Back in December, I wrote what I consider to be a pretty good entry on vegetarianism: http://rliamo144.blogspot.com/2008/05/vegetarians-vegans-and-carnivores.html. In it, I wrote that this is hardly the most important issue. I should revise this statement a little bit: it is an incredibly important issue. What can be more important than what we put into our body. Food has a tremendous impact in our lives, so I think we should think quite a lot about it. In this entry, I'm going to write some new ideas about the issue of meat eating. Although this article will provide different insights, my argument will be the same: I believe the ideal diet pattern is one which involves a moderate consumption of healthy meats.
Part I: Reasons not to eat meat
1) Eating meat is immoral?
Many people believe that eating the flesh of dead animals is immoral. I don't believe this, and this issue does not really play a role in my analysis. I think there is nothing wrong with eating the flesh of another dead organism- humans have been doing it for thousands of years, and almost all animals do it. I don't believe animals have "souls" despite our constant efforts to personify some of them.
2) Animals are currently bred inhumanely?
I won't suggest that I'm a fan of current practices of meat production, but it isn't so much because I sympathise with the "plight" of the animals. I'm sorry to say that I really don't. I'm much more concerned about the millions of humans that still live in deep hunger, abject poverty, and a state of bondage. What bothers me is the impact on the quality of meat. I believe that man was intended to eat meat- but meat of animals that walked around, and ate normal food. Chickens, cows, and pigs that remain stationary throughout their entire short-lived lives will not yield the same quality meat. More importantly, we are eating whatever they ate. Specifically, we consumer exactly 10% of the energy that they initially consumed. Cows normally eat grass. Can anyone see a nutritional difference between eating a grass-fed cow and a cow fed feces, or whatever they end up eating in these slaughterhouses? Meat today is not natural, nor is it extraordinarily healthy.
3) Eating meat is environmentally and oecologically unsustainable.
I'm not going to write more about this, as I already covered it quite a bit in my last entry.
4) Popular conceptions of daily protein requirements may be greatly skewed.
Do a google search for how much protein we are supposed to be eating per day. Answers range from 1-2 g/ kg body weight, to 2-3 if youre a body builder. More official sites, such as the World Health Organisation, and most governmental health departments, have recommendations closer to 0.8 g / kg.
Let me put this in perspective. Let's consider an average adult man, who weighs 70 k, which is roughly 160 lbs. Going by the bodybuilder recommendation, he should eat over 160 g of protein, being conservative (that's 1 g / lb, or 2.2 g / kg). Mainstream guides would say about 100 g, while the WHO is closer to just 60 g.
What should we believe? Well, if you want to be a body builder, then you should surely eat more protein- the 1g / lb rule might not be inaccurate. However, is bodybuilding particularly healthy or natural? In most instances, I believe it isn't (however much we may admire people who have built up their bodies). Not only is it unnatural, but its horribly unsustainable. Think about how much food it takes to get 160 g of protein PER DAY. Furthermore, it is suggested that too much protein can harm our health.
Considering that lower estimates come from more reputable sources, and that vegetarians rarely suffer from a lack of protein, I'd be inclied to believe that our requirements are closer to 0.8 g / kg of body weight. 60 g of protein per day is more more reasonable than you might think.
5) There are some good non-meat sources of protein.
Most meats contain between 25-30% protein. It is also a "complete" protein. You can't really debate that meat is the best source of protein.
But it's not the only source. Eggs are believed to have the highest quality protein, and each egg is usually 6-7 g of protein. That means 2 eggs in a day is already 13 g of protein. A warning- a lot of people believe that the egg white is the only healthy part of the egg- this couldn't be farther from the truth. Not only does the yolk contain half of the egg's protein content, but also ALL of its bountiful vitamins and minerals- so if you toss the yolk, you are making a BIG mistake, unless you suffer from high cholesterol.
Nuts (eg, cashews, etc) and peanuts are also typically about 25% protein. Surprised? This means that peanuts actually have the same amount of protein per weight as meat. The catch? Nuts are typically about 50% fats (although they are "healthy fats"). So while 100 g of nuts may provide 25 g of protein, it also provides 50g of fats, which is an awful lot.
Beans and lentils are another great source of protein, and other nutrients. Most beans are near 20% protein, and lentils are closer to 25%, which, again, rivals that of meat. They often have more iron than beef. The catch? For people watching their weight, all beans are high in carbs (but super low in fats!). The bigger concern for me is that it's very challenging (but not impossible) to make them taste good.
Most grains are 10-15% protein. Whole wheat _______ is always better than white _________. So, while it is lower than meat, and is an "incomplete protein", grains do provide something towards your protein requirement.
Dairy is also a great source of protein. Cheese is usually around 30% protein, although also 30% fat.
6) Meat is expensive!
One factor that I think is overlooked is the cost of meat. Meat is a luxury, and a student living on a strict budget has to consider this. Simple math reveals how impractical it can be to eat meat. Chicken breast often goes for $16/kg in my grocery store. Beef and pork are typically cheaper- maybe $10/kg, but they are much less healthy than chicken. Beans and lentils typically go for maybe $3/kg, and have the same content of protein. Peanuts are even cheaper and also have the same protein content. If we assume that most grains have half the protein of meats, they still usually cost less than half of the price of meat- certainly compared to chicken. The point in all this: nutritionally, we buy meat for its protein value, which we can get for cheaper in non-meat sources.
Part II: Reasons we shouldn't all rush to become vegetarian
1) Not all proteins are created equal
Earlier, I talked about a lot of different alternative sources of protein. But, with everyone there was some sort of disadvantage. None of them, except for eggs and dairy, are "complete proteins". OF course, meats are no longer the perfect protein source, with all the unhealhty toxins you consume along with the protein.
2) Not just protein- meat has other important nutrients.
Although mostly every essential nutrient can be found in some plant product, or at the very least dairy/eggs. I believe there is one B vitamin which is ONLY found in animal products, and vegans need to take suppliments in other to get it.
3) Eating meat is part of a more flexible lifestyle.
Let me clarify. Vegetarians eat vegetables. Meat-eaters eat vegetables AND meat. In theory, there is nothing that a vegetarian eats that a meat-eater would not eat. This is important in travelling, or when being entertained by someone. A meat eater never has to be worried about awkwardness due to not being able to eat a meal prepared for him. A meat eater doesn't have to make special accomodations in other countries with different dietary patterns. Perhaps most importantly, the meat eater is able to maximise the expereince of gastronomy. There are so many dishes and combinations of different foods that are just delicious. MAny a nation has its own sophisticated culinary tradition, and there are many different meals that are worth trying. The vegetarian is only able to try a fraction of this, whlie the meat eater can try them all. In this sense, the vegetarian is missing out in a huge part of life- experiencing the overwheming variety of food.
4) Meat tastes good.
When all else fails, the simple fact is: meat tastes good. Obviously, not everyone believes this, but enough people do. Meat requires so much less effort than other foods. You can roast a chicken in an oven with nothing more than salt, pepper, and maybe a little butter or olive oil, and it will be very tasty. Can you do the same with lentils? As much as I actually have come to like lentils, you need to work on them for them to be palatable. So while it's important to be responsible for what we put into our bodies, our lives our finite, and food is such a big part of it. We should make every meal pleasurable, and we shouldn'T sacrifice taste- at least not all the time.
Part III: a compromise
In almost all aspects of my life, I like to keep all doors open for as long as possible. It is for this reason that, despite many compelling arguments for a vegetarian lifestyle, that I will probably never give up meat. However, meat-consumption should be responsible. The average American eats closer to 400 g per day, and many other industrialsed nations are close to that. I think our daily intake should be closer to 100-150 g per day (or like 180/ day, 6 days out of 7). This is also confirmed by any official health organisation.
You might ask: does this provide enough protein. Let's go back to our example of the 70 kg man. Assume he eats 150 g of meat per day. At about 25% protein, thats near 40 g of protein in meat. Add in 1 egg (@ 6 g protein), 150 g bread (about 18 g protein), 2 servings dairy (about 16 g protein), and he's already well over his recommendation- and that's NOT a lot of food!
So, my recommendation is not to eat meat, it is to eat less. Your taste buds will still be happy, but your wallet, body, and planet will be even happier!
No comments:
Post a Comment