FROM THE OTHER SIDE: Veggie delights change social views

“This burger is so juicy and mouth-watering! How’s that salad?”

That is how my pursuit of a vegetarian lifestyle began — taunting by my friends, most of whom are religious meat eaters.

I was prepared to face the criticism with quick comebacks and fast subject changes. Considering my own criticisms of the lifestyle as little as two weeks ago, I anticipated my friends to give me hell – and they did.

And I would not want it any other way. It provided the ammunition I needed to jump the fence between flora and fauna.

I began my journey with a salad. I thought salads were all vegetarians could eat. I thought their toughest decision at the dinner table was which dressing to use.

Thanks to my readers and vegetarian friends, I was put in my place really fast.

“Do you know the epicurean delights you’re missing by having a one-track mind?”

That undemanding question presented by a close vegetarian ally of mine opened my door to the vast menu of vegetarian delicacies.

Who knew there were meat substitutes that tasted just like pork? Or vegan donuts that taste more divine than ordinary deep-fried dough? Who ever thought a spicy Thai pizza with carrots and cucumber would be a satisfying tastebud pleaser?

Not me — until now.

I was shocked by how many choices I had at every meal. My cravings switched from meat lover’s pizzas to Buddha’s brand feasts of ingredients from the garden. After my first four days, I felt as though my body was replenished, that it was cleansed and my habits redefined… until I got sick.

Over the Labor Day weekend, I had plans to visit family in Los Angeles, but that was derailed by a sudden fever and stomach pains. I don’t know if this was directly related to my abrupt change in eating habits, but I feel as though my body was reacting to the fresh food it’s now being fed.

Once I was back on my feet, I was ready to continue my exploration of organic fruits and vegetables, quinoa and hummus. My dinner plate was imperceptible among the mountains of fresh tropical fruits or grilled tofu with Chinese sauce. Mozzarella and tomatoes took the place of steak and potatoes.

By the middle of my second week, I found myself excited for each meal. I had never realized the scope of vegetarian cuisine. I urged my friends and co-workers to try grilled eggplant over grilled chicken. I begged my family to fry fresh portabella mushrooms instead of ground beef. I began to realize how great vegetarians really have it.

Finally, I had the answer I was looking for. Why do people choose to eat only vegetables?

Apart from the fact that it is a conscious lifestyle choice to respect animals’ rights while maintaining an understanding that they are living organisms and should have an equal chance of survival as mankind does, the vegetarian menu is as eclectic and diverse as the culture itself.

Vegetarians are not depriving themselves of variety or eating tasteless food. The past two weeks have allowed me to taste flavors I never imagined. The zests of mixing and matching earth-grown fare change by adding just one ingredient. Whereas chicken tastes like chicken – no matter what seasoning it’s cooked in – vegetables are like chameleons that adapt with every oil or spice they’re paired with.

Also, vegetarians have amazing self-control. Although many are disgusted by the mere thought of cooked cow or pig, they also have to read every ingredient label to make sure there isn’t an added surprise. When I went to order biscuits and gravy for breakfast the other day, my friend reminded me, “The gravy is a chicken base and probably has sausage.” A small detail I surely would have overlooked.

And yet, to be a vegan or vegetarian, one doesn’t need to go out and by new vegan shampoo or non-leather belts. It’s about adapting to the lifestyle, searching for purity within oneself and trying to reduce suffering.

In a world full of turmoil and bickering, a world where media has gone from reporting what happened today to who came out alive, we all need to take a step toward bringing peace back. Not eating meat is one choice to do so.

I don’t know if I will remain vegetarian, but I also don’t know if meat will ever have as strong a hold on me as it once did.

What I do know is that my opinions on vegan and vegetarian lifestyles have drastically changed and I will gladly have a salad over a burger any day.

From the Other Side is a column about understanding different ways of living. It documents the first-hand accounts of Shane Collins as he adapts to new lifestyles in order to better appreciate different perspectives.

Letters

To the Editor,

In response to your opinion piece “More Than ‘Meats’ the Eye” (August 31, 2009), I would like to commend Mr. Collins for giving vegetarianism a try, and I’m confident that he’ll be pleased with the results. Vegetarian foods are more popular than ever — particularly among college students.

A trip to any local grocery store (even Wal-Mart) will reveal delicious dishes—such as Gardenburger vegetarian barbecue “riblets” and Boca veggie “chicken” sandwiches—that would fool even the most ardent meat-eater. They have all the protein and nutrients that a body needs, without the saturated fat or cholesterol of meat-based dishes—and that means they are a great way to keep off that pesky “freshman 15.”

And as if that weren’t reason enough to leave meat off your plate, animals on factory farms often have growth-promoting drugs pumped into their bodies. This forces them to grow unnaturally large so quickly that their legs often cannot support the weight of their massive upper bodies. This kind of manipulation for the purpose of profit is standard in an industry that refuses to make even the most basic changes to reduce animals’ suffering. It’s bad for our health, bad for the environment, and certainly bad for animals.

Thankfully, it’s getting easier and easier to cut this cruel industry out of our lives. With so many delicious and cruelty-free meals—such as black-bean burgers and vegan pizza—available (especially in Vegas), there’s never been a better time to give meat the boot. For more information, visit peta2.com to request a free copy of PETA’s “Vegetarian Starter Kit” as well as stickers and a DVD.

RYAN huling,
college campaign coordinator

NOTE: Letters to the editor run unedited.

FROM THE OTHER SIDE:
More than ‘meats’ the eye

“How would you like your cow cooked?” That’s where it all started.

My friend’s birthday at a local steakhouse made me think beyond the pricey menu and into my own eating habits. Here I was at a restaurant devoted to serving carnivores and I suddenly wanted a salad… hold the meat.

Just hearing the waiter name my food by the animal it came from smacked me with perspective. My entire life I have been a vulture for slaughtered cows, pigs, lambs and chickens. I have never set down my fork and steak knife long enough to consider an alternative to my eating habits.

I always thought vegetarians and vegans were interesting, if not for the fact that they passed up juicy cheeseburgers, then because they seemed to remind everyone at every meal that they didn’t eat meat.

In retrospect, I always thought it was funny when I heard some vegetarians and vegans criticize omnivores for eating living things when I always thought, isn’t the Earth’s flora living, too? Vegetables and plants have the same life cycle as animals and humans — a seed is planted, they grow, they mature and they die. What’s the difference?

Then I came to think that vegetarianism was just a trend that would fade away, like boy bands or bell bottoms. Organizations like PETA use celebrities to promote their message and that can be very influential to some. This can make vegetarianism seem trendy or cool, rather than a lifestyle choice.

The other day I was talking to a friend who is a strict vegan about how someone goes about taking on a vegan lifestyle. My friend doesn’t eat anything that didn’t grow from the earth. You won’t see her wearing leather and she even washes her hair with vegan shampoo.

It amazes me that there is an entire subculture of students who live vegan, but what amazes me even more is how they can pass an In’N’Out without their mouths watering. Ice cream? Forget about it.

Why? That is exactly what I am going to find out.

I vow not to eat meat for the next two weeks.

For the next two weeks I will cook carrots and slice tomatoes instead of roasting cow and frying chicken. I am going to cut eggs, milk and yogurt out of my diet. I won’t enjoy my weekly sushi fix for the next two weeks. Goodbye, delectable chicken quesadilla from Chipotle. I’ll have the rice and beans instead of chicken wings.

After talking to my friend, I realize that I may not be able to go completely vegan. I have a wide selection of leather belts I need for work and a giant bottle of regular shampoo.

Also, I never realized how extensive, and expensive, it would be to go completely vegan, and I don’t get paid for two weeks so I won’t be able to buy non-leather belts and I would hate to throw my giant bottle of shampoo in the trash.

I don’t expect to be a perfect vegetarian at first, but for the sake of the experiment, I plan on keeping a detailed record of what I eat. I will have a true vegan grade how well I conformed to the lifestyle after two weeks.

When all is said and done, I hope to gain insight into why someone would willingly choose to cut meat out of his or her diet. I want a better understanding of how strong my urges to eat meat are and find out what my relationship with food is.

Most importantly, I hope to appreciate the reasons behind someone choosing this lifestyle.

So the question now is: Would I like my plant rare or well-done?

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