For those people who think we are making a mistake letting GB be a vegetarian, this post is for you. This has become a big issue for people who think we are being too permissive. Personally, I think if he can do it, he should. He has made an admirable choice and I will stick by him for as long as he is so passionate about this.
Here are the facts:
More than 7 billion animals die yearly for human consumption.
Most people become vegetarian because they believe it is wrong to slaughter animals for food and because they are opposed to the cruelty and suffering inflicted towards the animals reared for food.
Another reason for becoming a vegetarian is the effect of meat production on the environment, such as the destruction of rainforests for cattle ranching. Others may become vegetarian because of the links between meat production and poverty and famine in developing countries.
Being a vegetarian would alleviate human starvation and in return there would be an increase in growth of wild animals without additonal sufferings on humans or any other animals.
By choosing the vegetarian or vegan alternative, the land used originally for farm animals would feed more people off of plant protein.
Obtaining adequate protein on a vegetarian diet is not a problem. Nuts & seeds, pulses, wholegrain and grain products and soy products all supply protein. Previously, it has been thought that plant proteins are of a lower quality than animal proteins in terms of their essential amino acid content. However, this is no longer regarded as a problem and eating a balanced diet of plant foods will provide all the essential amino acids in adequate amounts.Vegetarians can obtain B12 from a wide range of foods which have been fortified with the vitamin. These include certain yeast extracts, veggiemeat mixes, breakfast cereals, vegetable margarines and soy milks. Vitamin D is present in oily fish, eggs and dairy products in variable amounts. It is not found in plant foods. However, strict vegetarians can obtain vitamin D from vegetable margarines, some soy milks and certain other foods which are fortified with the vitamin.
It is perfectly possible to bring up a child on a vegetarian diet. Vegetarian children should be given plenty of nutrient rich foods and need good sources of protein, calcium, vitamin B12 and vitamin D. High fibre foods can fill up a child without filling their nutritional needs as well as interfering with mineral absorption from the intestine. For these reasons, foods high in fibre shouldn’t be overused.
As a basic guide, it is recommended that a vegetarian diet should include the following each day:
- 3 or 4 servings of cereals/grains - provides energy, fibre, vitamin B, calcium, and iron.
- 2 or 3 servings of pulses, nuts or seeds - provides protein, energy, fibre, calcium, iron, and zinc.
- 4 or 5 servings of fruit or vegetables including:
-dark green leafy vegetables - for foliate, calcium, and iron;
-red, orange, and yellow vegetables - for beta-carotene;
-fresh fruit - for vitamin C;
-dried fruit - for fibre and iron.
- 2 servings of dairy or soy products - provides protein, energy, calcium, and other minerals, vitamin B12, vitamin D.
- A small amount of plaint oils, margarine or butter - provides energy, essential fatty acids, vitamin E (plaint oils) and vitamins A and D (margarine or butter)
And for those who think that one child cannot do anything to help animals by being a vegetarian…..
The following facts are from an excerpt from Diet for a New America by john robbins.
- Historic cause of of demise of great civilizations: Topsoil depletion
- Percentage of original U.S. topsoil loss to date: 75
- Amount of U.S. crop lost each year to soil erosion: 4 million acres (size of Connecticut)
- Percentage of U.S. topsoil loss directly associated with livestock raising: 85
- Number of acres of U.S. forest that have been cleared to create cropland to produce a meat-centred diet: 260 million
- How often an acre of trees disappears in the U.S.: Every 8 seconds
- Acres of trees spared per year by each individual who switches to a vegan diet:1
- A driving force behind the destruction of the tropical rain forests: American meat habit
- Amount of meat imported annually by the U.S. from Costa Rica, El Salvador, GuatemalaNicaragua, Honduras and Panama: 200 million pounds
- Amount of meat eaten by average person in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala
- Nicaragua, Honduras and Panama: Less then the average American house cat
- Current rate of extinction due to destruction of tropical rain forests and related habitats: 1,000 per year
- User of more than half the water used for all purposes in the United States: Live stock production
- Quantity of water used in the production of the average cow sufficient to: Float a destroyer
- Water used to produce one pound of wheat: 25 gallons
- Water needed to produce one pound of meat: 2,500 gallons
- Cost of common hamburger if water was not subsided by the U.S. taxpayers: US $35 per pound
- Current cost of one pound of protein from wheat: US $1.50
- Cost of one pound of protein from beefsteak if U.S. taxpayers ceased subsiding meat industry’s use of water: US $89
- Length of time world’s petroleum reserves would last if all human beings ate a meat centred diet:13 years
- Length of time world’s petroleum reserves would last if all human beings ate a vegetarian diet: 260 years
In summation:
Children do not need meat to grow up healthy and strong. Vegetarian children tend to be slimmer, and as a group, vegetarians have a lower incidence of heart disease, obesity and other chronic illnesses.
