I’ve confessed that my family is carnivorous. We enjoy a pork chops, hamburgers, steaks on the grill and broasted chicken as much as anyone–but we recognize the health benefits of eating less meat and the HUGE environmental benefits of reducing our meat intake. If every American skipped one meal of chicken a week and substituted grilled cheese and tomato soup, egg salad sandwiches or vegetable or cheese omelettes once a week the carbon dioxide savings would be the same as taking more than a half-million cars off U.S. roads according to Environmental Defense.
Modern-day agricultural practices produce unhealthy meat laden with antibiotics and other chemicals–and the energy and resources required to raise meat is ridiculous. Between water pollution from runoff, air pollution from manure, soil erosion, overgrazing, and the cost of raising and transporting meat supplies, meat should NOT be a staple for a healthy diet–and yet most Americans eat more than the recommended amount each day with super-sized portions contributing to their meat consumption. (Did you know a serving of meat should be the same size as your palm? That sure puts a quarter-pounder in perspective!) According to Scientific American, growing a pound of corn requires 100-250 gallons of water. Growing corn to produce a pound of beef requires between 2000 and 8500 gallons. By simply CUTTING DOWN on our meat consumption, we can reduce our environmental impact while enjoying the benefits of a better diet for ourselves. Click on How to Win an Arguent with a Meat Eater for some other interesting facts.
Here are some fast vegetarian recipies for your health and for our planet’s sake:
Arugula Toasts
4 slices bread
4-8 thin slices of feta cheese
4-8 leaves arugula
1 ripe tomato sliced
olive oil
pepper
Toast the bread and then arrange a single layer of feta cheese on each slice of toast. Top with a single layer of arugula, then a slice of tomato. Drizzle with olive oil, add pepper, serve.
Pasta with Squash Sauce
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| Directions | Bring large pot of water to boil, add pasta and 1 T salt, and cook until done.Meanwhile, melt butter over medium heat, add onion and a dash of salt, and sauté about 5 minutes, until soft. Peel, seed, and dice the squash (½-inch pieces). Add to onion along with sage and mix well. Add stock, bring to boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer about 5 minutes, until squash is tender. Add cream and pepper and simmer about 2 minutes, until just starting to thicken.
Drain pasta, reserving ½ c or so of liquid. Combine pasta with sauce and remaining ingredients. If it’s too dry, add a bit of the cooking liquid. Taste, adjust seasonings, and serve with a dish of Parmesan on the side. |
Dump Soup
1 can Progresso Minestrone Soup
1 can black beans rinsed & drained
1 can tomatoes with oregano and garlic
1 can diced tomatoes (I use a bag of frozen tomatoes and add my own oregano & garlic)
1 can white corn (do not drain)
1 can mixed vegetables (do not drain)
Dump in crock pot and simmer on low for 2-3 hours.
Bon appetite!
We usually have 2-3 meals with meat or chicken per week. The rest of the time, we eat soup, beans, pasta, etc. When we do eat meat or chicken, it’s not a lot. If we fix a pot roast, we’ll have some with dinner and then the rest will be saved for other meals. Ditto roasted chicken.
When I tell my students I’m a vegetarian, they freak out (regardless of how many times this subject has already come up… but that’s another story). They don’t seem to comprehend the concept. Then again, I had to explain to one girl that steaks and burgers were dead cows.
One of the kids was telling me I should eat meat because “we need more green” (as in, we need more plants). I tried to explain what you wrote in the first two paragraphs, but A) I didn’t have facts to give them, and B) they saw something shiny over there. Then the bell rang. *sigh*
Thanks for the info.
(While my hubby will never give up his meat, he does acknowledge that my soy “chik’n” patties are “not entirely gross” and has even started buying the “sausage” patties for himself. He still eats meat, but has definitely cut down his intake and keeps an eye out for soy/meatless products when he does the grocery shopping — for both of us.)
With the barre being raised today with everyone intent on signaling their sustainability commitment, being a vegetarian is the trump card. Most want to buy their way into sustainability but truly, you can only save your way into it through conservation. Becoming a vegetarian does more for the planet than going off the grid, driving a hybrid, buying organic and recycling everything. It is only those who are truly committed to sustainability who will “sacrifice” to adopt a vegetarian diet. You can’t buy your way into ecological sanity.
Becoming vegetarian or “semi-vegetarian” has become so much easier these days with the availability of meat substitutes in local supermarkets. I really love them and so does my daughter, but then again, my husband and brother say that this is because I haven’t had a regular hamburger in almost 17 years.
I am trying to incorporate more vegetarian meals into our weekly menus. It is so important for the health of humans and the health of the environment–isn’t it interesting that what tends to be good for you tends to also be good for the environment? My husband is a meat and potatoes kind of guy so it really helps to get good vegetarian recipes! Thank you!
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