 5@5 is a daily, food-related list from chefs, writers, political pundits, musicians, actors, and all manner of opinionated people from around the globe. Whether it's kicking your soda habit or resolving to open that bottle of wine you've been saving just because, the beginning of a new year means reflecting on what we'd like to change. Seeing that we're a food-based Web site, any impending alterations tend to be of the edible variety. Gene Baur is the co-founder and president of Farm Sanctuary, a farm animal protection organization with a mission "to end cruelty to farm animals and promote compassionate living," and he has his own notion of a food resolution - and hopes you'll chew it over during the upcoming year. Five Ways to Eat More Compassionately in the New Year: Gene Baur Specifically excluded from the Federal Humane Slaughter Act, chickens are carried through the slaughter process so rapidly that many are injured but not killed, and are instead boiled alive when it comes time to remove their feathers. Gardein and Quorn, two brands widely available in supermarkets, make chicken alternatives that - wait for it - taste just like chicken! Minus the fear and suffering, of course. Chickens raised for eggs don’t have it much better. They can be packed so tightly in fetid cages that they never engage in basic natural behaviors or even stretch their wings. Millions are starved for a few weeks each year to shock their bodies into another egg-laying cycle. Think about it: is your momentary enjoyment of an omelet really worth making an already depressed and miserable animal go hungry for weeks? If that doesn’t sit right with you, opt for the high-protein, cruelty-free tofu scramble instead." 2. Replace cow’s milk with a healthy, animal-friendly, non-dairy, calcium-fortified milk made from almonds, rice, oats, coconut, soy or hemp The only way for people to consume cow’s milk is to routinely tear newborn calves from their mothers as dairy cows are trapped in an endless cycle of pregnancy and lactation. Pushed beyond their biological limits, they are worn out and sent to slaughter after just a few years 'in production.' Have you had an almond milk or soy milk mocha latte? They are fantastic and truly guilt-free!" 3. Avoid foie gras like the plague 4. Resolve to eat vegetarian ONE DAY each week Using this incremental approach, you may decide to eliminate animal products from your diet all together. Simply decreasing your consumption of factory farmed meat will prevent countless animals from living a life of pure misery." 5. Eat more plants! It’s 2012 — isn’t it time we stop eating foods produced by industries that treat animals like unfeeling commodities and start eating in a way that reflects the healthy, evolved, compassionate society we aspire to be? Let this be the year you opt out of eating cruelly. You’ll be amazed at how great it feels (and tastes) to eat compassionately." Is there someone you'd like to see in the hot seat? Let us know in the comments below and if we agree, we'll do our best to chase 'em down. |
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Testerone is also used as steroid by sports people to accelerate their performance and to gain muscles. Some of the gnc supplements on the shelves are specially conceived for such physical boosts. A medical supervision is also important if TRT is being used to boost physical activities. multiple sports association control such boosts and it is advisable to have the views from the respective sports association whether such supplements is permitted during competition. However for training purposes, there should be no such barriers.
Just as important, if not more important, is to eat in an ecologically sustainable manner. That means eating local foods and using the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Guide when picking seafood. Know where your food comes from, how it's raised, and the ecological impact, and vote with your dollar. This includes supporting food containers that are biodegradable.
Watch the movie Forks Over Knives. I eat an entirely plant-based diet because 1) I want to be as healthy as I can be and avoid many of the toxic chemicals, antibiotics, etc. we are exposed to every day in food and the environment, 2) I want to stop supporting factory farming, which is the leading cause of greenhouse gases (not cars, as some believe), 3) I want to support local farmers and 4) I want to improve the treatment of animals. I can't think of four good reasons to eat meat. As Spock would say, "It's logical." By the way, I was a naval officer's wife for 20 years thus you could consider me somewhat of a conservative (in case you were thinking I might be of a more "crunchy" ilk). I grew up eating lots of meat, drinking lots of milk, and loving cheese. I haven't looked back. I buy organic and local produce when I can. Oh, and I can think of two more good reason to eat plant-based food... 5) it's good for your budget. You can buy bulk grains, nuts, and other stuff at pennies a day, not to mention the long term benefits to your health and the planet. 6) I believe in preventative medicine. Most of the current chronic illnesses in our society such as the high incidence of diabetes and heart disease are preventable, if we can educate ourselves about how a plant-based diet is doable, tasty, and the right thing to do. Unless, of course, you're fine with supporting the big drug companies who are lurking around every corner peddling their goods for every little symptom. Come on... do we need to listen to all the drug ads on TV during every commercial break? I'm not saying every drug is bad (I wouldn't have my two wonderful children if that were true), I'm just saying that we take too many drugs that treat symptoms and not the cause. We need to be forward thinking. The planet will not survive at the rate we're using up its resources trying to feed billions of its inhabitants. Oh, and one other good reason (that makes seven!) I've thought of... eating a plant-based diet is great for looking great and keeping the weight off!
Addendum to my post: I work a full time job to which I commute to and from 60 miles a day and live in a rural area where getting to the supermarket has to be planned to save gas. I still make the plant-based diet work; It just takes a bit of planning ahead. There are so many wonderful recipes in books and online. And an 8th reason to eat a plant-based diet: no greasy dishes to wash!
Melissa,
Awesome, informative post! Thank you!!
Forks Over Knives is excellent! The past 6 months I've been changing my food drastically. I just can't continue to participate in the torture. And "free range" can be an empty distinction, according to USDA rules. Anyone who thinks mainstream meat and dairy production is not a big deal should watch Earthlings. Google it, you can watch it for free.
I am also really tired of losing friends to cancer. According to The China Study, even a small amount of meat in the diet significantly increases the incidence of cancers.
I look forward to keeping chickens one day for eggs!
Lots of good vegetarian meals here! You won't miss your meat...
http://outoftheordinaryfood.com/
I'd like to be a vegetarian, but I don't want to get sick again. I experimented with a raw foods and little or no meat diet and I got very sick, chronic fatigue symptoms, for about three years. A nutritionist told me that my body was nutritional depleted and I needed to start eating meat everyday. I did that and a number of other things to try and recover. After about two more years of very slow progress, I recovered my strength. I don't know that it the meat was the cure, but I don't want to take a chance again. I find the whole issue of killing animals to eat troubling and totally confusing. There are so many factors that go into health or illness; I don't think science could separate out all the physical, emotional, genetic, nutritional factors. Science in this country is hard to trust because it operates at the service of economic interests. I'd love to find a source of honest inquiry into the subject of diet and health, I'd like to find honest science, I'd like to find people who aren't so dead-sure that their own experience (as they understand it) is the final word and applies to everyone. Yes, I'd like to be part of a more humane solution to the abuse of animals.
I have a number of friends who were vegetarian and found eventually their energy depleted. All of them found their energy picking back up when they put meat back into their diets. They were all shiny eyed evangelists for vegetarianism when they began and for some time after. The experience people share here as to how well they are doing as vegetarians is good information, but maybe the good health they attribute to vegetarianism is not something that will last.
Kevin,
I hear what you're saying, but there are many successful vegans and vegetarians, who don't feel and appear to feel depleted. There are even some successful athletes who are vegan. But I applaud you for trying and also, being aware of the issues surrounding meat production/slaughter. I get a lot of nutrients from farm-fresh eggs and I have to say, I would find it challenging to be a vegan. But I've been healthy by avoiding red meat and poultry, and using eggs as my protein source, along with fish. One could probably successfully do the egg thing and skip the fish, and that'll be another step in my evolution.
It's all right, but one thing this reporter forgot to include was the mentioning of free-range organic chickens, milk nd eggs. People don't have to be vegetarian to advocate for animals' rights; they can get high-quality protein from consuming those organic products.
Samanthie, I so agree with you. You can be humane and still eat meat/eggs/dairy. You just have to be very selective. And the best part of doing so is that you are helping a farmer earn a living!
I agree with the idea of eating more compassionately but I know I will probably never become a full fledged vegetarian, much less a vegan. I wish the author, or at least some other contributing editor to Eatocracy would discuss the virtues of helping those farmers/ranchers who have chosen to raise and slaughter animals humanely. Heritage Foods is leading the forefront in this movement and I have been supporting them for about 5 years now. They work with small, independent farms that raise heritage breeds of poultry, beef and pigs. Their most recent initiative is called "No Goat Left Behind". Apparently, farmers who raise goats for milk have to get rid of male goats so they are either killed at birth or sold into commodity markets. Heritage Foods is working with farmers to allow them to be raised in hilltop pastures before offering them to its' customers as meat. I buy my chickens and heritage turkey from a man named Frank Reese who has led the way in humanely raising poultry. His turkeys fly and live normal lives before being slaughtered. My beef comes from White Oak Pastures where the slaughtering facility is onsite and the cattle live out their lives as they should, eating grass, roaming free. My pork is also purchased through Heritage Foods. I wish I could embrace vegetarianism. I certainly have reduced the amount of meat and poultry I consume, especially since I now buy most of it in bulk through this website. But I am also a "Foodie" and love eating real, wholesome meat and poultry. If you guys would let your readers know about these other options it might get more people like me to think in terms of leaving the commodity markets in the dust. Another wonderful thing it will do is help to keep small, independent farms alive. By opting to buy less meat/poultry and to buy it from small farmers who raise their animals humanely, we might be able to change the way America eats. We might be able to bring back a country where farmers can make a good living and we will no longer have to consume meat and poultry that have lead horrible, tragic lives. There may come a day when our meat and poultry is clean, untainted with chemicals that can only poison us rather than nourish us. Please consider looking into this way of eating. I have been doing so for years now and it has made a huge difference. I can't even look at meat or poultry from a fast food restaurant and in fact, on the extremely rare occasion when I tried to eat it, I nearly gagged because of the taste of the chemicals in it. I had to throw the stuff away. Isn't that what we should begin to work toward? Maybe someday I will turn the corner and give up meat and poultry altogether but I am not there yet and neither is my family. However, we are to the point where we make conscious decisions as to what kind of meat and poultry we will consume and that's a start. For those not ready to make the leap, this is a very manageable step.
Thank you for your post. I am not ready to make a complete switch to vegan either, but would like more information on where to look for more humane options rather than purchasing products for consumption that are the result of factory farming. I will definitely check into Heritage Foods. Appreciate all of your thoughts – thanks again!
I'm so glad to see this article. Such simple things we can do to help those who cannot speak for themselves. The reduction in suffering and in carbon footprint we could make if everyone in the US had just one non-meat meal a week is massive. A non refinded, plant-based diet might help with our obesity epidemic too. Take one day off meat a week by all and the world really starts to become a better place. A trend to non factory farming where animals have a nice life before slaughter is preferable to what is happening now. Asking everyone to become vegans overnight often creates the angry backlash we see in the blogs. Start with moderation and education and we might turn the dial in the direction that helps everyone.
Hedi,
Thanks for your sensible and thoughtful response.
I smack my lips when I eat.
I think you should profile Liz White, of Animal Alliance of Canada. An amazing woman who has dedicated her life to helping animals. Actually, to be fair there are thousands - no, millions - of people who never get the spotlight, who are rescuing animals, raising awareness and fighting for animals and the environment every day... they deserve credit too. But Liz is also an incredible spokesperson who would be worthy of your attention. http://animalalliance.ca/
Recently I became aware of farm animal cruelty and I am doing my best to become a vegetarian, resulting in meat twice a weak so far. It's an eye opener! There are SO many delicious non-meat dishes and I feel more energetic and happier! This is a great article that just gave me more inspiration! I hope more people accept the fact that we do not necessarily need meat in our diets and instead protect these poor, defenseless animals.
It's so refreshing to see vegetarians standing up for a change. Animals feel pain and fear just as much as humans do. Why then, should we put them through misery, just so we can eat them? There are many healthy vegetarian sources of protein especially legumes that can more than suffice our needs. I am especially opposed to eating competitions, where people will stuff themselves silly with 100 chicken wings or hot dogs...it makes no sense to me.
I would like to ask the vegans why so many of you spend so much time trying to make vegetable matter taste like meat, but no one tries to make meat taste like vegetables? Ît seems to me that eating veggies that taste like meat would be like giving children toy guns to play with. BTW, before one of you launches the inevitable hominum attack, my cholesterol is just fine. Sorry to disappoint you.
how does any of that make sense? when I quit smoking, I sucked on menthol cough drops to transition away from my menthol cigarettes. many people who are transitioning to a veg diet have grown up with certain tastes and try to duplicate those to make the transition easier. most veg's that have been that way for an extended period of time have come to appreciate the taste of whatever food they're eating without turning it into something else. For me, I typically stick with the latter, but occasionally, I want comfort food that mimics the meat dishes I grew up with. the difference being that nothing died for what is sitting on my plate – and that's the lifestyle I've chosen for myself.
@Pam, thank you for the great tip! I am looking to quit and I am going to give the cough drops a shot!
You do have a point about mock meat products. Vegetables are so delicious and not processed. But when we eat hotdogs, or anything cured, smoked or heavily seasoned, that seems like a prime example of trying to have meat tast like, well, something else (hello bbq sacue)! The word 'meat' can be applied to a lot of foods (nut meats, grain meats, etc.) It doesn't just have to mean flesh and I think, back in the day, it didn't mean just flesh.
As a vegan I don't eat any of the products that are meant to taste like meat. I eat amazing grains, veggies, legumes and fruit. I used to eat meat/chicken and have been able to modify most recipes to just vegan – and they taste awesome. At dinner parties people who don't know I'm vegan eat the food I've made and love it. When they find out its vegan they are happily surprised and often ask for the recipe. Eating vegan or vegetarian (even one day a week) can help a person's health and the health of the planet in so many ways! We cannot continue to consume animal products at the rate we are. Now that developing nations are developing a taste for "western food" forests are being torn down to graze cattle and raise wildlife that consumes 80% of the grain we grow – grain that could feed hungry people.
I believe it's unrealistic to expect most people to go meatless – but small changes can make a huge difference for us and future generations. Just a note about that steak you may enjoy – it takes 5000 gallons of fresh water to produce it – and yet it takes only 40 gallons of fresh water to produce 1 lb of fresh apples. With clean water in short supply this is worth knowing. It's not just about going meatless – it's about thinking about everything that goes into producing our food (the water that could be used for humans to drink, the chemicals and pesticides that are ingested and then run off into drinking water, animal waste that runs off into drinking water and contaminates nearby vegetable crops).
Thank you Wendy, you are the first vegan who has ever said that expecting the entire world to go vegan was unrealistic.
People don't become vegan because they dislike the taste of meat, dairy, and eggs. They become vegan for ethical reasons. Thus, mock animal products. It really isn't hard to understand.
Beef, I meant to reply to you earlier. For me, it's easier at times to "sneaker-consume" fake meat products because I avoid scrutiny (and sometimes hostility) if I'm eating with a bunch of other people. A veg dog looks like a regular hot dog (okay, if you don't look too close), and I can quietly eat in my own way, without freaking out other people. I've found if I don't eat meat at gatherings, I get many questions ... which is fine, but I also get many challenges and sometimes bad feelings, when all I want to do is enjoy my meal, LOL! The very idea that I don't partake of meat seems to upset people, even if I'm doing it as quietly as possible. And, the veg stuff is also something different to eat - another taste sensation. I don't really think of it as a meat replacement, exactly, but it's certainly promoted and packaged that way. I could also see those products as something you might transition with if you're interested in going off meat, like someone else had mentioned in a posting.
I suggest all the meat-eaters amongst you watch the movie 'Food Inc' and give a little thought to how greedy cost-cutting meat producers produce the food you're putting in your mouths. I know you would all like to think that USDA is the final word in healthy food production. Erm.... think again!
An Omnivore's Dilemma is a great read for the cause as well!
Torture and eat not of others, lest ye be tortured and eaten by aliens who think you are of low IQ and created for their use. Universal Law – Do not take what is not freely given.
Act of killing is a sin. That action that is a cause for distress of others is a sin. Karma comes back, it is a subtle law and force of nature. You eat and I shall eat you.
I would be much more inclined to listen to the babble of vegetarians, vegans, animal activists and the "environmentally conscious" foks out there if I saw their lifestyles more often echoing their supposed beliefs.Ride a bicycle to work and plant your OWN vegetable garden. Preserve your own food in reuseable glass jars instead of adding to the landfills. Go ahead & PUT a couple chickens in your back yard and harvest abuse-free eggs. And if you live in an area where this is totally not do-able (and many places it would possible but folks are too lazy), then support a local farmer who treats his livestock well. With so many people unemployed, we would do well to have more small farms and create jobs. Is it "less efficient" than a factory farm? Absolutely, but if these people need the jobs, what's the shame in that? Of course, that would mean that you'd have to pay a better price for your meat & vegetables, with human labor involved instead of massive machines & chemicals. I can hear the whining now...
Rosemarita, your message is a good one with lots of great ideas and would have been much more powerful if you had stated your own beliefs without starting the post with an attack and some major assumptions. I am a vegan who raises a garden AND bikes to work! Who would have thought?!
I agree with Pam. It's amazing how much more likely someone is to listen to your beliefs if they are stated in a positive way. There are plenty of eco-conscious people out there who do the very things you just suggested. I am a proud omnivore, but I get my eggs from my pet chickens, and only buy meat that was ethically and humanely raised.
Pam and Jess, I disagree with you two. I have been attacked, even once physically, just because I eat meat. Every single veghead I've ever met (Many hundreds) immediately attacked me for eating meat. I've raised the animals, looked them in the eys when I killed them, and tanned their hides into leather with my own two hands. Vegans are usually self-righteous jerks who think their farts don't stink. And interestingly enough, those who 'chose' later in life to be vegan are almost always white middle or upper 'privliged' class. (Not talking about Buddists here)
Sun,
I'm sorry that you've felt attacked by vegans/vegetarians. I find it a shame that you're against an entire group of people, many of which you don't know or haven't met. But I do understand people can be self-righteous. I have met people who eat meat, who, like some on this forum, go out of their way to insult me, even though I haven't said a word to them! However, I try not to lump people into groups and say all meat-eaters are like that. That's not true at all. And if you were physically attacked by a vegan, I would say that person was just plain crazy, period. Mental illness has nothing to do with food preference. But along the lines of feeling verbally attacked, I'm a vegetarian and try never to verbally accost anyone about their eating beliefs. If someone who eats meat asks me why I don't, sure, I'll tell them why ... and that point, I have to be very sensitive, because it can come across like I'm accusing them of something terrible. Anyway, guess my point was, please try not to stereotype people. You can find good people on both sides of the fence. If you get around a vegan or vegetarian, they are obligated to be sensitive to your feelings, just as you are obligated to be sensitive to theirs. Unfortunately, not everyone plays by those rules!
Eat more compassionately in 2012. Not for thins 1 percenter.
If anyone here is considering trying the meat alternatives in the article but is wary about taste, I can share that the quorn chicken substitutes have fooled many guests at my house. My son still has no idea the Quorn nuggets are not actual chicken and he's been eating them for four years. The Field Roast sausages are pretty good, but some of the varieties are a bit salty for my taste and they do tend to be fairly expensive. Most are quite tasty, though, and they have a whopping 25 grams of protein per sausage. Morning Star breakfast sausages have also fooled many guests to my home, including my meat-loving father, who remarked on how good they are after I told him they were vegetarian. The patties are better than the links. Hope that's helpful to someone.
Liz, have you tried the Gimme Lean sausage. I'm a vegan, so I can't do the Morningstar sausage (although my boys love it!), but I've figured out how to make a great "sausage" gravy with biscuits using the Gimme Lean. Luckily, living in Seattle, there are a lot of choices at the grocery stores as well as local restaurants.
Why do men have nipples if we can't breastfeed or really produce milk compared to females?
I have many more important things to worry about than how people mistreat chickens. Get a real life!
...thus speaks the voice of compassion. And if you watched the documentary Food Inc. you'd probably get a good laugh from it too.
Thank you, Gray Fox – well put.
I can only imagine the "more important" things you have to worry about. Which "reality" TV show to watch this evening? How you can catch a ride to next week's gun show? Maybe what you should be thinking about is your cholesterol.
You actually expended energy to write THAT!? Wow.....
How we treat the helpless is a mark of how compassionate a society is. Guess America on the whole isn't very compassionate...look at the way the elderly are treated. And we are so very cruel to animals of all kinds. What we give we get back...7 fold.
Right on, RH! Words to live by.
Exactly! Chickens are raised for my dinner plate, and that's ALL that they are good for ... yummy!
I will not cut meat out of my diet completly, for one thing...it's not healthy. For another, I already include several veggitarian meals in my diet as it is. Now I do prefer to get my red meat from someone I do know, and have in the past (as have my family), I also know in my area, hunting season is almost over and many families are set with deer to suppliment the meat they already have. I like soy milk to drink once in a while, but I prefer real milk. Try to buy eggs from a near by farmer if you can, they taste better then the ones you get in the store. Just as growing your own garden if you have the chance to is better then the store, again taste better.
Attacking each other is not going to get anyone any where, and I do agree there are major farms out there that really need to improve how they treat the animals...but there are just as many smaller farms that do just fine on raising the animals.
Agree with your point about attacking each other. However, the idea that cutting meat out of your diet is unhealthy is a myth. Check out the film "Forks Over Knives" or better yet , the book "China Study". Arguments for a vegan diet that have nothing to do with compassion toward animals.
i am sorry but according to my doctor, and my granddaughter's doctor women do need some red meat in our diet otherwise our natural progression of childbirth will be interrupted. our bodies need some natural fat to survive.
Josie, It sounds like you try to make conscious decisions when it comes your food choices. That's great, but please don't make comments like cutting meat out of your diet is unhealthy. That is completely false. A vegetarian has no problem getting alll the protein and nutrients needed and as a vegan, which I am, I pay attention to what I eat to make sure I'm getting what I need to stay as active as I am, but my diet is in no way unhealthy due to lack of flesh in it.
@ white blaze – I appreciate that you take your doctor's advice, but I have to disagree with it. I have been a vegetarian for 26 years, a vegan for 9, have had two children with no issues and am a VERY active 46 year old. People on a variety of diets neglect their nutritional needs, but the fact one chooses not to eat flesh does not mean they are in any way unhealthy.
Not healthy? Then why does the ADA say it is? I love the Internet, but FFS it is full of misinformation by people who have no idea what they are talking about. Look up the FACTS, people.
Mmm.. nothing like a good Hemp shake...
Manitoba Harvest is my favorite brand of Hemp protein
hemp, banana, coconut milk and a shot of espresso! mmmmm....
But what about the suffering of the vegetables? Just because they dont speak doesnt mean they arent alive and have feelings too!
While I am sure you will not be confused by facts I'll try anyway. It takes about 100 pounds of vegetable mater to make one pound of meat so by eating less meat you are reducing the number of vegetables that might "suffer".
herp derp
Your face.
WOW that was amazing. I now understand how wrong it was of me to be a vegan. You have completely changed my mind with your logical, factual and rational argument against vegan-ism. It was thought provoking and well reasoned. How many years did you spend crafting that masterpiece?
/sarcasm off
How about let Mr. Bauer eat whatever he wants to eat and he shut up and leave me to eat what I please?
I know I am but what are you?
Best post so far.
*vegetarians
Unless he loves the sausage. Then he's going to burn in hell because God loves us so
thank you.. I don't and won't push my beliefs on anyone else. eat or drink what you want or need or want
I saw that, too. Still eats the meat. And beat it, too. While the documentary is indisputable in itself, I think it was a little dramatic in trying to portray that's how ALL companies work. Just my opinion, though.
Nice article, but are you aware that Quorn is made from egg whites? Eating Quorn in lieu of chicken is indeed healthier, but not less cruel.
Good call Paul. Also, several of the veggie burgers on the market have dairy in them, which is a shame because it's not necessary. Boca vegan burgers are the best tasting commercial veggie burgers I've had.
They drew first blood. Adam was bitten by a camel, like a true warrior, he slew that camel and fed his family. Then they got rid of the fig leaf and wore camel robes and headbands.
After watching Food Inc. a year and a half ago I stopped eating meat. After learning the truth about the disgusting facilities and the horrors the poor animals go through I couldn't bring myself to eat meat, especially chicken. If someone is going to eat meat I would urge you to by from small, local farmers.
Thank you for bringing up the fact that not ALL animals need to be treated this way. I was a vegetarian for 13 years. I now enjoy meat as well as a balanced and varied diet.
BUT, the only meat I eat is wild game; which has been hunted and harvested ethically and responsibly by myself or my spouse. On the rare occasion we are eating meat that has been purchased, we ensure that it comes from a local, responsible, and humane producer that provides the best care possible and most humane processing and distribution of their animals.
I am 100% against the treatment of the vast majority of animals in this country, but switching to a vegan or vegetarian diet is NOT the only solution.
GOD hates vegitarians, otherwise why would Jesus himself have feed people meat?
When I'm elected president, I will force vegans to eat the corpses of other vegans that I send to the electric chair. In the name of his most HOLY LORD, AMEN!
It was actually fish, not meat.
What is fish made of? Soylent Green?
Apparently that moron thinks they are made from rainbows and good feelings.
Wait...they aren't?
I don't understand why meat-eaters get so worked up over an article like this. Many people are interested in trying a vegetarian diet and may not be aware of what is out there to replace what they are used to. For example, most people have never heard of Gardein. But it is a wonderful substitute for chicken–healthier and better tasting. No one is trying to take away anybody's right to eat meat
And for those of you who think you're hurting a vegetarian by vowing to eat more meat–go for it. Your doctor, future or present heart surgeon, and oncologist will all love you!
It has nothing to do with whether one is a meat-eater or not. It is being preached at and told what to do by some self-appointed 'arbiter'.
Keerist on a Cross you sound like my mother. Someone is offering their views on a topic. Just because it differs wildly from your views, you think you're being lectured to. Get a grip, some group therapy and up the dosage.
It's just an article with some suggestions. No one's being forced to read it. Many might find it helpful.
I didn't catch the part where he's preaching. Would you care to enlighten us on that one?
coriolana: he wasn't "telling" anyone what to do. lose your paranoia
I don't understand why meat eaters get so freaked out about these articles either. There are many alternatives out there it just means you have to learn something new. That is very difficult for some people apparently.
Thank you, Gene, for this thoughtful article, which outlines choices people can make. For those people posting insults about vegans and vegetarians, this article is just providing suggestions, while giving you information about some of the cruelty we inflict on animals in industrial farming situations. That's all. Nothing to freak out about. Just information to keep you informed. If you eat meat, just please try to be aware of where it comes. Be an informed consumer and make compassionate choices as best you can.
Amen to that!
I eat a vegan diet during the week and meat on the weekends. Almost all the meat we eat is raised grass fed, free range on our little homestead. We treat all our animals with respect and kindness. Probably as well as most well kept dogs and cats are treated. Then we butcher them in quickest and most humane way possible. I abhor the mistreatment of animals in farm factories.
More delicious meat for me. Had venison last night that was shot in Wisconsin, have a turkey thawing in the fridge for this NFL playoff weekend (came from Butterball), and had a pheasant last week that I bought at a Hmong market. Oh, yeah – and salmon patties on Monday.
God put meat on Earth in the form of animals. If this were 1400 A.D. vegans would be sickly people. I'd like to see you survive, or at least stay healthy, without all the alternatives and vitamins offered in this day and age. I don't see anything against the choice of Vegan-ism, but we're meant to eat meat. It's why we have incisors, morons. Go bash on something else (I'm talking to you, crazy over-zealous vegans. not the normal ones)
Oh, yes, we have HUGE incisors: not! Our incisors are pathetic compared to the incisors of true meat-eaters. Plus, we have to cook our meat to be able to rend it and not be repulsed by it. And please, skip the insults. It doesn't make your case to call people "morons." If you want to eat meat, go for it, but don't spread inaccuracies and insults.
Which is why God gave us the brains to discover fire.
Then I stole it and gave it to all, but now I am second guessing giving it to the extreme vegans.
No, clueless one. Our *canine* teeth are smaller in comparison to carnivores. The incisors are the ones up front. Look at a dog's or cat's teeth then reevaluate your statement. And as far as cooking meat to be able to "rend it and not be repulsed by it" is also wrong. The repulsion factor is learned; your dental makeup has nothing to do with it, and your teeth will cut raw meat just fine, just like the other primates of the world. For someone complaining about spreading inaccuracies...
I suggest you take a look at the upper canines of a musk deer then. Wise up smart guy. Having incisors does not mean you must eat meat. Vegetarian and proud.
No, no, no. Pay closer attention before going off your rants. I was replying to Yikes' post, in which s/he claimed our incisors were smaller than carnivores', which is incorrect. At no time did I say that having incisors mandated eating meat. Go reread the post slower this time and *after* you take your meds. Your musk deer reference is irrelevant, but thank you for playing. How many years did you spend in English class struggling with reading comprehension? You need to go back for another one, in any case. And change your signature to "vegetarian and stupid."
Good lands, Gozer. You seem like such an angry individual. All that gnashing of your canine AND your incisors? Really, do your research. There are plenty of studies that show our dental makeup doesn't mean we MUST eat meat. Our teeth are very, very different from that of the carnivores'. While you're carefully studying up on teeth, I suggest you also research behaviors like how to be polite in a forum and how to play well with others. Try it! You might make some friends!!
*sigh* And it appears you, too, have failed basic reading comprehension. Once again there was nothing in my reply stating that we had to eat meat. Go reread my post–and you might want to check your meds, as well–and point out where I said our dentition required a meat-based diet. Point out anywhere that I specified we had to eat meat. Hint: you won't find anything.
I was correcting your false assertion about the sizes of our incisors vs. those of carnivores. You were wrong in your first post, and you're wrong again in your reply to me. Learn to cope with it. It looks like you should learn to read the posts before you reply to them, wouldn't you think? And thank you from the bottom of my heart for tips on how to make new friends on message boards. You have correctly and instantly pinpointed the one thing in life I missed having.
You're doing as poorly as Disgusting at reading comprehension. I corrected your mistaken statement about the size of our incisors vs. those of carnivores. You were wrong. Cope with it. (And there's no tooth-gnashing here. Just a low tolerance for people who don't know what they're talking about and don't comprehend what they're told the first two times they hear it.) You might also want to look at my previous posts and point out where I said that our dentition mandated a meat-based diet. Hint: I never said anything of the sort. Thanks for your hints on gaining friends on online forums. You successfully managed to identify the one thing in my life that was so sorely lacking.
It's not possible to get an essential vitamin, B12, on a strict vegan diet. After 1 or more years of smugness, after which B12 stores in the body are depleted, vegans get knocked on their keisters. If I had to guess whether human bodies were "meant" to either eat meat or pills, I'd put my money on the meat.
Historically, B12 defiency was not an issue. In today's world, it has become an issue because we're far cleaner. Everything gets washed and any bugs, feces, dirt, etc., on our plants that would contain B-12 gets washed away. That's not a bad thing, but it does inidcate that not all human beings throughout history became B-12 deficient by not eating meat. On the positive side, it's very easy to make sure you have enough B-12 by drinking a glass of fortified soy milk. (sort of like people getting their Vitamin D by drinking a glass of fortified cows milk) The B-12 argument is not a rational defense for eating meat. If you eat it, it's because you like the taste of it – not because you need it to survive.
Sorry, but B12 is always a necessary part of the body. It's used for many basic chemical reactions. Vegans didn't die from B12 deficiency in the olden days because they're weren't vegans in the olden days.
Maybe you should research that before you start spouting nonsense simply to prove a point. Regardless, even if there have been NO vegans among people throughout all of history until the twenty first century, B-12 is a pretty easy vitamin to get more than adequate amounts of with very little work.
Don't flatter yourself re brains – you were missing that day. What a stupid comment – how old are you – 10?
Yes, but in 1400 AD, we did not have factory farming. Which is my main "beef" (pun intended) with the eating of meat. It is a cruel industry. At least the deer you consumed had the right to a decent life before hand. I think that this article is just asking people to tone down their consumption and send the industry a message. Try to be mindful of where the food you are consuming came from. It is not extreme and I thought very well-written.
But, I am guessing you really don't care...
You are correct. This will happen whether or not a handful of people decide to avoid meat. It's not fun to think about, but unless the whole planet follows this guideline, it is a futile effort. I am not the one that has to answer for the inhumane treatment of animals by others. I will still eat meat, I am just aware of where it comes from – for the most part.
Why are people afraid of mice and rats, rather than see them as food? Many snakes can be eaten, including rattle snakes. Over the years I've known people in my neighborhood to kill snakes in their yard, but they never eat them. Many bugs are edible too. Maggots and crickets are high in protein.
One can argue that it's natural to eat meat, but I never see anyone chase down a rat or snake to eat it, or find maggots naturally delectable. I've never taken a bite out of a cow right out in the field. Never felt the urge, despite my menacing incisors.
But an apple, an orange are delicious right off the tree. I love collecting pecans in the fall underneath my pecan tree. And though I find gardening enjoyable, half the 'weeds' in my yard are edible and quite nutritious (Sow thistle, wild lettuce, garden sorrel, dandelion, Florida betony, etc.)
And as far as what God intended us to use as food: Genesis 1:29- And God said, Behold, I have given you every plant bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, which has seed in its fruit; to you it shall be for food.
Maggots and other larvae I will never touch. But I agree with the rest of your statement.
BTW, you should at least try and take a bite of the cow in the field. Or, for that matter, the bull. Quite tasty and makes for a lunch full of exercise.
Genesis 1:28 "And God blessed them, Gen. 5.1, 2 and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth."
We can have them, too.
Our intestines are longer than carniverous animals and therefore will putrify in our bodies before digesting. This results in stomach issues, weight gain, etc.
Balderdash & Pooh on you!
My interpretation of Genesis is that we started out in a garden filled with everything man needed to survive. It wasn't until AFTER Man feel from grace that he was kicked out of the garden and had to resort to killing the animals he had once dwelt in peace with. Wouldn't a Christian strive to return to the place of paradise rather than eating one of the Frankenchickens you get from KFC?
So much trite garbage in the comments. Humans eat animal flesh and have since the beginning, as well animal milk and eggs. We also use their hides to make clothing. Get over this maudlin, puritan, crap, mouthed to make you feel superior and oh-so-spiritual. Yes, aboslutely, we need to treat raised animals better. They give us nutrition and warmth and we should honor that. Their conditions are apalling – attack that, not the practice that has shown itself healthful in every healthy population since humans started noticing – meat eating. I eat meat, fish, eggs, and dairy and am gloriously healthy from it, despite the BS pandered by our agribusiness overlords and the self-serving vegetarian air-heads. Go look at any indigenous group of people and you find the healthy ones eat all these things. They have perfect skin, perfect teeth. Read the work of Dr. Weston Price and you will understand. Don't like leather? Poor Bambi? Poor moo-cow? Take a gander at what creating plastics to use instead does to the environment (the waste is ruining what's left of the oceans. None of it is biodegradable and toxins are pervasive.) Animals deserve respect and humane treatment, but they aren't people. Get over it.
Suzie, do you need to eat the decomposing flesh of a fellow earthling in order to survive and thrive? NO! You don't. If you choose to eat meat, go for it! But don't attack those of us who choose to abstain. (and if you follow the Bible, human started out eating fruits and veggies – it was falling from grace that made them have to rely on eating flesh to survive – and even if you don't follow the Bible, there have been many people in regions of the world who survive quite well without meat)
seriously your the one attacking everyone's own point of view trying to desperately cling to your own stubborn ideals. quit making up bullshit facts about the bible. your trying to separate verses of Genesis like they are separate books of the bible. your taking evidence out of context and your the one who really is pushing your views on everyone else. please just shut your mouth have fun starving yourself everyone here is right you would be dead if this was 1000 years ago, name a society you are saying was "fine" abstaining from meat. and fish is meat i would like somebody to tell me different.
Technically, we eat it before it decomposes.
Whoa! Suzy! Angry, are we? Geez woman, lighten up! Obviously all that decomposing flesh you're consuming is causing a bit of agression.....And what part of the Bible did I misinterpret? Tell me EXACTLY how I misinterpreted that small section of Genesis. I never said that later man was not given free range to eat flesh, I simply pointed out that initially, he didn't need to. I am very open to people eating whatever they choose. Your inital comment was very agressive and attacked those who aren't of the same opinion as you. That's what I was speaking out against. Relax and learn how to debate instead of going on the attack. (and maybe eat some veggies)
Eat more compassionately. Ic an't decide whether tol augh or cry at the ridiculus nature of this article. This reminds me of an incident years ago. A mother of two small babies was killed by a mountain lion in the California hills. The mountain lion was killed and left cubs. Donations for the cubs were more than ten times the donantions for the babies. So we know exactly where the compassion of the animal rights wackos are.
Now, my new years resolution is to eat more eggs, chicken, pork, beef, and thanks for reminding me Gene, lamb. As a matter of fact, after reading this article and all the responses from the animal crybabies, I had some eggs for breakfast, plan on chicken for lunch, and will send my daughter out for some tortured baby calf meat for dinner.
I will make an extra effort to increase my consumptioni of animal products this year. I did pretty good in meeting my 2011 resolution of increasing my personal carbon footprint significantly by using a coal burning stove. I even saved significantly on my heat (very important in the great white north). I'm going to have to focus on eggs and chicken to save money,but Iwill still have to include those lamb chops and yummy veal.
There's nothing about loving and caring about animals that means NOT loving and caring about people. This is about being compassionate and having empathy for other living creatures that feel pain. No one is saying that the needs of people should be ignored...why is it one or the other?
Also, there is a direct link between humanitarianism and supporting the rights of animals. It's no coincidence that the man that founded the first ever Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was also the leader of the abolitionist movement in England. It's also no coincidence that the founder of the American SPCA was also a champion of children's rights and worked to pass laws that protected children from abuse. Those men are William Wilberforce and Henry Berg, respectively.
Thank you both for your thoughtful responses to spiritrider. Although we're not ignoring her/his rather ignorant post, sometimes it's best to ignore people like that, LOL. They seem to enjoy provoking others and insulting them to boot. Doesn't make you exactly see their viewpoint when they begin insulting others and calling them "wacko." Please, spiritrider, try to be courteous. I know it's hard ... but try ... growing up is sooo hard to do!
Assuming the children had family who could take care of them, as well as our increasingly socialist government, I'm certain they will do just fine in the "basic needs" category. Surely you must know that the cubs don't have any such sort of liberal socialist protection.
People are best judged by how they treat those creatures (including people) over which they have power, dominion, and authority. Eat what you want, but at least be appreciative and respectful of the life you've consumed. There is no reason to be deliberately callous and crude about it. And, thinking you're some how special or novel in your idea about consuming more dead animals is hilarious...humans have been consuming meat FOREVER. Congratulations on being entirely unremarkable.
Are you going to eat more meat as a part of revenge for the woman killed by the mountain lion? Dumb and dubmer.
No because meat from carnivores like mountain lions is just to tough and not very tasty. On the other hand herbivores and omnivores (who eat mainly plant based products) like chickens are mighty tasty.
You can't disrespect someone you have no respect for in the beginning. Cry babies are the product of a society that coddles anyone whoes feelings might be hurt by something someone said or wrote. Weakness is a virtue and it has survival of the most unfit.
I am of the first people and learned our ways from my grandfather. We have great respect and admiration for all of the earth's creatures. They come from and return to mother earth. However, we are all part of nature and the animals are there to sustain us.
This 'incident' was made up. It never happened. It's a silly story someone came up with to try to make some point. If not, prove it by sharing the article.
My father died at the age of 51 of a heart attack, and he was by no means overweight. His sister, my aunt, died at the age of 63. My grandfather on that side of the family died before I was born, and my grandmother died when I was two.
Both grandparents didn't even make it into their mid 60's. I have no living relatives on my father's side except for cousins.
They all ate like you suggest. My father always jogged, but he refused to change his diet. My aunt was quite active too until she eventually succombed to complete organ failure. It started with the kidneys and liver.
Eat that way. Go for it. Eat out of spite and anger. No one will stop you.
Nobody is trying to hurt you by making healthy personal choices for themselves.
I feel sorry for your daughter if this is how you teach her compassion. Hopefully her mother is a better roll model.
If the corporate farms would raise chickens more humanely, there wouldn't be a problem. But it might cut into their enormous profits. Chicken is a staple of my diet. Until I can raise (and kill) my own food, I'm stuck with what is available.
You do not have to devour chicken. No one is "forcing" you to eat it. You are making excuses and blaming the ever-so-easy-to-blame "corporations" for something that you tell yourself is out of your control. Take a step back and see how absurd your thinking is.
Fiona, right on girl!!!!
Actually you are "forcing" your ethics onto disconctd5 who may or may not be able to afford an alternative to chicken nor may not choose to. Corporations DO have a huge hand in this overall large problem of sustainable food for an ever-growing world population. Its not just limited to just big companies making profits, there is a demand for economical food for consumers. Especially when the economy is in the state WE ALL are responsible for, not just a single party.
I buy my eggs from my neighbor who has 2 chickens. I don't know where you live, but maybe you could look into doing this?
Milk comes from a teet NOT a plant and lets be honest people, how many times in the past year did you eat foie gras? Supply and demand folks, supply and demand. How about doing everything in moderatrion, including moderation at times.
It's beyond ridiculous to assume that everyone has consumed foie gras. It's a luxury food (if disgusting and representative of crass cruelty). This isn't about "moderation.". It's about ethics.
But calcium can be found in plant-based foods. I'm missing your point.
Moderation is over-rated.
Foie gras on veal shank! Delish! My daily after school snack. Couldn't live without it!
Foie gras on veal shank! Yum! My daily after school snack. Couldn't live without it.
Excellent! Thank you Gene, you're awesome.
We love animals therefore do not eat them.
I live in the country. We buy our half beef from a local farmer who has us on a rotation list and lets us know when to go to the processing plant (local family owned) and get our meat. I buy a name brand of pork that is processed locally in a town about an hour from where I live. Pork is from confinement operation but better than most. I buy free range organic chicken from Kroger. Don't tell me not to eat meat and I won't tell you not to eat vegetables. I grew up on a farm and let me tell you that when you slaughter a chicken you cut its head off, put it in a barrel and let it quit moving, then put it in a pot of boiling water to remove the feathers. You then remove the guts and piece the chicken. You check the gizzard to make sure it did not eat anything repulsive before you eat it. If you are going to eat meat it has to be slaughtered. By and large most do it humanely. Everyone talks about the suffering, you have to kill it to eat it. No one intentionally tries to make it worse than it has to be.
" By and large most do it humanely." COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY WRONG.
I think that comment was about the small family farms / small 'companies' who raise animals for meat. I know several of these, and yes they are raised and killed humanely for the most part. My grandparents raise 6 heifers ever year (5 for sale, 1 for themselves). They feed the animals apples and treat them VERY well, have them butchered in the most humane way possible and they are very affordable. Most of their neighbors do the same thing, and they are only 30 minutes from the city.
References from peer-reviewed journals? (the kind that aren't found on a PETA website)
Proof?
When was the last time you were at a slaughter house?????? I would guess NEVER!
That sheep looks set for the winter, but I wonder if he believes in shearing the poor thing in the summer? At least just enough for it's skin to get a summer breeze perhaps. If he shears it, then he's violating its dignity somehow. If he DOESN'T shear, then the poor thing roasts in the summer. That's a bit of a quandry: to shear or not to shear?
What did sheep do before people started shearing them? What do wild sheep do? Sheep are sheared for the wool, not for the comfort of the sheep. Just as the wool insulates them from cold in the winter, it protects them from heat in the summer.
Oh, please. That sheep is the result of human tinkering (breeding for coat, milk and meat, and docile temperament) and bears little resemblance to its wild cousins. Wild sheep do not have that hair coat.
Actually, I did an internship at farm sanctuary last year. Of course they shear their sheep in the summer. They give their animals medications when needed, and yes, they even euthanize them when they need to be put down. People always read these articles and think vegetarians are out of touch with reality when it comes to their decisions and treatment of animals. Sadly, you are hugely mistaken. Before you pass judgement, try doing a little research into the topic.
Good for you for taking down a t roll while remaining calm. Post like that make me livid.
How does shearing a sheep go against its rights? You're just talking nonsense now for the sake of starting an argument that doens't exist. Grow up!
once again your just issuing inflammatory statements, i just want you to shut up and let the smart people do the talking weve figured out that your not included in that category so just stay out of it.
@shut up Pam – are you listing yourself among the smart people? I certainly hope not.
It would have been nice to see some non-soy alternatives mentioned. I understand that tofu, soy, and TVP are the easiest vegetarian meat substitutes to add into a diet, but there are quite a few of us out here who can't eat soy...
Also, if people would teach their children at a young age to enjoy veggies or a varied diet, they wouldn't have to trick their kids with meatless chicken nuggets...
The things that humans do to this planet and the inhabitants of it are des pickable.
"when the kids want chicken nuggets, they won’t even realize that Quorn brand nuggets are missing the meat." Can I travel to your fantasy world in my blue spaceship, or are only pure vegans allowed entry through the rainbow forcefield?
I try to eat vegetarian at times, but come on....I have tried that fake meat crap, so don't insult me or my kids.
Vlad, I wish I could cook you and your kids a meal with a good meat alternative like MatchMeat. It really is good! I promise you wouldn't miss the meat.
If veggies are so tasty, why do you devil women always try to make faux-meat?
Just shove the sausage in your mouth and shut your yapper.
I appreciate it Beth. I am strictly omnivorous, but do enjoy vegetarian meals when I can. That being said, I can distinctly tell differences in soy/quorn bases products, and my daughters can as well. We actually prefer spaghetti with a zesty meatless sauce, as opposed to the sauce with a fake tasting meat product.
Thanks for the offer, though. :D
totally agree. thank you for posting. I think we forget what is done to the animals so that we can eat them.
It isn't easy to speak out thoughtfully on this topic, and I am glad to see some debate here. I wish it wasn't necessary to post the truly nasty and personal comments, AND it is very important to respect all sides of this issue. Eating fewer animals, eliminating meat all together, eating more plants, knowing your local farmer/producers, hunting, etc., all show that you can have a full appreciation of "who" is on your plate and what sacrifice was made for your meal. We have a lot of choices and we can choose to eat more compassionately if that matters to us. And when we can show compassion to others (including people and animals), we are doing something worthwhile. That's what this article is saying, I think.
Your comments made the most sense thus far...
Can you really ask what reason Pythagoras had for abstaining from flesh? For my part I rather wonder both by what accident and in what state of soul or mind the first man did so, touched his mouth to gore and brought his lips to the flesh of a dead creature, he who set forth tables of dead, stale bodies and ventured to call food and nourishment the parts that had a little before bellowed and cried, moved and lived. How could his eyes endure the slaughter when throats were slit and hides flayed and limbs torn from limb? How could his nose endure the stench? How was it that the pollution did not turn away his taste, which made contact with the sores of others and sucked juices and serums from mortal wounds?… It is certainly not lions and wolves that we eat out of self-defense; on the contrary, we ignore these and slaughter harmless, tame creatures without stings or teeth to harm us, creatures that, I swear, Nature appears to have produced for the sake of their beautyand grace. But nothing abashed us, not the flower-like tinting of the flesh, not the persuasiveness of the harmonious voice, not the cleanliness of their habits or the unusual intelligence that may be found in the poor wretches. No, for the sake of a little flesh we deprive them of sun, of light, of the duration of life to which they are entitled by birth and being.
—Plutarch
I too have wondered why our ancestors picked the meekest animals to domesticate and eat. Let's try a few lions, tigers and bears if we want to run around claiming how tough we are! Could it be because we can bully the meek animals?
Very surprised at the amount of immature comments this has gotten. I think most that commented are under the age of 13.
I agree! The article is asking that people be aware of what they're eating and to eat healthier. I don't believe asking people to eat vegetarian one day a week is an attack on meat eaters. A lot of people lacking intelligence or a real life tend to troll these sites hoping to get attention that I'm sure they're lacking in the real world. Not the best kind of attention, though.
Funny thing is: most people probably already eat vegetarian one day a week-ish without thinking about it. It's being told to eat vegetarian one day a week that I think is just kinda silly.
I'm sure that these options he's presenting are healthier, but a lot of people who get up in arms about eating "right" don't understand that a lot of these jokers (like me) eat that way because it's tasty, irregardless of any concerns for our own health or the treatment of the animals we're eating.
David – so true. Cheese ravioli with marinara, peanut butter and jelly – Surprise! You just ate a meatless meal.
You both realize this is CNN...Right?
Good point...
Brilliant, Amanda! Every children have more Light filled spirits. Judith
By the way, if you see a larger font, it just might be that person is visually challenged.
Perfect observation, Amanda. I believe that children have more Light.
Perfect observation, Amanda.
The guy in the picture looks really creepy the way hes smiling and stroking that sheeps chin.
poor sheep.
I was contimplating trying the Hannible Lector diet.
I hear its pretty easy, doesnt require any special trips to the store.
Yeah, but pretty soon you run out of guests to invite over for dinner.
Okay, lets all gather round into a little circle and sing kum-by-ya while passing the magical cigarette around.
Huh? Do I need to translate? "Pay attention to me, I am lonely and isolated–both geographically and socially!"
Come on man, people are trying to be more conscious of their environment. The fact is that the vast majority of Americans get their food from the supermarket, so understand that those same people ("city folk", as you might call them) are trying to improve their ways and in turn have an impact on reprehensible system of food delivery. Everything else is just playground antics. You can't be that bad a person. I bet if we had a beer, you would open up and admit that seeing groups of deer range across the open plains of Montana might actually be occasionally INSPIRING. Life is all around you man, so chill out on the death and psychological bullying. Nobody told you to stop eating meat anyway–it's just an article encouraging people to raise their food awareness–something you actually seem to appreciate.
The problem with our environment isn't the slaughterhouses. It is the fact that we have way too many people. Less people would mean less slaughterhouses. Now the compassionate argument concerning these slaughterhouses is valid.
I'm a vegetarian, married to a carnivore. I purchase and cook meat for him although I do not eat it myself. I'm not one of those holier-than-thou, militant vegans and I hate the way they approach meat eaters attempting to "shame them" into veganism. How about this. If vegans truly want to help animals, let's approach the meat eaters with compassion! Compassion for meat eaters means we care about their health. Thus, we want them to know that meat from factory farms is lower in nutrients than naturally-raised meat, contains antibiotics and hormones that are detrimental to human health and to educate people regarding the fact that most Americans eat up to five times more protein than their bodies require each day. Too much protein in the diet contributes to things like osteoporosis and liver problems later in life. High consumption of red meat leads to higher rates of cancer, heart disease and stroke. I personally don't care if people eat meat. I do care that people are getting sick because they eat too much meat and they eat meat that is pumped full of hormones and antibiotics. The message here is simple. Know where your food comes from. Make educated choices in how you buy meat and eat a little less meat each week (smaller portions or have one meatless meal a week) for your health if for no other reason.
You seem a little too caffeinated...or perhaps just angry and a little unstable. Nobody in the article was attacking anyone. But you are.
Huh? Exactly who am I attacking?
Well put. Cast the ideologies aside, and consider the practicalities involved, and the answer is clearly 'LESS MEAT IS GOOD". I agree that it tastes good, but momentary satisfaction isn't an argument. In fact we could equate that thinking with a lot of problems in this country, but I'll spare everyone that lecture. You made excellent points, Lilburn, and it shows that you are thinking, and not just reacting.
Lilburn Lady, you are absolutely correct. Factory farmed meat is bad for you. It's bad for the animals. It's also bad for the environment. T People frequently justify the modern level of meat consumption with "man has always been a meat-eater". They don't understand that, yes, man has generally always been a meat-eater, but until he advent of the factory farms in the 1930's, most people never ate meat in the quantity that we do today, and the meat they did eat was leaner and healthier. As a number of authors have pointed out, there is a cost to eating cheap, factory-farmed meat that goes far beyond the price tag in the supermarket. We pay for it when our tax dollars go to clean up the environmental messes caused by factory farms and we pay for it in health costs. Our society has become addicted to cheap meat, and the only people who truly benefit are the Corporate factory farms.
I definitely agree with everything you said!
A man had a parrot that could talk. Unfortunately, it swore a lot. In an effort to get the parrot to be quiet, he put him in a cupboard. The parrot continued swearing and after a while the man decided to put the bird in the freezer. After that, the parrot started swearing even more. After a few minutes, he suddenly became quiet. The man opened up the freezer and the parrot said, "I'm sorry, sir, it will never happen again." As the man took the bird out of the freezer he wondered what the difference was between the cupboard and the freezer. Just then, the parrot said, "So, uh, what'd the chicken do?"
I didn't know they allowed computer access in juvenile detention. I'm sure your parents are asking, "Where did we go wrong?"
I'd wager your parents are quite disheartened by the humorectomy you seemed to have had. Any topic can have a humorous side – it's all in how you look at it. You seem to be looking at it thru the eyes of a bitter, crotchety old fa rt.
I believe the point is that giant corporate agricultural companies who tend to use geneteic altering, steroids, chemicals preservatives, etc are quite a bit different than buying fresh and direct from smaller, local farms. Personally my health has improved immensely since we started growing our own produce and harvesting our own meat sources. I do not like to kill. But I do need to eat, and I can't afford the yuppy city pirces for organic foods.
You guys would make awesome gatherers.
T-Bone, you are trolling. And if you seriously believe you represent the apex of survival of the fittest, then please come to my neighborhood in East Boston and announce that on the street.
Boston? wow, that s tough.
Come hang with me in Montana when the temps hit -50 and hunting is your primary source of food.
I dont define the 7-11 being closed as the pinnacle of a bad day.
I guess when your competitors are deer and you own rifles it does feel like a victory. If you are hunting animals in their habitat, so be it–in fact I will be the first to encourage you to open a butchery. However, that anyone equates the demand for better farming practices with biological weakness shows a real entrenched ideology at play. If we improve ourselves as individuals, we improve the nation. And just maybe, we improve the world. But by all means, please do keep insulting people from your one-dimensional view of the world. Wasn't it adaptation that brought man out of the jungle?
How to eat more compassionately: 1: Don't eat chicken or eggs. So, what is usually the cheapest meat in the supermarket i need to avoid; instead i need to spend 3 or 4 times as much for beef? Or maybe 8 times as much for free range beef? 2: Replace cow's milk @ $3.00 per gallon with almond milk @ $6.00 per half gallon. 3: No comment needed. 4 & 5: Not bad as long as one doesn't live in an urban food desert. What i am getting at here is that this guy is a wealthy 1% ass who is trying to claim the moral high ground spending his disposable income on "compassionate" food while kids go hungry in the wealthiest country in the world. The kind of guy who worries about the morality foie gras is not someone who worries about paying the rent, or keeping the heat on, or paying for medicine instead of food. Ignorant privileged prick.
True. So very, very true. What if I just don't have the money for the extra cost of this "humane" diet? People like the author just don't understand that most of us are up against the wall financially and plain don't have the money to spend on grossly overpriced alternative food products, $7 dollar "green" lightbulbs, or $45,000 hybrid cars? I have one of these guys in my family and when I point out to him that I can't afford it, I just get a dumb stare back because it's like we are speaking different languages, because he has NEVER been on the razor's edge financially and folks like him will NEVER understand.
I hope you realize that those $7 light bulbs (which are getting cheaper than that, BTW) will last you 10 years or so, rather than needing to be replaced after 6 months? - and that your electric cost will be less, too? They're much cheaper in the end.
Actually, Ann, that's only partially true. I've been reading reports that have shown that the new bulbs work as intended if they're in a socket that remains on all the time. If you're turning the lights on and off they tend to burn out quicker than the standard bulb. They do use less electricity overall though.
I've been a vegetarian for 28 years, and my grocery bills are always less than anybody I know. My electric bill is really low too. But that's also because I turn off unnecessary lights, etc. And the energy saving bulbs save you more money in the long run. They last longer too. And as far as the food is concerned, no matter what your diet, if you want to spend a lot of money, there will be a product for you; plant based or meat based, either way.
But I always go with whole unprocessed grains as much as possible (dry brown rice, dry beans, legumes, rolled oats, farina, and then fresh vegetables from the produce section, 5 or 10 lb bag of potatoes, 5 lb bag of flour, preferably whole wheat. A variety of nuts and fresh fruits. And then many seasonings, usually from the ethnic section in the store where they're more in bulk and less expensive.
These are just some of the staples, but it provides the bulk of nutrition.
With a little time planned in for cooking, the savings are tremendous.
I have friends who tell me they have to spend $200 to $300 a week to eat, that's just the way it is.
But if I spend any more than $50 a week on groceries I feel like I'm splurging. I've still got a ton of spiced mixed bean/brown rice mix for tortillas in the freezer from last week. And I eat plenty, and when I cook, I usually cook plenty too so there's always something on hand. I freeze what I don't need right away.
Though if I bought all canned and processed junk I'm sure $50 would only just be a start. Not to mention all the extra additives and chemicals I can't even pronounce that I don't want to pay extra money for in the first place.
Most people probably can't afford to buy the most expensive hybrid cars and whatnot, but most of us could afford to spend less on gas by consolidating trips, walking when possible. The store I go to is just over a mile away, so I always walk.
Over the years some people will tell me from time to time, in effect; "Life is short. Why don't you just eat what you want, do what you want to do? In the end, what's the use of being miserable and deprived?"
But I really do like the way I eat. I like a variety of natural foods and spices, and believe me, what I eat isn't bland at all.
But what I really like is having money to do what I want to do, feeling healthy, and enjoy buying something I'd like from time to time rather than being drained dry with excessive bills.
Anyone can throw away money, a vegan or carnivore alike. But quite often what is best for you is very cheap, and what is the worst for you is the most expensive.
I am a vegetarian, and I agree that it is untenable for most people to cut chicken out of their diets. As you mentioned, it is essentially the cheapest form of meat (at least true, edible meat, anyway), and it is much more healthy than any sort of red meat. When I read this article, what I hope people take from it is the condition of the animals and do what they can...talk to your children about how to humanely treat animals, maybe try to spend the extra $0.50 – $1 on cage free eggs (that's what it is where I live), or maybe eat chicken one less day per week. I don't think people have to stop eating chicken, or that eating commercially raised chicken some how makes you a bad person. It's what's available to most people. My husband eats meat, and mostly chicken, at that. We simply cannot afford the organic brands right now, but he is aware that for him to have that chicken, the bird probably suffered. It doesn't change the fact that he eats it, or that he likes it. It makes him appreciate it.
I think (hope) people take issues like this personally because they recognize that issues of animal cruelty in commercial farming are very real and at least a small part of them feels guilty for participating in it. I think that guilt, or that awareness, if you prefer, is a small step toward compassion. A person can lobby for better commercial farming practices and still consume such animals.
I stick to a simple rule – I don't eat anything that has a face. I feel better and feel better about my choice to eat this way.
Bravo, Alex. I love it.
I dont think cannibals follow that rule of thumb.
Steaks don't have faces.... does that count?
I love that! I always say if it runs or flies, I don't eat it. I do eat fish, though, so if it swims, it's ok. Some moron always responds to me saying this with something like "I saw a cow swim once." So, there, I can spare you the trouble for those of you who were going to post that one.
So your definition of a moron is anyone who differs in opinion from yours..... you fit in well with this plant eating group.
I know what you mean.
I switched to McDonalds because Burger King had the picture of the King on the package.
Why is it that the choice to eat a plant-based diet, like the choice to be a pacifist, so threatens people? Could it be that there's some repressed guilt involved?
Eat what you want.
Just get out of everyone elses face about their choices.
T-Bone, did the CNN police come to your door and demand that you read this article? If you opened this article and read it, I'm pretty sure that you chose to have it "in your face".
I think this article is useful for those who want to change their eating habits and inconsequential for those who don't.
GREAT IDEA! T-BONE – GOD GAVE US EACH FREE WILL. TO EACH HIS OWN. JUDITH PICKNELLY
Did they come to your house too?
They can be quite mean, cant they.
T-Bone, Judith and Screaming Liberal......this article was in no way about NOT EATING MEAT....so get over yourselves. Its about eating it more compassionately. Is that something you all can understand? No need to be so freaking defensive...nobody is taking away your rights....so relax. Now do you have a problem with being compassionate? In my opinion....and mind you its MY OPINION.....for those that lack compassion...and see that its ok to mistreat any living thing....you shouldnt have any rights!
T-Bone.
I eat a plant based diet, but don't proselytize. However, if anyone asks me about what I eat, I tell them. Then, suddenly, only because I answer their questions, I become someone who attacks them? I don't understand. Why ask the question if they don't want an answer?
pot? kettle? black? Get out much, T-Bone? Read the title of the article and then make and intelligent choice about whether it's one you want to comment on. If you choose to comment, please use that tiny brain the Goddess gave you to make an intelligent response rather than giving Rednecks a bad name! (or continue to make a fool of yourself – I'm sure you won't surprise anyone here with which path you choose)
Great response! Happy New Year! Judith
Personally I just really like the way that meat tastes – nothing more.
Whenever someone says that they don't do something, those who DO do it take it as a criticism. It's only human. That's why meat eaters get bent when people say they're vegetarians- they feel like it's an implicit judgment. Same with anything in life. I'm a knitter and I refuse to crochet and when crocheters hear that, they get all weird. If people say they only drive American cars, foreign car buyers feel like they're being judged for their choices. It's all the same thing, just some of us are able to process it better and not take it personally. Others get on the comments section of an article that they obviously aren't going to like from the beginning and then abuse those who have a differing viewpoint from their own.
Leslie: I am curious as to why you would not crochet
I completely believe that people react so aggressively to even the slightest suggestion that the critters they eat suffer on the way to the plate because they DO have a small amount of guilt about it. At least I hope so. (No, I'm not saying it's wrong to eat meat...just that another animal has to give its life for someone to do so, and that should mean something to a person...)
A slow, painful death makes meat animals more tasty!
Yet another example of the failure of American education.
People Eating Tasty Animals.... PETA
Wow, no one ever heard THAT one before. (yawn)
Now all we need is for someone to make a crack about soylent green, and we'll have all the tired old cliches over with.
You can make various sized batches of soylent green. It all depends on how thinly you slice your vegans.
I actually feel sorry for, and pity, any person who is in your personal life.
OBVIOUSLY ALL DOCS IS LACKING 'LIGHT'/DON'T PAY ANY ATTENTION TO HIM! haha
Judith is missing some really key gene. I pity anyone in her personal life, too.
Give Judith a break. Her Caps lock key is stuck. She has enough problems without you compounding them.
JP's problems have nothing to do with her keyboard.
We hear your cry for help, Pricilla Doc
Thanks for a great article! The specific recommendations for the more compassionate food choices are very helpful. I have to try that hemp milk one of these days.
GOOD CHOICE, SUSAN, ONE DAY A TIME, NEVER PUT OFF TIL TOMORROW. HEMP, ALMOND, COCONUT MILK ALL DELICIOUS! ' CAN DILUTE W/PURE WATER ALSO. I DON'T. USE BEAUTIFUL GLASS/VARIETY/STRAW/AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Yes, excellent movie/documentary! I wonder how many could watch "Meet Your Meat".....
ok. i would love to eat more compassionately. would someone find a way to make it easier? like create a menu for me where i've heard of the ingrediants and know where to get them and it doesn't cost me a month's mortgage?
That's the problem. We cannot access this on a daily basis no matter how much we want to.
Just type "vegetarian diets" into your favorite search engine. It's easy enough, and a lot cheaper than eating meat. I became a vegetarian after years of eating meat. It's not hard, trust me. I dropped lots of weight, gained energy, and have little body odor to boot. Don't let the fear-mongers get to you–just do it!
Can i still grab my bow and go hunting?
The head on my wall looks awesome.
APPRECIATE YOUR VIEW. LESS IS MORE. THINK ZEN. OVER EATING WITH MASSIVE HUNGER IN THE WORLD. Deciate one meal a day to the spirit of children who are hungry – SEND IT TO THEM!
FASTING DETOXES. CLEAN BODY = HAPPY SPIRIT, HUH! WORTH THE EFFORT.
YOU HAVE A VALID POINT. MAYBE FARM COOP? COUNTRY FARM STORES INSTEAD OF
WHOLEFOODS TYPE STORES OR COMMERCIAL LARGE CHAIN GROCERY STORES? GROWN YOUR OWN GARDEN? YEEK, NOT FOR ME. I UNDERSTAND. KEEP TRYING TO FIND LITTLE WAYS TO REACH YOUR GOALS. JUDITH PICKNELLY
JUDITH- WHY ARE YOU SHOUTING??? YOU MUST FEEL REALLY STRONGLY ABOUT THIS.
@beachglove
It is not nearly as expensive or off-limits as you make it sound. Coupled with the fact that we rely on meat way too much is the white-elephant truth that we consume too many calories on a daily basis. Adjust your content and volume expectations of what constitutes a meal (surprisingly easier than adjusting your morals for a chicken nugget) and you have a more-than-reasonable financial, ethical, and lifestyle decision. Don't preach and be annoying, which I try to avoid, but for the love of pete–the deflection of responsibility and even hypocrisy of the pro-meat crowd is crazy. The meat is not raised humanely or even sanitarily in this country, so make a decision that benefits yourself and has the nice side-effect of benefitting another living thing, as well as the environment as a whole. It might also stimulate local agricultural economies if Big Beef (just like Big Oil) releases its death grip from the US economy. Reward humane farmers, and reduce the meat intake. It just ain't hard. I am from a blue collar family and I only make $35k a year. Not difficult, aside from the psychological barrier.
Doesn't meat cost "a month's mortgage"? What do you mean ingredients you've heard of and create a menu for you? The menu is the produce section at the grocery store. Just buy some vegetables and make a salad, a stir fry, a yummy pasta topped with tomato sauce and vegetables. Way cheaper than meat and you don't need a menu.
Leslie: I use larger font sometimes. Human eye vision challenged.
3 eye ok. smile smile. sorry.
Actually, eating a plant-based diet for me turned out to be cheaper. Believe it or not, Whole Foods sells organic produce for cheaper than Publix or Kroger in my area of Atlanta.
People will be judged by the way they treat animals. It's sad that the world has come to industry farms and horrible living conditions for animals. They feel, hurt, see, etc. If you stop to think about it and really THINK about it, it's a sad, sad world we live in because of the abuses that go on. I commend this guy.
Judged by who?
Aliens?
or the God that Liberals so vehemently disavow as being real?
Why are you bringing politics and religion into this?
Just clarifying who is doing the judging....
What a moron you are. I'm not a liberal. I'm actually a conservative ...which btw, has absolutely nothing to do with the way people treat animals. Like another poster said, you can't really teach compassion. Some people are just imbeciles.
Grow up! This liberal is religious AND a vegetarian. There are many like me. How about entire religions which espouse plant-based diets?
Hold on, JFritz. TBag(Bone) has to look up espouse before he can respond.
Compassion is against Darwinism. Compassion is why our planet has 7 Billion people on it and growing.
Its time to stop being compassionate and let the weak curl up and die.
both
I couldn't have said it better myself. What goes on in this world and the farming industry breaks my heart. The very least I CAN do is not eat another living being.
Judged by everyone. Judged by the God in which you believe. Judged by your children. Judged by your friends. Judged by those who you may seek assistance from one day. Judged by people who see you torturing an animal on the side of the road. You may not care, but the measure of a person can best be taken by examining how they treat those over whom they have power and dominion. If you don't have a problem with animal cruelty, you shouldn't have a problem with child abuse, bullying, or discrimination against those with disabilities. It all comes from the same notion...stand up for those who are WEAKER than you, and appreciate the sacrifices others make FOR you.
Everyone needs to respect the animals that give up their lives for our nutrition.
Make sure they share the plate with Mashed Potatoes, its cruel for them to be eaten alone.
I love reading the comments about these meat/no-meat articles. One side pretends like you're eating their Christmas puppy for dinner and the other side as if the slaughtering of millions of chickens and cows is no different than mowing your lawn.
What a weird world we live in.
If you do it right you can run over a chicken while mowing your grass.
Even the Dalai Lama eats meat due to hepatitis and gall bladder disease, he does on the orders of his doctor. Even Buddhists recognize a neccessity for animal consumption, as it is in fact not banned n buddhism, nor is there any edict requiring buddhists to be vegtarian nor vegan:
“In vinaya no prohibition in eating meat, so monks in Thailand, Burma, Sri Lanka, they take both veg and non veg food. One time I asked, discussed this subject with a monk from Sri Lanka about 40 years ago, he said Buddhist monks are neither veg nor non veg… he should accept whatever he gets, so that’s the principle. But vinaya clearly mentions that meat which was purposely killed for you was not to be eaten but in general was not prohibited, some books like langaavatarasutra prohibited any kind of meat, including fish etc but some other texts not prohibiting, so different case, I think practically in northern part of Tibet, no vegetables. Very difficult. So that’s practical reason.”
-Dalai Lama
Nice story and some really dumb comments :)
The main idea is that you have to respect LIFE!
For those who can't muster up enough compassion for the animals, at least have compassion for your own species. Veganism is the best way to stay healthy.
OK – I started to read this hoping that there will be a balanced viewpoint brought forward....sadly...NOT.
What a bunch of hooey – drink almond milk instead of cows milk (or goats milk) – what are you smoking...since when is it inhumane to milk a cow you care for in order for it to produce milk. I guess we also should not wear mittens made from wool...the poor sheep will be cold. What a load of total self indulgent holier than tho nonsense...
You really should watch Portlandia, the series – perhaps it will resonate.
Talk about a lack of a balanced viewpoint! Take your own advice! Is it possible that the story isn't a total bunch of nonsense? Is it possible that even if you don't agree with it that there still might be something redeeming or worth considering in it? You sound like a real hothead just slamming the entire thing without recognizing that there is even one valid point in it and then to say that THE STORY isn't balanced? Give me a break!
We need to focus on that phrase "care for". Please peruse the Internet for some footage of the modern dairy farm. Small farms often treat their animals with respect and dignity. I have friends who are farmers that love their animals with their whole hearts. They respect them in life. They slaughter humanely. It's a beautiful vocation to them...
Unfortunately, most large dairy farms greatly abuse their cattle. The animals live in pain. Are thrown around and prodded with electric shock into mechanized milking machines. They receive no compassion. Little time outdoors. With no opportunity to properly rear their young. No joy or contentment in their day. No farmer softly leading them in and out of a barn... Most dairy farms are horror houses, that if witnessed by any compassionate person...they wouldn't drink milk again.
Do I consume dairy products? You betcha. But I've switched to non-dairy milk for drinking in order to lower my overall consumption level. I try to buy cheese products from small farms...to help sustain those farmers who DO treat their animals with dignity. And when I consume products that use mass produced dairy... I do so with open eyes. Knowing it was begotten from cruelty...and that I can and should do better.
I don't judge people who consume dairy. Or meat. Or anything... But I do judge people who refuse to acknowledge how meat and dairy happen in this country... That it reflects a loss of soulfulness in us as a society that cheap chicken and tons of milk is more important than compassion. This article isn't a load of crap...it just would have been more impactful, perhaps, if it gave you more info...access to proof of what really happens on modern industrial farms.
Like I said, small farms are a thing of beauty, buy if you're buying a big plastic jug gallon of milk for less than $5..,you can bet an animal suffered greatly to provide it.
Just curious JohnM, do you raise your own cow that "you care for" and do you raise your own sheep for the wool? If not, do just a tiny bit of research into the factory farming of both. Not a pretty picture. Although I"m sure fresh milk from the cow is quite tasty, just remember it's produced for the calf. We are the only creatures who continue to driink breast milk past infancy and we drink it from another species. I don't find nut milks strange in the least compared to that!
I sure wish vegetarians were just as concerned about human beings as they are animals. How about all the kids that get beaten in the world? Wish they had the same level of compassion and involvement on that as they do this BS. Additionally, some of the fattest people I know are vegetarians, as well as some of the wealthiest. Being compassionate to animals does not increase my household budget. Oh, such bourgeouis problems, how do I be more kind to animals....oh, to lay on the couch and eat tofu bonbons lamenting the ills of the world from ye olde perch of fanciness. Blow me.
LOL you rock!
Why do you judge if people want to be vegetarians? Do you help abused kids? Seriously, stop being a hypocrite. Everyone has their issues and as long as the people who do try to do something shouldn't be criticized for not doing enough by people who don't do anything except sit back and judge.
Yes, but we don't EAT children, you idiot. What's your point? And, your vegetarian friends probably sit on their fat a**es all day eating potato chips and drinking beer/soda while watching TV. Just like you.
Seriously- the story doesn't even talk about weight loss and vegetarianism or sitting on the couch or anything. Way to go off on a tangent just to make moron comments. Why hasn't anyone been able to read this story and say "Hmmm... There might be something to this. I didn't realize that's what chickens were going through. Maybe I'm not willing to give up cow's milk or do the vegetarian day thing or whatever, but I'm willing to try to cut back on chicken." Is it possible that there is a middle ground between the most fanatic people who want to post here?
Are you so shallow that you can only care about one cause at a time? The way you speak about people in general doesn't speak much to your compassion for any living being – human or otherwise. I am not fat, I'm a single mom with a mortgage and far from wealthy, I'm a former Marine who defended your right to spout nonsense and I have never eaten a tofu bonbon – I simply choose to give a damn about myself, the planet I dwell on and the creatures who I share it with. You have every right to choose otherwise, but please don't burden the rest of us with your ignorant rants when it's obvious you're not putting any effort to thinking before your speak. If you read the article, you would know that it's not asking anyone to become a vegan or vegetarian. It's asking people to put some thought into what they're eating and where it comes from. Apparently, that level of thought is difficult for a lot of people commenting here.
Wow, what an insightful response. Kudos to you.
So what you are saying is that you are Mother Theresa with a d.i.c.k....
PROUD OF YOU!
My food poops on your food.
What a misleading title for this article. Here I was, thinking the author was going to talk about ways to make smart meat choices: Buying eggs from a local farmer who treats his chickens right, buying from a certified "cruelty-free" farm, buying organic/free-range/grass-fed, etc.
Nope, turned out to be just another vegan trying to guilt me into eating nothing but plants and processed crap that our bodies have never evolved to fully digest and thrive upon.
Gosh, read much?
Gosh, got anything more insightful than that?
Kim – the title is Eating Compassionately – how was that misleading? Although the author is a vegan, he suggests eating vegetarian ONCE A WEEK and buying your eggs from local, humane farmers. I'm not sure where you were misled here. And maybe you do not choose to be a veg, the lifestyle is not an unhealthy one.
Humans are omnivores. Nature is cruel not compassionate. Animals ate animals and we are one of them. Some of my vegetarian friends are sick now. Any extreme is bad. Eat meat, plants, nuts, everything but mixed well. Do not use vitamins and supplements (not regulated in USA). Why animals are held in poor condition is USA economy and money issue – cheaper food = bad living conditions. In Europe is different – food is more expansive but better quality and better living conditions for animals. Buy imported or grown in local (cage free, etc.).
As omnivores/carnivores go, western humans are, overall, about the most compassionate on the face of earth. Watch a wolf chase and kill a cow and then tell me again how cruel the modern slaughter house is.
While it's true that nature is neither cruel nor compassionate, humans need not stick to the hand that nature dealt them, and we almost never do. Meat today is more harmful for humans than useful, even if you ignore the compassion angle.
Hate to break it to you, but there is plenty of food in Europe that is imported either from other European countries or (gasp) the US. Almost all beef raised in the US is exported. We import Argentine beef for consumption.
The author of this article needs to take a comparative anatomy course before spouting such nonsense as "metal tube that is forced down their throats". Hint: waterfowl do not have throats....
Such misstatements betray an agenda or ideology as well as complete ignorance of the process of "force"-feeding waterfowl.
You are right. This misinformation is ridiculous, especially about foie gras. The Veterinary Medical Association has found nothing wrong with the gravage (fattening) process used on the ducks. (Check Wikipedia if you don't believe me.) I trust their judgment more than some tree hugger like Moonbeam who wrote this article.
Mr. SUAMW observes, "Such misstatements betray an agenda or ideology..."
What such mistakes betray is that the author has no knowledge of his own and is just mindlessly repeating talking points given to him by someone else, someone using the author as a mouthpiece.
Semantics. They are forced fed with tubing that goes into the animal's esophagus to fatten up its liver. It's called gavage. It's a pretty nasty process, if you've ever watched it.
They have an esophagus and a trachea. An esophagus is often loosely referred to as a throat. What would be the correct terminology?
No, An esophagus is referred to as an esophagus. there is something connecting the oral cavity and the esophagus. This varies between species. How it varies is critical to this whole issue of foie gras being cruel.
I encourage you to read up.
Reading the comments here, I can only mourn the total loss of the compassionate, intelligent human being. Humans were grazers/gathers before they were hunters. And humans have been gifted with choice. I can choose what I want to eat; no one FORCES me to eat meat, and with my "superior intellect" I can pick and choose what nourishes my body best. Thanks tothe powers that be that I don't live next to most of you. I'm surprised you're developed enough to read this column.
Well said.
In my experience, I have found that there are mainly two types of people in this world: those capable of compassion and those incapable of feeling it. Sadly, there is usually nothing that can be done to convince the nonfeeling to feel. Hence, this world continues on the way it is, full of suffering for both humans and animals. I personally believe it is wrong to cause suffering to anything or one but I can see that most people are, unfortunately, not taught this. It is a tragedy that so many people will never even know what it means to feel compassion or will only understand what it means to feel compassion for others only like themselves. What a narrow, narrow way to experience life.
Interesting concept about two kinds of people but did you know that Adolf Hitler was a great admirer of dogs and detested anyone that would harm one. Now, what were you saying about two kinds of people?
The most compassionate thing Western Civilization can do is to stop using petroleum based products such as gasoline. Environmental concersn prevent us from drilling in our own land, yet we are killing hundreds of thousands of people in the middle east to protect our interest in oil. In addition to mass murder, oil is polluting the world's natual resources en masse.
I respectfully disagree on your stance of two types of people based on their capacity to be compassionate. I have a friend who has all the love and compassion in the world for dogs, but has not one shred of empathy or sympathy for any human beings regardless of their plight. Her rationale is that humans can defend themselves, verbally or otherwise, while dogs cannot. She is ambivalent about cats because they can fend for themselves.
Kim, don't breathe: You are killing bacteria when your body fights them off!
Are you kidding me? What year are you from?
Haven't ou heard of the local, humane food movement? I'd like to take a minute to refute your 'compassionate' choices:
1. Eat local, pastured chicken and eggs from such hens. There are many many resources out there now for finding local suppliers, including eatwild.com Pastured poultry has higher vitamins, lower fat, and the eggs have less cholesterol and more vitamin D and K.
2. Buy your milk from an again, local and pastured source. Cows on pasture are happy and healthy. Local, small dairies will very often have much nicer facilities for their animals. But to be sure, MEET the cows. Also, take some time to research all the health benefits of real milk, not the stuff in grocery stores, but the stuff that comes right out of cows. Have allergies and asthma? Un-cooked milk has been shown to clear that up... Find humane milk at realmilk.com
3. Foie Gras – avoid it? Again, are you living in the 80's or what? There are plenty of sources for vitamin D and C -rich pastured foie gras made from pastured ducks. I know. I raise them. And while you're at it, pick up a couple of pastured duck for your freezer. Tasty, nutritious, and a step up from chicken.
4. Eat Vegetarian. Okay, I'll give him this one. But I will add, if you are going to go vegetarian, stay away from processed junk that has more ingredients than your face cream. Seriously, just because a food is vegetarian or vegan, if you can't pronounce the ingredients, it ain't healthy. Period.
5. Again, seriously? Yes, eat more plants. Local ones. Chemical-free ones. Stay out of the high-priced grocery stores, and find the small produce stands that will provide you with super-fresh food. Again, a plant-based dinner is great, but if you are going to replace it with veggies from paraguay (nothing against the country) and fruit from peru (love the country) and processed fake chicken nuggets, that's not compassion, that's lack of research.
Bottom line: Yes, show compassion. To yourself. Eat local. Eat fresh. Eat pastured meat, eggs, and (raw) dairy. Meet your meat, your farmers and your nutrition 'experts'. Stay away from processed anything. Keep it real. Please.
If local farmers are good, where are these "bad" farmers where the "nonlocal" food comes from? On the moon? It stands to reason that the bad farming practices are local to at least some people. There's nothing that says small farmers don't use just as much, if not more, and moreover, unregulated pesticides, herbicides, steroids, hormones... etc
Mark – you are correct. The challenge most consumers have is that they don't do any research. We need to take the responsibility to ask questions. Find farms that practice in ways that we are comfortable with. Humane, clean, chemical-free farming is not a myth or a fantasy.
But be realistic. Factory farming is popular because it is cost efficient. Truly humane farming is NOT cost efficient. Be prepared to pay for a higher quality product.
Beautiful reply!
As a chef and aspiring farmer... I think your viewpoint emphasizes the moderation that our society so desperately needs on many many fronts!
Thank you!!!
Thanks Marissa! You should join us on the facebook page, we have a lot of discussion about real food, recipes that incorporate real ingredients, and farming topics.
Blessings,
Rosalyn
You voiced much of what I was thinking while reading this article. I buy eggs from neighbours whose chickens run around (mine are old and no longer lay). There are generally slow cycles for any species...so I do without super fresh eggs here and there. We buy raw milk from another local farm. They do not have their milk available from May or June of each year until December to allow their cows a natural existence and cycles. Another farm supplies the milk in between. I buy beef that is NOT from a feed lot and fresh chicken and turkey from farms where the birds roam at will. I see how all these animals are treated...well. Educating yourself on where your food comes from is kind of essential these days but I don't believe I have to go without.
"Educating yourself on where your food comes from is kind of essential these days but I don't believe I have to go without." Said perfectly! I try to encourage people to meet their meat and ask lots of questions.
For every animal this guy doesn't eat...I'm going to eat three. Or better yet...resolve to pick ONE day a week where you only eat meat.
fuc not eating meat, how about more compassionate farming, simple fixes, no reason to deprive your human body of stuff it needs, just a need to revisit the way we process things...
I'll eat what I want... What do you want me to do.... be like a shark & tear my uncooked meat limb by limb?
The author wants your dumb behind to know where your meat comes from and select from the sources that do not abuse the aminals they raise. Is that clear or still in doubt?
And why does your arrogant self centered behind assume that he does not know where his food comes from? Perhaps he is fully aware, as I am, and is 100% okay with where it comes from. Not everyone is required to feel as you feel on thi s issue. We've been pontificated to enough by unrealisitic suburbanites who cannot see past their lily white picket fence lifestyles and well funded organic diets and worse yet speak down to people about it. You are a perfect example of an elitist, holier than thou, sanctimonious know it all bleeding heart schmoock who needs to mind their own business and eat whatever you want to eat without talking down to other human beings who are struggling to get food into their kids mouths period. You unbelievable moron.
the author never once recommended alternative sources for meat. this article is pure vegetarian propaganda.
I believe Markus has some anger issues.
I think the author and the sheep have thing going on.
I own a chain of restaurants and we serve mainly chicken and steak and I have nightmares regarding the slaughter of these animals. Most people who say its ok to eat meat never been to a slaughterhouse, especially a older style slaughterhouse.
I am turning vegetarian because frankly, eating meat grosses me out. There is no difference in eating either beef, veal, or your pet dog or cat. Its all the same to me.
You meat lovers, I think you will throw up just by entering the slaughterhouse and smelling death all around you.
I just donated a bunch of money to mercy for animals.
I've got to be honest with you...I've purchased food from the grocery store and I've hunted. I'm not sure what's worse: being boiled alive or being gut shot because making a clean shot from 120 yards is difficult on a windy day, and following a blood trail for 3/4 miles because the animal you just "humanely" killed tried to run and bled to death.
sorry man, but humans are designed to eat meat. Thats the long and the short of it.
Sure you can try to trick your body into getting protein in other ways, but it really is not the same despite what the well-meaning vegans will tell you.
Here are some points to consider:
Soy: The soy craze is ridiculously irresponsible. Here comes a shocker for some of you. Soy is NOT good for you. Now I kwow what you are going to say. All those MILLIONS of asians have been eating it for centuries. Well guess what, they have been eating FERMENTED SOY. Like fermented bean curd, etc. Most of the "soy" that we eat in the west is NOT fermented and has shown to increase estrogen levels in ALL people who eat it. One must be really careful with this stuff, but hey, lets not burst the vegans bubble with anything like pesky "facts and science."
Foie Gra:
OK, he is right, commercial foie gras is made by force feeding. However, he misleads the reader a bit. The French did not just decide one day to start force-feeding geese. They noticed that during certain times of the year, the goose liver was engorged. The geese were gorging on food themselves before their long flights. Commercial foie-gras is just mimicking what happens in nature... albeit at an accelerated rate.
Vegetarian Cheese is HORRIBLE: anyone who calls this stuff "cheese" needs to be slapped. There is nothing wrong with a nice goats milk cheese – or even cows milk, as long as its not from some mass produced dairy where they stand in their own filth. When in doubt, natural is ALWAYS better for you than fake stuff someone cooked up in a lab.
Keep your soy and your vegan burgers. I for one believe in evolution and that we are designed to be omnivores.
you sir are an idiot. So we are designed to eat meat....really.. So you are telling me that you personally have killed all the animals that you have eaten. what a hypocrite, at least man up and kill some animals yourself and enjoy your burger instead of being such a p*ssy and letting others do the dirty work for you.
Humans are meant to eat meat, fine, then kill and eat it yourself
Who are you to dictate how another human being lives? Are you special? are you better than everyone else?
Get a life you plant eating troll.
your the complete idiot and you really show it in this comment. you have the choice the day and age you live in to eat one way or the other only because we live in a highly evolved and built up civilization which allows division of labor and all that. if iit were up to nature, you would be living in a small village or even just with your own direct decendents, hunting and gathering. your obviously barely educated on the subject, your admittedly only recently making switches in the ideals of which you have based the rest of your life on. please just shut up
technically not, humans have molars for grinding–not teeth for tearing meat.
Technically not: Our molars have been evolving to tear meat since the Homo genus: http://pubpages.unh.edu/~jel/512/news_primates/teeth_meat_Lucy.html
But humans have every type of tooth there is. Molars, Premolars, Incisors, and Canines. We are designed to eat meat as well as plants. Just like dogs.
Actually, we have canine teeth for exactly that purpose, tearing and shredding meat.
Anything in excess – soy, meat, dairy – is going to prove to be unhealthy. Choose to eat meat if you wish, but PLEASE, do just a little research before you start spouting! Getting enough protein as a vegetarian is a no-brainer and a vegan diet requires a little knowledge for the same. I haven't eaten meat since 1986 and I became vegan 9 years ago. Since becoming vegan, I've completed a marathon, several triathlons, have done well in multiple mud runs and have an abundance of energy. If you eat meat, it's because you like the taste of it – plain and simple. Please don't try to turn it into a matter of health.
people tend to crave certain things that there own body needs, if someone is craving meat their natural body chemistry probably needs it to be healthy. you seem to be a special case all around, not everyone can afford all the supplements and fake sh*t you probably buy to support your diet and marathon running, and just because you flourish on your diet does not mean every individual will
I agree with the fact that most domesticated animals are treated with cruelty throughout the "production" process. I like to kill my own meat, specifically deer. Deer are in their natural habitat when I kill them. A clean kill is important to me so I target practice until I am confident I can kill the deer cleanly with one shot in a "never knew what hit them" manner. With a tremendous respect for my prey, I absolutely abhor hunters that use dogs, take risky shots or multiple shots at multiple animals traveling together. I also butcher the animal myself and make the best use of every morsel. For all the folks that like organic, it doesn't get any more organic than wild game. Venison is very low in fat, very high in protein and very high in iron, which is great for woman. When you take the life of a beast to feed your family you appreciate and respect that beast in a very profound way that only a very few will understand and appreciate.
Thank you.
It's so refreshing to read about hunters that are thoughtful and compassionate toward animals. I think that hunting is the ideal way to obtain meat, but a lot of people who hunt give humane hunters a bad name. Please continue the same humane practices that you describe when you are hunting. And please educate others!
Thank you for your comment. I adhere to the Fair Chase Statement of the Boone & Crockett Club which seeks to educate hunters on the ideals of one America's greatest nature conservationists, Theordore Roosevelt. On your suggestion, maybe an open-minded hunter will read this...
FAIR CHASE, as defined by the Boone and Crockett Club, is the ethical, sportsmanlike, and lawful pursuit and taking of any free-ranging wild, native North American big game animal in a manner that does not give the hunter an improper advantage over such animals.
HUNTER ETHICS
Fundamental to all hunting is the concept of conservation of natural resources. Hunting in today's world involves the regulated harvest of individual animals in a manner that conserves, protects, and perpetuates the hunted population. The hunter engages in a one-to-one relationship with the quarry and his or her hunting should be guided by a hierarchy of ethics related to hunting, which includes the following tenets:
1. Obey all applicable laws and regulations.
2. Respect the customs of the locale where the hunting occurs.
3. Exercise a personal code of behavior that reflects favorably on your abilities and sensibilities as a hunter.
4. Attain and maintain the skills necessary to make the kill as certain and quick as possible.
5. Behave in a way that will bring no dishonor to either the hunter, the hunted, or the environment.
6. Recognize that these tenets are intended to enhance the hunter's experience of the relationship between predator and prey, which is one of the most fundamental relationships of humans and their environment.
Actually, Michelle, in my experience, the ones that give them a bad name aren't hunters. They are "sportsmen" that have no clue what they are doing. Luckily there are comparatively few of them, at least where I am. The land is all privately owned and those types of people get run off real quick.
gremlinus: pardon the dumb question, but what is the difference between a hunter and a "sportsman"?
Hunter: I am a long term (30+ years) vegetarian. I enjoyed your post, and respect your viewpoint.
I live in the country and, though I'm not crazy about venison, I have no problem with hunters like yourself. I wish there were more like you.
Too often, though, I see yahoos heading into the woods with just about nothing except guns, ammo and beer.
Good article, it is sad to read some of the comments, mocking or justifying animal suffering...
I am a vegetarian but I do drink milk (from cows) and eat eggs. I let my kid eat "white meat" for its protein "benefits". I feel terrible after reading this article. I am sure we will continue with our eating / drinking habits so in all seriousness, all I can say is, we deserve our comeuppance when it's time and I will fully accept that.
you drink raped cow lactation and force chicken abortions. you are not a vegetarian.
I am a vegetarian and my three children and their spouses and my three grand children are vegetarians. Kishore, you get your protein from so many different things. (All my children and grand children are highly qualified individuals). I am so proud that I raised all my children to be vegetarians.
I just stuffed a whole pig in the freezer. It was about 120-150lbs Bought it for $65. Saw some people on Youtube do it in Eastern Europe and thought why not. It came out $0.50 a pound and 1.5 hour of work from killing it to putting it into bags and into freezer. Simple way of saving money. I tried Vegan and its too expensive. Here is a search term on youtube for those interested in doing it the old way: "klanje svinje" Use a hammer to knock it out and let the blood out with a knife. SImple
Many thanks to all the vegetarians out there contributing to the depression of meat prices. The cheaper it is the more we eat. Hell, I'll be substituting my weekend steak for some nice veal maybe...or a precious little lamb!
Fuzzy, Actually, the sales of chicken were drastically down this year. Chicken producers were going to be forced to reduce prices and reduce production due to lowered consumer demand for their product. Enter the U.S. Government who decided in it's infinite wisdom to bail out chicken producers so they could keep their prices artificially high. This little assist cost the taxpayers $40 million dollars. I'm a vegetarian who is married to a meat eater. I purchase and cook meat for him daily, so I'm a holier than thou, militant vegan. However, I think anyone who eats meat should have to go to a slaughterhouse once in the their lifetime to see where their food comes from. http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2011/08/16/u-s-attempts-to-pluck-up-flagging-chicken-market-with-40-million-bailout/
Meant to say NOT a holier-than-thou, militant vegan. I'm tolerant of meat eaters because I'm in love with one and I cook meat for him although I don't eat it myself.
But I love foie gras... and veal too.
Do I eat compassionately? Yes, I say grace before every meal.
Man is anatomically, physiologically, metabolically, and biologically an omnivour. We are supposed to eat meat.
People like you are so beyond annoying. Nobody tells you to stop eating meat, he just suggests that if you do eat meat, buy it from farmers who do not abuse their animals like in the mass meat production. Yes, the Bible says that aminals are there for the humans to eat, but does it also say to abuse them in the process???? Do you follow everything the Bible tells you to do or just what you like?
Sure, but that doesn't mean you have to be cruel to the animal you are going to eat.
I say a little prayer each time i eat a cheesburger. does that make it okay?
I'm not vegan or even vegetarian but Sherwood you have succeeded in both being a douche and an idiot at the same time.
Actually, anatomically, our digestive system is designed for a diet of grains, legumes, vegetables and fruits. Our intestinal tract is long and similar to that of grain-eating mammals. Carnivores have very short digestive tracts. Yes we are omnivores but to say that we must eat meat, is incorrect. We need protein but most Americans eat two to five times more protein than we actually need. Excessive protein in the diet can lead to a lot of health problems including things like osteoporosis. Diets rich in red meat also lead to increased rates of cancer, heart disease and stroke. All the author is saying is that we should know where our food comes from and meat produced in "factory farms" is almost always an inferior product. Studies have proven that animals raised in these environments produce meat that is much lower in nutritional value than animals raised in a more natural environment. In addition, factory farming uses a lot of antibiotics and hormones to produce a larger animal, which stays in the meat. There are so many health issues associated with eating factory farmed meat that consumers who are interested in their health, should know about this and should search out organically raised meat or at least purchase from producers who do not use antibiotics, hormones or stressful and inhumane practices simply out of caution for their own health.
some people approach religion and ethics the way children approach manners: smile and act cute when dad is around, then torture the cat and neighborhood children when no one is looking. The comments of the poorly socialized are always easy to tell. Freedom of choice doesn't include freedom of tyranny–in my town we have a correction for that kind of unwarranted outlook–it is called severe ass-beating.
I'll try to eat more air, but if that doesn't work out I will apologize to my veggies. As far as meat goes I only eat things condemned to death. So my conscience is clear.
It's not enough that we have to kill to eat and survive, but to torture a living animal for profit motives just removes all human dignity. If you think this is proper to satisfy your appetite, then you are probably a lard butt that cares about nothing but yourself and what's for dinner. Myself, I'll be finding out where my food comes from.
I would suggest everyone watch The Story of the Weeping Camel if you want to learn about man's relationship to animals.
Aren't you just killing living plants by eating vegetarian? LOL.
Congratulations are in order on the establishment of the first synapse between your two neurons.
If you want to eat meat in a more compassionate way you can eat halal meat. The animals are slaughtered in a loving way, instead of brutally, as is done in slaughterhouses. The meat actually tastes better because the animal did not freeze up in fear, pain or trauma.
"...slaughtered in a loving way." My God, can there possibly be a more oxymoronic phrase?
Sorry hon. Halal slaughter is the anti-thesis of 'loving'... the animal's throat is slashed, and the animal kept aside to bleed to death... cows are even hung upside down to speed up the blood loss... imagine yourself, with a slashed throat, hanging upside down to bleed to death so someone can 'compassionately' eat you.
this post has reached new levels of stupidity
Reading the negative comments here about this article makes me cringe. I enjoyed the article and appreciate the ideas put forth. To the ignoramuses out there I would like to share this quote:
"Blessed is the man, who having nothing to say, abstains from giving wordy evidence of the fact."
- George Eliot
please practice what you preach when referencing a quote. I know I do.
"I'm too drunk to taste this chicken" – Colonel Sanders
As per one theory, God is one entity. He/she created this universe out of himself by dividing. God was not truly divisible, so the only way to diivde was to make individual indivisible units "forget" that the unit was God himself. So everyone and everything is the same entity. You! The lamb is you, the cow is you. You do feel their pain, just not aware of it. But you may get your turn to become aware of it someday! Any kindness you show to others is really a kindness to yourself. There is no loss in giving. Hope everyone experiences this theory.
Eat meat. They do.
It's in our nature, by design. Humans have the teeth of omnivores, not herbivores.
"Humans have the salivary enzymes, rounded molars, and long intestines of herbivores, but the canine teeth and cooperative behavior of a group-hunting species [carnivores]."
II, you are certainly no anatomist! Humans have all the physical characteristics of an OMNIvore, not carnivore. But just because we are able to eat meat doesn't mean we have to. It's a choice and vegetarians choose to cruelty-free.
Actually, we also have the salivary and digestive enzymes of carnivores, and our stomach HCI is more acidic than a cat's. Our molars are actually pretty sharp. However, they tend to get worn down over time with use, so it would be natural to think that we are supposed to have flat molars like herbivores.
http://pubpages.unh.edu/~jel/512/news_primates/teeth_meat_Lucy.html
Yeah..., instead i'm still just gonna keep eating meat. Sorry.
Yo, "free range tofu" is the wave of the future.
still stupid, but at least funny
While Mr. Bauer is entitled to his opinion the same as the rest of us, it is only his opinion. Just because he says farm animals are treated inhumanely doesn't make it true. Before you accept his opinion as fact, please visit a farm yourself and see if you think he is correct. Don't just accept (or reject) his statements without some objective evidence.
Ummmm....he probably watched the 'Meet your Meat' video from the Peta website. Just try watching it and think again about your hamburger being from a 'farm.'
I won't blindly accept the information put out by some activist group as "fact" without seeing for myself. Jeez, al Qaeda puts videos on their website all the time that say terrible things, but that doesn't make them true.
Eh. When we've solved human suffering and mistreatment then maybe I'll think about the animals. It's funny that you advocate putting almond milk in your precious coffee to save the cows but you ignore the fact that coffee cultivation is one of the world's leading causes of human misery.
Animals were put on this Earth for my consumption. I guess the chickens missed their chance at world domination.
I am perfectly fine with people eating meat, but I must point out that no life evolved on this planet for your or any other humans benefit.
Just because you choose to do nothing doesn't mean you should criticize those who choose to do a little.
I criticize people for having a warped sense of priority. If you're going to to empathize with a suffering creature, start with people. Don't brag about putting almond milk in your coffee cup that's stained with human suffering. That just makes you sound like a sanctimonious moron.
You also have to realize that the information that people can research and learn about is ample for animal suffering. Most people, who choose to be compassionate about animal rights, also care about human rights. However, there are not many agencies, videos, knowledge to show human suffering at the hands of product development.
Again we all try to do our part...and every bit counts.
Then Jen, don't give people a hard time who do their best to limit human suffering, just because they still eat meat. If you want them to respect your brand of compassion, then respect theirs.
You did say, "Again we all try to do our part...and every bit counts."
I don't believe Craig said that HE was not drinking the coffee. I wasn't criticizing anyone actually.
And you were put on this planet for Aliens consumption.
Craig, what a sad, limited, cruel view you take. Every creature – human or other animal (humans are animal, remember) deserved humane treatment. Animals are treated atrociously just so corporations can eke out a few more cents of profit. To paraphrase, money, and the want of money, is the root of all suffering.
Craig – You have it exactly backwards. How common would human on human violence be in a world of animal rights activists? Humans are the only species that can actively decide to exist with out killing other animals for food or any other reason. Once you make that decision, it's very likely you would not mistreat other humans either. On the other hand, If you don't value the life of other species, how can you truly respect life at all. Serial killers start out by killing animals first. Compassion starts with animals. The rest will follow. It's better for you physically and emotionally, it's better for the planet, and it's better for animals. It's a no brainer.
Hitler was a vegetarian.
Seriously? We're using Hitler's "morals" as an argument in a debate aimed towards compassion? I think it's safe to assume that that dude needed his head checked.
I think most people would agree that if any compassionate individual had the power to independently end human suffering, it would have been done a long time ago... but seeing as how that is not the case, then each of us should do what we can to combat human AND animal suffering... there's absolutely no reason why we can't work towards ending both at the same time.
This is not an either/or situation. Individuals are capable of having compassion for all animals, human and non-human. Compassion for one group doesn't mean the well is empty for another group.
The reasons for abstaining from meat range far beyond compassion to include environmental and more specifically water preservation. While meat may be the choice for every main course for the providers of the sardonic comments below, the environmental ramifications of factory farms are far from humorous. Even abstaining one day a week seems like intelligent advice that would have positive effects.
Read like an ad for Veganism. This was a single-viewpoint article that failed to mention humanely raising or hunting your own meat. And yes, "humanely" is entirely possible on both counts. City or country, everyone has access to a co-op or a local farmer/farmer's market where they can buy from people who do treat their animals with great kindness and respect. Better yet, raise them yourself and guarantee a humane existence. Cruelty in animal slaughter is perpetuated by both the garden-variety ignorance and the I-can't-stand-to-hear-about-it ignorant fools who choose not to learn about their food (you mean steaks weren't born that way???) It's not necessary to give up meat to make a point – buy it from a better source.
Raise 'em: Although I am a vegetarian, your post is the most intelligent among the pro-meat crowd.
Got anymore Hot Dogs? Me Luv You Long Time.
It's amazing we care more about animals than we do about people and violations of human rights. The truth is that many farmers, especially family farms treat their daily cows and chickens very humanely and slaughter humanely. This is another case of indoctrination by those who want to control everyone who disagrees with them. The truth is that if hunting of animals was prohibited, then many animals will likely starve from overpopulation, but who cares – the PETA folks will feel justified. I wonder too if these animal rights folks would care if humans became a substitute food source. Probably not. They're just people..
Thanks for a great article. I stopped eating meat, dairy, and eggs for the reasons given here. All it takes is a little education. I just don't want to eat food knowing the animals have been tortured.
Sorry – God made animals and plants for a reason!! Humans need to eat...unless you can cook stones au gratin
Liz, God also created animals that eat humans. Did he create humans for them to eat?
If the world were populated with dangerous predators that, for some reason, were mystically unable to attack human beings that would probably be a pretty odd design choice by the Creator.
Yes, if they are able to get a hold of a human to eat. Fortunately, we are smarter than they are, so it doesn't happen all that often.
God's will? Are you for real? Here's what God has to say about animal cruelty:
"Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel. " (Proverbs 12:10)
"Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds..." (Proverbs 27:23)
"What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the Lord; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats." (Isaiah 1:11)
"And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so." (Genesis 1:30)
If you really want to play the "God's will" card, how about the idea that God put animals on this earth to teach us the practice of compassion? ("And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” - Genesis 1:28)
Well written. It's important to present information so that people can make their own choices. It seems a lot of our societal decisions are made with limited awareness
I could care less, I'll eat the face of a baby seal if it tastes good.
When I read this my mind skipped the "seal" part and it seemed you just wanted to eat babies.
Well Mr. unimpressed, I am impressed by your honesty, but unimpressed by your response because you consider yourself unimpressed by title. If you were impressed by this article and objectively disagreed I (a non-baby seal eater) would have been even more impressed by your response. For you to be impressed but to still want to eat delicious baby seal faces would have been most profound.
LOL wut?
As per one theory, God is one entity. He/she created this universe out of himself by dividing. God was not truly divisible, so the only way to diivde was to make individual indivisible units "forget" that the unit was God himself. So everyone and everything is the same entity. You! The lamb is you, the cow is you. You do feel their pain, just not aware of it. But you may get your turn to become aware of it someday! Any kindness you show to others is really a kindness to yourself. There is no loss in giving. Hope everyone experiences this theory.
Sigh. Time to up the dosage – again.
never without my beef and mutton :-)
I became a vegetarian a few years ago. Since a child, I never liked looking at meat and seeing veins. Yuck! Discovering the cruelty involved in meat production made me eat less meat, too. I saw a Thanksgiving video with Palin in front of turkeys having their heads being roughly shoved down metal cones with a blade at the bottom to be decapitated. It was the final straw. I've never looked back and my doctor says I'm healthier than ever.
I'll bet you have an entire house stuffed to the gills with products and items that were the result of HUMAN suffering.
And I bet you only care about yourself
On my way to get a steak.
I have been a vegetarian for almost two years. Lost 40lbs and have never felt better. Don't drink cows milk at all (Silk @70 calories) but do still eat eggs...I can't stop. I love eggs. I guess I should probably find an organic farmer to get my eggs from.
I swear the more I read these types of articles, the more surprised I am by the ignorant comments that are made by people who have no idea where their food comes from. Go visit a slaughter house and then tell me your ok with the way some of these animals are treated before they wind up on your plate. Also no vegetation does not have feelings or pain receptors because they dont have nerve endings. I am not here to preach a vegan or vegatarian lifestyle but atleast look at where your food comes from, investigate the farms that supply your meat educate yourself. Thats all I can ask.
People on these CNN boards are usually the bottom feeders of the online world. i have given up, no use getting angry over these morons. Unfortunately, I'm afraid they represent a large portion of American society.
I am OK with animals being abused for food consumption. I'm happy for you that you feel some humane connection to members of the animal kingdom, but I think it is illogical and ridiculous assertion that humans should treat animals with some sort of revered dignity. I suspect you might be someone appalled by how chickens are raised, but virtually ignore how humans treat each other.
"virtually ignore how humans treat each other" ...so two wrongs make a right?
Basically feel bad about everything you eat or drink. Except alcohol it seems. Drink that up you people! Woo HOo!!!
Amazing how many idiots come to surface to comment similar articles. The author is not forcing anything on anyone, he merely suggests some changes explaining his reasoning. If you have nothing constuctive to say, just walk on by – there must be plenty of blogs for the ones with brains size of a pea.
On my way to get a steak
Wow, you are so cool!!
I agree with the other posters, humane and ethical treatment of livestock is the answer. Telling everyone to go vegan is completely unrealistic. You will never get everyone to give up animal products, but it is possible to force the industries that produce these products to follow strict guidelines for humane treatment of the animals they raise.
This Halloween, I'm going to drive by and high-protein cruelty-free tofu scramble your house.
I'm always a little shocked by the hostility and extreme resistance from people when someone suggests a more humane and compassionate way to eat. These are only *suggestions* based on the true reality of what animals must endure in order to satisfy our desire for meat and dairy. People who are so vehemently against the facts about how animals are really treated in factory farms are simply in denial. The factory farm meat /dairy industry is not only bad for animals, it's bad for workers (slaughterhouses are some of the most dangerous places to work), the environment, and our own health. And some of you say the suggestion of eating ONE vegetrarian meal a week is out of line and extreme? Frankly, it's better than your selfish, foolish, and ignorant stance. Look in the mirror!
Or you can go hunting for your meats. And I'm not talking about redneck gay hunting where you sit in a tree and wait for a deer to eat your bait and then you shoot it. I'm talking about hunting the deer. Bow and arrow or knife...that's hunting. I have lawyer friend who hunts deer with just a bowie knife. It takes him forever, and he comes back with lots of scratches...but it was a fair fight and his family doesn't waste anything.
Or you can buy locally and open range animal meats. Either way, it's going to be more effort.
If we can drop a lawyer into the woods and hunt him that way, I'm in.
LOL!!! That's pure GOLD! Thanks for that!
If a lawyer is being maimed in the woods and no one is around hear his screams, does anyone care?
Yeah, because rattlesnakes take their fangs out to give mice a fair chance. And lions? They're the nicest of all! They literally break their teeth and claws off so the gazelle can have a running start!
Use bow and arrows? A knife? Even as an archery hobbyist, I think that's dumb. Humans are only using the gift that nature gave us to get food: our BRAIN.
And you know what? A powerful hunting rifle is extremely precise and can drop a deer relatively quickly with less error than a bow. And a knife? How is that at ALL humane?
Place the blame where it belongs. It is the, soulless, "Food, Inc.", corporate Borg that are torturing these animals for profit. Go tell THEM to stop mistreating chickens, cows, geese, etc. THEY are the ones doing these dreadful things to these animals for money, not the consumers. So in response to the suggestion that I/we don't eat these foods because THEY are torturing the animals...NO! Go talk to THEM. That is all on THEM. Just because you can't get THEM to stop doing it, doesn't make it my fault or responsibility. Stop protecting these corporate pukes that will do anything to make more profits by trying to put this on us.
Yes,but if it wasn't for us fat,spoiled Americans who think we have to eat meat 5 times a day these plants would stop producing enough meat that could feed the whole world.
If they didn't do these things to the animals in the first place, we wouldn't even be here in this article O.O The blame and the responsibility belongs to THEM not on us. I'm not going to stop eating these foods because of what THEY are doing to them. I've watched, "Food, Inc.", and I wholeheartedly 100% agree with that film, but coming at ME/US for this...NO [censored] WAY. That there is a market for this much of those foods is THEIR DOING and I'm sick of consumers catching the blame for the inhuman things that these corporations keep doing. They created this market by coming up with ways to make as much as possible no matter how abhorrently they treat the animals...that is THEIR responsibility. Go talk to THEM.
Why don't you go read up on the concept of supply and demand? As a little preview – it is our DEMAND of low cost food options that cause producers to SUPPLY it by cutting corners on ethical treatment of the animals.
Not that I think that the corporations are innocent by any means – I'm just saying that both parties (buyer and seller) share in the responsibility.
See same response I gave to candy. Go talk to the suppliers.
Understand your point, but this behavior functions for them! For an industry based on financial gain they get more money by cramming more animals into more crowded spaces with more growth hormones, etc. We are the one's who can impact they way these groups function by removing the functionality of their system. I guarantee any mass producer of meat would change their tactics if consumers said, "NO!" and stopped buying what they are selling.
We can also get that impact if our representatives stop pandering to big business and do what's right. I am NOT going to stop eating chicken, eggs, etc. because of THEM. Forget it! What this article and all of your comments are doing, is taking people who AGREE with, for example, the movie, "Food, Inc." and enraging us instead of putting the blame were it belongs, on THEM. You are attacking your allies! Go...talk...to...THEM!
The only reason you people are here trying to put this on people as consumers is because those corporations (whom I detest by the way) that are torturing animals won't give you the time of day. And whereas I may have thought, hmm, maybe I will do what they are advocating, I won't BECAUSE you're putting it on ME/US! No WAY! Steer a different course, because you're just making enemies of the people you're trying to recruit. Make a PLAN to get the government to go after the "suppliers"! Force them to be humane. I'll support THAT! But I will not support you all telling me what to eat and not eat especially chicken, eggs, and milk!
I'm with Occupy Tacoma so hey, lets occupy some of these "farms"! I can get behind that too!! But not coming at me and consumers in general.
And, like all Occupy protestors, you are placing 100% blame on "evil corporations," and none are the consumer. You keep repeating, even when presented with the concepts of supply and demand, that the consumer driven demand for cheap meat bears no responsbility, it is just those evil, "soulless" corporations. Go Occupy a local farm already, if you honestly believe you, as a consumer, play no part
lol Wow. Corporations never accept any responsibility for anything...EVER, but they point their fingers at everybody else all the time. It wasn't some evil company that made Minamata "Disease", but the consumers that bought the products. Smell what you're shoveling.
They are evil because they subordinate people far below big business; that is evil. And it is THEY who are doing the torture not us. And I WILL keep repeating it because it is true. Supply and demand doesn't absolve those that are actually performing the crimes against nature. And I refuse to keep accepting the corporate attitude that claims to be pure and blames everybody and everything else in on the planet for what they do.
no wonder the occupy movements never accomplished anything. its people like you that filled them. your lilterally saying that individuals are not to blame for any of thier own supportive actions, that its the evil corporations causing you to do all these bad things? its YOOOUUUU!!!!!! open your eyes you blind sheep. YOU are the one that works all day and spends your pre-taxed and post-taxed peice of paper called the "dollar" on the shit that the corporations throw at you and tell you through the media to devour. very easily you can make the PERSONAL decision to stop supporting this proccess as much as possible, and that is being proven as the only way to make any headway against which truly is an evil corporate system. you just need to stop putting 99 percent of the blame on someone who really deserves about 10. its the peoples choice it has been since America was formed and "the man" just doesnt want you to realize that you have the full power of this choice.
I think the point here is that there are many alternatives to common animal foods we can consider that can help us live more compassionately. For some this is not a point of interest for some, but for many it is very rewarding!
Unfortunately, while his notions are honorable, he doesn't understand human nutrition. Different proteins contain different amino acids, and different concentrations of aminos. What he doesn't mention is that tofu, soy, and plant-based proteins in general are not ideal for human consumption because the spectrum of amino acids within the protein they provide is either deficient or lacking of essential amino acids.
If you follow his advice you should add a hydrolyzed whey protein supplement, such as Proto Whey, to your diet. The animal-based proteins that humans consumed long ago are engrained in our DNA and we still require those proteins and aminos for optimal function today. If our ancestors did not eventually consume meat, it would be an extraordinarily different world as the addition of animal-based proteins was clearly a factor in brain growth at that era. Saying that tofu, almonds, soy, or any other plant protein is equal or preferable to animal-based proteins is just scientifically and biologically incorrect. They aren't equal, at least as far as human nutrition is concerned.
Bill
It has been known for years that one can obtain all the essential amino acids from a plant based diet.
Your comments are similar to the thinking in the 1950's
Oh Bill, i'm a happy and healthy vegan and an avid outdoorswoman. I'm healthy well and full of energy and know more about nutrition than most omnivores i know. I know all about amino acids, iron, calcium, how phytates interact with different nutrients, how to get different types of fats, dha & epa, and which vitamins are fat soluble vs. water soluble. I'm sorry, but your information is just false. Plant based diets are extremely healthy and if done in a good way can be healthy for life.
My basic point? Constructing a healthy diet is possible whether you're vegetarian, vegan, or an omnivore. It's possible to be unhealthy as a vegan, vegetarian, or omnivore. If you are educated about health, you can be healthy.
your only still healthy from that lifestyle because of the pure resiliancy of the human body and because most products you eat as dietary alternatives are "fortified".
How about raising your own chickens, you moron?!! We have four hans in an area not zoned for it and our neighbors love it. We get 4 eggs a day which is more than we can use. Our neighbors gladly absorb the extras. Our local city inspector told us quote: "I have enough to do, I don't have time to do chicken patrol too." In other words, he doesn't give a sh$# as long as no one complains.
Don't eat animals, they have feelings
Don't eat plants, they feel pain
Don't drink water, it has microorganisms in it
Don't breathe air, your stealing it from trees.
Don't think logically or with any depth about moral and ethical issues.
Much easier to to go for a quick sound bite and assume vegans are morons who base their eating decisions on if somethings alive rather than the degree to which it is/has the ability to be an experiencing being of life.
And in your case, don't do drugs.
It's sarcasm, people.
I like to think that animals offer themselves up for the greater good, much like those of us who enlist in the army.
FOR EVERY CHIKIN AND COW YOU DON'T EAT.... I PLEDGE TO EAT TWO MOAR!!!!
What's a Moer?
Ha-ha-ha-ha! Good job, Angela!
Animals are tasty. Don't care how they're treated as long as the meat is tasty and safe.#5 is a good point. The rest are vegan garbage.
The world and our society is changing. Yesterday, sexism and racism became unacceptable, today homophobia and bullying, tomorrow animal abuse and factory farming. Keep chomping on your steaks and lamb chops and try not to think about how your descendants might lump your attitude in with how we once felt ethically about slavery, imperialism, and child/spouse abuse...
Because of gastric issues I have had to slowly go more vegan over time and eliminate milk. The interesting thing that I found was that many of my co-workers have also been eliminating more and more red meat and poultry from their diets. Most of them because of cost and budgets. At lunch time we compare recipies and I have learned alot. For the red meats I don't buy, I can put more into fruit, veggies and brown rice. Honestly, I love burgers, eggs and milk but sadly they do not like me.
Trolls not welcome
I shouldn't dignify this with a response, but ...safe? Where do you think the contaminated meat tends to come from? What kind of farming forces downer cattle into slaughter? All for maximum profit!
Thanks, you're very, um, thoughtless.
compassionate animal eating should have been mentioned – you CAN eat only chicken from a local farmer whose practices you find humane and agree with, or organic eggs from a nearby, free range farm. Cow's milk I somewhat understand, because even with organic milk cows have it rough, but replacing it all with soy is not at all healthy either, almond and rice milk are mostly sugar, etc. You could keep a goat for milk, and not have to mow your lawn :)
Exactly. Many people wouldn't give up meat altogether but would switch to more humane alternatives. The article does make a point that you can stand to reduce your meat consumption, maybe paying a bit more for meat, etc. from animals not mass factory-farmed.
No mention of veal, which is probably the saddest form of meat production around – baby calves kept in close quarters, milk fed, denied real exercise and then slaughtered while still calves. Yet it is frequently seen on menus. And no mention of keeping eggs/chicken in your diet but choosing organic producers. Sometimes little changes like switching to organic can make a bigger difference than expecting people to go (excuse the pun) cold turkey and switch to tofu, twigs and nuts.....
Same goes for lamb. But if you want to eat meat more compassionately, you can choose to only purchase halal meats and poultry.
There are more humane ways of raising veal calves, look up "Rose Veal", which is being promoted in the UK. Veal calves are a product of the dairy industry; male calves aren't wanted, going back to the ethics of consuming animal products in the first place...
Technically, tube force feeding is NOT the only way foie gras is produced. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/6301715.stm
Also, I disagree that a milk-like (even if non-dairy) product is the best way to get your calcium especially if they are highly processed and sweetened. There are plenty of other sources like leafy greens that are often overlooked and are healthier.
he see's a friend, I see lamb chops, actually most likely mutton by the size, so I'm thinking of a nice braised leg
Buying locally raised chickens and eggs can help to control the way that the animal is treated. I stopped buying all meat from "factory farms" long ago, and have been very happy in the increase in quality relative to the very modest increase in cost.
Yes, buying local helps.
It is a widley accepted misconception that plants dont have feelings. They do and should be treated with dignity and respect and allowed to live the life that their creator intended them for.
And that was?
Its unbelievable the number of people that trap and keep plants in their home. Plants need to be outside, free to spread their roots like the creator intended. Its inhumane is what it is!
Obviously a closet Vegan, Git a rope.
Eggs are my main source of inexpensive protein and you want me to eat tofu instead!?!
The non-dairy milks (Except for soy) are okay with me.
I try to put both into my diet but can only eat my eggs boiled. I think Tofu is also good, if you find decent recipies.
There are a lot of yummy grains with tons of protein – and at a cheap cost! More filling too because they have lots of fiber. It's not as tasty as a delicious over-easy egg with toast... But it's less cruel than non-pastured egg farming... And way tastier than tofu!!!!
You.have.got.to.be.fu king.kidding.me.