Making Change – The “Meat” of Vegetarian Choice

Food recycles. Meat production replenishes itself; animals birth offspring, then the offspring grow up and produce more animals. Vegetables reproduce in much the same way – their seeds are used to create more food for the world. Considering this cycle, it seems our supplies are endless. There are many differences in the production of meat and vegetables, however. On a global scale, the differences are massive and costly. In simplistic terms – animals require food while they are growing, so while they are producers of food, they are also consumers. It is obvious that if humans consumed vegetables rather than meat, we would save resources right away. Considering the high economic and environmental impacts involved with mass meat production and consumption, the optimum social choice of vegetarianism becomes unmistakably clear. Why, then, do will still eat meat? How do we convince others, including ourselves, to give up meat and become vegetarians?

Initially, the idea that becoming a vegetarian makes the world a better place may be a good starting point to persuade someone to give up meat. “Growing crops for farm animals requires nearly half of the United States’ water supply and 80% of its agricultural land.”1 The grains used to feed animals could be used, instead, to feed humans. So how can we convince someone to do right by the environment and give up meat? Knowing that by living a vegetarian lifestyle we are help saving the planet may be all that is needed to convince the minds of some people. What about the rest?

Taste, enjoyment, and personal satisfaction are difficult obstacles to overcome. Many people enjoy the taste and texture of the different kinds of meat. People make meat choices at restaurants even when there are salad and fruit options. How do we convince someone to change their mind and order the fruit and walnut salad rather than the Big Mac? One seemingly sensible technique would be to convince them to give up meat enjoyment in exchange for improved health. There’s no doubt that eating vegetarian is healthier than eating meat. Vegetarians are at a lower risk for heart disease, cancer and high blood pressure.2 Additionally, vegetarians usually are at a healthier weight than meat-eaters because a vegetarian diet is typically lower in fat and contains more fiber.2 Finally, “giving up meat helps purge the body of toxins (pesticides, environmental pollutants, preservatives) that overload our systems and cause illness. When people begin formal detoxification programs, their first step is to replace meats and dairy products with fruits and vegetables and juices.”2 While taste may be a big reason to eat meat, being able to live longer to enjoy food more may be, at least, a reason to reduce the amount of meat consumed.

Another factor to overcome in the mind is comfort. For a meat eater, they have grown comfortable with meat being a staple in their diet throughout their lives. As children, they watched their mom put a big roast on the table or helped dad grill burgers in the yard. They grabbed hot dogs at the baseball park and learned recipes with basic meat staples of beef, chicken and pork. They became accustomed to “meat and potatoes.” Additionally, there is another aspect of comfort to overcome – the feeling that one may feel less social. It can be difficult to pass up a meat meal that your host has created at a dinner party where you have been invited. Having a plate of salad instead can often make one stand out and draw unwanted attention. Being able to overcome this impediment can be complicated. It will require quite a bit of strength and strong interpersonal intelligence on the part of the vegetarian. However, vegetarianism is becoming more popular and availability is increasing. It may not be long before the meat-eater is the one who stands out at table. As vegetarianism continues to grow in popularity, family and social discomfort will undoubtedly subside in proportion. The sooner a consumer makes the swap to veggie-mac, the sooner their celery will become comfort-food.

Meat-eaters often feel that it would be hard to obtain a balanced all-vegetable diet. How do we convince someone that they will not miss key elements, like protein and essential amino acids, when giving up meat? Studies show that “vegetarian diets tend to be lower in saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium, and higher in fiber, magnesium, folate, potassium, and antioxidants than the typical American [meat] diet”3. In fact, one can get too much protein from being a meat-eater, which isn’t healthy either. “Excess protein interferes with the absorption and retention of calcium,”3 which can lead to bone deficiencies. Furthermore, there are many vegetable foods high in protein, such as beans and rice, which provides the human body with high-value protein and the complete set of amino acids. Our society also holds a wealth of dietary supplements available to enhance nearly every nutrient the human body needs. The claim that a balanced diet cannot be achieved through a well-planned all-vegetable food supply is, quite simply, fallacious.

The cost of eating daily as a vegetarian initially frightens people. While produce, per-pound, is cheaper than meat, it is still much cheaper to grab a $.99 burger from the local Burger-Barn rather than ordering their $5 salad. How do you convince someone that they can actually save money by eating meatless, then? Learning new recipes and shopping to cook at home will save money for households in the long run, since vegetables are cheaper. Again, too, the aspects of health come in to play when considering the huge amount of medical costs that can be saved by avoiding frequent trips to the doctor for high blood pressure or heart disease. All things considered, the economic cost of eating vegetarian sums up to much less than the price of even just one meat-induced triple-by-pass surgery or arterial plaque scraping.

Many restaurants and cookbooks have fewer vegetarian options than meat dishes. It can be a challenge to convince someone to try a new restaurant or a new recipe. It is very easy to just pick up a pound of ground beef and a package of hamburger buns than it is to grab the seven unfamiliar items needed to create Mediterranean Vegetarian Couscous. Vegetarians themselves may be the best external mind changers to those being held-back by limitations of availability. They can create vegetarian dishes for their meat-eating friends to try, provide the recipe and even go as far as teaching others to cook. They can share their knowledge of favorite vegetarian restaurants and blog about their favorite meals on the web. If vegetarians, themselves, show that their lifestyle is easier to achieve than one may think, that could be a huge help to converting just one meat-eater, who could then convert another, and so on. Also, as vegetarianism becomes more popular, convenient options are becoming more available. Entire sections for pre-made vegetarian and vegan foods are commonplace at most major supermarkets today. The same increase in availability can be seen at restaurants and mall food courts from coast to coast.

With so much to gain and so little to lose, the choice for each of us, individually, is as unmistakably clear as it is for the rest of the world. So help the planet, help your neighbor, help a cow, and help yourself! Put down that burger and mac down some beans & rice, or a salad, or a Mediterranean pizza, or a baked potato. Then write a blog about it, and, just perhaps, you’ll convince someone else to do the same.

-- David Campbell, ecopol project

 1 “14 Interesting Facts about the Vegetarian Influence.” July 19 2010. http://hubpages.com/hub/14-Facts-about-the-Vegetarian-Influence

2 Dworkin, Norine. “22 Reasons to Go Vegetarian Right Now - benefits of vegetarian diet.” CBS Business Network April 1999. July 19 2010. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0820/is_1999_April/ai_54232138/?tag=content;col1

3 Anderson, J. and S. Prior. “Vegetarian Diets.” Colorado State University May 12 2010. July 19 2010. http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/09324.html