In this month's issue of Men's Journal, there is an article about going vegetarian. Gordon Ramsay decided to "give the vegan thing a try." Anthony Bourdain is still resistant to a plant-based diet, but with any luck, he'll accept my invitation to come to Crested Butte so that I can serve him a delicious vegan meal.Regardless, the writing is on the wall: vegan eating is on the rise and will only continue.
Lest you react that the article I've just shared is from the UK, rest assured that the same is true in the United States. Forbes published a piece recommending that businesses embrace veganism and pointing out how it's already happening worldwide.
It is a bit of a different issue in the United States than it is in many other western countries, because the U.S.'s reliance on factory farming to increase "product" and keep animal-based food prices low creates much worse conditions than overseas. The information is out there. Read the books. Watch the videos. Factory farming is disgusting. Experimentation to improve food yield per animal is disgusting. Even this commentary, which appears to be trying desperately to hang onto its defense of factory farming by its fingernails, can only lamely conclude that it's not that bad and it could be better.
That's not to say that a person can't make an informed decision that the horrors of factory farming take a backseat to their desire for animal flesh, but awareness is crucial. I cannot tolerate the continuous willful ignorance of the fact that America's profit-driven treatment of food animals is cruel and causes significant suffering. You can say that you don't care about the suffering as much as you care about your burger, but you can't say that there is no suffering.
It is true that fake meats are, by definition, processed, and one tenet of healthy eating - avoid processed foods - is directly at odds with being able to enjoy the explosion of meat substitutes. It's a fair argument. Plant-based proteins certainly exist (e.g., lentils, beans, nuts, peas), but they come with a great big side-dish of carby calories that could make the pursuit of body perfection difficult. But whether the hard body is really the health ideal is a matter of debate itself. And we don't necessarily need to insist that everyone eat no meat, but rather that they eat less and pay more so that the animals are honored and appreciated rather than treated as a commodity.
People are getting smarter and are moving away from the unhealthy products produced by cramming as many animals as possible into the smallest space for the least money. Even the giants like Tyson have tried to pretend that they're "healthy." "No antibiotics whatsoever" is still an ocean away from anything resembling compassionate treatment, but these behemoths, who have been on the top forever thanks to Americans' obsession with getting shit for cheap, are realizing that a change is happening and that they'd better grasp it if they want to stay in business.
Stupid jokes about people with plant-based diets are bound to continue, and don't worry; if there ever comes a day that you can't mow a giant steak with a side of bacon, that day isn't any time soon.
That doesn't mean you shouldn't be conscious about your consumption, and I strongly encourage you to do so if you have the means. Spend a few bucks extra to get your meat directly from small farms that you can visit and view the welfare of the animals you'll eat. Insist on free range, not "cage free" eggs. Eat cheeses from countries that provide more space for their dairy cows - I recommend Ireland, Wales, and New Zealand, and the cheese tastes way better too. Try new recipes instead of thinking you have to try to emulate what you're used to. I'm not going to be able to give you an enjoyable vegan steak and eggs, but I can make you a tofu scramble with homemade vegan "sausage" that'll make you forget you even care.
Give it a shot. I'd be happy to help!
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