Life as a Vegetarian

“Against Meat” by Jonathon Safran Foer (2009, New York Times Magazine) is intended to educate current non-vegetarians on what vegetarianism is, the benefits of it in terms of health and animal rights, and also the struggles of consistently being a vegetarian. Although Foer does not specifically express what a vegetarian is we can assume he is going off the generally known definition of a person who does not consume the meat of an animal, as oppose to a vegan who does not consume any animal products at all. According to an article about vegetarian Americans, 5% or 16 million Americans classify themselves as vegetarian in 2015, compared to the 1% back in 2009, making vegetarianism a growing trend throughout the US (Raw Food World). Foer proves his opinion on vegetarianism by backing it up with facts from the USDA and his own personal experiences with his babysitter, growing up struggling with being a vegetarian that loves meat, and the decision to marry and raise his child vegetarian. Foer does, however, have a few gaps in his argument about nutrition, the costs associated with vegetarianism, and the lack of a definition of vegetarian.

Assure them that there's nothing to worry about. Educate them on veganism and why you want to be a vegan.

Today, many Americans are not doing a great job taking care of themselves and their well-being. As a result, the rates of obesity of many Americans continues to increase. Many are suffering from diseases that not only is affecting their health but also their lifestyle. Many believe that by consuming a healthier vegetarian diet not only will it help individuals maintain a healthier body but by reducing the amount of foods that contain fertilizers can protect the planet from further damage to the environment.

I have adopted veganism into my lifestyle because I don’t support the ethics behind the meat, dairy, and egg industries. Whilst already vegetarian for a year, I unintentionally came across a video about veganism that introduced new and persuasive facts that I had no prior knowledge about; I knew immediately that this lifestyle was for me. Unlike vegetarianism, veganism is a lifestyle and what that means is no leather, no feathers, no products that have been tested on animals, no products including animal ingredients, etc.. Those wanting to become vegan should take it slow because then they can discover new recipes and replacements, and it doesn’t seem so overwhelming. The main thing to focus on is trying your best.

Vegetarianism is a custom practiced in six out of the seven continents and has become more popular over the years. Vegetarianism can be defined as the exclusion of animal products such as meat and fish from one’s diet. Dairy products and eggs are often times excluded as well. Although there are many reasons one may decide to become a Vegetarian or follow such a code of ethics, the most common include: moral, religious or health reasons.

Vegetarianism has been around since as early as the seventh century B.C.E.. The civilization was the Indus Valley Civilization, they practiced tolerance towards all living things. Several Indian cultures and various religions (such as a ahimsā) also practice non-violence towards animals (“Vegetarianism”, Wikipedia.com). This used to be the sole purpose for being vegetarian, but nowadays people are becoming vegetarian for several more reasons. The ethical aspect is still a big reason in the decision. Health benefits and environmental aspects have now also become big reasons for the controversy over vegetarianism. People say that killing animals for food is not morally wrong and, is in fact, a crucial part of our lives. Another aspect is that, while in some ways vegetarianism is beneficial to the environment, it can also hurts the environment. Also, despite all of the health benefits involved with vegetarianism, there are also several health concerns connected with it.

About a year ago, I asked myself a question why am I not a vegetarian? After all, I am one of the green kids. I grew up with my vegetarian dad in a small town. I even joined a club called “Tree Huggers”. I knew that eating a mere hamburger a day could increase my risk of dying by a third. I knew that the 10 billion animals we raise each year for meat are raised in factory farmed conditions that we hypocritically wouldn’t even consider for our own cats, dogs and other pets. I knew that I was not alone, we as a society are eating twice as much meat as we did in the 50s. So, what was once the special little side treat now is the main course much more regular. What if I told you, that we can change our world through our food choices. The fact

Growing up, I was the kid that threw the mac and cheese and chicken fingers of the kids menu to the side and ordered a medium rare filet mignon. My dad joked I was “cows’ worst enemy” when I devoured cheeseburgers two meals a day and stacked my plate with more meatballs than spaghetti. Had anyone told me that I would go vegan, I would have told them they were insane. Now, I have gone just over three years without my formerly cherished steak, and it has been an experience that has taught me more than I could have ever imagined. Living in a house where I am the only vegan presents many challenges every meal. In the beginning, I spent weeks exploring the “vegan meal” boards of pinterest, finding recipes that fit into the strict diet guidelines

There is much controversy and hypocrisy when it comes to animals. I, along with thousands of others, am part of the hypocrisy. I squirm and feel a deep sadness when I hear or see animals being abused, yet I am a meat-eater. I have learned that we all have different opinions and taste and we can not force others to change their ways. There will always be people, like me, perhaps, who will continue to eat meat and use animal products because that is what to us is food and normality. There are many ways to solutionize this; Become vegan or vegetarian, do protests and show others the suffering animals are put through, and/or simply let those who do not choose veganism to be themselves.

In addition, living in Mississippi means having little to none vegetarian restaurants. Going out to eat can be a chore because I always have to plan where and what I eat. Thankfully there is a vegetarian/vegan cafe just an hour from where I live. High Noon Cafe has amazing veg friendly food and I love to recommend it to my friends and family. Besides High Noon Cafe and Whole Foods, there aren’t many other places that make me feel like I’m in vegetarian heaven. Without a cornucopia of mouthwatering vegetarian restaurants to enjoy, I mainly just cook at home. I love transforming meat laden dishes to vegetarian ones and admittedly my favorite foods to recommend to people are vegan junk food such as ice cream, pizza, most importantly cheese. People

Over the years, I’ve had two friends who were vegetarians. One had been raised that way, and the other transitioned. At the time, I’d thought it was crazy. “You don’t know what you’re missing. How could you go without meat?”

As a young child, I became a vegetarian due to one single, overwhelming reason: animals and I are the same. We breathe the same air, we walk among the same ground, we have complex and very real feelings and we have families. I realized this whilst spending an afternoon in my favorite creek-spot in my hometown. I watched frogs, jump from rock to rock, crawfish scatter around the creek

I have lived most of my life as a vegan. Growing up with my parents and siblings, I was exposed to fresh meat products more than fresh fruit and vegetables. I decided then young as I was that vegetarian (for Me) is the way to go. As I became of age, married with three children, I decided to try and become a full on vegan, much to the disgust of many people around me. I became ill due to lack of nutrition in the foods I was consuming and the very little and limited knowledge of vegan foods and what was required to remain healthy.

According to a recent poll 6 to 8 million American’s do not eat meat, fish, or poultry. From these studies, they have been researching about the effects of a vegetarian diet on the body. Compared to most meat based diets, vegetarians consume less saturated fat and cholesterol from not eating meat. Choosing this route will have a person what would be considered a better quality of life and overall good health. Research so far has shown that a vegetarian diet reduces the risk of heart disease. In recent years a study was done using different participants and the results showed that vegetarians were 25% less likely to die from heart related problem. “This is because vegetarians tend to consume more high-fiber, whole grains, and legumes which have a low glycemic index and the body digests slowly. This keeps blood sugar levels steady. Another food item that helps reduce the risk of heart disease is walnuts” (Sixwise). This is because the omega-3s in walnuts help reduce total cholesterol. There is some controversy over this specific topic, thus, are they really that healthy? What does it mean to be a vegetarian, and what do professionals have to say about being a vegetarian?

The term “vegetarian” is quite often misunderstood. Vegetarian simply means a plant-based diet. There are several kinds of vegetarian diets, defined by what types of foods are consumed. I for example am a Lacto-vegetarians which includes dairy products in their diet. Lacto-ovo- vegetarians also eat dairy products, eggs and some including me don’t eat fish either.