One might think that giving up meat for one day is not significant enough to improve the environment. And for that matter, how does a one day break from meat benefit my overall health?
Environment
The FDA estimates that the meat industry generates nearly one-fifth of the man-made greenhouse gas emissions that are accelerating climate change worldwide. This means that trucks transporting cows (and other livestock) are doing more damage than the average soccer mom driving her gas-guzzling mini-van around. In addition, livestock are fed (for the most part) vegetable diets and plants require water. An estimated 1,800 to 2,500 gallons of water go into a single pound of beef (as opposed to just 220 gallons of water to produce a pound of tofu in California).
Now, the impact is in the math. One person passing on a cheeseburger one day a week does not seem significant, but that adds up to 52 cheeseburgers a year. Multiply 52 x 2 if I talk my husband into doing it. Multiply 52 x 3 if, in addition, I talk one friend into doing it. If I pass one meat 3 meals a day for one day a week for an entire year AND talk 3 of my friends into doing it that equates to 468 meals in one year. Image if each meal meant giving up a quarter of a pound of meat: that's 117 lbs. That would save 210,600 to 292,500 gallons of water. Starting to look a little more significant?
Morality
This section is subjective, I realize, but I live about two miles from a meat processing plant. I see large, livestock trucks, full of cows headed toward the plant on a daily basis. I see empty trucks leave the plant on a daily basis. I see the huge feedlot silo that looms behind the plant, as I drive by. I can't help but be reminded of my choice to eat meat every single time I drive to and from work. In high school and part of college I was a vegetarian and member of PETA. I was also pre-veterinary medicine major for a year at Michigan State (until I realized I was a bit more inclined to liberal arts). One required class was a food science course in the agriculture department. Interestingly, at the time of taking the class I was also reading You Can Save the Animals! 251 Ways to Stop Thoughtless Cruelty by Ingrid Newkirk (PETA president). The book described the horrors of chicken farms, feedlots, and slaughter houses. And, interestingly enough, my food science class was presenting the exact same information, only with a positive spin:
PETA: "When these birds are very young—usually just 1 to 10 days old—hot blades are used to cut large chunks off their sensitive beaks so that they won't peck each other out of frustration caused by the intense confinement. Sometimes their toes, spurs, and combs are also cut off. The birds are not given any painkillers to ease the agony of this mutilation, and many debeaked chickens starve to death because they are in too much pain to eat."
Animal Science 101: Because chickens are prone to pecking at each other and themselves, measures are taken to reduce damage to the chicken's skin and muscles as well as to prevent fighting. These procedures include debeaking and clipping off sharp claws and spurs when the chick is young so that the flock may exist without injury to itself and the workers.
My conclusion?
The things we do are real. We do "collect" chickens for slaughter with giant vacuums that occassionally break legs, wings, and necks, we do electricute cattle just before slaughter, we do inject cows with growth hormones so that they produce more milk to keep up with demand. This is not left-wing propaganda - it is true. We do overfeed cattle with a corn-based diet (which is not a natural foodstuff for a cow) in order to fatten it up before slaughter. What each of us must decide is if this bothers us.
Certainly many people see animals as animals. Beings put here to provide food for us and, even if they do feel pain, it is short-lived and part of the process. I do not feel this way. I do believe that humans were meant to eat meat and I do like the taste of meat. However, I believe that we should respect our food - both when it is alive and when it is on the plate. I believe we should respect the sacrifice that animals unwillingly make. I do try to buy as much local meat as I can. These are animals who wondered around someone's farm and lived a pretty good life until slaughter. But let's be honest, I'm no saint. It is winter. I live in Michigan. The farmer's markets are closed and, while I did buy a quarter of a cow from a local farmer last fall, I am forced to buy chicken and pork from my local grocery store. Yes there are options for local poultry, but it requires a 20-30 minute drive. I wish I could say I insisted upon that sacrifice.
Health
Without getting into too much detail, the reality is that reducing our intake of meat will also reduce our chances for heart disease, some cancers, obesity and diabetes. Who isn't watching their weight or attempting to diet every other day? Forgoing meat one day a week means insisting on fruits, vegetables, and whole grains (things most Americans don't eat enough of as it is).
Today's Plan
So I have instituted Meatless Mondays in my household beginning today. I will admit that I ate an egg cup for breakfast, that I prepared last night. I guess, technically, I should not eat eggs either, but I prefer to start the day with some protein and in case you haven't noticed, one underlying theme of this blog is that I am not perfect. If you are interested in the recipe, here's how I made them:
Breakfast Egg Cups
- 5 eggs
- 3 egg whites
- 1 cup lowfat milk (I use 1%)
- chopped veggies of your choice (I used red and green peppers, tomatoes, and green onions)
- 3/4 c cheese (any flavorful cheese: I like fresh parmesan or a good sharp cheddar)
*Obviously cutting or eliminating the cheese would save you some calories!
Anyway, mix the eggs together with the milk. Then distribute evenly into muffin tins (be sure to coat with cooking spray!) I sauteed the peppers to soften them a bit. Then toss all the veggies together and sprinkle evenly amongst the muffin tins. Finally, sprinkle cheese in each one. Bake at 325 for 20-25 minutes (until the tops begin to look golden brown).
Two of these actually did keep me going until lunch. Last summer I made and froze several baggies of spinach pesto, so for lunch I tossed a bit of the spinach pesto with some pasta and added a bit of freshly grated parmesan cheese.
For dinner I made Black Bean and Salmon Tostadas from eatingwell.com
8 6-inch corn tortillas
Canola oil cooking spray
1 6- to 7-ounce can boneless, skinless wild Alaskan salmon, drained
1 avocado, diced
2 tablespoons minced pickled jalapeños, plus 2 tablespoons pickling juice from the jar, divided
2 cups coleslaw mix (see Tip) or shredded cabbage
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed
3 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
2 tablespoons prepared salsa
2 scallions, chopped
Lime wedges (optional)
Preparation
1.Position racks in upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 375°F.
2.Coat tortillas on both sides with cooking spray. Place on 2 baking sheets. Bake, turning once, until light brown, 12 to 14 minutes.
3.Combine salmon, avocado and jalapeños in a bowl. Combine cabbage, cilantro and the pickling juice in another bowl. Process black beans, sour cream, salsa and scallions in a food processor until smooth. Transfer to a microwave-safe bowl. Cover and microwave on High until hot, about 2 minutes.
4.To assemble tostadas, spread each tortilla with some bean mixture and some salmon mixture and top with the cabbage salad. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.
**My Variations
I did not use salmon. I just made black bean tostadas. I did keep some beans whole to sprinkle on top. I also made corn tortillas from scratch because (1) they are yummier that way an (2) I didn't have any readymade on hand and I ALWAYS have maseca in the cupboard.
These were delicious and pretty spicy. I stole the photo from eatingwell.com, but honestly mine turned out just as beautiful!
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