Good Indian food, for example, is very easy to enjoy vegetarian, as the explosion of flavors makes up for the lack of meat.
Disclosure: I’m a part-time vegetarian.
'Part-time' encapsulates the intent nicely.
Personally I've found the 90% aspect easier. I don't have to worry if my vegetarian meals have something like chicken stock in them. It is about eating healthier and a lower carbon diet than being 100% perfect. Just needs to be good enough.
Yes. Check out my other comment about beans in this thread. All the dishes I mentioned there are pretty tasty. And so are lentils, if by that you meant masoor or masoor dal, or even if you meant tuar dal). And all those are high in protein as you say.
>sibo
A typo? An acronym?
Do you have a study that confirms this? As far as I know this is a myth. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytoestrogen#Effects_on_human...
That said, soybeans are mostly used to feed livestock, so if you just eat meat instead of soy, that's likely not any better for environment.
Not saying that the issues can't be solved, but pisciculture is not a free lunch from the sustainability point of view.
Isn't most of that only true for carnivorous or omnivorous fish? I knew there were problems with finding small fish to feed the bigger fish, but I was under the impression that herbivores and filter feeders could be raised sustainably. I.e. farming tuna would be extremely difficult and costly to the environment, but you can farm things like tilapia and catfish fairly sustainably.
They aren't fish that a lot of people are excited to eat, unfortunately.
https://reducing-suffering.org/how-much-direct-suffering-is-...
I would not call healthy animal life as suffering. Details matter. We all have seen peaceful cows and healthy fish. What counts, IMO, is fear, stress, pain, and the way animals are dying. That's not accounted in the article.
One may argue that the number of lives taken counts too. And then eating beef or whale meat will kill fewer animals than eating chicken or insects (of we don't count what whales eat). But in my opinion eating insects would cause less suffering.
Overall I think that eating smaller animals more frequently is more natural and oppotunistic. And eating cheaper meat will reduce overall carbon and water footprint.
It's unfortunate, with respect to emissions, cows are worse than chickens, but with respect to suffering on sentient creatures, chickens are worse than cows.
Great news! There's a solution: eating fewer of both.
I think the other proposition is that, for whatever reason, there's this push to market vegetarian foods as substitutes to lure in traditional meat eaters rather than putting effort toward convincing them that they're alternatives that taste just as good.
Like bean burgers. I absolutely love bean burgers because regular burgers just don't sit right with me half the time. But I don't treat them as a substitute--I treat them as an alternative that is delicious and unique in its own right AND to be enjoyed as such. I mean, let's be honest: There's so many different varieties of beans, and so many things you can do with them, that even speaking as a meat eater, it's almost impossible to get bored with how many different dishes you can make (with no meat)!
One example that comes to mind that's semi-vegetarian is a black bean enchilada recipe I make from time to time. Just beans. Only non-vegetarian item is the cheese (and sometimes the corn tortillas because of lard, if you get them fresh). Doesn't feel heavy, tastes amazing, and it's super filling. Have a side of refried beans (I like beans)[1], Spanish rice, a salad, and it's like a restaurant-style meal.
Err. Didn't mean to make this reply so long. Sorry. I guess I just love cooking, too.
And yes, it's not that much effort to at least cut out red meat from your diet. Way healthier too.
[1] The people around you probably won't like the side effects.
(BTW, tip: just a pinch of asafoetida a.k.a. hing, really improves a dish; the zing of hing :)
Also, I saw a video about nutrition by some scientist, who said that peoples (i.e. nations) who eat beans regularly, develop, over time, the ability (maybe via better gut flora) to digest them more easily, without gas being generated.
Of course, YMMV.
The Yoga Institute may be the oldest commercial yoga center in the world.
I may have to try the suggestion of different spices. I'm exceedingly fond of cumin and season my bean enchiladas accordingly, but I've never thought to try an experiment involving consumption of the same amount of beans with or without. This may warrant further investigation.
I appreciate the feedback. It gives me some things to try since, well, I just love all manner of seasonings. Thank you so much for that!
Well, of course! Physiological "hacks" like that which are largely something already known in other cultures and subsequently re-discovered in the West always fascinate me. It's a good reminder that there are a LOT of things we don't know (or think we do).
Plus, I enjoy the conversation even if the topic (flatulence) is somewhat less appealing (or amusing). I've always had some digestive issues with too much fiber and certain foods, but it never really bothered me all that much until the last few years. Onions, for whatever stupid reason, seem to bother me the worst. Which is a shame, because I love them.
But, I'm definitely going to try your suggestions. Plus I've been itching to try cumin in something new, AND you've given me a list of other things to add to my arsenal. Living in New Mexico, there's only so many things you can do with hot peppers before you start to look toward other cuisines (kidding; I love them as well!). :)
You also reminded me of something. When you mentioned a slow tolerance toward certain foods, I'd forgotten that a few years ago I went through this phase where I was eating steel cut oats every day. I tried it again recently and they absolutely bothered me to no end (err, phrasing), yet I don't remember that being an issue when it was a regular part of my diet. I know it's only anecdotal evidence, but I swear they didn't bother me before. Of course, this comes on the heels of discovering that an Instant Pot is absolutely beautiful for cooking them consistently.
Anyway, thank you so much for the advice--and the conversation. I'm sorry I hadn't replied for close to 2 weeks!
I appreciate you!
Surprised to hear that. Tough luck. I love onions (and peppers) too.
You're welcome, and no problem about the delay. Thank you!
But I don't know. Could it be a physiological thing? Maybe. I know that I have a bit of, err, sensitivity to certain foods that seem to transform me into a source of natural gas.
80/20 is a great way to look at it. It cuts out all of the food where you just get chicken or beef and it doesn’t actually add to the meal. Now I opt for vegan choices, but if I’m in a place that makes really great meat options, usually with high quality product, I’ll get one and really appreciate it. Makes meat an actual treat. Though the less meat I have the less I actually want it.
I'm okay with that. I don't eat veal or fish for the same reasons[1]. Veal is cruel. And fishing is horribly destructive. Where someone draws a line isn't as important as they do.
[1] Don't get me started though with Hippie Brahmans that won't eat chicken or beef but eat fish for 'heath reasons'
In the case you're vegan because you think it's unethical to kill for food, why should you get a break here? I can't think of other ethical issues where you wouldn't be looked down for going against your firmly held beliefs.
"Mostly plant-based diet" sounds like a better term if you're less concerned about the animal suffering aspect. Vegan would also include not wearing leather for example so it might be a case of you not using the right word.
I believe more in a overall balance. You can’t get everyone to be vegan, the earth simply can’t support that.
You're supporting and putting more money into the beef industry by buying leather though. You don't kill cows directly by buying milk either, but the milked cow will eventually be slaughtered for meat too and its male offspring used as veal.
> I believe more in a overall balance. You can’t get everyone to be vegan, the earth simply can’t support that.
Fair enough, but "vegan" isn't the term to use to describe your beliefs then.
Genuinely curious, why can't Earth support everyone eating vegan? I thought it took more land, water, soil, and resources in general to produce meat? Is it about transportation, or Arctic climates where fresh fruit and veg is not available?
I wouldn't try to shame someone with a drug addiction but I don't think this is anything similar. What would you say to someone who said they were going to give up plastic straws but gave in and still used them once a week for example? There's certain cases where strong disapproval is more valid and you can't blame lack of self control so much.
I'd argue giving people too much of a break doesn't help either.
I think a big part about why people can't give up meat is that they're surrounded by people telling them it's okay. There's people that know meat is bad for climate change and know killing animals is wrong but won't reduce their meat eating because they see people around them are complacent too.
I'd be interested to see some evidence that promoting the "baby steps" approach is the right one because it could easily be making it worse.
Especially for someone who is vegetarian to reduce carbon emissions, 90%, 95%, and 100% aren't that different, and hell even 50% is a tremendous reduction especially if it means that it's easier to convince 5 people to do 50% than 1 person to do 100%.
Occasional indulgence was never the problem for the environment, and people should know that's okay to occasionally indulge, it doesn't need to be black and white.
As someone who grew up vegetarian, things have changed drastically in the last 30 years. I grew up eating some truly niche meat-replacement products[1][2].
Things like 'Impossible Burgers' and 'Beyond Meat' have changed the experience significantly. There is still a long way to go, and it's not just about taste, but also nutrition. However it has made it much more appealing to use those alternatives, and reduce the use of meat.
My own vegetarian/vegan mix is also occasionally broken when people don't know that I'm vegetarian, and serve meat. I have long decided not to make a scene. One of my of ex-colleagues never found out I'm vegetarian, because of an incident where they invited everyone out to dinner and it turned out to be at a fancy sushi restaurant (share-plates, yay).
[1]: https://www.vegiedelights.com.au/products/nutmeat/ [2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Textured_vegetable_protein
pescatarian
I definitely struggle most with the cheeses. I've never really been a big milk drinker, and growing up (both parents are vegetarian) I disliked eggs, so almost never ate them if I could taste them.
I've tried a bunch of the vegan cheeses and they just don't scratch the itch. I live in hope though.
So I opened up google and typed "Latin meat" - the results did not translate to the latin for meat!
It's called "healthy"
The confusion can be corrected by using the right term: pescatarian, not vegetarian.
Vegetarian sums up a large chunk of their preferences, even if it isn't accurate.
When talking to others I urge them to see, like I do, a long continuum between eating 100% only meat and consuming 0% of animal products. I recommend people reflect on their values (causing pollution and animal suffering) and aim to decrease consumption of animal products to whatever level they are comfortable with. It can be a long process, and we all should be more supportive in helping people align their actions with their values.
Needless to say these kinds of conversations are better when the person is receptive and interested, not when you first meet them.
I suspect that they refer to themselves as vegetarians because it's simpler and encapsulates a large chunk of their preferences. It just causes confusion when they go to the waiter. "I'm vegetarian....Oh, I'll have the fish"
In any case I was simply trying to explain why I liked the 'part-time' thing.
On a side note, it’s really kimchi’s acidity that helps with cleaning palate much like Germans’ sauerkraut or Japanese’ pickled ginger (called “gari”) that you eat with sushi.
Update: this commenter has more info: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25093452
Excessive is relative. If you burn a lot of carbs working fields or in endurance sports you need the carbs.
Here's your plate of rice. Sans Butter and Cream. Go on, eat death then.
What?
Here in Poland, I know many people who like spicy food but none that are elderly or ill.
When you are at mercy of other people (like being taken care of -- when you have medical condition or are elderly), you eat what you are given and it usually is also consumed by other people and basically vetoed by any one of them.
Think about this: it is very likely you can associate driving expensive cars with good health and less chance of dying of all causes (well... except maybe car accident). Do expensive cars improve health? Or maybe most people need to work to be able to drive expensive car and this means they also do better in their life, have means to deal with medical issues and to have varied diet that people who do not work or have low paying jobs?
I think in most western world eating spicy food is a choice and if you can make that choice and don't have to contend with what other people give you you are already ahead.
Both are substantially lower impact than meat protein.
Pinto Beans: - Chili - Refried Beans - Cajun Style Baked Beans - Gumbo with pinto beans - Tortilla soup with chicken and pinto beans - Peas and rice (kidney beans are used, typically)
White Beans: - Vegetable soup with white beans - Spinach/Collards with white beans - White bean hummus
Chick peas: - Mushroom loaf w/ gravy using chickpea flour, oats, nuts, etc.
Tofu: - Goes in almost any Asian cuisine (Indian, Thai, Chinese, etc...) fry it for stir fry.
For cooking meatless, I recommend using mushrooms, yeast flakes and yeast extract for adding umami flavor.
- tasty even by itself; can even be eaten without cooking
- fairly good in protein although has less per gram than milk, I think because some is lost in the whey that is discarded; but if you make it yourself (see next point), you can drink the whey or use it in soup stock, or to cook any other dish like like a stew
- easy and fast to make it yourself from just milk and lemon juice
- goes well in many other Indian dishes such as mutter (peas) paneer, alu (potato) paneer, palak (spinach) paneer, mix veg paneer, paneer chilli, paneer bhurji, etc. Googling should find many recipes for all of these.
https://jugad2.blogspot.com/2017/03/m-unix-shell-utility-to-...
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mu_(negative)
Read both until end.
Mind your head.
You also get vegan protein supplements these days made with peas and various lentils, in case you need something extra.
So...do you know how much protein you get on a daily basis?
Also, I eat habaneros and jalapeños, and have a hot sauce collection. A family friend tried to slip me a Carolina Reaper as a "garnish" once, but I didn't fall for it, lol.
I really don't want to live too long because I'm predestined to get ARMD, prostate cancer, and probably colon cancer too. I'd rather carpe diem and die well.
Fair warning: I'm an almost always ovo-lacto-pesci-vegetarian for ecological and human species existential threats reasons for about 12 years. I'd like to remove ovo- and lacto-, but it's so dang difficult. Also, an adrenaline junkie.
I'd happily eat a plate of well cooked meat with just a sprinkle of salt. Beef, chicken, pork and lamb all have tons of umami and sweetness to me.
Do you find vegetables equally flavourless?
Thankfully there are plenty of options out there that show that vegetables aren't just that, and the internet makes that all the more accessible now too!
Source: https://www.umamiinfo.com/richfood/foodstuff/katsuobushi.htm...