Living Without Meat

Self Magazine recently put together three nutritious, meat-free (or almost) day-long meal plans. The vegan one is shown here; they also created a lacto-ovo vegetarian one and a flexitarian one.

Breakfast

• 1 cup oatmeal with 1/2 cup blueberries and 1/2 cup fortified soymilk



• 1 slice whole-grain toast with 1 tbsp peanut butter

Snack

• 4 cinnamon graham cracker squares
• 1 cup fortified chocolate soymilk

Lunch

• Hummus sandwich with 1/4 cup hummus and sliced tomato on 2 slices whole-grain bread
• 1 cup crudités dipped in 1/4 cup salsa
• 1 cup calcium-fortified orange juice

Snack

• 1/4 cup almonds
• Banana (or other whole fresh fruit)

Dinner

• 1 cup pasta (whole-grain if you like, but it’s not necessary) with 1/2 cup marinara sauce
• 2 cups kale steamed, then sautéed in 1 tsp olive oil

Dessert

• 1/2 cup lemon Italian ice with 1/2 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

Total day’s calories: 1,963
52.6 g fat (11.7 g saturated), 306 g carbs, 37 g fiber, 77 g protein

Thanks to Eccentric Vegan for sharing this on Vegan Soapbox, along with some other great, similar links.

Singer Neko Case loves animal, thinks zoos are stupid, and hates PETA. In a recent interview with Spinner, fiery redhead Case shared her feelings:

“Those stories are so depressing,” she told Spinner. “And the animal is always the one who gets murdered at the end. I don’t know why people act so shocked. You got in the cage with the tiger, you were harassing it and then it f*ing killed you. It’s a f*ing tiger. What the f* were you thinking?”

“Then they shoot the tiger. That’s hardly fair. It’s a large predator. Or killer whales in zoos — those things are supposed to swim 200 miles a day. It’s like having a teenager and saying, ‘OK, I’m gonna feed and clothe you, but you have to live in this refrigerator.’ People say [zoos] are for the children, but why would you want your children to see sad, crazy animals?”

And she also talked about the Michael Vick dog-fighting case:

“Best Friends took the Michael Vick dogs,” Case points out. “That’s a big deal because a lot of supposed animal welfare organizations like PETA — who can blow me — said you should euthanize the dogs immediately. But it’s not the dogs’ fault that they were fighting dogs — they’ve been abused. Pit bulls are muscular and big, but they’re not man-eaters.”

So she has a foul mouth, and I have never heard of her or said publication; however, Case was so excited to learn about Best Friends that she talked to her label and worked it out so that anytime someone posts a link to her song, People Gotta Alot Of Nerve, they will donate $5 to the Best Friends Animal Society, now through February 3.

Three weeks ago on Bravo’s Top Chef, contestant Carla initially wanted to make a vegetarian dish when she was presented with the challenge to make anything that represents her style. But, afraid that the judges would scoff at her for not using meat, she went another direction. When she was nearly eliminated because the judges hated the dish anyway, she made a promise to viewers that she would make a vegetarian meal before the show was over.

Two episodes go by with no meat-free recipe. But this week, episode 10, Carla came through … sort of.

In the quick fire challenge, cheftestants had to create a dish using oats and a specific food category assigned to them. Carla got “nuts and grains” and made a phenomenal looking and sounding vegan “Pecan and Oat Crusted Tofu with Oat and Lentil Salad” that got her rave reviews. (Picture of this dish is shown here; click it for the recipe.) This is worlds better than what they did with tofu last season!

But in the main part of the show, Carla won the Super Bowl challenge by boiling live crawfish, after plenty of the other contestants harassed, poked, and teased them.

I am not sure why I continue to watch this show, but I am definitely hooked. I suppose I am a true foodie at heart, which, despite popular belief, vegans can be. I hope that in the future of Top Chef we see more meatless options, and I truly hope that this is the last time contestants act so inhumane.

Yesterday, I reviewed two animal rights-themed, feature-length, animated films: Barnyard and Home on the Range. Today, I have two more for you.

3. Open Season, as the name may suggest to you, takes an animal’s point-of-view look at hunting. However, it also incorporates the circus. Celebrity voices include Martin Lawrence, Ashton Kutcher, Debra Messing, Gary Sinise, and Jon Favreau.

The movie begins with Boog, a captive grizzly bear that lives with and performs shows for Park Ranger Beth. Boog is happy with his existence, but circumstances soon force Beth to release him into the forest. While getting used to the wild, Boog inspires his new friends to fight back against the crazed hunters that are after them. Out of these four movies, this one sticks out most in my mind. The characters were ridiculous and silly, but very likable.

4. Chicken Run is a creation of the same team that put together Wallace and Gromit. The big name behind the voices is Mel Gibson, who spoke for the head rooster, Rocky Rhodes.

Rocky, who recently escaped from the circus, lands in a hen-filled chicken coop and initially woos them all. But when the farm owners, the Tweedys, attempt to step up their output by slaughtering any hen that fails to meet egg-laying quota, Rocky’s lies and exaggerations are exposed. All the chickens go into double time, strategizing, plotting, and planning how to safely escape. This films remains the most successful - according to profit, reviews, and more - out of all four of the ones mentioned.

Recently, I’ve utilized Netflix to preview several animal-rights or -welfare related animated feature films: Chicken Run, Home on the Range (2003), Open Season (2006), and Barnyard (2006). Here’s my thoughts on two of them, and the other two will be featured tomorrow.

1. Home on the Range is a Disney film that featured voicework by actors such as Roseanne Barr, Judi Dench, and Cuba Gooding, Jr. The movie starts out with a harsh reality: Pearl Gesner is losing her small, idyllic farm called “Patch of Heaven” due to economic hardship and foreclosure. But three cows won’t stand for it. The comical bovine trio of Maggie, Grace, and Mrs. Calloway sent out to save their farm.

The highs of this flick were definitely the naive characters’ accidental one liner, such as when the animals learn about meat and one sweet hen thinks she’s in luck because “who would want to eat a chicken?” The film is not, however, a good one for younger kids. There is more adult humor than I thought necessary; word is the movie got its PG rating for a joke comparing udders to boobs. Overall, this short (76 mins.), action-packed cartoon does a good job depicting struggles that small time farmers face.

2. Barnyard is a Nickelodeon/Paramount collaboration, though it starts Disney style, with the death of a parent. Kevin James, Courteney Cox Arquette, Danny Glover, Wanda Sykes, and Andie MacDowell all lent their voices.

The animals of this farm all talk, walk on two legs, and party … but only when the humans aren’t looking. All different species, under leadership of the cows, band together to defend themselves against bratty kids that enjoy torturing animals and coyotes looking for a meal. The biggest let down of this movie is the stereotypical bratty kid: he’s a fat redhead with freckles. While I enjoyed the movie, I find the TV-spinoff version, Back at the Barnyard, more kid-friendly and parental death-free.

For the first time ever, the government wants to know how many children are vegetarian. The recent federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study on kids that choose not to consume meat estimated that about 367,000, or 1 in 200, American children follow a meat-free diet. Other surveys suggest that those numbers may be even higher among teens and older children that have more control over what they eat. Previous surveys have found that vegetarians are most often female, from higher-income families, and living on the East or West coasts.

The CDC’s method included asking about 9,000 parents and other adults speaking on the behalf of those under 18 about their children’s eating habits.

Nicole Nightingale, 14, says she went online to read about chicken, but instead came across a video showing chickens being slaughtered. From there she visited PETA.org, and then decided to become vegan.

The Associated Press speculates that “adolescent vegetarianism seems to be rising, thanks in part to YouTube animal slaughter videos that shock the developing sensibilities of many U.S. children.”

“Compassion for animals is the major, major reason,” said Richard Schwartz, president of Jewish Vegetarians of North America, an organization with a newsletter mailing list of about 800. “When kids find out the things they are eating are living animals — and if they have a pet….”

The AP wrote up a great article about veggie kids which provided the information for this post: First U.S. Count Finds 1 in 200 Kids are Vegetarian. Here’s my favorite excerpt:

Eating vegetarian can be very healthy — nutritionists often push kids to eat more fruits and vegetables, of course. For growing children, however, it’s important to get sufficient amounts of protein, vitamins B12 and D, iron, calcium and other important nutrients that most people get from meat, eggs and dairy.

Also, vegetarian diets are not necessarily slimming. Some vegetarian kids cut out meat but fill up on doughnuts, french fries, soda or potato chips, experts said.

Sports Illustrated not only wrote an amazing follow up story about the dogs that survived Michael Vick’s dog fighting ring, but it was the cover article, which means feature article length.

Check out the cover here, featuring rescued pup Sweet Jasmine, and the beginning of the article. Click on the cover to read the whole article.

Cover headlines:

“Vick’s Dogs: The Good News Out of The Bad Newz Kennels” by Jim Gorant; “Sweet Jasmine: a pit bull rescued from Michael Vick’s property has found a happy home”

Article heading:

“Since being rescued 20 months ago from the dogfighting ring financed by Michael Vick, all but a few of the abused pit bulls have been recovering in sanctuary, foster care and adoptive homes. Now even the most traumatized of them can have a Happy New Year”

First paragraphs:

“THE DOG approaches the outstretched hand. Her name is Sweet Jasmine, and she is 35 pounds of twitchy curiosity with a coat the color of fried chicken, a pink nose and brown eyes. She had spent a full 20 seconds studying this five-fingered offering before advancing. Now, as she moves forward, her tail points straight down, her butt is hunched toward the ground, her head is bowed, her ears pinned back. She stands at maybe three quarters of her height.

She gets within a foot of the hand and stops. She licks her snout, a sign of nervousness, and looks up at the stranger, seeking assurance. She looks back to the hand, licks her snout again and begins to extend her neck. Her nose is six inches away from the hand, one inch, half an inch. She sniffs once. She sniffs again. At this point almost any other dog in the world would offer up a gentle lick, a sweet hello, an invitation to be scratched or petted. She’s come so far. She’s so close.

But Jasmine pulls away.

PETA WANTED Jasmine dead. Not just Jasmine, and not just PETA. The Humane Society of the U.S., agreeing with PETA, took the position that Michael Vick’s pit bulls, like all dogs saved from fight rings, were beyond rehabilitation and that trying to save them was a misappropriation of time and money. “The cruelty they’ve suffered is such that they can’t lead what anyone who loves dogs would consider a normal life,” says PETA spokesman Dan Shannon. “We feel it’s better that they have their suffering ended once and for all.” If you’re a dog and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals suggests you be put down, you’ve got problems. Jasmine has problems. …”

Read the full story.

Use SI’s online feedback form to send thanks for giving Jasmine her say.

Don’t miss Gene Baur, president and founder of Farm Sanctuary and author of Farm Sanctuary: Changing Hearts and Minds About Animals and Food, and Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society of the U.S., on CNN’s Headline News show Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell tomorrow evening.

During the first half of the show, Velez-Mitchell discusses shelter-specific issues such as puppy mills, overcrowding, and adoption with Pacelle; Carole Davis, actress, animal advocate, and author of The Diary of Jinky: Dog of a Hollywood Wife; and Bill Smith, founder of Main Line Animal Rescue. The second half features Baur on the lives of animals raised for food.

The episode, titled Special Investigation: Animal Issues, originally aired on Christmas Day, but will air again tomorrow, New Year’s Day, at 7 p.m. EST in the U.S. Check your local listings ahead of time to ensure that you don’t miss it. A rough transcript of the show is available now on CNN.com.

Alas, the dreaded dooms day for American turkeys is upon us. In three days, millions of Americans will sit down to nosh on the dead flesh - and even play with its wishbone - of one of my favorite animals.

Mass killing of turkeys for society’s feasting aside, I have been surprisingly pleased with non-vegans this Thanksgiving season. I’ve been amazed by the number of articles discussing how to have a vegan Thanksgiving, or even just how to accommodate a vegan guest. Of course, every veggie blog has done a wonderful post or two as well, but today I am thanking the non-veggie press that took the time to acknowledge that not everyone wants to contribute to animal cruelty.

My thanks go out to these newspapers and press outlets. Click on each one’s name to read their veg-related Thanksgiving article:

New York’s Village Voice
Orlando Sentinel
University of Colorado’s Campus Press
San Francisco’s Navy Compass
Washington Post
Chicago’s Gapers Block
Well Fed Network
Rowan University’s Whit
Los Angeles Times
Michigan’s City Pulse
Fort Wayne Journal Gazette
Gary Post Tribune
California’s Orion
Washington’s Western Front
Schenectady Gazette
Texarkana Gazette
NewHampshire.com
Pennsylvania’s Op Ed News
Maui Weekly
Denver Dining Examiner

Although I can’t find it online, my morning read - Philadelphia’s edition of the Metro - had a taste testing review of five different vegan turkeys.

And a special congratulations and thanks to Baltimore City Paper’s Steve Gdula for not only working on a personal transition to become a vegan, but for sharing it with his readers.

World Vegan Day is tomorrow, November 1. The dozens of vegan, vegetarian, raw, green, and what not blogs that I read have all posted about this day. And rather than being excited, I’m disappointed.

You see, Eccentric Vegan posted a snippet about LUSH:

“Though LUSH sells nothing but vegetarian and vegan products, the company estimates about 80 percent of its 824 employees are meat-eaters. Still, the company’s shop assistants, managers, directors and owners have agreed to go meatless for a day, as well as dropping dairy and evading the edible egg.” (source)

I don’t find this encouraging. In fact, I find it just the opposite.

When I choose to give a vegan company my business, I know that my money is going toward humane, animal-free products. Veganism is not just about avoiding animal products; it’s about not allowing my money to support animal cruelty.

I know that in this day it is near impossible to keep your money from ever supporting the meat industry, but I try. And if I shop at a vegan store, then I would hope this is the one time when I can rest assured.

However, when a company that sells vegan goods is run by meat eaters this is not so. I pay for my products, and my money goes directly to the employees, who then go out and by meat. And this bothers me.

I understand that I cannot control everything. But I feel lied to by such a company. If I were buying local or organic produce, I would not expect to receive anything else.

Maybe it’s just be, maybe I’m being ridiculous. Regardless, it bothers me.

Popular social networking site Twitter is potential breeding grounds for terrorist in the Army’s mind, according to a FOX News’ recent report.

Need proof? Just look at who uses the Web site now: people who “support extremist ideologies and perspectives,” which includes vegetarians. The article also sites Twitter users such as human rights groups, communists, anarchists, religious communities, atheists, and political enthusiasts, all of which were named by the U.S. Army as extremists that currently use Twitter as an operational tool. And the last thing this country needs is an opportunity for passionate people to share their thoughts and concerns about religion, human rights, or democracy with like-minded folk worldwide.

In other FOX News reports a giant spider was caught on film eating a bird in an Australian backyard, experts declare that zombie cell phone attacks may be next, and a buried Antarctic mountain range shouldn’t exist at all!

Yea. So I’ll take this stereotypical attempt at an insult with a grain of “it’s only FOX (and statements from one narrow-minded representative of the U.S. Army) - what do they know?” salt. I, for one, am proud to be lumped together with other such thinkers (minus the terrorists, of course).

Check out the full article - U.S. Army Says Blogging Site ‘Twitter’ Could Become Terrorist Tool - on FOXNews.com.

If you aren’t familiar with the social networking tool Twitter, check out what the buzz is all about. It’s an online place for you to keep in touch with friends and family by constantly posting your answer to one simple question: “what are you doing?”

To get in the Halloween spirit, my roommate and I watched Shaun of the Dead, a 2004 British spoof of the zombie horror film Dawn of the Dead. (Don’t be fooled by the word “spoof”: Shaun is still gory and rated R.)

Near the beginning of the movie, Shaun is talking to his mom on the phone (or listening to a message from her, I don’t remember).

“Hello Pickle! It’s me, mum. Dad said he saw you in town today and mentioned that you might be visiting tomorrow, which would be lovely. Will you be bringing Elizabeth with you this time? Only we can’t wait to meet her finally and also um … I was wondering if she wanted anything special for lunch. Cause these days a lot of people don’t eat meat.”

If my future mother-in-law isn’t veg*n herself, then I at least hope that she as similar mentality.

Also, last night’s episode of How I Met Your Mother was replete with talk of veganism, albeit poking fun at the stereotypes. I’ll recap it more once the transcript is available online.

Humane Society President Wayne Pacelle will be a guest today, October 14, on the Oprah Winfrey Show. He will talk more about California’s Proposition 2, and will appear alongside front men from the agribusiness industry. Wayne will be going head-to-head with his fellow guests, arguing the issues surrounding the statue.

The reach of the Humane Society’s Proposition 2 campaign is continually impressing me, as is talk show hosts’ increasing support for animal causes. Wayne Pacelle had a monumental appearance on the Ellen DeGeneres Show three weeks ago, which was followed by an appearance by the Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) president, and then an announcement that Ellen is now leading a vegan life.

The “Yes! on Prop 2″ campaign has set out to educate people, especially California voters, about a landmark animal-rights proposition that will be on the California state ballot this November. By voting in support of Proposition 2, voters will be supporting the creation of stricter regulations for factory farms. If passed, the proposition, which is also called Standards for Confining Farm Animals, would add a chapter to California’s Health and Safety Code to “prohibit the confinement of certain farm animals in a manner that does not allow them to tum around freely, lie down, stand up, and fully extend their limbs.” In essence: no more battery cages for chickens, veal crates for newborn calves, or gestation crates for pregnant pigs.

In addition the the HSUS, many other organizations, veterinarians, and media have added their support to Prop 2. These include, but are in no way limited to: the New York Times; Farm Sanctuary; Sierra Club; Consumer Federation of America; California Democratic Party; California Council of Churches; Center for Food Safety; Union of Concerned Scientists; and over 700 vets, 150 vet students, 140 animal-based organizations, 100 farmers, and 90 clinics and hospitals in California. To see the full list, including celebrities, religious groups, politicians, nonprofits, and newspapers, click here.

It has finally been made official: Ellen DeGeneres is a vegan!

The comical, dancing, acting, TV-show hosting animal lover is out of the vegan closet. Last weekend, at a Proposition 2 benefit in LA, Ellen DeGeneres let the animal-rights world know that she is fully and officially a vegan. (The photo shown here is Ellen and Portia De Rossi at the event; the two hosted the party.)

It comes as no surprise, however, considering Ellen’s numerous vegan guests on her talk show recently, her vegan wedding reception, and her general love and support of animals, especially dogs. Despite the fact that she has recently signed on to be a spokesmodel for Cover Girl, which is owned by the corporate animal testers of Procter & Gamble, I am sure vegans around the world will celebrate the news of a such an influential TV personality making a vegan declaration.

First, Humane Society President Wayne Pacelle was on The Ellen Degeneres Show on Friday, and now the president of the Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), Neal Barnard, M.D., will be a guest on today’s show!

Monday, September 29, Neal Barnard will be speaking about why people get hooked on unhealthy food and how they can unhook themselves. Dr. Bernard authored the book Breaking the Food Seduction: The Hidden Reasons Behind Food Cravings - and Seven Steps to End Them Naturally, which discusses how our biochemistry may be more to blame that our lack of willpower.

Barnard will specifically outline his three-week kick start program to eliminate unhealthy foods and habits.

These two animal-rights guests come after Ellen’s vegan wedding reception, and two vegan guests back-to-back in May.

Side note: Wayne Pacelle’s interview has not yet made it onto YouTube or another form of online viewing. I’ll let you know when and if either of the above mentioned guest appearances become available online.