4

Comments

Now that we’re all encouraged to care about the environment, most of us try to fulfill our eco-obligations. I mean, you recycle, right? Take a canvas bag to the market when you remember? Boo and hiss whenever you spot someone driving a Hummer? Well, stop right there: unless you want to be a big fat hypocrite, that is.

If you eat meat, you’re causing a lot more damage to the environment than any gas-guzzling vehicle.

In the US, one acre of forest is destroyed every five seconds in order to create space for cattle to graze. Plus it takes 16 pounds of grain and 2,500 gallons of water to produce just one pound of meat.

One of the best things you can do to reverse this environmental devastation is to become a vegetarian. But if that’s too much of a challenge, why not start by having a couple of meat free days every week? I’m not a vegetarian myself but last year I stayed in a veggie household for three months and discovered it’s not as hard to cut down on meat as you might think. I’ll leave any actual recipes to people who can cook much better than me but here are my tips for adapting your diet to help the animals – and the environment:

Veg it up

The “veg” in vegetarian is there for a reason! Add extra vegetables to simple pizza or pasta dinners and you’ll hardly notice you’re not eating meat. And don’t just stick to tomatoes and sweet corn, get creative: use peppers, squash, zucchini or whatever floats your boat.

Hamburger Helper

A lot of meals that would normally include ground beef can be made equally delicious with a meat substitute instead. Tacos, lasagna, chilli, even meatloaf: instead of hamburger, try TVP (textured vegetable protein), soy mince, or Quorn. Add a few extra spices for interest and throw in some tinned chickpeas or kidney beans for texture and you won’t care that your meal didn’t descend from a dead cow.

Feel your pulse(s)

Yes, lentils have been accused of being stodgy and none too tasty, but it’s really all in the preparation: cooked well, they can be delicious. In fact, one of the best meals of my life was a simple puy lentil side dish. There are also red lentils, yellow split peas, chickpeas, butter beans… enough for the fussiest eater to find something to enjoy. And if you’re worried about the legendary gassy qualities of pulses, cook with a strip of Kombu seaweed to lessen that effect.

Quick Fixes

There are a lot of vegetarian burgers, hot dogs and other fast food products on the market. You might have to try a few to find the one that most appeals to you and they are not usually healthy enough to become a part of your daily diet (check that sodium content), but they are still healthier than meat.

Spice It Up

I mentioned this before, but it’s worth reiterating: herbs and spices really make a huge difference to your enjoyment of meat-free meals as many veggie alternatives are a little bland. Add paprika, turmeric, basil, oregano and fresh chillis to your shopping cart for starters.

By following these tips and making the transition slowly, it really isn’t that hard to make eating less meat a bigger part of your life. And as a bonus, you can feel totally justified in booing at the occasional Hummer.

[Photo by ||!prliignore2||]