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Tag: vegan - Organic Lifestyle Magazine Tag: vegan - Organic Lifestyle Magazine

Is going vegan the best thing for the environment?

Animal agriculture is the second-largest contributor to anthropogenic greenhouse gases, making up 42% of all emissions after fossil fuels. More people than ever before are cutting back on their meat and dairy consumption, advocating for things like “Meatless Monday” and “Veganuary”, while vegan and vegetarian diets are becoming more and more popular.

This begs the question, what would happen if the entire world went vegan? What does that mean not only for the environment but for our health? 

The Case For Going Vegan

On average, producing a pound of beef requires upwards of 1,800 gallons of water. Similarly, a gallon of milk requires 2000 gallons of water to produce. However, only around 900 gallons of water are used during the production process for a gallon of almond milk. Studies show that anywhere from 40-50% of the water used in the United States is used for animal agriculture. A vegan diet, on average, requires 300 gallons of water a day compared to a meat-eating diet requiring 4,000 gallons of water a day. In addition to the massive amounts of water, studies show than anywhere between 30 and 50% of Earth’s habitable land is used for animal agriculture (this includes crops grown to feed livestock). Research shows that if everyone went vegan we could reduce global farmland by as much as 75%, and on an individual level, going vegan could reduce your carbon footprint by 73%. 

There are several problems with the animal agriculture industry. Animals are commonly packed together in tight spaces without room to move around. Due to their close living quarters, animals are sick or prone to sickness and are often preemptively pumped full of antibiotics. Antibiotic resistance is an epidemic in our country currently with 80% of all our antibiotics being given to animals. CAFO (concentrated animal feeding operations) Animals are usually injected with animal growth hormones and fed diets designed to increase their size, so they produce as much meat as possible. For years “cage-free” or “free-range” products have been marketed as a better, more humane alternative but in reality, these terms have little to no regulation and oftentimes these animals are still stored in inhumane environments.

Problems With Going Vegan

Many popular vegan foods are not as healthy as advertised. Take the “Impossible burger” for example. The Impossible Burger is a processed “veggie burger” well known for its’s meat-like texture, however, the burger is made with GMO’s and has tested positive for Glyphosate, “…levels of glyphosate were 11x that of the Beyond Meat burger.”

Being vegan doesn’t necessarily mean you’re eating healthily. You can chow down on junk food – and miss out on vital nutrients – whether you eat meat or not. For example, vegan diets are naturally low in calcium, vitamin D, iron, vitamin B12, zinc and omega-3 fatty acids.

What would happen if everyone went vegan?

It’s a common misconception that going vegan is healthier than eating meat; there are lots of “junk food vegans.” But a vegan who eats processed foods daily would benefit from switching to a diet of unprocessed foods with locally sourced grass-fed organic beef.

Some studies indicate that we could improve the environment by going vegan, but that human health would suffer. Vegans are often nutrient deficient in B12’s, Iron, Omega-3’s a and other nutrients found in meat and dairy products.

Fair Trade Issues

You may be surprised to know that many of your favorite vegan foods are leaving behind a larger negative impact than originally thought. Foods such as cashews, avocados, bananas, and chocolate have many fair trade issues associated with them. Additionally, many popular vegan foods leave behind a significant carbon footprint during manufacturing and transit. In fact, in some cases, foods shipped across the world leaves behind a larger carbon footprint than buying meat locally and sustainably. 

Avocado imports have doubled over the last decade, with more than 2.2 billion pounds of avocados imported in 2018. The U.S gets 87% of avocado imports from Mexico, however many of the people in Mexico can’t afford to buy avocados because of the high demand in the U.S. Producing one pound of avocados uses 72 gallons of water. Over 20,000 hectares of land are converted into avocado farmland each year, including land which is designated for the Monarch Butterfly biosphere reserve. In addition to all the environmental impacts, criminal gangs have taken to stealing avocados and taking over farms when things slow down in the drug trafficking business.

Cashews are one of the most popular nuts in America and are popular amongst vegans due to their texture, flavor, and protein content. Cashews are commonly made into vegan cheese and other similar vegan dairy alternatives. India produces 60% of the Cashews the world consumes, however in India they are considered a luxury, so much so that workers are often checked to make sure they are not smuggling cashews outside of factories. Factory workers often suffer back and joint pain and have a difficult time-saving money due to low wages and were only recently allowed restroom breaks while working. Additionally, during the deshelling process workers suffer chemical burns to the skin and often are not provided with proper supplies to protect their skin and often times cannot afford to buy supplies themselves. 

The Case For Omnivores Eating

Instead of getting rid of meat altogether, studies show that alternative practices such as regenerative agriculture may actually be the key to fixing the problem. The goal of regenerative agriculture is achieving a carbon negative footprint, through carbon sequestration by a variety of different methods such as no-tilling, or minimum tillage, cover crops, crop rotation, composting, and providing their pasture-raised animals with healthy and diverse diets. In some studies, regenerative agriculture is shown to leave less of a carbon footprint than meatless alternatives such as the impossible burger.

Regenerative Agriculture is a system of farming principles and practices that increases biodiversity, enriches soils, improves watersheds, and enhances ecosystem services.

Regenerative Agriculture – The Definition of Regenerative Agriculture

What if farming was done right?

Studies show that cows can help with carbon sequestration through proper grazing. Plants absorb CO2, and then CO2 is pushed through the roots into the ground and stored there. When animals (mainly cows) are able to graze on the land enough to promote healthy plant growth but not so much that they kill the plants, more carbon is sequestered through the earth thus making cattle that are raised in regenerative agriculture settings, carbon-neutral and in some cases carbon negative. 

Look for meat that is “Pastured” or “pasture-raised”, this is meat that has been raised in a pasture, and best emulates natural behaviors. Pasture-raised animals can also help contribute to healthy soil, through animal waste and regenerative agriculture. When buying meat look for antibiotic-free meat labeled Organic, or raised without antibiotics. These are the only labels promising antibiotic-free meat. Shop for beef that is grass-fed and avoid beef that is grass-fed grain-finished. Grain finished beef is beef that is fed a lot of grain in a short amount of time to fatten them up. Animals that are fed proper diets are better for your health. Buy meat that is sourced locally from smaller-scale farms. You’ll find that the animals are generally treated better promoting natural habits and behaviors in the animals, your carbon footprint will be lessened, and you’ll have the opportunity to support small and local businesses.  

Just like in humans, grain-fed animals have an extremely high amount of inflammation. This inflammation leads to a high amount of inflammatory omega-6 fats in the tissues of the animals, and these fats are transferred to us when we eat them. When animals eat the things they are supposed to, like grass, clovers, shrubs, and other colorful things, (how many colorful grains can you think of?) they end up with a much higher level and density of nutrients.

Source Matters: A Guide to Buying Healthy Meats

How to eat green

Can going vegan help reduce your carbon footprint? The simple answer is, yes, it can. To do it right, eat unprocessed whole foods, and reap the biggest benefit both for your health and for the climate. On a global scale, many studies show that the best thing we can do right now is to grow our own food if possible, shop for local food, radically reduce meat intake, and eat sustainable meat.

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Calling Meat Alternatives “Meat” Illegal in Missouri – First State To Pass Law

Missouri is the first state in the U.S. to ban the word “meat” on faux meat products like garden burgers and Tofurky. Using the term “plant-based meats,” and “vegan faux-meat” can find the business owner in jail for up to a year. This law was brought to you by The Missouri Cattlemen’s Association.

The legislation defines meat as ‘any edible portion of livestock or poultry carcass or part thereof’ and requires that any labeled meat product is derived ‘in whole or in part, from livestock or poultry.’ Violators of this definition will henceforth be subject to up to one year in prison and fines of up to $1,000.” – Forbe’s

Must Read: Meat and Dairy Industry On Course To Contribute More Global pollution Than OIL Companies

The law will also apply to “clean meat” which is produced by growing and multiplying cells in a lab. Animal rights organizations and environmental groups aren’t keen on the new law. It’s estimated that if we switched to eating lab-grown meat, we would cut agriculture emissions by 96%.

Must Read: FDA Commissioner to Issue New Non-Dairy Milk Guidelines

Missouri is the first state but not likely the last. The American beef industry has been lobbying to get “meat” banned from vegetable-based products for years, and meat industries want the ban to be nationwide.

The industry has cause for concern. TreeHugger says,

Americans ate 20 percent less beef in 2014 than they did in 2005. Veggie meat substitutes, by contrast, are a growing industry. And who knows what’ll happen when lab-based meats start making it into grocery stores.”




The Key to Happiness is Going Vegan, Affirms World Happiness Expert

Matthieu Ricard is a former French genetic scientist, Tibetan monk, and author of Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life’s Most Important Skill. His designation as the world’s happiest man is the result of a scientific research done on him and other advanced meditation practitioners in 2012, where during a meditation on compassion, 256 sensors on his skull measured levels of gamma rays in his brain never before reported in the history of neuroscience. Even though Matthieu is widely known and respected, the wise monk shows no sign of ego, as he kindly shares with the world the secret to finding true happiness.

Why We Cannot be Happy Eating Animals

On a video Matthieu participated in for PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), he demonstrates how the act of buying and eating animals creates a domino effect of negativity in all aspects of our life.

First of all, the animals, with 60 billion land animals and a trillion sea animals killed each year. Next, the environment, since the whole chain of factory farming involved in meat production today is the second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases nowadays, after homes and before transportation. Poverty in the world: 800 million tons of grains that could feed 1 billion people are sent from developing countries towards rich countries for meat production.

“So the first victims are, of course, animals, but everyone else loses too! Even human health! The WHO (World Health Organization) published a report showing that the regular consumption of meat was bad for health.”

Recommended: Start Eating Like That and Start Eating Like This – Your Guide to Homeostasis Through Diet

So let’s be logical. If we ask the people of every nation whether they would like to live in a world filled with beauty, safety, prosperity, joy, kindness, love, peace, laughter, justice… most are likely to say yes. But to truly create such reality we must produce more of these acts (beauty, peace, love, justice and etc.) individually, so that this may turn into a ripple effect, creating this new collective reality. But how will we achieve such life when we are taking away innocent beings from their families and societies, forgetting that they are capable of feeling the same emotions we do, such as trust, love, joy, and fear and then serving them on our plates?

According to Matthieu,

…When you see the intensive conditions in which dairy cows are raised, for instance, it’s absolutely unimaginable. They are confined to stalls during their short lives, unable to see the sky, and when they become less productive, they are eliminated. When you know that 10 to 15 percent of them, sometimes more, are cut up into pieces while they were still conscious because they were improperly stunned, they die little by little, it’s unimaginable. But this is the reality of their lives, every day, all year long.”

So we must urgently ask ourselves, can any kind of death bring true happiness? Is it ethical and just? Will this act bring more fulfillment into our individual lives or consequently to our collective experience?

That’s right, the answer is no.

The Key to Happiness

Matthieu reveals the key to happiness and it´s simpler than we thought.

He says: “True happiness can be attained when we avoid causing pain to others…”

Matthieu’s wise words become even more interesting when we take a look at the results from the 2010 happiness survey done on Harvard´s class of 1980. It turns out that the number one item listed as one of utmost importance to achieve happiness is doing good for others.

This strongly correlates to what Matthieu has shared with us. Happiness is to think of others (people and animals) and keep from bringing them suffering, it is to think of the world and the future generations, the environment and ourselves (our health) doing what is morally correct.

Related: How to Be Happy

How Meat Consumption is Hurting our Health and Planet

“The human appetite for animal flesh is a driving force behind virtually every major category of environmental damage now threatening the human future—deforestation, erosion, fresh water scarcity, air and water pollution, climate change, biodiversity loss, social injustice, the destabilization of communities, and the spread of disease.” Says the World Watch Institute.

But how much in numbers are we truly talking?

The millennium ecosystem assessment shows that meat and dairy products are responsible for:

  • 70% of global freshwater consumption

It takes around 147 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of corn. A single beef steer or a heifer can eat 1,000 or more pounds of feed over a few months (since they are often fed corn and soy feed to achieve a speedier growth), consuming large amounts of water that could be preserved instead.

  • 38% of total land use

In various nations of the world, you see lands being taken over, Amazonian forests cut down for soy production for cattle, banks of wild streams muddied and trampled by grazers in New Zealand, countries like Greece that were rich in woodlands are now dry and taken over by goats.

  • 19% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions

Because cows chew on grass, and their digestive system works differently than ours, they end up releasing a lot of methane into the air and atmosphere. So, the more meat-eating humans, the more cows, the more methane, the more greenhouse gasses, and the worse it will be for the planet.

A scientific study that was done also indicates that the long-term consumption of red meat, and specially processed meat, is associated with an increased risk of mortality, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, colorectal cancer in both women and men.

But this isn’t the only source to share such information.

Dr. Marco Springmann from the Oxford Martin School, says: “Imbalanced diets, such as diets low in fruits and vegetables, and high in red and processed meat, are responsible for the greatest health burden globally…”

All of the above data show us that this lifestyle is extremely harmful to our health and for the planet, as it’s not sustainable. As the world population increases, the tendency is for the demand of meat production to increase, which could mean that we are looking at an unavoidable worldwide point of no return.

Watch this video for a quick 3-minute summary.

How a Vegan Lifestyle can Change the World

According to the recent 2016 Oxford study, a vegan diet could bring various benefits, such as:

  • Save 8 million lives by 2050 – The study concludes that almost half of the avoided deaths would be due to the reduction of the consumption of red meat as the other half would be a result of an increased fruit and vegetable intake as well as calorie reduction causing fewer people to be obese or overweight.
  • Save money on healthcare – About 700 to 1.000 billion US dollars.
  • Avoid climate-related damages – Which would have otherwise cost 1.5 trillion dollars.
  • Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2/3 – By adopting vegan dietary guidelines we could cut out 70% of these emissions which would bring an economic benefit of as much as 570 billion US dollars.

To summarize on the greenhouse gases matter, Nick Hewitt, Professor of Atmospheric Chemistry in the Department of Environmental Science at Lancaster University says “The biggest lifestyle choice you could make to reduce greenhouse gasses is to stop eating meat. It’s hard to think of another single lifestyle change we could make that would have the same effect.”

Bringing Happiness to the World

We have enough scientific evidence supporting the numerous problems within the animal-based product industries, as well as we are aware of how it negatively affects our health, our environment and the animals themselves. For those of you who comprehend this and are asking yourselves what you can do now, the answer is simple — Take action! Be the example, and exclude meat products from your plates, choose vegetarian and vegan options, bring awareness to your friends, family, and colleagues. Your actions will bring about a ripple effect, that will turn our collective reality into one free of suffering, full of environmental restoration, better human and animal health, which inevitably brings about greater feelings of joy, purpose, and love. Happiness takes courage and effort, so the Tibetan monk and former scientist, a true master of happiness and compassion, humbly makes a plea— he asks that we become vegan like him.

Blessings to all.

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Impossible Burger Meets FDA Bureaucracy

“Meat” grown in a lab is a hot trend right now, with manufacturers jumping over each other in a quest to be in on the next big food craze. Scientists, environmentalists, and entrepreneurs are extremely excited by the prospect of meeting the world’s growing demand for meat with only a fraction of the resources needed by our current factory farming system. One company, Impossible Foods, has been carried away in that excitement. They began selling their soy leghemoglobin derived Impossible Burger in 2016, despite not being generally recognized as safe by the Food and Drug Administration.

Putting Sustainability First

Cultured “meat” is an enticing proposition. The Impossible Burger uses 95% less land, 74% less water, and creates 87% less greenhouse gas emissions than its cow-sourced counterparts. It’s also free of antibiotics, artificial ingredients, and hormones. This particular cultured meat is made from soy leghemoglobin genes and a genetically modified yeast not unlike that found in common Belgian beers.

Leghemoglobin is a hemoprotein found in the root nodules of leguminous plants – in this case, soy. Once these hemoproteins are broken down, they release heme. Heme contains iron and carries oxygen in the blood, making the veggie burger “bleed” and giving it a meaty texture and flavor. Making the burger entirely out of these root nodules would be expensive and would increase its negative environmental impact, but Impossible Foods, the company behind Impossible Burger, combines the soy leghemoglobin gene to a yeast strain and then grows the yeast via fermentation.  

Can You Eat It?

Sustainable? Yes. But is it safe?

Impossible Foods says yes. The burger has been reviewed by a panel of experts, with scientists from the University of Nebraska, University of Wisconsin and Virginia Commonwealth University generally recognizing it as safe. Rats studies have been conducted, and there were no adverse effects from the soy leghemoglobin protein, even when feeding the rats 200 times the amount a human is expected to consume.

But the magical yeast that allows the company to produce their burger causes other problems. There are more than 40 other unidentified proteins in the impossible burger. In the words of Michael Hansen, a senior scientist at Consumer’s Union, “It’s only 73 percent pure, the other 27 percent is from proteins from the genetically engineered yeast that produces it, and these [proteins] have an unknown function…” Due to these unidentified proteins, the FDA told Impossible Foods that the burger was unlikely to be recognized as safe.

What is Progress?

The Impossible Burger has been available at select restaurants since 2016. Impossible Foods does not need the FDA to categorize the burger as generally recognized as safe to sell it. This isn’t actually illegal, as the FDA’s self-affirmation program does not require new ingredients to be approved. We only have any of this information because Impossible Foods tried to go one step further in the regulation process, applying for the FDA’s GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status.

Impossible Foods has a mission, and that mission is an admirable and necessary one. Forget about figuring out if it’s real or not, climate change is here. Factory farming is not sustainable, even as the demand for meat is still growing. More consumers are looking for quality sustainable or vegan/vegetarian options, and Impossible Foods wants to serve that market. Their website emphasizes their sustainability.

They also make a point to push transparency and encourage questions. That will be crucial for a generation that is looking for corporations to step in where the government is not addressing their needs and concerns.

The food system has to change or it will collapse. Many companies have been stepping up their environmental bona fides in response the Environmental Protection Agency’s current irresponsibility. It remains to be seen if the FDA can cope with the demands of the rapidly evolving demands and realities of a sustainable food system. 

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Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Cameron Have a Message for Everyone: Eat Less Meat

The Director, James Cameron, and former governor of California, former movie star, and former omnivorous bodybuilder, Arnold Schwarzenegger, remind us that animal agriculture is responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than the combined exhaust from all transportation. Cameron, vegan since 2011, and long time meat eater, Schwarzenegger, are promoting a plant-based diet. Together they are supporting China’s new directive that asks its citizens to cut down on meat consumption to prevent illness such as heart disease and diabetes. Schwarzenegger says he feels fantastic and tells us not to buy into the idea that we need more meat to be strong. He also says:

Less meat, less heat, more life.”

True Activist Reports:

According to the documentary Cowspiracy, livestock and their byproducts account for at least 32,000 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) per year or 51% of all worldwide greenhouse gas emissions. By utilizing land to grow crops that feed humans rather than cows, world hunger can be managed and the large amounts of methane produced by the livestock (which is 25-100 times more destructive than CO2 on a 20-year time frame) will be lessened.

It all begins with the little choices you make. Thankfully, eating healthy, plant-based food is easier now, more than ever. Whether you purchase veggie burgers at the store or opt to make your own, there are a variety of ways you can please your palate while helping the planet.

Schwarzenegger correctly advises“You have to start slowly, you can’t just convince people to stop eating meat altogether. It’s a very big challenge, it doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be done and you shouldn’t be on that campaign, but it’s a very hard thing to overcome.”

It doesn’t have to be difficult, and it can most definitely be delicious. Click here if you need recipe inspiration.

Arnold Schwarzenegger partnered with the Wild Conservation Society to raise awareness about the issue of poaching. In that video, he made it clear that poachers will pay for their crimes against humanity as killing African Elephants for their tusks is likely to result in their demise within the next decade.

Conclusion

It’s not that eating meat is bad for you, contrary to what almost every vegan argues. The concern with meat regarding health is if it’s factory farmed or otherwise unhealthy meat, how it was processed, and how it is cooked. Meat, when of healthy quality and prepared right, is not “bad” for you. Raw fresh produce is the best thing to eat, but if that was all we ate we’d need to graze on food all day, especially if we are active. Regardless, there are many other great reasons to stop eating meat or to cut down.

If you choose to eat meat, please do so responsibly, and don’t forget that your money will be a vote for cruelty or a vote for better treatment every time you purchase meat. Please be an informed customer.

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7 Days of Meatless Meals the Whole Family Can Agree On

I get asked often why I chose to switch to an ovo-vegetarian diet. The ever present questions,“What do you eat?” and “Where do you get your protein?” typically come in a condescending tone paired with a scrunched face of disapproval or disgust. This took me by surprise at first, but after years of the same questions, I have come to laugh at the common misconceptions and use them as a chance to explain the morality of the decision for me, the reality of proteins available, and the array of health benefits.

After the initial seemingly startling news that my home is meatless, the second round of statements are something like, “Oh I could never do that. I love meat too much,” or “I wouldn’t even know where to start.”

I can’t argue with anyone’s choice to eat as they please, but I can help to refute some common misconceptions about a vegetarian diet lacking in both protein and the essential micro-nutrients we all need.  I’ll do that below by giving 7 examples of vegetarian meals that will feed the whole family and are jam packed with the essentials for a healthy, happy, hearty meal.

Before addressing meals, though, I find it necessary to address the common misconception that a vegetarian diet is lacking in protein. A huge contributor to the idea that meat is the primary source of protein is the food pyramid. We are exposed to the food pyramid at a very young age and it continues to be pressed from grade school through high school. It is also pushed heavily by the dairy and meat industries by way of media, television, radio, etc. While watching your evening television show, try counting how many times you see a commercial talking about the food pyramid, meat, or dairy. It will surprise you.

The reality is that through these ideals, two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese, and childhood obesity has grown exponentially in the last 30 years. Not only have the obesity rates risen, so have diseases like osteoporosis. This is due to the hydrochloric acids needed to digest meat. To neutralize these acids, our bodies use our internal source of calcium. In fact, a study published in the Medical Tribune by Michigan State (found in the book, Diet For New America), showed that female vegetarians averaged 18% bone loss while their meat-eating counterparts averaged 35% bone loss leading to osteoporosis.

What many people don’t realize is that there is protein in many of our other food groups. Foods in the legume family are a great example. Green peas contain 7.9 grams of protein per cup, taste great, and can be used in a variety of different meals. Quinoa is a grain that contains 8 grams of protein per cup. Beans are another huge protein source. Just two cups of kidney beans contain about 30 grams of protein — more than a Big Mac at McDonald’s, which has about 25 grams. Even a cup of chopped broccoli contains 8.1 grams of protein.

These are just a few examples of protein-rich foods that are healthy and taste great. Outside of those factors, our bodies digest a vegetarian/vegan diet faster than one with fat, heavy meats. With a vegetarian/vegan diet, we feel fuller faster, and overeating is less likely to occur.

The USDA nutrition database states that the average vegan male needs 63 grams of protein a day, and the average female, 53 grams per day, a quota easily met when nearly all vegetables, grains, seeds, beans, and nuts contain protein. Now that we have a better understanding of some of the key misconceptions let’s get cooking! Here are 7 meals that are protein heavy, delicious and sure to be a hit with the family.

broccoli slaw stir fry

  1. Broccoli Slaw Stir Fry – 24 grams of protein

Great for a busy night when there isn’t much time to prep dinner. Takes about 15 minutes to prepare and is high in protein, fiber, and vitamin C.

  1. Squash and Quinoa ChiliSquash and Quinoa Chili – 23 grams of protein

Not only is it a great source of protein, but this meal provides a whopping 60% of your fiber intake as well. A base of butternut squash, quinoa, and kidney beans that can be prepared in just an hour! Great for those winter evenings in or to freeze for lunches.

  1. simple black bean burgersSimple Black Bean Burgers – 22 grams of protein

With just canned beans, eggs, and some bread crumbs, you can create a summer favorite. Add some sweet potato fries and the kids won’t be the wiser.

  1. vegetarian tacosTacos – 18g and up

This is a simple switch from the typical tacos you would make at home. Substitute black beans  or a soy substitute (my favorite is soyrizo) for the meat.

  1. sweet-potato-pizzaSweet Potato Pizza – 22.2 grams of protein

A great twist on a traditional pie that the kids can have fun helping decorate. A great way to make eating their vegetables more fun.

  1. stuffed bell peppersStuffed Bell Peppers – 18 grams of protein

A colorful addition to any dinner table. Prep for this dish takes some time, but if you are having family over and want to impress, this is one of the dishes I would go for. Always a hit with my family.

  1. Vegetarian EnchiladasVegetarian Enchiladas – 34.9 grams of protein

Another example of a great, well-known dish that can be slightly tweaked using beans. Jackfruit is a great alternative as well, which makes for a fantastic vegetarian dish that everyone can enjoy.

There you have it! The recipes vary with portions, size, and desired additions as far as protein and other nutritional content, but you get the idea. There are so many possibilities! A week’s worth of meatless meals to get you started on your journey to a new lifestyle if you so choose. And the next time you discover someone you know is a vegetarian, you will have a better idea behind the health reasons and the simplicity of the choice!

Further Reading:

 

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The True Cost of Industrialized Meat Production – And What You Can Do About It

We have all heard the perpetual argument about the meat industry. On one side, unwavering pro-meat eaters assert that some animals were put on this earth for our consumption, as a means for our survival. On the other side, vegan individuals claim that eating animals is not only cruel but evolutionarily outdated. Regardless of one’s moral compass or core beliefs, finding the facts can be difficult. Beyond “he said/she said,” there are some very tangible things happening around the globe that are a detriment to our health and to our planet. Sifting through what is fact and what is opinionated fiction can be difficult. Here are some of the unbiased facts.

Beef is raised in some of the most sensitive regions of the world creating a destructive path in places like the North America’s Great Plains, the Brazilian Amazon, the savannahs of Southern Africa, and the Great Barrier Reef watershed of Australia.

The meat industry is a large contributor to greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). The amount ranges from 18% – to an astonishing 51% depending on the study. The numbers differ depending on the exclusion or inclusion of emissions due to deforestation and land use.

Since the 1950s antibiotics have been used in industrial farming to increase the growth of the animals, which has created an antibiotic resistance in those who consume the meat. According to a recent study by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), about 80% of the antibiotics sold in the U.S. are used for farm animals, not for human beings, and 90% of that amount is distributed through feed or water.

The amount of water used to sustain the meat industry is astronomical. Beef is the largest offender using 2,000 gallons of water for just 1lb of meat. Beef, meat manufacturing as a whole, and consumption are water intensive and a drain on our world water supply. A good example of this is California. California produces more food than any other state and is also in a historic drought putting tremendous pressure on the water supply of the entire southwest. One-third of all fresh water in the world today is used for the meat industry.

Industrial farm waste does not stay on the farms. The antibiotics pumped into the animals is eventually excreted and ends up in waterways and our oceans. The once natural flow of water into the ocean is being replaced with flows of polluted farm runoff contributing to nutrient pollution among other things.

It’s no secret that the population continues to grow with each passing year. With that growth comes expansion. The current population is 7.2 billion by 2050 it is estimated to be  a whopping 9.6 billion. The meat industry was reported to use 26% of the Earth’s ice-free terrestrial surface for grazing making it the largest user of land resources. Pasture and land dedicated to the production of feed embodying almost 80% of the total agricultural land.

There are many conflicting ideas, statistics, and ideologies. Whether actually consuming meat is necessary for a healthy diet or not is highly controversial, but there is no denying the facts behind the environmental destruction that the meat industry has created. The science and research are undeniable. Understanding the harm caused by industrialized meat production is only half of the battle. As a concerned citizen, how can each of us impact change in such an overwhelmingly large industry, by starting right at home? Here are 5 changes you can make to impact tomorrow’s environment.

Meatless Mondays

As stated above, it is estimated that it takes 2,000 gallons of water to produce 1lb of beef. Americans lead meat consumption, eating an average of 270 lbs of meat per year, twice as much meat as is recommended for a healthy diet. Eating less meat of higher quality may be just what the doctor ordered.

Local Butcher

Buying from a small farm or local butcher is an easy way to make sure that the meat you are consuming was pasture raised without hormones and doesn’t come from a factory farm.

Raising Your Own Meat

Another option, if you live in a rural area, is to raise your own meat. There are many reasons to grow your own beef, but not supporting the industrial factories and knowing where the meat came from and has been exposed to are the most important.

Labels

If the city life is for you, learn about labels. Some are meaningless. Some are fraudulent.  Kroger and Perdue Farms both used a label  “humane.” A recent lawsuit filed by The Humane Society of The United States ended up being settled out of court. Kroger and Perdue Farms took the “humane” label off of their packaging. Similarly, there are no standards for labeling products “All Natural,” or “Antibiotic-free.”

Vegetarian/Vegan Lifestyle

Choosing a vegetarian or vegan diet is another option.  This is a hard one for a lot of people to swallow . It is a radical lifestyle change, but the benefits far outweigh the initial difficulties not only for the environment but for your conscience and your health.

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