A close (but omnivorous) friend once claimed that vegetarianism is functionally a pyramid scheme:  once you have committed yourself to such a diet, your moral convictions compel you to convince those in proximity to eschew their meat-centric fare.
Unfortunately, such evangelism is generally poorly received.  Of course, the health benefits of a well-balanced vegetarian diet have been much lauded in the past few decades, but plenty of people still express concern about incurring vitamin and nutrient deficiencies when following a plant-based regime.  Perhaps the associations between vegetarianism and animal-rights activism are also a bit unsavory for those who are wary of what can seem to be fundamentalist arguments.
Such concerns seem entirely valid for anyone who is accustomed to meals that focus on animal protein; it is entirely understandable why you would not want to forfeit your Thanksgiving turkey or burger at a summertime barbeque.
However, (here it would seem that my friend is right about the pyramid scheme bit, at least in part) given the environmental impact that livestock production generates, it might be prudent to reduce your overall consumption of animal products.  (Livestock production is the greatest contributor to nitrate pollution in groundwater, has created thousands of square miles of “dead zones” in the Gulf of Mexico and its contributaries, and is a major contributor to global warming).  Consider reserving one night a week (at least!) to preparing a meat-free meal.  Even this minimal effort is a step in the right direction.  Besides, vegetarian cooking is economic and delicious in its own right, so when you do buy meat, you can afford local, free-range cuts.
If you are unsure of what to make for dinner without meat, try pasta with garbanzo beans, veggies, and feta cheese, or a stir-fry with peanuts served over rice.  Also, In The Kitchen is hosting two of classes with Patti Bess called “Meatless Mondays” designed to add vegetarian options to your dinner menu repertoire.

More information about the environmental impact of livestock farming can be found at http://www.sierraclub.org/factoryfarms/faq.asp and http://www.nrdc.org/water/pollution/ffarms.asp

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Uncategorized by Wendy Van Wagner