http://www.care2.com/greenliving/the-part-time-vegetarian.html
The Part-Time Vegetarian
One meat-free day a week. That’s all they ask.
And by they, I mean the United Nations, who has issued a call for all citizens of the world to go vegetarian one day a week to curb global warming.
I would think that even the most meat-loving person could manage such a feat, and while I am no tofu revolutionary, someone like me who basically just eats chicken and fish (ooh! I wonder if there’s such a thing as a sushitarian?) and the very occasional hamburger definitely can.
Now I know what you’re thinking: Why not go whole hog, so to speak? Go completely vegetarian. Vegan even. You’re thinking such a small measure as refraining from eating meat just one day a week is a half-hearted attempt at best. What’s the point?
But the average American consumes around 250 pounds of meat annually. Going veggie just once a week will reduce that by 35 pounds of meat. That is not insubstantial. Multiply that by the more than 300 million people living in the United States, and well, you get the idea.
According to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, meat production accounts for nearly one-fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions. Most of this can be attributed to animal feeds, and when you consider that it takes 7 pounds of grain to produce just 1 pound of beef it makes perfect sense. There’s also the issue of the methane emitted by cows, 23 times more effective as a global warming agent than carbon dioxide.
For the sake of global warming, I agree that it would be ideal for everyone to stop eating meat altogether. But it’s not always realistic, even for someone as well-meaning as I am, and definitely not for the average American who isn’t totally convinced that global warming is really that big a deal.
So that’s why I think the one meatless day a week idea has legs. I mean, I don’t eat meat for breakfast so that’s no problem. A totally awesome salad for lunch is good for me and the planet, and dinner choices abound–even if you don’t like tofu (which I actually do). Here is a collection of vegan recipes that I think will surprise you in their diversity and some tempting tofu recipes that go beyond the boring.
The great thing about the one-meatless-day-a-week thing is that it forces you to think outside the barn for meal ideas, and I think most people would be pleasantly surprised to find that they don’t even miss the meat. And hey, if one day turns into two and that turns into three–well then, the planet thanks you.
So I am going to do what I can to help this idea catch fire and I urge you to do so too. Start with your family and friends and see how many people you get to join you in going vegetarian one day a week. And if you already are a vegetarian, may I suggest a kinder and gentler approach? A challenge to just try not eating meat once a week might go over a lot better than, for example, a tirade about how carnivores must reform immediately. Just saying.
I do think eventually I will give up my wicked meat-eating ways. But for now, just call me a part-time vegetarian, full-time lover of the planet Earth.
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96 comments
add your comment »I prefer to be a full time vegetarian rather then a part time vegetarian. Being a part time vegetarian you can't cut yourself from non- veg meals. Thanks.
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why is this inappropriate?
"How many people have given up ALL use of fossil fuels, plastic and electricity?"
No one reading this article, as electricity is required to run a computer and the internet access to read the webpage. But of course, every little effort helps.
I'm not a part-time vegetarian (and will never again be vegan), but most of my meals are free of meat (including eggs & fish). It's primarily taste and convenience--meat is nearly impossible to heat well with a microwave at the office (overcooked and dry or rubbery--why bother?), and fish stinks up the place and is likely to explode in the microwave. Breakfast and snacks are fruit, miso, tea, nuts, and seeds, sometimes oatmeal. Milk with blackstrap molasses when I'm feeling weak (molasses is high in iron).
It's not that hard to eat well, vegetarian or not.
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While I wouldn´t call it part-time vegetarianism, rather just simply cutting back on eating meat, it´s still a step in the right direction, however small.
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Someone compared being a part-time vegetarian to being a little bit pregnant. I don't see it that way at all. (If it were a religious issue, as in hinduism, maybe it would be.) But this is a "big-picture" issue. If it helps, it's good. If you can walk to work every day, good for you. If you walk to work some days, you're a part-time walker. If you can't walk, drive a smaller car. How many people have given up ALL use of fossil fuels, plastic and electricity? I say kudos to anyone who tries to do the right thing, in any amount.
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I think it all is about intent. If you have the intention of eating less meat for whatever reason, then you are definitely on the right track.
I became vegan gradually, first giving up pork, chicken and beef (eating only fish and moose -- I live in Sweden) and then cut out all animals from my diet. After 3 years my kids and I made the step to cutting out dairy and egg and have now been vegans for over 5 years. Everyone does what they can when they can and every little step away from consuming animals is a positive one.
Awareness comes first and then the intent to change. Everything else is a downhill slide!
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My son and I are going vegan 4 days a week and barely notice a difference. :)
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Thomas W., I don't think you have to quit "all at once"..."cold turkey" (sorry)...
It seems to me that cutting back gradually and allowing your body to make changes slowly would work for many. That is how my Dad quit smoking after a 50 years addiction...first, no smoking before breakfast, then no smoking before lunch, and he ended up just smoking one after dinner before quitting altogether.
I agree that you can't be a part time vegetarian really, but the idea here is to get people to cut back on meat. Don't make people feel guilty when are trying to make some positive changes. If everyone was a "vegetarian" for one day a week, that would be good. And calling yourself a "part time vegetarian" is liable to make a more lasting change than calling yourself a "part time carnivore". The semantics are important to our sub-conscience.
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I recently discovered the label "Part Time Vegetarian" and find it useful and empowering as a sort of half step to a healthier diet. Eating healthier is a process that is easy to start and with just a little effort can be very rewarding.
read more here:
http://partimevegetarian.blogspot.com/2009_07_01_archive.html
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Part-time vegetarian, not wishing to sound holier than thou, it's either vegetarian or it isn't. If you really think about it, a part-time vegetarian is a bit like a part-time racist, an animal just being a little bit dead, or a teenager being just a little bit pregnant!
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I think it's commendable to cut back on meat consumption. I still highly recommend a vegetarian diet, but even cutting back will help your body and the planet at the same time. I didn't become a vegetarian instantly. It was a gradual process and a painless one b/c my body got adjusted slowly. I've been vegetarian for over 20 years. I haven't missed meat at all.
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