What's Your Beef With Vegetarianism?
Image thanks to picto:graphic
I knew this girl who went vegetarian because of a wacky restaurant.
The place had all those novelty knick knacks and nostalgic memorabilia on the walls, and you could see in the kitchen. A taxidermied cow was hanging right above the grill.
Now, the girl had been considering taking the leap into a meat free diet, but couldn’t quite commit. She looked into that cow’s lifeless face, and then the sizzling meat cooking below it. The sad, still glass eyes, and the raw red flesh blackened by flames.
That’s when she got it, when it was literally laid out before her.
Now, I still eat meat, even after she told me this story. And I don’t expect anyone to hop any fences to an all plant lifestyle. Honestly, I have no political agenda. Do what you want. I can’t stop you…
But there are benefits of vegetarianism. Health benefits. Weight loss benefits.
Yeah, I know… I love bacon, too. Let’s talk about this. I just want you to have the facts…
Meatless Is Healthier
Mind you, yes, it does happen from time to time where there’s a big batch of bad spinach. But those cases are rare, and even then, it’s not the spinach itself that’s the problem. With meat, that’s a different story.
Ever notice when they come up with the reports on foods that are bad for you, very rarely are lima beans listed? Red meat, however has been red flagged for so many things, from cholesterol to heart disease to cancer. Reports vary, but it’s funny how often it shows up as a big no-no.
Man Cannot Live On Meat Alone
We have gotten to the point where we think meat makes the meal. It’s the star of the show, while everything else on the plate is just hanging out in the chorus. Meat is Diana Ross, while veggies and starches are those other Supreme chicks.
Meat is meat. Sure, you can cook it up different ways, but it’s still the same stuff, all in all.
Meanwhile, there is a whole alphabet of vitamins and minerals. They don’t all hang out in meat. They hang out in Brussels sprouts and corn and green beans. Sure, red meat has protein, but it also has fat. And you want to reduce your fat intake for a healthier diet.
There are also so many flavors and textures you’re missing out on. People think they’re losing something by cutting out this one thing, when really it opens whole new doors. Go ahead and look up some recipes that are veggie only. You’ll be amazed how many there are.
It’s All Relative
If you can’t drop it, try just giving meat a break. Reduce the intake so it’s special again. I’ve said this before, but try to think of meat as a condiment. If you don’t want to eliminate it, just reduce your meat intake. A balanced diet means, I don’t know, balancing? Equal portions? For sure, it isn’t one food group dominating the meal like Sauron, the all-seeing dark lord of Mordor. So many flavors are just losing out to the attention stealing steak.
Ready to give it a try? Here are some recipes from the lovely Martha Stewart:
http://www.marthastewart.com/274485/quick-meatless-recipes/@center/276948/dinner-tonight