couple drops of UltraPlan mega B-12 once a week.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids are important in preventing heart disease, depression and other health conditions.³ They are also thought to be an important brain nutrient for concentration and clarity. To not go all scientific on you … basically we need Omega-3s and our body can’t produce enough of them so we should make sure to eat some. Dr. Greger recommends 250-500mg daily of algae-derived DHA. Non vegans get Omega-3s from seafood, dairy and eggs. For an explanation why its a bad idea to get your Omega-3s from fish, see the post on Rethinking Fish Consumption. For a better way to get Omega-3s, you can find them in flaxseed, canola oil, soy products, hemp products, and walnuts as well as some leafy green vegetables. I eat at least a tablespoon of flaxseed every morning in a shake and take one Spectrum Vegetarian DHA capsule each day.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D helps the body store the right amount of calcium and phosphorus in your blood—these are the 2 nutrients that work together to make your bones strong.⁴ If you don’t get enough vitamin D, you are more susceptible to osteoporosis and rickets. There are also side effects to having too much Vitamin D. The great thing about Vitamin D, is that your very own body can produce it with a little help from the sun. If you get 10-15 minutes of sunshine three times a week, that’s sufficient. For those of us in Arizona, this is not a problem! For those of you in Alaska, listen up. Make sure you get 5-15 mcg/day in a vitamin supplement.⁵

Calcium

Calcium is a mineral and it’s important. Here’s why. It keeps our bones strong, nerves and muscles functioning, and blood clotting.⁶ I would say it’s pretty important. You should eat 600mg per day. Most people think that calcium comes from cows’ milk and cheese. Yea but it also comes with blood and puss! Some better sources of calcium include calcium-fortified soy milk, tofu, soybeans, broccoli, collard greens, kale, and other green veggies. For a more specific list see the post Vegetarian Calcium Sources.

Iodine

Iodine is thought to prevent breast cancer and fibrocystic breast disease and to remove toxic chemicals from our bodies. And just like with the other nutrients, Americans are coming up short. Our iodine intake is way low and this lack of iodine has been found to cause goiter, hypothyroidism, mental retardation, and physical deformities.⁷ Don’t worry! You can get iodine very easily by adding a little iodized salt to your foods. Grocery stores sell a lot of salt that does not have iodine in it so make sure your salt is iodized. Dr. Greger and Dr. Miller recommend eating 150mcg per day. You can also eat too much iodine so go easy with that salt shaker and stick to the recommended amount.

Iron

Iron is important because it carries oxygen to all parts of the body. What would you do without oxygen? Um, you wouldn’t be around for very long. Lack of iron has been shown to reduce work capacity, endurance, intellectual performance, and infection resistance.⁸ Never fear, all you have to do is eat plenty of beans and dark green vegetables.  According to Dr. Mangels, “Dried beans and dark green leafy vegetables are especially good sources of iron, even better on a per calorie basis than meat.”⁹ For vegetarians that eat crap, getting enough iron is likely a problem. So trade that diet soda for soy milk and those potato chips for broccoli and lentils. You’ll be much better off, I promise.

Protein

People quite frequently ask me about protein. First of all I think Americans are way to obsessed with protein. I guess we can thank Dr. Atkins for that … ahem … yet do I need to mention that he died of obesity and heart disease? So many people ask me about protein that I became quite concerned myself and since have read several sources that say roughly the same thing. Adult men need about 56 grams a day. Adult women need about 46 grams a day. This is a guide for people that are normal like me. Not for extreme athletes or pregnant women.

If you don’t get enough protein, it could mean danger for your muscles, bones, and cells. Now of course most people think protein comes from dead animals. But there are so many other great sources like: quinoa, beans, soy, and nuts. The Cornell China study suggests that plant-based proteins are healthier than those from animals.¹⁰ Here’s what I do to start my day off right. I make a big shake with a couple scoops of GenSoy protein powder. Combined with fruit, flaxseed, and one cup of soy milk, I have over 20 grams of protein just at breakfast. Then I make sure after lunch I have a handful (just one handful … don’t get carried away) of nuts. That’s another 10 grams of protein. Then I assume that my other meals more than cover the remaining 16 grams of protein needed. Pretty much all meals have some protein in them. If you’re curious about just how much protein foods have, see the resources section below.

Multi-Vitamins for Vegetarian Nutrition

While I have suggested some specific vitamins and food sources to optimum nutrition, you may also want to consider taking a multi-vitamin. As a former weight watcher’s participant, I will re-iterate their recommendation which is to take a multi-vitamin that limits the serving amount of each item to 100%. Some multi-vitamins say silly thing like 1,000% of your daily intake for a certain item. This is just ridiculous. All you need is 100% so try to find a multi-vitamin that sticks to the recommended amounts at 100%. Personally I like the Whole Foods 365 Adult Multi which I take once a day.

Resources for Vegetarian Nutrition

Now that you are armed with all of this powerful information about how to live a healthy vegan life, you may be wondering, how to find out exactly how much iron is in a piece of broccoli. Dr. Reed Mangels, whom I cited many times in this post, has a very comprehensive site with information about vegan health: www.vrg.org. He lists several foods and how they can add up to meet your daily essential nutrient intake. I also love the site: www.nutritiondata.com. If you want to get into the nitty gritty of each food’s nutritional content, Nutrition Data can help you do that. They have a calculator where you enter the foods and it gives you a plethora of details.

Wrapping Up Vegetarian Nutrition

This was such a long post I feel like I need to say goodbye to you dear reader I hope this has been really helpful for you. Remember …. eat a well balanced diet of beans, grains, vegetables, and fruits. Lay off the pasta and high-fructose corn syrup. Just because they’re vegan doesn’t mean they’re good for you.  As always if you have questions, please post a comment and I’ll get back to you or give you a resource that is more knowledgeable. Now go eat your veggies!

References:

1. Vitamin B12 in the Vegan Diet by Reed Mangels, Ph.D., R.D., http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/b12.htm.

2. Vitamin B12 Deficiency, American Family Physician, http://www.aafp.org/afp/20030301/979.html.

3. Mangels, Reed, PhD, RD, Questions and Answers about Omega-3 Fatty Acids for Vegans. Vegetarian Journal. Issue One 2007: 22-23.

4. Why Is Vitamin D So Important for Your Health? Internal Medicine World Report, Aug. 2007. http://www.imwr.com/issues/articles/2007-08_47.asp.

5. MedlinePlus, A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institute of Health, http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002405.htm.

6. Mangels, Reed, PhD, RD, Calcium in the Vegan Diet, http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/calcium.htm.

7. Miller, Donald W. Jr., MD, Iodine for Health, http://www.lewrockwell.com/miller/miller20.html.

8. Bersamin, Andrea, Hathaway, Cristy, Zidenberg-Cherr, Sheri, PhD. Nutrition and Health: Iron and Iron Deficiency Anemia. April 2004. http://nutrition.ucdavis.edu/content/infosheets/IronAndAnemiaFact.pdf

9. Mangels, Reed, PhD, RD, Iron in the Vegan Diet, http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/iron.htm.

10. Protein: Are You Getting Enough? WebMD. http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/nutrition-labels-9/protein?ecd=wnl_din_081009

Don’t miss Part 1: Why Go Vegetarian

Last week I talked about the many reasons why it’s good to become vegetarian. This week I’ll explain exactly how to make that transition. So many people have said, “I really want to go vegetarian. I just don’t know how.” Hopefully this post will answer many of those questions. All of this is based on my experience so use it as a guide but do what makes you feel most comfortable.

First Step: Decide Why You’re Becoming Vegetarian

It may seem obvious to decide why you want to become vegetarian but it’s important. At times it can be tempting to eat a piece of chicken or Cold Stone Creamery ice cream. When you find yourself in that situation, it’s important to instantly remind yourself why you’ve made this commitment. Is it for your health so you can live to see the future? Is it for the planet so we all can live to see the future? Or is it because you want to limit the amount of suffering and torture imposed upon animals raised for food? It may be a combination of all three but most likely one reasons stands out from the rest. Take some time to write it down so you can remind yourself later.

Second Step: Learn What Vegetarians Eat

Many people think that by becoming vegetarian you are depriving yourself of “good” food. People tend to think this lifestyle is “limiting” or “difficult”. This can not be farther from the truth. Anybody that has been vegan for more than a few weeks will tell you that eliminating animal products from their diet has opened the door for so many new and interesting foods.

Before we get into foods you most likely have never heard of, let’s talk about some simple alternatives you can eat instead of the animal products you are used to. Sometimes these alternatives are called “mock meat” or “mock cheese”. I prefer to call them what they are. All of the following recommendations are tested and approved by me. However not all of them are vegan so I no longer eat some of them but I can guarantee that they are vegetarian and we must all start somewhere. We’ll talk about how to spot non-vegan ingredients a bit later.

Chicken & Turkey Alternatives: Boca Chik’n Patties, Field Roast, Gardenburger Breaded Chik’n, Morningstar Farms Chik’n Strips, Tofurkey

Hamburger Alternatives: Amy’s Kitchen burgers (many varieties), Boca Burgers (vegan option), Gardenburger (vegan option), Morningstar Farms (vegan option), Yves Meatless Beef Burgers (vegan)

Sandwich Meat Alternatives: Tofurkey Deli Slices (vegan), Yves Meatless Deli Slices (bologna, ham, turkey, salami, pepperoni, roast beef, smoked chicken all vegan)

Ground Beef Alternatives: Boca Meatless Ground Crumbles, Morningstar Farms Meal Starters Grillers Recipe Crumbles

Eggs: Ener-G Egg Replacer (for baking), Tofu (for scrambling)

Milk: soy milk (high in protein), hemp milk (high in protein), rice milk, almond milk

Butter: Earth Balance Original Buttery Spread (vegan, seriously it’s better than butter!)

Cheese: Vegan Gourmet (good for melting), Lisanatti Almond Cheese (good for sandwiches), Veggie Slices (good for sandwiches)

Mayonnaise: Follow Your Heart Vegenaise

Sour Cream: Tofutti Sour Supreme

Cream Cheese: Tofutti Better than Cream Cheese

Ice Cream: Turtle Mountain Purely Decadent (yum, yum, yum), So Delicious

Yogurt: Silk Live! Soy Yogurt, Turtle Mountain SO Delicious Dairy-Free Yogurt

Now let’s hope that answers the question people like to ask; “What DO you eat?”. Shazzam. We vegans eat a lot! And we get to eat more than meat eaters because most vegan food is lower in fat. Many of these same companies also offer meatless hot dogs, bacon, and sausage.

Here is an important tip. Now this is key so listen up. Don’t expect these foods to taste like the meat or animal products you are trying to replace. Instead open your mind to the idea that you are trying a totally new food. Be curious about the flavors and textures and treat it as a new food experience. Most of them do not taste like their animal-derived predecessors and that is ok. You are on a new adventure so appreciate the new experiences ahead of you! As Isa Chandra-Moskowitz says, “Your taste buds will catch up with your ethics.” Trust me it’s true.

You might be wondering, “what do I do with the non-vegan/vegetarian food in my house?” Some people are so disgusted with animal products once they make the decision to become vegetarian, they throw everything away and start fresh with non-animal foods. Others, myself included, decided to eat the remaining animal products and never buy them again. I remember being forlorn over my last Cheeze-It. It seems lame now but at the time I was sad about it. Now I can tell you about a zillion other foods I love more than Cheeze-Its. Either way, the most important thing is to become educated about what you’re eating and you get some brownie points for reading this because you’re already there.

In future posts I will get more into detail about how to make fantastic vegan food from scratch but I don’t want to overwhelm those of you that are just starting out. Begin with these alternatives and over time you’ll be ready to graduate to more cooking in the kitchen. Who knows you might even find it fun! I know that sounds ridiculous but I can say that because I was the most anti-cooking woman ever but after being vegan nearly 2 years, I am finding that I love the creativity of cooking.

Third Step: Finding Vegetarian Items in the Grocery Store

Are you looking at these animal-product alternatives with a big question mark over your head? Perhaps you’ve never heard of them and you wouldn’t have a clue about where to find them in your grocery store. Don’t worry. Grocery stores are incorporating more and more vegetarian-friendly products all the time. I have been known to find Veggie Slices and Tofurkey in even the small towns of Nebraska.

In most grocery stores, milk alternatives can be found next to the regular milk. Frozen meat alternatives like veggie burgers and veggie crumbles are usually in a separate area of the frozen foods section. Pretty much everything else is usually in the “healthy” foods section.

My local Basha’s is amazing. They carry about 90% of the products I like to use on a regular basis. Sprouts Farmer’s Market is another local store that carries many “alternatives”. Sadly Trader Joe’s doesn’t carry most of these foods but they do have great nut mixes and vegan chocolate chips. My all time favorite grocery store is Whole Foods Market. What person doesn’t love that store? I mean you can get pretty much any strange thing you can imagine there including matcha green tea powder, rosewater, vegan Omega-3 – all of which I buy there.

At any grocery store, you can ask the people working there to help you find what you want. And you know how they always ask at the end of your transaction, “did you find everything you were looking for?” Take that as an opportunity to request the products you’re looking for. If enough people do, they will start carrying them.

Fourth Step: Spotting Non-Vegan Ingredients

For those of you looking to transition from vegetarianism to veganism or those of you that just want to take the leap from eating animal products to getting rid of any trace of them in your diet, here are some important sneaky, sneaks to look out for.

Whey: Whey, or milk plasma, is the liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained. It’s usually found in cheese alternatives that don’t specifically say they are vegan but it can be found in pretty much any product.

Casein: Casein is a protein that is found in milk and used independently in many foods as a binding agent. It’s usually found in cheese alternatives that don’t specifically say they are vegan.

Gelatin: Gelatin is a solid substance, derived from the collagen inside animals’ skin and bones, that is used as a binding agent. It is most often found in Jell-O, candy or like products.

Glycerides (mono/di/tri): Glycerides come from animal fats. They can be found in many products.

These are the most common but there are others that you may notice from time to time. If you want more details, go to this complete list of foods which contain hidden animal products. If this all seems too much for you at the moment, don’t stress! Just work on cutting out the big things like hamburgers and chicken breasts. You can consider what you want to do about whey, casein, and gelatin later.

I hope this post has helped those of you that are considering this fulfilling and compassionate lifestyle. Stay tuned for Part 3: Vegetarian Nutrition to continue your transformation! If you have any questions or ideas, please leave me a comment. I’m here to help you in any way I can.

Dear readers,

I’m so very sorry that I had a little mess up on my very well intentioned blog post from yesterday, Why Go Vegetarian Part 1 of 5. I worked really hard crafting the argument and researching sources and then …. oops I accidentally published the wrong version.

For those of you that already viewed it in your reader or received it via e-mail please see the updated version at:

http://www.hungryherbivores.com/2009/09/06/why-go-vegetarian/

There is substantially more information under “For Your Health”.

As always … thanks for your readership!

-Josie

When I announced this new and improved blog, several people responded asking for an introduction to vegetarianism. I’m happy to oblige. Today starts the first in a five part series that will guide you through the journey of living a vegetarian life for your health, the animals, and the planet. The five parts will provide overviews on:

• part 1: why go vegetarian;
• part 2: how to go vegetarian;
• part 3: vegetarian nutrition;
• part 4: talking the vegetarian talk; and
• part 5: living a compassionate vegetarian life.

Just to preface, when I say vegetarian, I mean vegan as well. To me, you can not truly be supporting animal welfare -which is the main reason I’m vegan – unless you remove all animal products from your diet and lifestyle. However doing something is better than doing noting. If all you can do is cut out chicken in your diet, that’s better than continuing to eat chicken in addition to drinking milk, etc. It also appears that the word “vegetarian” is less difficult for people to accept. For some “veganism” seems too difficult to achieve. Regardless, it’s not about the labels or whatever you decide to call yourself, it’s about the intention you use to make your food choices every day.

Why Become Vegetarian?

There are so many reasons to become vegetarian! The main three are: for your health, for the animals, and for our planet.

For Your Health

Healthy vegetarian and musician, John Darnielle, with Zoop at Farm Sanctuary.

America is experiencing an obesity epidemic. More than one-third of U.S. adults were obese in 2005–2006.  This includes 33.3% of men and 35.3% of women¹. For the first time in history this generation of children is predicted to have a shorter life span than their parents due to obesity and obesity-related diseases. Vegetarianism, if managed well, is one way to combat obesity. You see the plants and grains do not contain the saturated fats and cholesterol found in animal products. So by choosing vegetarianism, you are virtually eliminating the unnecessary saturated fat and cholesterol from your diet. Dr. Michael Greger, an expert in nutrition, has done extensive research and found that several medical studies link meat consumption with breast cancer, bladder cancer and pancreatic cancer². He has also shown that eating just one egg a day can lead to cardiovascular disease³. On average vegetarians have lower body weight, cholesterol, and blood pressure, and lower rates of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, prostate cancer, and colon cancer⁴.  Furthermore, the animals raised for food are pumped full of antibiotics, hormones and toxins that eventually reach their human consumers. Dairy is notorious for containing an excess of sex steroids which some claim to cause early onset puberty and breast cancer in women. The National Institute of Health has reported alarming levels of arsenic in chicken breast, six times the amount allowed in drinking water⁵. Once we understand that eating animal products is a packaged deal, meaning that while they may offer benefits to human health the bad effects far outweigh the good, it seems clear that we should rely on plants, beans, and grains to meet our nutritional needs. These food sources do not have such drastic consequences to human health or animal welfare. After all, the animals get their nutrients from the plants they eat. Then we expect them to pass those nutrients on to us. But we can do something better. We can start from the beginning and shorten the food chain by deriving nutrition from plant-based sources. It’s better for our health.

For The Animals

Male "dairy" cows are used for veal because they can not produce milk.

Most of our food in America comes from factory farms. Americans eat a lot of food which means 10 BILLION⁶ (yes billion, that’s not a typo) animals are killed for food each year. That equals 1,140,901 animals per hour. This number includes cows, pigs, chickens, turkey, and other animals raised for food. It does not include fish or game. These animals are treated horribly on factory farms. Female pigs used for breeding (called ‘breeding sows‘ by industry) are confined most of their lives in ‘gestation crates’ which are so small that they can not turn around. The same goes for veal calves (little boys that are a byproduct of the dairy industry) who are not only confined but also chained by their neck so they can not move. Female dairy cows are constantly impregnated so they can continue to produce milk and veal. They often suffer painful inflammation of their utters from producing extreme quantities of milk. Most beef cattle spend several months in congested feedlots where they are fed unnatural diets and exposed to freezing and extremely hot temperatures without shelter. Chicken – the majority of animals killed – are kept in cages so small they can not move, spread their wings or socialize like they would naturally. Male chicks, like male dairy cows, have no place in the egg industry. Over 30 million male chicks are ground up alive each year⁷. ALL of these animals (aside from the male chicks) are sent to slaughter which is not pretty. Death is never a beautiful thing when the animal you are killing desperately wants to live. Because so many animals die each year for food production, they are sent quickly through the slaughter lines meaning that sometimes they are alive and conscious when they reach the hide puller or tail ripper. There are many other atrocities committed against the animals humans eat. This is but an overview. So I ask you … if you would not treat animals this way, why would you pay someone else to so that meat can end up on your table?

For Our Planet

Manure waste from a confined animal feeding operation.

The production of animals is a major contributor to the destruction of our environment. Factory farming produce toxins, chemicals, gases, and uncontainable amounts of manure that pollute the soil, water, and air. This causes masses environmental degradation and can be dangerous to public health. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, “The livestock sector is a major player responsible for 18 percent of green-house gas emissions measured in CO₂ equivalent. This is a higher share than transport.”⁸ Eating a meal with meat requires 16 times the amount of fossil fuels to produce than a vegetarian meal⁹.In addition, it takes an enormous amount of resources to raise animals for food and eat them. It is more efficient to raise grains and plants for humans to eat rather than to raise grains and plants for animals to consume and then for people to consume the animals. It takes 14 times more energy and 40 percent more cropland to produce the protein found in chicken meat as is does to produce the same amount of protein per unit of soybeans¹⁰. The Worldwatch Institute says, “As environmental science has advanced, it has become apparent that the human appetite for animal flesh is a driving force behind virtually every major category of environmental damage now threatening the human future – deforestation, erosion, fresh water scarcity, air and water pollution, climate change, biodiversity loss, social injustice, the destabilization of communities, and the spread of disease”¹¹. Even Al Gore and Glenn Beck say the single most important thing you can do to stop global warming is to stop eating meat.

Types of Vegetarians

There are different types of vegetarians. These are the most common.

Vegetarian: A vegetarian is a person who does not eat meat but eats animal byproducts such as milk, cheese and eggs.

Lacto-vegetarian: A lacto-vegetarian is a person that does not eat eggs but does eat dairy products.

Ovo-Vegetarian: An ovo-vegetarian is a person that do not eat meat or dairy products but does eat eggs.

Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian: Lacto-ovo vegetarian is a person that does not eat meat but they do eat milk, cheese and eggs. They are the most common type of vegetarians in the Western world.

Vegan: A vegan is a person who does not eat meat or animal byproducts, A vegan also rejects the use of animal products such as leather, silk, wool in clothing and household goods.

Raw Vegan: A raw vegan is a person who eats only raw, vegan foods. “Raw” means that the food has not been heated above 115 degrees Fahrenheit. Raw vegans believe that foods cooked above this temperature loses a significant amount of their nutritional value.

Think about what kind of vegetarian you would like to be. Our next step in part 2 will be discussing how to make the transition from a typical meat-eating diet to one of compassion and fulfillment that minimizes the suffering of both animals, the planet and people.

Resources

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Obesity Among Adults in the United States, http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/index.html

2. Dr. Michael Greger, Latest in Clinical Nutrition DVD, volume 2, http://www.drgreger.org/DVDs/

3. Dr. Michael Greger, Latest in Clinical Nutrition DVD, volume 2, http://www.drgreger.org/DVDs/

4. American Dietetic Association, Vegetarian Diets, Volume 109, Issue 7, Pages 1266-1282 (July 2009), http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/advocacy_933_ENU_HTML.htm

5. Lasky T, Sun W, Kadry A, and Hoffman MK, “Mean Total Arsenic Concentrations in Chicken 1989-2000 and estimated Exposures for Consumers of Chicken,” Environmental Health Perspectives 112(1), Jan. 2004.

6. The Humane Society of the United States: Guide to Vegetarian Eating based on USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service.

7. Mercy for Animals, Hatchery Horrors: The Egg Industry’s Tiniest Victims, http://www.mercyforanimals.org/hatchery/

8. Livestock’s Long Shadow, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, http://www.fao.org/docrep/010/a0701e/a0701e00.HTM

9. Gene Baur, Farm Sanctuary, during a talk at Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe, Arizona on March 30, 2009.

10. The Humane Society of the United States: Guide to Vegetarian Eating based on USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service, “Poultry Slaughter: 2006 Annual Summary”.

11. Is Meat Sustainable?, Worldwatch Institute, http://www.worldwatch.org/node/549

Why is calcium important?

Obviously kids need calcium because it helps their bones grow. After puberty, bone growth ends but bone density increases until roughly age 30.¹ So that means if you don’t eat your calcium, you may fall apart! But literally, many people suffer from weak bones as they get older and you can imagine that having weak bones means they break a lot or impede functioning. Women are at a greater chance of calcium depletion especially during pregnancy when calcium shifts from the mother to the fetus.

The recommended level of calcium for adults age 19 through 50 years is 1000 mg per day.² You can increase or maintain bone density by choosing foods high in calcium, taking vitamins with calcium, and exercising to preserve bone mineral content. Of course here were going to talk about getting calcium from food since food is one of my favorite topics.

Why not get calcium rich foods from animals?

As with many food ideologies we tend to have as a culture, I think it is such a tragedy that people think they can only get calcium from animal sources. However as a communications professional, it consistently shows me the power effective marketing can have over time. Marketing, lobbying and misinformation, have all worked together to increase profits in the dairy industry and make food cheap for people. What does that mean? It means in the end as consumers we are being told that dairy products come from happy cows and that we need them to grow up big and strong. Ahem …. I have to disagree.

In fact research shows that dairy products can actually leech (that is a nice word for “suck out”) calcium from your bones. According to milksucks.com, “both clinical and population studies show that milk-drinkers tend to have more bone breaks than people who consume milk infrequently or not at all.”³ I know! Hard to believe after what we’ve been taught for generations. According to Michael Greger, MD, milk does indeed come with a lot of calcium but it also comes with a lot of baggage like cholesterol, saturated fat, and even puss and feces. Overall it is harmful to humans. It is the number one source of artery clogging fat in the United States diet. It is also one of the top allergens in the US diet. Dr. Greger says “the calcium found in leafy green vegetables like kale and broccoli is absorbed about twice as well as the calcium in milk.”⁴

What are vegetarian calcium sources?

So what are vegetarian calcium sources? Below are some of my favorite vegan sources of calcium:

• tofu
• soy milk
• tempeh
• tahini
• kale
• collard greens
• broccoli
• spinach
• oranges
• black beans
• peas
• almonds
• molasses

More information on foods high in calcium:
http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/calcium.htm

What are your favorite calcium-rich foods? Make a list and pass it along to your friends.

Notes:

(1) Preserving Bone Density, Julian Huang, MD, http://www.spine-health.com/treatment/pain-medication/preserving-bone-density, accessed 6-24-09.

(2) Standing Committee on the Scientific Evaluation of Dietary Reference Intakes, Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine: Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Vitamin D, and Fluoride. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1997.

(3) Milk Sucks: Got Osteoporosis?, www.milksucks.com/osteo.asp

(4) Dr. Michael Greger, Latest in Clinical Nutrition 2008, www.drgreger.org

Black Bean and Corn Chilaquiles with Roasted Tomato and Chipotle Sauce
Serves: 8

Take this dish along to a party. You can prepare everything in advance then when you arrive ask the hostess if you can pop it into the oven for 30 minutes. Of course if you have manners you would call in advance to make sure it’s ok to use the oven.

Ingredients:

• 1 small white onion, cut into 8 wedges
• 2 lb. Roma tomatoes, halved
• 3 large cloves garlic, peeled or 1 1/2 tsp. minced garlic from a jar
• 6 corn tortillas, cut into 1-inch wide strips
• 2 Tbs. canola oil
• 3 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, drained, 1 Tbs. sauce reserved
• 1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups frozen corn, thawed
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 1 1/2 cups crumbled queso cotija or shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  (I like Follow Your Heart: Vegan Gourmet)
• 1/2 cup low-fat vegan sour cream
• 1 Tbs. lime juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place white onion, tomatoes, and garlic in a single layer on backing sheet. Roast 25 minutes, or until onions begin to brown and tomato skins wrinkle. Meanwhile, toss tortilla strips with oil and spread on separate baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes. Sprinkle with salt. Cool tortillas and vegetables 20 minutes.

Peel tomatoes and place in food processor with white onions and garlic. Add chipotles and 1 Tbs. adobo sauce; purée until smooth, and season with salt and pepper.

Spread thin layer of tomato mixture in a bottom of 1 1/2-qt. baking dish. Add tortillas in single layer. Top with black beans, corn, red onion, and cheese. Cover with remaining sauce, and bake 25-30 minutes, or until bubbly.

Whisk together sour cream and lime juice, and drizzle over chilaquiles.

Per Serving: 296 CAL; 13 G PROT; 14.5 G TOTAL FAT (6.5 G SAT. FAT)

This is the article:

see page 36-37

This is my response:

Hi Miriam,

First I want to thank you for writing the article “Vegetarian children: Healthy of hazardous?” in the San Tan Sun. As a long time vegetarian, I was at first happy to see that the article was placed in such a prominent location. I read it carefully and I do have some feedback for you. First of all, I am surprised that you interviewed and quoted only one source. As you know there are always two sides to every story. Perhaps you could have consulted Dr. Michael Greger, www.drgreger.org, a physician and nutritional expert on veganism. He would have a different perspective than that of Amy Hall.

While I agree with some of the things Hall had to say, I think she was incorrect about some as well. The article made it seem as though vegan diets are unhealthy for children. In fact, the health benefits outweigh those of a meat-based diet.

Did you know that eggs cause a food poising epidemic every year affecting 100,000 Americans annually. Additionally eating just one egg a day can shorten a person’s lifespan according to The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. When it comes to products made from cow’s milk, the number one source of artery-clogging saturated fat is dairy. It is also one of the top allergens in the United States. The calcium in dark green leafy veggies is absorbed twice as well as that of milk.

Shall we talk about meat? Did you know that chicken contains alarming levels of arsenic. A bucket of chicken from a typical fast food restaurant would be expected to have as much as almost 50 times the amount of arsenic allowed in a glass of water according to a report by the National Institute of Health and the USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service. I need not mention the horrible cruelty endured by animals used for food production.

While Hall suggested that chicken has greater levels of protein that non-animal-derived products, clearly it also comes with greater levels of hazardous chemicals and cruelty. There are many vegan protein sources other than beans that do not have these unwanted “additions” including soy, nuts, tempeh, seitan, quinoa and brown rice.

I do agree with Hall that any diet – not just a vegetarian or vegan diet – should be monitored to ensure that children are receiving proper nutrition. Please keep in mind that American children are riddled with obesity, diabetes and also experience B-12 deficiency despite or as a result of eating meat. A vegan diet can be nutritionally sound provided that it is well balanced and that the child or adult eats a wide variety of non-animal derived foods.

Thank you,
–
Josephine Morris