Vegetarian Lifers

This posting is not about a cool new thing we can consume, but rather things we can avoid consuming--specifically meat and other animal products. The vegetarian diet has been around forever, at least since people have been aware that animals feel pain.

I joined PETA recently (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), an extremely effective nonprofit that does its work by putting animal abuses right in your face, through photos and stories. A large part of their work is convincing everyday consumers to eat less meat and animal products. Their work is so dangerous to the meat industry that photographers are not allowed into the farms or slaughterhouses where meat is produced--all PETA's photos are from hidden cameras. Their publications worked for me--the Vegetarian Starter Kit that they sent me turned my stomach from the industry and I have not touched meat since reading it.

I was vegetarian for all of high school and then went back to eating meat. I toyed on and off for many years with going back, and it was only a week or two ago that I was able to do it. I hope it sticks. I only regret all the years I was eating meat.

In reading all the PETA literature, I remembered my cousins, Hope and Hannah, two conscientious sisters who chose vegetarianism when they were little and are carrying it into adulthood. Hannah is an active high-schooler in Chicago, and Hope is a passionate college student at Oberlin in Ohio. During Christmases at their house in Chicago, there would always be a tray of pasta shells for the girls, next to the turkey and brisket, that served as a quiet reminder of how holidays could be without all the excess.

I interviewed Hope and Hannah about their chosen lifestyle, and will present their answers here, in their own words.

At what age did you become vegetarian?

Hannah-I became a vegetarian in first grade, so I think I was about seven.

Hope-I first tried it in fourth grade at the age of 9, broke down once or twice, and have consistently avoided meat entirely now since September of 1999 (I was ten and in fifth grade).

Why did you become vegetarian?

Hannah-Initially my dreams to be as cool as my older sister inspired my
decision, but ultimately I've continued to be vegetarian for a couple
of reasons. The truth is that the meat market is sadly characterized
by brutality towards animals and what i would call a complete
disregard for their well-being. Also, the industry puts out a lot of
toxic wastes and pollution.

Hope-My very cool cousin Carol became a vegetarian at college and I admired her enough to want to try it myself (author's note-I did not put her up to this! :)). She was also the first person to explain to me why someone would want to avoid eating meat. It was persuasive. I also have a very weak stomach and the more I knew about meat and how it gets on my plate, the easier it was to avoid it at all costs.

Have you ever gone back to meat?

Hannah-Nope, never intentionally.

Hope-No, although recently I ate fish three times while studying abroad in Denmark. It wasn't really worth it, but I didn't want to offend the Danish woman I lived with. I have no intention to go back, ever.

Have you ever been tempted to eat meat, and what do you do then?

Hannah-Yes of course. Every Thanksgiving! And for some reason whenever I
smell pot stickers from my local Chinese restaurant. But yeah, I
usually just remind myself of the process the meat went through to get
to my plate and the appeal soon dissipates!

Hope-It's less and less tempting every year I've stayed away. Every new thing I learn makes it easier and easier to stay far away from meat. I think as a kid, it was partially about animal rights and partially about being cool, and the older I get, the more good reasons I find. College students at my school often argue the environmental and human costs of meat consumption, especially in the United States, so that galvanizes my personal resolve even more.


Describe a situation which was really challenging as a vegetarian, and what you did to cope?

Hannah-I went to France with my seventh grade class and really wanted to try
all the food and experiment and taste such foreign dishes, but sadly a
lot contained fish and other meats so I wasn't able to. Still, that
was my most challenging experience, so so far all has been rather
smooth sailing.

Hope-I think any time one goes into another culture or another country, it's difficult to justify one's particular reasons for being vegetarian. Dietary choices are made in specific contexts, and once removed from that context, they become harder to qualify. For instance, Denmark is a country that lies between the North and Baltic Seas, and they eat a lot of fish. There's a lot of culture and history around eating a lot of fish. It was difficult not to eat fish when trying to live as a local for four months there at the end of 2009. So I didn't avoid it altogether. I tried to embrace it on the few occasions when to ask for an alternative would have been rude and ungrateful.

What are your favorite meat substitutes?

Hannah-I love Grillers Prime by Morning Star and tofu (but only in Asian food).

Hope-I think that soy substitutes are another thing that gets better with time. Most meat substitutes are better once you stop comparing them to the meat product they're supposed to be and taste them for what they are. I happen to like MorningStar brand "chick nuggets," "bacon," and Boca Burger "Grillers Prime." Ultimately, though, I don't think a vegetarian diet should be about replacing meat meals but rather eating entirely different, plant-or-carbohydrate-based meals, like pasta with roasted vegetables and garlic.

How do you feel about vegetarianism vs. veganism?

Hannah-Honestly, my reasons for vegetarianism is mostly the mistreatment of
animals and somehow eating a carrot feels a lot more humane than
eating a pig. So no, I've never seriously considered veganism.

Hope-I used to be a little bit rude and intolerant about veganism. I think that unfortunately, it can often become obnoxious to demand that everyone accommodate a dietary choice as restrictive as veganism. However, I think there are many great reasons (health and otherwise) to become a vegan, and if vegans themselves were universally polite and flexible, it would doubtlessly be a more popular/popularly legitimized lifestyle. I certainly go days where I'm eating entirely vegan, but I think I personally enjoy food that's bad for me way too much to go fully vegan anytime in the near future.

Are you a part of any vegetarian communities?

Hannah-Nope.

Hope-My college, Oberlin, is pretty much a vegetarian community.

What are the nutritional challenges you face, and how do you get over them?

Hannah-I don't have any problems per say or anything that I've ever had to
directly face but I do take a multi-vitamin daily to ensure I get what
I need.

Hope-I really don't face any nutritional challenges. The overemphasis on protein gained from meat and dairy is largely, if not entirely, a fabrication of the meat and dairy industries of the world. It's a capitalist lie. I get plenty of protein, fiber, and calcium from vegetables like spinach, nuts like walnuts, and the occasional cheese binge.

Do you actively urge others to become vegetarian, or do you keep quiet?

Hannah-I typically keep quiet because few of my friends are vegetarian and I
don't want to make them feel bad. But i definitely jump on
opportunities to point out what they're eating if they ever poke fun
at my veggy burgers! OR when even the slightest interest shows in an
acquaintance or friend I go into my whole reasoning and experiences.

Hope-It depends on the context. I think it's most productive to be quiet 99% of the time, and reserve "active urging" for the occasions when it becomes hypocritical not to speak up. Specifically, if someone begins taunting me about my vegetarianism, that's an okay time to lay in with how very many facts and figures, not to mention logic, compassion, and intelligent arguments, are on my side. And if a person has extremely liberal views regarding politics and/or the environment, yet eats meat, it's usually appropriate to bring up the many ways in which going vegetarian would be "walking the walk" of their talk, etc.

Has being vegetarian made you more aware of any political, global,
social or ethical issues and if so, in what way?

Hannah-Yeah, actually I was reading an article about feminism and
vegetarianism and the way the two actually coincide because women are
expected to feed the family and usually decide what the family eats.
The article also mentioned the numerous ads and commercials that
create puns and slogans that compare meats with women. Things like
"Look at the breasts on that one!" or "Whatta chick!" Basically, it
really brought to my attention the underlying effects of the meat
industry. And like I already mentioned, the environmental issues with
the meat undustry. Of course ethics as well, but I suppose that sort
of goes without saying.

Hope-Yes, absolutely. Generally, vegetarians (especially loud ones) are a liberal breed, so anytime you're in a group of us, political and ethical issues are discussed. I think environmental and economic issues are the ones focused on most often at my college campus.

What would you say to people who are thinking of becoming vegetarian?

Hannah-I would say DO IT! If you're thinking about it, then you know you can
and it's really just a matter of your own self-control and motivation.
Turning a blind eye to the mistreatment of animals is purposefully
keeping yourself ignorant, which I think most people are above. In my
experience, if you think about it enough, vegetarianism will a very
sensible and ethical choice.

Hope-Make a pro and con list, and make sure to include both selfish and selfless reasons on both sides. I think, if people are honest with themselves, the pros of vegetarianism always outweigh and outnumber the cons, but they have to be willing to confront that reality. I wouldn't say I'm a vegetarian for entirely selfless reasons any more than a meat-eater would say he or she ate meat for entirely selfish ones.

Anything else you'd like to add?

Hope-
1. I have never read or listened to an argument against vegetarianism that was thoroughly philosophically sound.

2. Being vegetarian helps me stay at a reasonable weight for my height, and I have exceptionally good cholesterol and blood pressure levels.

3. The knee-jerk reaction against vegetarianism often comes from the superior or condescending attitude vegetarians can sometimes adopt. I hope anyone considering becoming a vegetarian would make a point to separate the possibly obnoxious vegetarians they've interacted with from the logic and compassion of the dietary choice itself.