Kathy Freston.Author, Health and Wellness Expert
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathy-...i_b_42211.html
If you read my last two entries, "A Few More 'Inconvenient Truths'"
and "Vegetarian Is the New Prius," you know that a plant-based diet is
a good choice for the planet, your health, and animals. Of course,
there are other things we should be doing--from cutting down on our
consumption to working for governmental change to buying organic and
on and on--but where diet is concerned, a vegetarian diet is the
hands-down best choice for those of us who care about animals and the
environment.

I heard from a lot of people who wanted help in making the transition
to a vegetarian (or mostly vegetarian) diet. Let's face it: If you've
been eating meat all your life, this sort of a change can be daunting
even just to think about, let alone act on. Happily, it's easier than
ever today to make the transition from meat-eater to vegetarian, and
the following suggestions should help even the most die-hard
carnivores make the switch.

First: Transition

If you're not ready to give up meat completely, start by eating
meatless meals one or two days a week. The Johns Hopkins School of
Public Health, Columbia University's School of Public Health, and
other public health schools have designed a "Meatless Monday" campaign
to help Americans avoid our four top killers--heart disease, stroke,
diabetes, and cancer--by eating meat-free at least every Monday. The
"Meatless Monday" program provides recipes, meal plans, nutritional
guidelines, cooking tips, and more.

My only problem with the campaign is that some of the recipes feature
fish, and fish are definitely not vegetables. If you're eating fish,
you're eating meat, and the recent studies on fish are even scarier
than the studies on beef or any other food. The three-part front page
series in the Chicago Tribune about brain damage and other health
problems caused by mercury, PCBs, and the other toxins found in fish
and the front page piece in the Wall Street Journal about the teen
whose fish consumption put him in remedial classes should be enough to
turn anyone off fish consumption. For omega-3 fatty acids, go with
flax seeds, walnuts, and leafy greens.

Second: Give Up the Little Animals First

Although many people tend to stop eating red meat before they give up
chicken, turkey, or fish, from a humane standpoint, this is backwards.
Birds are arguably the most abused animals on the planet, and birds
and fish yield less flesh than cows or pigs, so farmers and fishers
kill more of them to satisfy America's meat habit. If you choose to
give up meat in stages, stop eating chickens and turkeys first, then
fish, and then pigs and cows. Some will suggest that cattle are the
worst for the environment, but that seems like hair-splitting to me.
As I discussed in my previous post, the Amazon rain forest is being
cut down to grow soybeans to feed chickens; it's chicken and pig farms
that are poisoning the Atlantic Ocean, and vastly more energy is
required if we eat the chickens who are fed grain rather than eating
that grain directly.

Third: If You Can't Give Up One Particular Animal Product, Give Up All
the Other Ones

One friend told me that he just loves burgers too much to give them
up; I suggested that he give up all animal products except burgers.
Some of my friends can't give up ice cream or cream in their coffee or
whatever?so give up everything but that. That's a huge step forward,
and I suspect that after eating mostly vegetarian for awhile, you'll
decide that those burgers or that ice cream aren't so tasty anymore.
And you'll probably find that you enjoy the faux meats and dairy-free
options just as much.

Fourth: Examine Your Diet, and Substitute

Take a look at the meals that you and your family already enjoy, and
you'll probably notice that many of them can be made without any meat
or with mock meats (which are great transition foods) instead of
animal flesh. For example, instead of spaghetti and meat sauce, make
spaghetti and marinara sauce, or instead of beef burritos, try tasty
bean burritos. Replace ground beef with the vegetarian variety made by
Boca or Morningstar Farms, which can be found in just about any
grocery store. Or try Morningstar Farms' faux chicken strips and steak
strips and Boca's Chik'n Patties. If you need help putting together a
shopping list, check out the product reviews at VegCooking.com before
you head out to the store.

Mock meats, nondairy cheeses and milks, and other vegetarian foods are
sold in most major supermarkets these days, and health food stores
offer even more. Silk soy milk is probably one of the most
recognizable vegan products on the market--you can even order it in
your latte at Starbucks. And if you like to bake, look for egg
replacer, a powdered mix that can be used instead of eggs in cakes and
other baked goods, at the local health food store (or just use
applesauce). But don't forget to eat your vegetables--as well as
plenty of whole grains, fresh fruits, and legumes--before filling up
on cake and coffee!

After a few meatless meals, you'll likely realize that you don't miss
meat and are ready to go meatless for good. But don't beat yourself up
if you slip up every now and again--before long eating vegetarian will
come as naturally as breathing.

I know that some readers who are already vegetarian may take issue
with the idea of relying on faux meats (I can predict all the raw food
comments, the macrobiotic comments, and so on), but mock meats and soy
milk are superb transition foods. Certainly going with real foods, as
Michael Pollan calls them--things that your grandmother would
recognize--is a great idea, but don't worry about it if you find that
mock meats make the switch easier for you. Animals are going to be
happier either way.

Fifth: Eating Out

If you're eating out, there are countless restaurants that cater to
vegetarians and vegans. VegCooking.com features regional vegetarian
restaurants, restaurant chains that offer vegetarian options, and
links to other Web sites that list vegetarian-friendly eateries.
Ethnic restaurants, especially Thai, Indian, Ethiopian, Chinese, and
Mexican restaurants, are always a good choice, as they offer a variety
of vegetarian and vegan options. If you're still looking for a burger
and fries, many restaurants, including Johnny Rockets, Denny's, and
Ruby Tuesday's, serve veggie burgers. Just don't drive yourself--and
your dining companions--crazy worrying that your veggie burger was
prepared on the same surface as the hamburgers. It might be a bit
aesthetically troublesome, but it won't harm animals (or the planet)
if your food is cooked on the same grill as meat. Unless you
absolutely can't stomach it, let it pass.

Sixth: Don't Sweat the Small Stuff

Vegans and vegan wannabes, I believe that when you're eating out, you
also shouldn't be too concerned about ingredients that make up less
than 2 percent of your meal. You'll obviously want to avoid dishes
served with meat, cheese, or eggs, but it doesn't really matter if
there's a modicum of butter or whey or other animal product in the bun
that your veggie burger is served on. You won't stop animal suffering
by avoiding such minuscule amounts of animal ingredients. But you may
give your nonvegan friends--not to mention the restaurant wait
staff--the idea that vegans are difficult to please. The goal is to
show others how easy it is to eat in an animal-friendly manner and
that restaurants can satisfy vegan customers without having to do
cartwheels.

I know, again, that some will post their protest, and I understand the
desire to eliminate every last bit of animal ingredients from one's
diet, but let's face it: Even vegan foods cause some animals to be
tilled up in processing. (Note: Since more than 70 percent of all
grain, soybeans, and other crops are fed to farmed animals, not to
humans, there is a lot more tiller death in chicken, turkey, pork, and
beef than in plant foods, but the point should still give vegetarians
a bit of humility.) Vegetarianism is not a personal purity test--our
positive and reasonable influence on others is just as important as
our own commitment to a conscious and compassionate diet.

Conclusion

When you consider your choices--heart disease, colon cancer, plus-size
pants, melting ice caps, gale force storms, and animal suffering vs.
good health, energy, a trim physique, a livable planet, compassion,
and tasty, diverse foods--it's clear that going vegetarian is an
excellent choice as we move toward living a more conscious life.

Thank you to all readers for your compassion, and I look forward to
meeting you on the journey toward more conscious eating.