2 weeks Meat-Free!

I'm never very good with new years resolutions but I still like to at least attempt one positive change in my life every time a new year rolls around. This year I was out of ideas until my brother told me what his was, going vegetarian for 2 months. As I am in school for public health, I have been discovering a lot about the US food industry and learned some things that are not too pleasant about meat production and the food supply in general. Meat production also has a very detrimental impact on the environment and livestock living conditions are appalling. Thus, I decided to follow in my big brother's foot steps and go vegetarian for 2 months. The purpose of this 2 month test is to see if I really could give up my beloved meat for 2 months, and possibly forever. If you know me, you know how much I LOVE meat. Some of my favorite foods include chicken wings, friend chicken, steak, turkey sandwiches, etc, etc, etc.

So far so good. While I still crave chicken, turkey, steak, etc. I feel good about the choice I have made. The more I learn about how bad meat production is for the environment and also to a person's health the more I would like to give it up for good. For instance, the USDA allows meat distributors to inject ammonia (as in bleach) into their beef patties to kill bacteria. These distributors are supplying beef to places like McDonald's, Burger King and many chain grocery stores. Something to keep in mind next time you bight into a Big Mac! I could go on and on with disturbing stories of meat production right here in the US but if you are really curious about it I would suggest two sources to start with: the movie Food Inc. and the book The Omnivore's Dilemma. Both are really good at breaking down the food supply and showing us as consumers exactly what we are putting into our bodies.

I still allow myself to eat seafood and dairy products. My rationalization for this is simply that I cannot live without sushi and while dairy and seafood also have their vices, I think a diet consisting only of plants and nuts is a little unrealistic for a meat-lover like myself. The last two weeks have not been quite as bad as I anticipated because apparently you can still eat things like fried chicken, general tso's chicken and philly cheesesteaks if you are a vegetarian. How is this possible?? Soy!! It turns out that soy can be made into just about anything, and it tastes just like real meat! Hallelujah.

If you want to try some recipes that are a little more earth-friendly, here are some that I have found to be tasty:

Brick-Oven Brooklyn Pizza - http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Brick-Oven-Pizza-Brooklyn-Style/Detail.aspx

Double Tomato Bruschetta - http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Double-Tomato-Bruschetta/Detail.aspx

BBQ Seitan and Black Bean Burritos - http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Barbeque-Seitan-and-Black-Bean-Burritos/Detail.aspx



6 more weeks to go :)