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 (“Vegetarian Diets”). 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 (“Vegetarian Diets”).
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 (“Vegetarian Diets”). 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 (“Vegetarian
Diets”).
Through my science
background in school, I have also learned how being vegetarian can actually
increase the energy you receive from eating. Our Earth and its species consist
of trophic levels, which are levels designating where one resides in the food
chain. The ground level consists of plants, the next level are herbivores, and the
remaining tiers at the highest trophic levels are carnivores. Plants, as most
of us know, receive their energy through photosynthesis, so they directly
receive the most sunlight for use and convert this into usable energy for
themselves and for other species. 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.
Thus, by the time a human is consuming a cow, not much usable energy is left
because parts of the cow are not digestible and simply do not contain as much
energy as a plant. Therefore, another reason to be a vegetarian is to consume
products that have higher energy so one is consuming a higher energy diet.
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 (Barkema et al 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.
Sage Publications,
2012. Credo Reference. Web. 21 May 2012.
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