Like
many Americans, my goal is to eat healthy without having to sacrifice
convenience or taste. However, our society’s thought towards how to consume
food has become so stressful and anxious that eating healthy has become more
confusing and difficult than anyone would have expected. The balance between
good food for you and good tasting food is one that is hard to establish, but I
believe this equilibrium is possible. The key to success is learning how to
detect faulty “health” foods advertised by companies, knowing where and from
whom to buy products, and how to eat these foods. One way I have personally
tried to tackle this battle is by being vegetarian. Not only is it said to be a
healthier lifestyle, the environment and the animals themselves benefit from my
choices, which is my primary goal as a consumer.
These may be the
secrets to health, but what about those sugar infused treats, juicy steaks, and
rich creamy sauces everyone enjoys? Can we have our cake and eat it too? While
being vegetarian may have benefits, it also involves a lot of personal
sacrifice. Even as a vegetarian, I thoroughly enjoy the contents of an all
American burger, and the burger is a staple food item offered at many restaurants
and dining halls. This is where I hit my crossroads: what is more important to
me? The above average real-meat burger with zest and flavor in every bite or
the slightly below average Bocca burger that lacks taste but symbolizes my
personal food morality? Being vegetarian, you pay the price of convenience and
finding alternate sources of protein and a “full stomach” can be difficult.
Although there are many substitutes, eating the healthy alternative is
difficult. As a vegetarian, I mostly suffer with substituting my protein meal
of meat with too many grains like bread and pasta. Also, many menus lack a wide
enough variety of vegetarian meals to choose from and some cost extra. Instead
of joining in on a feast of turkey at Thanksgiving, an entirely different,
delicately prepared meal must be made in order to serve my dietary needs. But a
choice must be made, and sometimes I must choose not eating meat over the
flavor it provides.
Therefore, as a
consumer of the food our country provides, my goal is to try to eat healthy,
treat oneself in moderation, and eat meals that benefit my health and downplay
the importance of the meat industry in my life. So to answer the question of
whether of not we can have our cake and eat it too, I say: Yes. We can have our
cake and eat it too, I personally will just eat a slice of cake one or twice a
week and substitute my filet entrée with rice, beans, and tofu.
Health is one of
the predominant reasons why vegetarianism is supported by nutritionists and
health experts. Today, approximately 2.3% of the population engages in a
vegetarian diet, and participation is increasing with a larger interest in
vegetarianism due to the awareness of the health benefits it provides (Credo
Reference). Although vegetarianism may lead to deficiencies in micronutrients
like Vitamin B12, zinc, and iron (nutrients mainly received only through animal
products), eating less red meat and more plant substances is linked with lower
rates of coronary heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes. In addition, by
skipping on red meat portions and instead being open to an even larger
diversity of foods, vegetarian diets have less saturated fat, higher fiber,
abundant amounts of vitamin C, and even a potential for increased life
longevity. Statistics state cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer are
what cause deaths in 60% of people in the United States. Therefore, by eating
less meat, one can directly or indirectly avoid some of the symptoms and health
strains involved in the correlation between red meat and human disease (Credo
Reference).
As I said earlier, one
of the constant problems I have as a vegetarian is overindulging in
carbohydrates instead of protein infused meals. However, although an all carb
diet is not encouraged, high carb meals may actually speed up metabolism more
than high fat diets involving heavy meats (Credo Reference). The additional
foods consumed instead of meat all provide their own separate defense
mechanisms, thus further promoting the health and stability of one’s body. A
typical vegetarian diet includes different types of foods in order to replace
meats as shown on the vegetarian food pyramid. Instead of meats, my diet
substitutes meat with nuts and more whole grains in larger portions. While
whole grains provide cardiovascular benefits, vegetables are high in arginine
and antioxidants used to fight diseases commonly seen in a carnivore’s diet
(Credo Reference).
Through my science
background in school, I have also learned how being vegetarian can actually
increase the energy you receive from eating. Our Earth consists of trophic
levels, which consists of groups of plants, herbivores, and carnivores. Plants
as most of us know receive their energy through photosynthesis, so they
directly receive the most energy. These plants are known as primary producers.
By eating plants directly instead of the animals that consume them, one
receives more energy because approximately 90% of energy is lost between
trophic levels, and carnivores stand highest on the trophic level pyramid. Not
only does being vegetarian produce direct health benefits, some vegetarians are
also said to have healthier lifestyles overall, often using less substance
abuse and exercising more often. This may be because vegetarians are already
somewhat health conscious, leading to other healthy decisions.
One could say as a vegetarian, I am
following the typical, Americanized health trend, but being vegetarian is more
than the health benefits it provides. My personal call against the meat
industry is not eating the meat they produce in order to take a stand against
the way animals are treated before they are splashed onto our dinner plates.
Meat companies are becoming more concentrated and larger, while other smaller
companies are put out of business (Borkema, Drabenstott, Novack 33). Although
free-range livestock and visible slaughterhouse practices are favored, many of
these industries are too small-scale and receive less profit than large scale
companies and they go out of business. In order to mass-produce these livestock,
food prices are increasing and livestock prices are decreasing, thus further
devaluing animals and their consumption. The Food Inc. documentary cover has a
picture of a cow with a price tag on it, showing the only value livestock have
to large companies. Profit overrides the
importance of consumer health, livelihood of American farmers, and safety of
workers in that environment (Food Inc.). As seen in Cook’s article “Fowl Trouble”, laborers endure
labor-intensive conditions and many workers receive low pay, experience more
infections and diseases, and half have some sort of upper-body disorder from
the manual labor that goes into preparing dead chickens (79). Not only do poor
conditions affect workers, about 73,000 ecoli and bacteria illnesses occur in
Americans each year (Food Inc.).
People want ready
to eat food choices because they are convenient, and the meat industry does a
superb job of being efficient and producing meat in a short amount of time.
This faster maturation of animals is unhealthy for them and for people, and
growth development is harshly affected when mass production becomes important.
Many companies control almost all of the meat industry. Unfortunately, mass
production and mass efficiency inevitably lead to unfair treatment of animals.
As seen in the documentary, dozens of chickens die daily due to hazardous
conditions and many companies like Tyson refused to be interviewed or allow
cameras inside their facilities. This lack of trust between producers and
consumers is a reason I choose not to consume the meat produced by these types
of companies.
Not eating meat
also provides many unknown cost and environmental benefits. I guess I could be
considered an environmental vegetarian because my relationship with meat is
determined by political and social issues involving the environment. More than
half of the world’s crops are used to feed livestock and 30% of our land is
devoted to raising this livestock, not to mention the costs of transportation,
water use, and greenhouse emissions (Carus). Thus, being vegetarian produces
yet another advantage in promoting sustainability and less land destruction.
As one can see, in
my perspective, the benefits of being vegetarian outweigh its downfalls. As an
individual, I personally don’t believe health is the right reason for me to
become vegetarian because that is not a strong enough motive for me to give up
some of my favorite entrees and take a back seat in social eating situations.
However, the other advantages like making a statement against the corruption of
the meat industry means more to me. Every single day, I must override the
temptation of a hot dog, chicken in a salad, or a steak burrito from Chipotle.
By doing this, my goal is to not contribute to the success of these large,
domineering corporations and instead give my money to a company that promotes a
healthy lifestyle and does its best to consider consumer’s health. Although
some of the class had strong opposition against Whole Foods, I do a majority of
my shopping there when I have the freedom to make my own meals because they
make stronger attempts than any large-scale grocery store to be sustainable and
provide healthier foods for consumers. Another thing they also do successfully
is providing for vegetarians, which is why I support their business.
I have only been vegetarian for over
a year, and I always question if I should switch back to the omnivore’s diet.
But even by writing this manifesto, I have learned more about the vegetarian
lifestyle and will continue to support what it stands for, whether that be
social, economic, or environmental reasons, for health, or for the cows. My
relationship with food will become even more intimate as I leave the dining
halls and begin to make more solid choices at grocery stores. When I’m at the
grocery store and I see the ground up meat for tacos, the steak to cook on the
grill, or the grilled chicken sandwich, I will choose to look away and hold my
head high and feast instead on my black bean burger, leaving one more cow
happily grazing in the fields.
Work
Cited
Barkema, Alan, Mark
Drabenstott, and Nancy Novack. "The New U.S. Meat Industry."
Federal
Reserve Bank of Kansas City. Web. 21 May 2012.
<https://www.kc.frb.org/publicat/econrev/PDF/2Q01Bark.pdf>.
Carus, Felicity. "UN
Urges Global Move to Meat and Dairy-free Diet." The Guardian.
Guardian
News and Media, 02 June 2010. Web. 22 May 2012.
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/jun/02/un-report-meat-
free-diet>.
Cook, Christopher. "Fowl Trouble." Harper's
Magazine, 1999. Web. 22 May 2012.
<http://blackboard.du.edu/bbcswebdav/courses/2009.201230/Fowl%20Trouble%20-%20Cook.pdf>.
Food
Inc. Dir.
Robert Kenner. Magnolia Home Entertainment, 2009. DVD.
"Vegetarian Diets." Encyclopedia of Lifestyle Medicine
and Health. Thousand Oaks:
Sage
Publications, 2012. Credo Reference. Web. 21 May 2012.
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