Vegetarians in the Media

Or shall I say, lack thereof.

While wondering why so many people didn't know about this lifestyle that I live and advocate for, it dawned on me: how would they?


Vegetarian and vegan diets are more popular than ever, but both are still considered "alternative" diets when the media addresses either.
Why is this?

If we think think back to our childhoods and how we learned to eat, what comes to mind?
For most Americans, it is whatever mom put on the dinner table, or it is the USDA's Food Pyramid, which places importance on grains,meat and dairy products, without giving the option of cutting out those items.

But think about it , the USDA is the Federal Agency that regulates what exactly?
Meat and poultry.
They do this through the Food Safety and Inspection Service.
The FDA (Food & Drug Administration) is what regulates other food additives, seafoods, fruit juices, as well as contaminants in food.

While the FDA was created to protect consumers from contaminants in food through the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act of 1938 (amended in 1958), the USDA was created to help those in agriculture.
A.K.A: farmers
A.K.A: not consumers


In more recent history, those "farmers" have become corporations using industrial agriculture and mass producing meat and dairy products. These companies include National Beef, Cargill, Swift, and Tyson (sound familiar?)
These are the companies that are investigated in Food Inc.

The USDA was built to support farmers in a country that was still in it's first century in 1862, it was made to help them. 

But the times have changed, and now more than ever people are concerned about what they're eating.

In order to be considered a less alternative lifestyle, vegetarianism needs the support of the government and media. While the media can spread the word about the benefits of going veg, the government can give it credibility.

Here's what a "Vegetarian Food Pyramid" would look like:

Some authors, like Michael Pollan (1955-present), who wrote the Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food, and Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910) who wrote Forbidden Words: On God, Alcohol, Vegetarianism & Violence, have played a role in the growing popularity of vegetarians in place of the media.

Think you can't afford a vegetarian diet?

Think again!
Contrary to popular belief, living without meat and/or animal products is actually very affordable. 
The secret to living vegetarian without breaking your bank is simple: know how to grocery shop.
Once you've got that down, you'll be cooking delicious, nutritious, conscious meals and snacks whenever you want.
Here's some tips from my own experience and Livestrong (the Lance Armstrong Foundation) for saving mullah and your veggie diet at the same time:

• Make a grocery list before you head out the door. This will keep you on track, and give you an idea of what you'll be spending

• Try using vegetables that are in season, they are often on sale

• Pick out frozen vegetables for things like homemade soups and stews, these are usually less expensive

• Frozen fruits are always great too, and you can buy large bags and they last forever. Frozen berries are great in smoothies, and eliminate the need for ice

• Plan meals with balanced nutrition in mind: proteins, complex carbs, calories, nutrients. The Mayo Clinic has an informative page on how to get the best nutrition as a vegetarian. 

• Look for protein in sources like tofu, legumes, nuts, and some grains (quinoa is amazing)

• Scope out farmers markets for produce (the USDA offers a search for markets in your area)

• And look to the bulk section for things like pastas, grains, cereal and nuts. 

• Avoid pre-made frozen meals. They are expensive, and generally less healthful than home cooking

• Canned soups however, are great for college students/busy people on the go. There are some very healthy options out there from Amy's, Progresso, and Nile Spice. Just look out for too much sodium sneaking in there.  

Those are just a few words of advice from a long-time vegetarian. 


And for those of you out there who aren't exactly ready to put the chef hat on, vegetarian restaurant options are becoming more popular than ever. The Vegetarian Resource Group provides an extensive list of restaurants across the U.S. that are great for vegetarians. 


But if you're ready to get cookin' in the kitchen, tasty vegetarian recipes can be found all over the place. Here are some resources I like to use on the web for yummy, healthy ideas:

• The Vegetarian Resource Group (click on "cooking & recipes")
• AllRecipes.com
• Vegetarian Times
• VegWeb.com
• Veg Kitchen
• Food Network

So there are you have it, and that's just a few options that are out there. 

Once you know what to look for, being a veggie is as easy as shop-cook-enjoy. 

ABC's Good Morning America also had an interesting segment on vegetarian cooking.

So, Who Are We?

If you’re wondering who these vegetarians out there are, well I’ll tell you.

We’re everybody. Not just dieters, not just women, and not just hippies.

It seems that there is a stigma in the United States about being a vegetarian, and stereotypes about certain molds vegetarians are supposed to fit in.

I was recently at a dinner party, and when I was offered some salami and cheese and replied simply “no thank you, I’m vegan” I was suddenly bombarded with the landslide of questions I knew were coming from experience.

“What?Why?”

“Uhmm, a vegan? That’s intense.” (cue the shifty-eyed side-glance)

“Why vegan? Do you have some kind of problem with eating like a normal person?”

(Okay that last question isn’t exactly common, but I have been asked it before)

I cannot stress how obnoxious this is.

When this scenario occurs (and it occurs a lot) it’s all I can do to stop myself from going on some meat-hating rant. But instead of mouthing off like some spinach-crazed PETA maniac, I usually blush uncomfortably  and choose to politely reply “Oh, I just don’t like meat. I don’t care about other people eating it.”

Now leave me and my eating habits alone, please.

What are people expecting to hear? It’s not like every time anyone around me is eating meat I pummel them with questions about why they’ve made the choice to eat dead animal carcasses. Mostly because that just sounds like a fairly awkward situation.

But maybe I should start, just to get my point across.

Joking.

Basically, I’m not going around dumping red paint on people wearing fur coats, or even telling the world that I just so happen to be vegan when I’m taken to a steakhouse for dinner, because it’s not a big deal, I’ll figure something out to eat.

It’s not the end of the world people.

But that doesn’t mean that I can’t advocate for vegetarianism (because it is so very wonderful), I’m just saying that there are appropriate times, places and manners in which the subject of eating dead animals needs to be delved into.

And a dinner party is not one of them.

Should I get down off my soap-box now?

Yeah, I thought so too.

Okay, being as this is probably not being read to guests at a dinner party, I’ll give you some facts about who the real vegetarians are out there.

Like I said, vegetarians are not all alike.

The Vegetarian Times recently released an article titled “Vegetarianism in America”, in which they looked into the demographics of U.S. citizens who live that good-ol’ veggie lifestyle. The study found that 3.2 percent of U.S. adults (that’s 7.3 million people) follow a vegetarian-based diet. The 2008 study also found that there are about 1 million vegans in America, and 10 percent of U.S. adults, or 22.8 million people say that they largely follow a “vegetarian-inclined” diet.

Who are these 7.3 million people?

•           59 percent are female
•           41 percent are male.
•           42.0 percent are age 18 to 34 years old
•           40.7 percent are 35 to 54
•           17.4 percent are over 55
•           57.1 percent have followed a vegetarian diet for more than 10 years         

And for those of you interested in famous veggies, here’s a few:

• Paul McCartney
• Natalie Portman
• Anne Hathway
• Benjamin Franklin (he was for part of his life)
• Martina Nvratilova 
• Mahatma Ghandi
• George Bernard Shaw
• Alicia Silverstone (also author of The Kind Diet)
• Bill Clinton (for cardiovascular reasons: "Bill Clinton embraces vegetarian diet for heart health")
• Pamela Anderson 
• Plato (and it has been argued that Socrates and Aristotle were also vegetarians)

See what I mean about a diverse group of people?

In reality, being vegetarian is about wanting to live a healthy lifestyle, and reducing one’s individual impact on the environment and ecosystem.

So, maybe the next time a vegetarian is gets interrogated about their diet perhaps they can use these interesting little factoids to say: “Hey Buddy, I’m not the only one.”

For those interested in transitioning to vegetarianism, but don’t know where to start, you can take a gander at PETA’s “Vegetarian/Vegan Starter Kit”. 

And here is a more extensive list of famous vegetarians.

And here's a few noteworthy quotes about vegetarianism. 

Enjoy!

Let's Face It...

Okay, people are going to eat meat. End of Story.

As much as I wish we lived in a world where everyone only lived off of fruits and vegetables and animals coexisted with us human folk and all we did to them was love them too much, that's never going to happen.

In fact, I'll admit that that's a pretty ridiculous idea to have.
So while I certainly promote this wonderful vegetarian lifestyle, not everybody is dying to join in.

So what now? Well, accepting the inevitable fact of animal farming for meat products I suppose.
Luckily, there are some farms that are working towards creating a more natural, humane environment for the animals, and farming in a more sustainable and organic manner. And hey, that's really something. 

If you're wondering what this ideal farm that I have in mind is, I'll tell you: it's Afton Field Farm.
Afton Field Farm is located in the same town as my school, Corvallis, Ore. and was founded by a young Oregonian couple, Tyler and Alicia Jones. Afton Field Farm uses a rotational grazing method in which the animals are pasture raised and live off of the products of each other, like what happens in a natural ecosystem. And, all the animals (other than the chicken who eat "feed") are grass-fed, so at least they are vegetarian!
But, I don't think they're reading this blog... Anyway...

This technique provides a more humane environment, and allows the Joneses to farm without the use of pesticides. While the farm is not certified organic by the USDA, the Joneses say that is largely due to the high costs of becoming certified and the politics behind it. They say that they would rather have the customer come out the the farm and see for themselves how organic they are.

The livestock they raise includes pigs (for pork), cows (for beef), chickens, lambs, turkeys, chickens to lay fresh eggs, and bees for honey. And while the only thing I would personally consume from their farm would be the honey, their customers also find comfort in the humane slaughtering technique that they use, which is slitting the animals throat (this is humane compared to other methods in my opinion).

Afton Field Farm is the brain child of Tyler Joneses college apprenticeship at another farm in Virginia that uses the same techniques. That farm is called Polyface Farms Inc., and was founded by the Salatin family.

Here's a clip of Joel Salatin talking about industrial, factory farms from the popular documentary Food Inc., in which Polyface Farms Inc. was featured:

Okay, so farming livestock is certainly not my favorite thing in the world, but since it is inevitable, it seems that this is the best way to do it.

Also, the farms are environmentally friendly, having little impact because they are not using industrial factories or shipping long distances with large trucks, ships, or planes. Many studies have also found the pasture raised, grazing method to be better for the environment as well.

These farms are certainly the "lesser of two evils", and as a vegetarian (living on planet earth), I can respect what they are doing for the omnivores of the world.

It is my hope now, that more people and farms will "keep up with the Joneses" and adopt this technique to help make livestock farming a little bit better for the animals that we use.
Even though I still don't think its quite as stupendous as being a veggie

*Alicia Jones also has a very nice blog called "High Heels in the Barnyard" about being a former city girl living on a farm, I suggest checking it out*