Food, Inc.! I'm never eating meat again!!

[pjlippert]

Yikes!!!! That's it! I am switching to a strict organic, vegetarian diet! As I was watching this movie I went through my fridge/freezer and started tossing a bunch of foods! Just like when I watched Supersize me.... it just turned my stomach.

I realize my organic options are pertty thin when I go out to eat... maybe I'll just eat at home from now on! Sorry, son, no more McDonalds!

Blech!!

Pam

 

[Jennifit]

Good for you! I have been a veggie for 18 years and have never looked back. It feels good to know that you are not contributing to the pain the animals endure and not contributing to the horrible pollution crisis that cow farms are producing to our waterway. We do not need to eat meat.
GOOD FOR YOU!!!!

 

[pjlippert]

Thanks, Jennfit!! I used to be a hard-core animal rights loving lacto-veggie for about 15 years. I got off track after I had my son and craved immediate protein after I gave birth!! I've never been a hard-core carnivore just some lean protein and seafood and have been moving back towards my veggie roots! This movie just jump-started my desire to go back pretty darn hard-core!!! I'm open to any food advice you may have. I pretty much know how to go meat-free, but toss any ideas you have right on over!!

Pam

 

[kariev]

I haven't seen this movie yet but some of my friends have and they did the same thing after watching it. I've been toying with the idea of becoming a veggie but i'm afraid that i will feel too limited.

 

[Traildoggie]

Moving toward vegetarian doesn't have to be an "all or nothing". there are many different levels of commitment. Reducing intake of animal products is good place to start. I've been "mostly" vegetarian and for 30+ years.
I never eat red meat, and occasionally chicken or fish. I use dairy, eggs, cheese although not a lot. Traveling and dinner at other peoples homes can be difficult. I try to be a gracious guest and don't quiz people about whether they used chicken broth or a boullion cube somewhere along the way. I wear leather shoes.
When you have kids it takes time to build a repertoire of ingredients/recipes everyone likes, especially fi they have already have a taste for fast food.
I started with3 vegie dinners a week. dinner is the most challenging meal for a new vegie. IMO breakfast and lunch are much easier. DH and I made the transition in about a month or two. big changes are easier if gradual.

 

[kathryn]

I haven't seen this movie yet but some of my friends have and they did the same thing after watching it. I've been toying with the idea of becoming a veggie but i'm afraid that i will feel too limited.

Veggie eating is definitely NOT limiting, so that's not a good reason to not even try it out. The only limitation if psychological, if you think in terms of what you won't/can't eat.

Most Americans actually have a pretty limited diet. I think if you actually try it (and pick up a cookbook like "Vegan Planet", you'll be amazed at how much variety is possible.

There are miriad flavors and foods from different cultures to try (asian, mid-Eastern, Italian, etc.), and a wide variety of fruits, veggies, nuts, grains, seeds, etc.

Just thinking of more familiar foods, it's easy to make veggie chili, pizza, lasagna, soups, wraps...

 

[darine]

yep! Americans are limited

Actually... what do they eat other than meat???

so many cultures have very vegetarian friendly food.

it's just the American diet is all around meat so taking it out sounds like a limitations... but it's the opposite. eating an American diet is limited by animal food!

i discovered so much when i became vegetarian. we need to switch how we see food and not eat vegetarian with an American diet concept

my opinion

 

[kariev]

thanks guys for all the tips. you all are right, i don't need to make this an all or nothing thing. I'm going to ease into it and see how it goes. I know there are tons of cookbooks which offer wonderful veggie recepies.

 

[Bobbi-B]

I haven't eaten meat, (or dairy or eggs) for 2-1/2 years, and I don't find it limiting at all. In fact, my cookbook collection has exploded, and there is more variety in my diet now than ever before. I know that sounds weird, and I never would have believed it myself if it hadn't happened to me! I highly recommend the cookbook Veganomicon, and there are about 100 other great animal-free cookbooks I'm happy to recommend if anyone is interested.

 

[Vee]

Karie, I am a vegetarian who has found visiting the United States very easy diet-wise, with so many delicious options. I eat at many mainstream restaurant chains like P F Changs, Baja Fresh, Fresh Choice, Olive Garden when I am there. If anything I find the vegan options on the menu at most places are delicious and yet way more healthy than the not-vegan choices on the menu. I even eat Pizza (with veggies as toppings and no cheese).

In my country, India, about a third of the population is vegetarian. The possibilities in vegetarian food are endless, especially in Asian and Mediterranean cuisines.

Even with just a sandwich, there are so many options. You can use the following as delicious spreads instead of cheese/mayo:
- gaucamole
- hummus
- pesto made without cheese (just basil leaves, olive oil and pine or other nuts blended together)
- tomato based pasta sauce
Top the spread with lots of fresh veggies or grilled veggies or a mix of both.

Here is a recipe for a simple Indian chutney that tastes great in a sandwich. I keep some in the refrigerator for up to a week:
Mint leaves - a bunch
Corriander (cilantro) leaves - a big bunch
scraped/grated fresh coconut pulp - half cup - optional
green chili - up to 2
fresh ginger - a small piece
cumin seeds - 1 tsp (optional)
cashew nuts - 1/2 to 3/4 cup
lemon or lime juice - 2 to 3 table sp
Sugar (preferably raw brown) - 2 table sp - optional
Blend together with water to a thick paste. Add salt to taste. This is a yummy chutney with hot/sour flavors blended with the freshness of mint and cilantro.

Fix sandwiches using this chutney as a thick spread. Add sliced boiled potatoes, tomatoes, cucumber and lettuce.

 

[kariev]

Thanks! Can someone tell me what makes a complete protein in a meal? What foods do you combine to make a complete protein.

 

[coradora]

Thanks! Can someone tell me what makes a complete protein in a meal? What foods do you combine to make a complete protein.

Hi Karie

You don't need to worry about making a complete protein in a meal. As long as you eat a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and nuts throughout the day you will get the protein your body needs.

Some good books to read if you are interested in a vegetarian/vegan diet:

Eat to Live by Dr. Joel Fuhrman
The Thrive Diet by Brendan Brazier

The internet is a treasure chest of vegetarian recipes. I have started to incorporate more raw food into my (mostly) vegan diet and have found LOTS of yummy stuff. (I recently made a raw ranch dressing that is heavenly )

Have fun on your food adventure!
Corrie

 

[Bobbi-B]

Hi Karie

You don't need to worry about making a complete protein in a meal. As long as you eat a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and nuts throughout the day you will get the protein your body needs.

Some good books to read if you are interested in a vegetarian/vegan diet:

Eat to Live by Dr. Joel Fuhrman
The Thrive Diet by Brendan Brazier

The internet is a treasure chest of vegetarian recipes. I have started to incorporate more raw food into my (mostly) vegan diet and have found LOTS of yummy stuff. (I recently made a raw ranch dressing that is heavenly )

Have fun on your food adventure!
Corrie

I'm interested in the raw ranch dressing recipe, is it from a cookbook or did you create it yourself?

 

[Vee]

Thanks! Can someone tell me what makes a complete protein in a meal? What foods do you combine to make a complete protein.

Karie, A complete protein is defined as a single food containing all nine essential amino acids. Soy and quinoa qualify from plant sources. The complete protein theory that said vegetarians needed to combine different plant based proteins in a single meal to get all nine nutrients at the same time is now disputed. Many experts feel that as long as you eat a variety of plant based proteins its evens out. Good sources of "incomplete" proteins to eat "in rotation" are lentils, other beans apart from soy, sprouts, nuts, seeds and whole grains.

 

[pjlippert]

WOW! Such an incredible wealth of information and great reminders of eating animal free. I'll dust off my vegetarian cookbooks from a decade ago and go for it!! The 15 years I was a vegetarian I was quite healthy and think (of course, I was in my 20's so it was much easier to do the thin thing!! )

I love the recipes you all have included! They sound delicious!

Happy Saturday!
Pam

 

[kathryn]

thanks guys for all the tips. you all are right, i don't need to make this an all or nothing thing. I'm going to ease into it and see how it goes. I know there are tons of cookbooks which offer wonderful veggie recepies.

A new one I haven't seen, but which would offer a great variety of recipes (it's vegan, but you don't have to be to use it ):
"500 Vegan Recipes" by Celine Steen and Joni Marie Newman

 

[kathryn]

i discovered so much when i became vegetarian. we need to switch how we see food and not eat vegetarian with an American diet concept

my opinion

I totally agree.

When I became vegetarian (over 30 years ago), it was hard to find much to eat in restaurants, and I'd usually end up with a restaurant meal minus the meat, which just makes for a very unsatisfying, wimpy iceberg lettuce salad, mashed potatoes, and maybe some cooked veggies.

Unfortunately, I think that's how some people still envision veggie eating.

 

[kathryn]

Resources I would highly recommend for beginners are "The New Becoming Vegetarian", "Becoming Vegan" (or even "Becoming Raw") all by Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina, two vegan dieticians who have done the research and offer very practical, scientifically based information for eating healthy as a vegetarian, vegan or raw-food vegan. The books answer most of the common questions about the diets (like how much of specific nutrients one needs, and where and how to get them). They also contain some pretty tasty recipes.

As for 'complete proteins,' as Vee stated, they are foods that contain all the essential amino acids (the ones our bodies can't produce, which vary between 8 and 10, depending on age, and in one case, the consumption of another amino acid that the body can convert into it, but I forget which ones!) in proportions that would make it possible (though not very fun!) to survive on that one food as the sole source of protein.

Certain very common combinations of foods also produce 'complete' proteins, by balancing foods low in certain amino acids with foods higher in those amino acids, like rice and beans, or grains and legumes in general. IIRC, lyseine is a limiting amino acid in some foods.

 

[wendy loo]

I watched this movie in December or January, and haven't eaten meat since. I've also stopped drinking milk and eating yogurt, almost completely cut out cheese, and I've recently cut way back on wheat. I'm eating mostly grains like quinoa, brown (and lots of other colored) rice, lentils, beans, fruit of all sorts, and tons of vegetables. I need to explore more kinds of nuts and seeds, but they tend to be addictive to me and I gorge on them, so we'll have to see.

I just went onto my local library site and have requested most of the books mentioned in this thread--thanks to Kathryn and anyone else who posted a title.

While I was at it I picked up Michael Pollan's Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food on cd (as well as some greening books).

Food Inc. has been a life changing movie for me.

Wendy

 

[Bobbi-B]

A new one I haven't seen, but which would offer a great variety of recipes (it's vegan, but you don't have to be to use it ):
"500 Vegan Recipes" by Celine Steen and Joni Marie Newman

I have "500 Vegan Recipes" and I love it! I brought the Orange Almond Cake to a party and it was devoured in five minutes, and none of my friends are even vegan.