Going Vegetarian

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This is the question I get asked when I tell others that I'm thinking about becoming a Vegetarian. At this point, I'm leaning towards actually doing it rather than just thinking about it. Becoming a Vegetarian isn't for everyone--then again, neither is Tommy Lee. There have been so many documentaries and shows that demonstrate the pure cruelty administered to animals. Then I forget about other products that aren't meat but have meat in them, like jello. I'm going to hurl. If you read this article, you find that:

     "Gelatin is a mixture of peptides and proteins produced by partial hydrolysis of collagen extracted from the skin, boiled crushed horn, hoof and bones, connective tissues, organs and some intestines of animals such as domesticated cattle, chicken, pigs, and horses. Food-grade gelatin is produced mainly from two raw materials, beef skin and pig hide. Photographic and pharma grades of gelatin are generally made from beef bones, although some beef bone gelatin is used by the food industry. Gelatin is an animal protein unlike many other gelling agents used by the food industry."

And I just can't handle it any longer. I don't even want to finish reading that article. But it's there for your enjoyment :-)

On a positive note, I found this great article about becoming a Vegetarian.

     "Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat – red meat, poultry, seafood and the flesh of any other animal; it may also include abstention from by-products of animal slaughter, such as animal-derived rennet and gelatin. Vegetarianism can be adopted for different reasons. Many object to eating meat out of respect for sentient life. Such ethical motivations have been codified under various religious beliefs, along with the concept of animal rights. Other motivations for vegetarianism are health-related, political, environmental, cultural, aesthetic or economic. There are varieties of the diet as well: an ovo-vegetarian diet includes eggs but not dairy products, a lacto-vegetarian diet includes dairy products but not eggs, and an ovo-lacto vegetarian diet includes both eggs and dairy products. A vegan, or strict vegetarian, diet excludes all animal products, including eggs, dairy, beeswax and honey. Vegans may also avoid animal products such as leather for clothing and goose-fat for shoe polish. Various packaged or processed foods, including cake, cookies, candies, chocolate, yogurt and marshmallows, often contain unfamiliar animal ingredients, and may be a special concern for vegetarians due to the likelihood of such additions."

What I didn't know is that some processed foods, like cookies and candy, have animal ingredients. I'm going to have to give up my favorite thing--candy--but I'm willing to do that because it's not right for animals to get slaughtered just to feed our already overly-obese country.

We already eat Morning Star meat crumbles in place of everything else. And I just learned a few months ago that they make a variety of chicken substitutes too. If you're not completely devoted to meat, I wanted to give a list of easy ways and reasons to go Vegetarian and it can be done, simply and healthy.

1. Replace all of your meat products with a brand like Morning Star. They offer ground beef, breakfast and dinner patties, sausage links, bacon strips, breakfast biscuits (including a meat, egg, and cheese), wings, chicken nuggets, and veggie dog substitutes. They also have meal starters like lasagna, chili, and meatballs.

2. When replacing your meat products, you should probably find another way to find protein in your diet. I would suggest incorporating things like edamame or chick peas. You find these a lot in Mediterranean style foods but are becoming more and more popular within the U.S. If you're scared to try a bean that you've never had before, you can search for recipes online. They really are delicious!

3. By replacing your meats, it cuts fat from your diet. Good fat is, well, good. But meat has a ton of bad fat in it. You'll be lowering chances of heart disease, diabetes, and many other diseases.

4. There is less of a chance to get food poisoning. Many of the food poisoning cases in the country are from meat, either from it being under cooked or just cooked in the correct way.

5. If you have read up on this life change, I would suggest trying a new meat-free recipe each week. It will help your transition.

6. Tell your friends and family so they can help motivate the change. And plan your meals accordingly.

7. And most importantly, think of all the innocent animals who get slaughtered every single day. They don't deserve to die just because we think we need meat in our diets.

This transition can be an easy thing in your life if you're willing to do it. If you would like to read another informative article on become a Vegetarian, here is one to try out. I know I'm willing to make the change. Are you??