Veganism's Ethical Alternative

My best friend has been vegetarian her whole life- she's never had meat, of any kind. As a little kid, I thought that was really cool. So my second grade self decided to have a go at the veggie thing. I think I lasted about two weeks before I caved, asking my mom for salmon, steak, lobster, and chicken for dinner. The thing about vegetarianism is that it's really difficult, especially if you don't have a clear understanding of why one wouldn't want to eat meat.

A couple of years ago, though, I tried again. I thought about the implications of my meat consumption, environmentally and ethically- Where was the meat I was eating coming from? How was the animal raised and how was it killed? How did effect the ecosystems from which it came- did the way it was farmed disrupt the environment? Was it wild-caught or farmed? How much corn was farmed in order to feed the animal? This time, I lasted six months, but it wasn't lack of commitment that stopped my meatless streak, it was athletics. I know there are a lot of pro athletes out there who do just fine on a veggie diet. And I tried. I read books, went to a sports nutritionist, ate cottage cheese and broccoli and spinach and almonds up the ying-yang, but my body still craved meat, and my times (i'm a runner) weren't where they should have been. 

I wasn't ready to give up completely though- I'd decided I didn't want to eat meat for a lot of reasons. So I made a compromise. I eat meat, but only if its "happy meat" (as my family calls it). Before I consume any kind of meat product, I look into where it comes from. It needs to be free range, local sources with humane slaughter methods. The locality and the grass-fed (for beef), grain-fed (for fowl), or wild caught (for any seafood) element addresses some of the ecological concerns associated with the meat industry, while the free-range and slaughter method standards ensure a higher quality of life. Once I started eating meat again, I started running faster. I wasn't putting any more effort into my races, but my times dropped, more significantly than my training should have caused them to. I've found that this system works well for me- I get the nutrition I need, without compromising the things I believe in. 

I've been eating only local, ethical meat for two years now. I've always considered extending my standards to all animal products- many of the same issues are present in the dairy industry as in the meat industry- and so for this project, that's what I want to do. I'm going to cut out animal products from my diet, until I can figure out if the food i'm eating is coming from local, ethical sources. As the class goes on, I will use my blog to outline where the different meats and animal products that Bon Appetiet serves are coming from, making it a resource for others in addition to a record of my own choices. I think blog number two's going to have to be about eggs- with any luck, Mike's omelets will make the okay-to-eat list. 

-Betsie