 Great news for environmentalists and animalists alike : people are eating less meat and embracing more plant based products in their diets. Great for animals, as less production means better welfare. Great for the planet as we reduce emissions. Great for health as we reduce saturated fats.. So it seems like it is great news and I should leave it at that. But I would like to dig deeper instead and ask this question : what are we replacing meat with? And the answer is not fresh produces and pulses (which to me are the base of healthy meat free diets). The correct answer is: artificial and processed meat substitutes. So what are the problems with these products ? A) they are processed, and contain way too many ingredients some of which you don’t need. And the processing will require industries which are also not great for the environment B) proteins have been extracted - so instead of eating whole soya beans you eat something that has been extracted following heavy processing . And you may only get part of what nature intended.. C) other processes to create things like Quorn involve making a fungus - making new foods which are not necessarily safe (they are maybe too new to fully understand their complications) D) they often contain hidden fats, and those fats may be terrible for the environment E) cultivation of soy requires s lot of water and land - which also brings to deforestation Basically, what I am saying is that while eating less meat is a good thing we shouldn’t try to substitute it for something similar but instead try and cook from scratch as much as possible with basic and simple whole ingredients...
11 Comments
Processed foods are truly the enemy of healthy living. And our fast food culture has conditioned many of us to consume food without conscious. If we would go back to growing and raising our own foods, or buying locally from those who do, we might see disease rates like cancer and heart disease lower. 11/11/2018 07:22:00 pm
A plant-based diet, which emphasizes fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, legumes and nuts, is rich in fiber, vitamins and other nutrients. And people who don't eat meat — vegetarians — generally eat fewer calories and less fat, weigh less, and have a lower risk of heart disease than non vegetarians do.
love faith more
11/12/2018 11:06:19 am
Vegetables have really great benefits to our body. I rarely eat meat because i believe for some illness might get if we consume more on meat. Thank you for sharing. 11/12/2018 02:44:09 pm
In India , a highly processed form of soy sausage is getting popular and you have rightly pointed out that it is not really a healthy meat free substitute . 11/12/2018 08:37:36 pm
Not all vegetarian or vegan foods are healthy, of course. However eating less or no meat is a really eco-friendly option. 11/12/2018 08:53:47 pm
This post makes an interesting point. I suppose it’s a bit like someone going on a diet and instead of eating fatty caloric foods eats highly processed “lite” chemical-laden products instead. Hardly a healthy change in their diet long term.
Processed food is horrible! I don't understand why people try to substitute meat with a look-a-likes. There's so many ways to eat healthy and yummy only with veggies and grains! I've been a vegetarian for a decade, going torwards veganism, I'm perfectly healthy and I eat delicious food, it only takes a bit of effort :)
Mane
11/13/2018 08:42:40 am
Processed foods are not good to our bodies. I think it's healthier if we eat plant based foods instead of meat. We are what we eat so we should be vigilant and careful of what we take for our bodies.
Barbara Alfeo
11/20/2018 04:17:22 am
Yes!!! The best place to start is to realize most people consume way more protein than they need in the first place! Leave a Reply. |
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