What's the difference between vegan, vegetarian, and pescetarian?
Some people who want to be vegan take it step by step. The first step is pescetarian, which is a red meat-free diet. Pescetarians are still able to eat chicken and fish, but avoid steaks and burgers. The next step is vegetarian. This diet is plant based, but includes some animal bi-product. Veggies avoid meat, but can still have dairy and eggs. Then comes vegan, a strict, plant based diet. No milk, no meat, and you have to be careful of all the animal bi-product that get's randomly inserted for flavoring packaged food.
Why on Earth would I want to do that?
Studies have shown that vegetarians live seven years longer than meat-eaters. Vegans live double that. How could this be? Studies have also shown that ditching meat prevents cancer, heart disease, and stroke. It turns out that meat isn't all that good for the body. Besides protein, meat doesn't do much except damage the body. You can get more protein in tofu and soy products than meat. For example, almond milk has more protein than cows milk. What it doesn't have is puss, blood, and fat, which you can't taste in milk but it most certainly is there. ew. Basically, if you want to live a long, healthy life, then skip the beef and gnaw on a carrot!
But bacon...
Is the only reason why you're not meat-free because, um, hello, you have taste-buds? No one blames you. In fact, that's only another reason to try vegan food. You can get food that tastes exactly like meat, only healthier. You can find these options everywhere. Take your grocery store for example. If you search the frozen vegetable isle, you can find a section that's meat-free and amazing. From Chik'n nuggets to riblets to, of course, bacon, you can find Morning Star Farms products in any grocery store. Morning Star can be microwaved or cooked in the oven and looks and tastes so real you'd be in shock. Morning Star, Gardein, and Tofurkey are brands that I recommend trying. All can be found in the deli or frozen section.
So, Chelsea, why did you decide to go vegetarian?
In the summer of eighth grade, I watched a video about slaughterhouses. Enough said. I don't recommend you looking it up because it is not a pretty sight. However, you do deserve to know what is happening when the happy cow in the pretty green pasture finds herself in a small, stressful cell with workers who don't care to treat her so nicely. If you are interested in a movie that isn't graphic but shows what is happening to the current food industry, then rent Food Inc. You'd be surprised in what you find. PETA's If Slaughterhouses had Glass Walls isn't for the weak stomached but that is a short film that shows the graphic side of some factories. Here is a video from the Humane Society that can be very helpful (nothing graphic here!)
What a quick and great start. I am impressed!! Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeletethanks Momo x :)
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