Making The Shift To Vegetarianism

Growing up in the United States means you were told that meat is an essential source of protein and other nutrients. The livestock industry is subsidized by our government. Vegetarians are seen as weirdos. It’s all about the beef here in the land that brought you the golden arches and hardened arteries.

Eating meat has become less appealing. I still enjoy the taste and texture of many meats, but it takes a toll on my conscience. Stories about factory-farm raised chickens and the treatment at cattle feedlots are almost enough to make me want to swear off meat. I’ve already stopped eating veal. These calves are kept in the worst conditions and slaughtered within days of being born.

Being a better steward of our Earth and vegetarianism go hand-in-hand. There are environmental reasons for going vegetarian. Did you know that:

• Eating a vegan diet reduces more carbon emissions than replacing your conventional car with a hybrid.
• Approximately 55 square feet of forest is destroyed for each hamburger that originated from animals raised on rainforest land.
• One pound of beef requires an input of approximately 2500 gallons of water.
• One pound of soy requires 250 gallons.
• One pound of wheat requires only 25 gallons.
• With the water used to produce a single hamburger, you could take a luxurious shower every day for two and a half weeks.

Activism isn’t going to turn us all vegetarian overnight. However, we can all do a little to reduce the demand for meat. A decrease in demand will not go unnoticed by the livestock and poultry industries. Fish farms do their share of damage to mother Earth too. There’s wild-caught fish, but are we fishing faster than the supply replenishes? One has to wonder.

Quitting Cold Turkey Cold Turkey

I’m not prepared to go full-time vegetarian, despite the benefits. Special dietary needs and travel don’t mix well. It really puts a damper on “souvenir dining.” I still know people in Philadelphia. There’s nothing quite like a steak from Rick’s in Reading Terminal. Mmm mmm. And what about sushi? Butter makes everything taste better. As of today, going 100% vegan is out of the question. There’s a little thing called feta cheese that’s near and dear to me.

I continue to unsubscribe from long-held beliefs on my personal development journey. Everything is on the table. What I decide to eat is also under the scrutiny of this audit and subject to change. I truly believe there is a better way.

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Nutrition is on every parent’s radar. Some are better at it than others. I’ve learned over the years what makes for healthy eating habits, so imagine how appalled I was at Austin’s eating habits, which are, for lack of a better term, &*@#$! horrendous. Unfortunately, this knowledge doesn’t seem to do me much good since I encounter steadfast opposition to my efforts to reform this family’s eating habits.

When I met Renee, her eating habits weren’t the best. They weren’t the worst either. To her credit, she eats her food deliberately, takes her time to chew it thoroughly, and doesn’t overindulge with huge portions. She is usually willing to try my creations, as long as it doesn’t have shrimp. Single mothers have it tough, and one of the things that slipped through the cracks was nutrition. As a result, Austin didn’t develop sound eating habits.

The last thing any parent wants to see is their children suffer. It’s especially maddening when it’s the child’s own poor nutrition habits that cause this suffering. Then your efforts to help are met with resistance.

• He usually struggles with the first class in the morning and the one right before lunch.
• He has trouble concentrating and focusing.
• He has trouble waking up in the morning.
• His stomach is easily upset.

All of the above can be mitigated or even eliminated by making smarter food choices. But like most teenage boys, making his choices is far more important to him than making smart choices.

I was at the classic car show last week when it hit me. I’m the kind of guy who only cares about basic maintenance of a reliable automobile. This is in stark contrast to the level of care these car aficionados put into their vehicles. A car is a necessity, at least in the suburbs. Food is a necessity. I happen to care more about the food I eat. I love variety and I love knowing that what I eat is good for me. Austin only cares about getting from point A to point B, and there’s only a handful of ways he’s willing to do it. I prefer a Lexus and Austin is content with a ratty old clunker that belches smoke and leaks fluids.

A popular piece of advice for parents is to “pick your battles.” Rest assured I have a wide selection to choose from. Will the dinner table be another battlefront? This is my dilemma. His diet is less than optimal. I’ve warned him. He’s chosen to ignore my suggestions. Am I being a bad parent by letting this one slide? When I prepare something healthy, he isn’t hungry. When I stock up on pepperoni pizza Hot Pockets and Capn’ Crunch, his appetite returns. Isn’t it worse to let him starve? Weigh in on this one by leaving a comment.

To his credit, he tries a good amount of what I present to him, but like most teens, he will always choose the path of least resistance for short term gratification. Now that I started adding pureed vegetables wherever I can, he’s eaten more broccoli in one week than he has in almost 14 years. Heheheheheh.

I normally supply my own photographs to illustrate my articles. This one was too cool to pass up. The photo of Randy’s Donuts is by Carol Highsmith, and used here under a Creative Commons license.

Even in this impaired state, I can still offer you one quick cooking tip. It’s an oldie but goodie with a new twist.

We all wish our children would eat more vegetables. Some parents have better luck than I do. A trick favored by many resident chefs is to puree vegetables and add the mix to various sauces.

The other night, I pureed a pound of carrots, added some to the spaghetti sauce. The remaining puree was poured into a couple of freezer bags. Next time I need some vegetable puree, I’ll just break off a piece and add it to the sauce.

For the next round, I’m going to use the ice cube tray to make things a little easier.

It’s so simple, a caveman can do it.

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Food is a broad and general topic, but I can focus on how it applies to families today. What will you learn from me, other than high fructose corn syrup is evil?

• The secrets on how to make some of my not-yet-famous entrées and side dishes.
• What to stock your kitchen with. The freezer is your friend.
• Ideas for quick meals that are really quick.
• Concepts for a more efficient workflow in the kitchen.
• The occasional tidbit of nutritional wisdom.

Here’s my biggest challenge. How am I going to teach you when I don’t follow recipes? I’m following in the footsteps of ethnic grandmothers everywhere. All that information is stored away in my head. The measuring spoon is buried in my kitchen junk drawer. Solving this problem is worth the effort to my readers. If you’re so inclined, you’ll learn how to make some delicious meals that are usually healthy. Be forewarned. I’m a big fan of butter.

I’m looking forward to this. The next best thing to doing something you enjoy is to write about it.

This week’s scorecard features some obvious culprits, a surprise appearance in some foods, and one surprise absence.

The Obvious Items

Dr. Pepper is Renee’s favorite soda. It was on sale, and Renee moderates her consumption (i.e. she doesn’t drink soda in lieu of water). If Austin wasn’t such a carbonation fiend, this 2-liter bottle would last us a few days. Dr. Pepper is a “better than nothing” soda for him, so that still lets Renee enjoy about half the bottle. There is no surprise here. High fructose corn syrup is pervasive in soft drinks. You’d have to pay a premium at an organic food market for carbonated soft drinks that don’t contain “the substance.”

I couldn’t pass up the Ghirardelli chocolates. The small serving size mitigates their caloric impact, yet still satisfies the craving. The regular dark and milk chocolates don’t have high fructose corn syrup. I imagine the mint filling is where this nutritional transgression occurs.

Sweet foods for breakfast is non-negotiable for Austin. Mornings are already rough for him, so this is a battle I choose not to fight. I will always encourage him to eat something with complex carbs and some protein. At least this one is made with whole wheat bread.

Next time, I’ll prepare it in-house instead of outsourcing. I use Martin’s Whole Wheat Potato Bread. Each slice has 4 grams of fiber, and you guessed it – this loaf is free of high fructose corn syrup. Austin will eat about 3 slices of it in the form of French toast. 12 grams of fiber never went down easier.

What about the syrup? I transitioned to real maple syrup before Austin moved in. His wasteful ways with syrup caused me to go back to the American way. Real maple syrup is about 3 times more expensive than store brand pancake syrup. His habits are improving, and I will transition back to real maple syrup soon. Besides, real maple syrup tastes a LOT better.

High Fructose Corn Syrup, The Surprise Ingredient

High fructose corn syrup sneaks in everywhere. It’s in many high fiber bran cereals, bread, bagels, and yogurt. I’m sure the quantities are low in the less obvious items, but it’s there. It still wreaks the same havoc on your insulin production. Sugar in a concentrated form fools your body into producing more insulin than it really needs to digest the current payload of nutritionally barren American cuisine.

I was shocked to find it in these granola bars here. Foods high in fiber are supposed to be healthy! The nutrition label boasts 9 grams of fiber per bar. That’s about 7 more grams than the typical American eats in a day.

It’s a pity. Simple carbohydrates digest the fastest. Proteins and fats digest the slowest. Fiber doesn’t digest at all. It’s these slower digesting and non-digesting foods that keep us feeling full longer. This would be the perfect snack if it didn’t have high fructose corn syrup.

Surprise Absence

Fox’s U-Bet is a pleasant surprise. I like chocolate syrup, and this is great for those times I like to put a little in my coffee or add it to plain yogurt for some variety.

One of my axioms is, “I don’t trust people who don’t like chocolate and people who don’t read.” Fox’s U-Bet is less expensive than other national brands and not much more than the store brand.

The Ghirardelli milk chocolate squares mentioned earlier are also free from high fructose corn syrup.

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This week, I did the full trip, with a bill to match. Out of the full week’s take, only three items contained high fructose corn syrup.

• Publix Premium multi-grain bagels
• Publix brand chocolate chunk granola bars
• 2-liter bottle of Publix brand root beer

I can understand why it’s in the root beer, but granola bars and multi-grain bagels? Isn’t multi-grain anything supposed to be better for you?

For those of you outside of Florida, Publix is the leading grocery chain here. Many of their store-brand items are on-par with or exceed the quality of national brands. Their tagline is, “Where Shopping Is A Pleasure.” Publix Supermarkets are an oasis in a world where owners’ profits are more important than employee and customer satisfaction.

For several years of my adult life, I somehow knew it couldn’t be good for you. I haven’t studied it in-depth, but I’ve learned that it’s an engineered mutant substance and significantly less expensive than cane sugar or beet sugar. The temptation is too great for a food service industry firmly entrenched in capitalism, enslaved by the almighty bottom line.

Even the foods we think of as healthy contain it. Budget some extra time for a slightly longer trip to the supermarket. Read the ingredient labels on what you buy. Don’t worry, it won’t add much time to your trip. HFCS isn’t buried too far down in these lists. On a bottle of soda, it’s usually the second one. Most of the time, you’ll see it in the top five.