As I mentioned in my last Menu Plan Monday, I would like to cut back our meat consumption. There are a few reasons for this:
1. Environmental/societal impact. Meat production uses HUGE amounts of fossil fuels, water, etc. It pollutes the ground and water supplies. It is responsible for more greenhouse gases than driving cars. It’s an inefficient use of land and resources; a hamburger patty serves one person, but the amount of grain that went into that hamburger patty could feed a bunch of people. And there are lot of hungry people in the world.
2. Health. We have been brainwashed into thinking that we need meat every day, a couple of times a day, to get enough protein and stay healthy. We don’t. A plant-based diet consisting largely of whole grains, beans, legumes, and vegetables can provide all the protein we need, without all the saturated fat that has dire health consequences.
3. Animal welfare. This is what originally got me looking into this. As I’ve contemplated our emerging passion for companion animal rescue and the formation of a philosophy about how we should view and treat animals, I’ve realized that philosophy should really extend to all animals. And, currently, the animals used to produce the cheap meat (as well as eggs and dairy) that we find in supermarkets are… well… not treated like they should be, to put it mildly. Do some Googling if you want to know more.
So should we all be vegans? I don’t think that’s the answer (more…)
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