 |
|
BANG FOR THE BITE
If 10,000 Biters gave up beef once/week, more than 700,000 lbs. of grain, 700,000 lbs. of topsoil and 400 million gals of water would be saved each year.
COCKTAIL FACT
A cow produces 200 times more gas a day than a human, but contrary to popular belief, it’s mostly by burping.
| SAVE TO MY BITES |  |
FORWARD TO A FRIEND:
RATE THIS TIP:
How useful is this tip to you?
(5 is the highest)
home › tip library › Meatless Burgers
Think meatless = tasteless?
The Bite
Not true anymore. There are a lot of fantastic faux options that can satisfy even the burliest of meat eaters while delivering a healthier meal. Plus, cutting back on even a small amount of your meat consumption can have a huge environmental impact.The Benefits
- Burgers that are water resourceful? It takes 300 gallons of water per day to produce the food in a vegetarian diet, while a meat-eating diet requires more than 4000 gallons of water per day.
- Maybe steer clear of a nasty bout of food poisoning. 76-80 million cases of food born illness occur in the United States annually, and meat is to blame for much of the problem.
- Reduce grain consumption. If the USA reduced meat consumption by 10%, we would free more than 12 million tons of grain a year – enough to feed 60 million people!
Personally Speaking
Jen has been a vegetarian for years, but indulges in her carnivorous cravings with the options listed below. (Cricket however has opted to remain a sustainable meat eater, and just converted even her snacks to bison jerky).Wanna Try?
Here is a mere sampling of our favorite meat alternatives out there. Available at most grocery stores, many of these products are less than $6, making it easy to explore and find your favorite:
- Flame-Grilled Gardenburger – perfect for bringing to a BBQ.
- Morningstar Farms Corn Dogs – make you smile, period.
- BOCA® Chik’n Nuggets – great especially when dipped in homemade honey mustard sauce.
- Herb-Crusted Chick’n Patties – tasty option for cutting up into a chicken dinner salad.
Mar 15,2006
Sponsor
All editorial suggestions in this tip are the result of testing and a preference for the tip topic. No advertiser has paid to have its company referenced in the tip. For more information, please read our Editorial Policy.
How I became a Veg Head at Age 11
True Story: I was at McDonald's with my parents and my little bro, and I bit into some gross fat globule in my cheeseburger. I pushed my half-eaten burger over to my parent's side of the yellow & red booth saying, "I am not going to eat this." I remember my Dad's response like it was yesterday: "well then you can't have your fries." (He knew me well, fries are some of my favorite things... like raindrops on roses, wine & cheese, and horses and ex-gay cowboys).
I said, "FINE" - and forewent the fries... not that it was easy, but I was very determined to make my point.
So when my mom pressed on me to "just please try to finish your burger" - I exclaimed out with fiery passion and excitement from my epiphany, "MY BURGER USED TO HAVE A HEAD!!" (Many years I was later so impressed with my early reasoning as I saw bumper stickers that said the same type of thing... ie: would you eat your dog? so why eat a pig? etc.)
Anyway, to this date I still haven't had another burger. And actually tonight, at my friend's house, their family had beef burgers and I had a veggie burger (and of course fries). One of their little girls (Grayson, she is 5) ate her burger - and then said her stomach hurt. I whispered over to her... "maybe that is because your burger used to have a head."
NOTE: if you eat meat, good on ya, choose sustainable options or try going without your double-doozie thing in lieu of some better for you, better for the planet meatless options. Promise your stomach won't hurt.
Off to watch the Meatrix again... that web flick rocks my world - Jen
PS: word on the street is that the Meatrix Part 2 is coming out soon
Biter Comments...
Veg is great! Vegan is better. ;) One thing to note, is that all of the products listed contain egg white. Boca has a vegan versio =n of their burger (the original, and it is lableled as such), but the others are not vegan.
If you think it is gross and contemptible that cattle and chickens are treated badly for meat, what is stopping you from realising the same and worse is done in the name of eggs and milk? Chickens raised for meat at least stop suffering relatively soon, but for eggs they are kept in misery for as long as they can force them to stay alive.
Realise that no creature is designed to be forced to produce milk at it's highest capacity for years on end. Whether through hormone usage or simply the fact that cows are not designed to do this, they will often burst blood vessels in their udders and then suffer from prolonged infections. Aside from the pain and misery of the creature, this means there is blood and pus in your milk. It's gross to think about, but it's sadly true. If you can go veg you can go vegan, please think about it. For the planet yes, but also for your health, you are not a cow, you don't need the milk despite the hype of the dairy industry!
Great tip!
Thought I'd share some vegan meat substitutes for fellow vegan Biters. (Unfortunately for us, many faux-meats contain eggs, dairy, or both.)
Tofurky Sausages - truly amazing!!
http://www.tofurky.com/products/sausages.htm
Lightlife Smart Ground - tastes great in spaghetti sauces & casseroles
http://www.lightlife.com/sgoriginal.html
Yves Pizza Pepperoni - excellent flavor
http://www.yvesveggie.com/products_details.php?product_id=57&page=1&pId=lItem6&pIdName=Deli%20Slices
I have been cutting out meat little by little since the 90's due to health issues. But find that I miss the texture etc. Since I cook and love veggies anyway it has not been hard to eliminate the meat. I have tried all of the brands listed and it is sad to say that they all are so high in salt content that they make me swell and are not good for high blood pressure. So I am trying to live without the texture, grilled flavor etc.
Kassia - muchas gracias for sharing your vegan sources. We might use them in a future tip! Keep Biting (sustainable foods!) - Jen & Heather
Sorry to crash the vegan love fest here, but eating animals and animal products doesn't have to 1) cause suffering, 2) be less nutritious, or 3) be harmful to the planet.
If you visited some of the many great small farms out there, you'd see that animals can be raised for meat and eggs in ways that allow them to live without the misery and suffering that you understandably abhor. (I saw a photo of Jen visiting grassfed farmer guru Joel Salatin's farm, so I know she knows what I'm talking about.) Second, animals raised on pasture (and the meat, milk, and eggs they produce) are much healthier (and more nutritious to the eater) than the factory farm variety and have less pathogenic bacteria (see eatwild.com). And third, grazing animals on grass doesn't use grain, doesn't concentrate manure, and often uses land that wouldn't be good to plow up for row crops. Pasture land often provides more wildlife habitat than cropland, as well. (I wonder how many animals thrive in those soybean monocultures that blanket our planet to make all the Boca burgers... Or how many rainforest animals have been displaced by the conversion of tropical forest to soybean farms in Brazil and Bolivia.)
If you are a vegan because of a consistent practice of ahimsa or some other deep spiritual/philosophical belief, I respect that. But I can't accept some sweeping generalization that it's better for the planet, because there are so many ways that it's not necessarily so, agriculturally, environmentally, philosophically, practically, anthropologically, or deep ecology-wise. If you don't want to believe me, read The Unsettling of America (or anything, really) by Wendell Berry.
If you simply specified that you're referring to "factory farms" and that people should find alternatives to eating factory farm meat (including vegetarian as well as free-range/grassfed meat/milk/eggs options), I'd wholeheartedly agree. However, you're doing everyone a great disservice to promote vegetarianism as the only alternative to that horrendous modern practice of warehousing animals.
Considering that you produce a mass email that goes to many people all over the world (and therefore have considerable influence or at least ability to raise awareness), I challenge you to prepare at least one IdealBite message that focuses on grassfed meat/milk alternatives to factory farm meat.
I used to eat tons of that fake meat stuff. But then I found out that Boca and Morningstar don't screen out GMO soy beans, so I don't eat them anymore. My favorites were the riblets and corn dogs... but alas. Soy beans are one of the most widely grown GMO product, and GMOs are scary. Anyone seen "The Future of Food?"
I go w/ veggie foods now that are labeled GMO free. That's the only way to be sure, since companies don't have to label when they DO use GMOs (which I find to be utterly ridiculous).
Hey Dave, totally agreed, and we do have lots of great tips on sustainable meat options... check out tip library on the site! Search VEAL and see what comes up! ;-) Cheers, Jen
Hey Val, same thing.. search the tip library for GMO-free things Ideal Bite recommends. We are about to get new business cards printed up, and soy-based ink doesn't come in nonGMO color! alas! Hold tight.. we will get there - Jen
Wow, this seems to be generate some interesting, all POVs conversation.
I also was on a less-meat diet in college, and went primarily veg when my now-husband & I were dating. We're not vegan - we like our ice cream & cheese. But, I do try to make better choices in our shopping.
For one, I buy my eggs very locally - from a friend's farm. Our cheese is also made locally. Buying local is a good thing, remember? :)
We don't buy many of the veg substitutes b/c they can be hard on a budget. So, we use a variety of beans as substitutes & often make our own veggie/bean burgers. Portobellos make great burgers, too.
Personally, I would love to be able to support a company like Stonyfield Farms, but their products aren't available locally.
>>>
I think it was very inappropriate to say that to a 5 year old. Were you using creative license to make your point?
I always figured vegan food would get very boring very fast. Then I discovered the Vegan Lunch Box blog and have been totally inspired! Can't wait to see if a cookbook comes out soon! http://veganlunchbox.blogspot.com/
Hi JamBlue - Grayson and I have a fantastic relationship.... when I said that she stared at me with her big blue eyes and giggled. Glad I didn't filter my inappropriateness in exchange for that smile. And possibly kernel of awareness I planted. Cheers, Jen
I've done the whole eating gamut but have been vegetarian for well over 30 years and am now vegan. Like many others used to buy Boca Burgers, etc but now make my own using whole food. I refuse to GMO's and try to buy as much organic as possible. I also try to buy local whenever possible and if not local then try to get from a small farm. Even if it has to travel a long distance at least i'm supporting agriculture the way it was meant to be.
"One of their little girls (Grayson, she is 5) ate her burger - and then said her stomach hurt. I whispered over to her... "maybe that is because your burger used to have a head." "
Nothing in this whole bite actually has any true validity.
I in no way support all of the big business factory meat we are putting out in our country, but generalizing that all meat is bad for people is very poor reasoning.
There is certainly a huge difference in properly raised meat from factory/assembly line raised.
Plus of course, bone stock should be a requirement in the diet since it aids in meat digestion considerably.
Please see www.westonaprice.org
Also, please read the book "The Whole Soy Story". Soy burgers and all this stuff is extremely processed in ways you wouldn't believe- there is absolutely no nutritional value and much harm in eating screwed up soy foods.
The only soy food I condone is miso and perhaps some other traditionally fermented types as Kaayla Daniel talks about in the above book.
i recently went vegetarian, & tofurkey is just out of the question around my extended family(think major teasing from people who eat rare steaks). any recomendations on what i should do about food this thanksgiving? the get together isn't at my house this year, & there aren't enough side dishes to eat a meal out of. do i just bring a meal for me????help....
I always considered, what honey - a good substitute of sugar, whether so it? WBR LeoP
For those of you that are concerned about sodium in the "meatless" varieties, look at this site: http://www.vrg.org/recipes/vjseitan.htm I have not checked it out thoroughly, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't. :-) I've been busy and only found it Tuesday! Seitan is a meat substitute that many vegan/vegetarians don't like because of it's "meaty" texture. (I did read that far) It also gave a recipe to make it yourself, this way you can control the sodium.
I've also seen recipes to make your own tofu. If you can get your hands on organic, non-GMO soybeans, you will probably be home free. :-)
I've recently (March 2007) become vegetarian. I have IBS and have experienced a lot of abdominal pain for years, because of it. I've alterred my eating habits tremendously, from what they were 10-15 years ago. (although I have always eaten healthy) Cutting meat out of my diet has made a considerable difference in my life! I have no more pain, it's amazing. I feel very balanced and my skin glows.
I've never cared whether I had meat or not and don't miss it at all. I am also lactose sensitive and have cut most dairy out as well. I only purchase veg fed, hormone free, free range eggs, but eat them sparinly. I do eat some baked products (bread, etc.) that have some egg and dairy, but it's minimal.
My family still eats meat, dairy and eggs. I have begun purchasing the "friendly farmed" organic products from Whole Foods and other stores that sell them. Everyone can taste a difference in the meat. It is a little more expensive, but when I consider what it will save down the road, I truly believe it is worth it.
I believe becoming veg is a choice and a lot of research should go into that choice. (i.e. proper protiens, B12, grain/legume combinations, etc.) There are also a ton of sites out there to look at and learn from. Try these...
http://www.fatfreevegan.com/
http://www.goveg.com/
http://vegweb.com/ (I signed up for a weekly email from vegweb. I get several new recipes to try each week!)
http://www.veganchef.com/
http://veganforum.com/forums/index.php
Good luck! You can never have too much information! Check these out and use your own opinions of them. ;-) Be responsible for your health and your choices in life.
I forgot!
Erin - Bring tofurkey for yourself and maybe another veg side dish. This way you have plenty to eat. (because you never know what others have put in the food. butter, eggs, etc.) Also, it gives others the opportunity to try what you eat! If someone offers to cook you something, make suggestions. But, don't expect others to cook something special for you, they might resent it. Instead, be proactive and offer to bring a dish.
Hugs at ya!
I'm surprised that you didn't have anything from the fake meat brand Quorn. The fake chicken breasts are really good. (I eat them even though I'm not a vegetarian) They are a little bit hard to find, however.
PHOTO ALBUMS
Posted by: sara | March 15, 2006 at 08:03 AM