I’ve entertained the idea of becoming a vegetarian before, but it has just never happened. Fitting it into my life, my preferences, my family, work situation, how much I would have to learn and read up on— I’ve just found excuse after excuse not to make the effort.
And finally after many years I realized, despite what many would have me believe, I can have a tremendous impact without completely giving up meat.
Coming back to work after summer vacation in 2014 I had a simple idea: choose vegetarian lunches for a month, and evaluate how it plays out. As with everything else, the more I do something (order meat-free dishes), the more of a habit it becomes.
Don’t make it complicated
I started out by consistently ordering the vegetarian alternative at lunch. Let people who can cook great meatless dishes show you the way.
And sometimes I pretend I’m a vegetarian at work events, sometimes not. Why? Because asking for the vegetarian dish without formally being vegetarian is still not widely socially accepted(!) — more on that later.
Most work colleagues think what I’m doing is pretty cool (imagine that) — they understand the rationale — and sometimes go ahead and order the vegetarian dish for me, even though most of them are avid meat eaters. Sometimes in fact I do inspire them to try the vegetarian dish. At dinner when my kids eat minced meat I sometimes crack open a can of beans in tomato sauce for myself. But I never have anyone cook special for me, I eat what I’m served when we’re at a friend’s house (always meat) and I allow myself to enjoy it.
It’s never complicated.
The key to success here is to not make it into a big deal, but instead just avoid the meat when there is an obvious opportunity for doing so. I want this to be an effortless venture and am avoiding the risk of giving up due to any social obstacles or family friction. The rest of my family still eat as they always have and it took my kids almost a year to notice how much my diet has changed.
The result now is I’m eating on average 60–70% less meat than 2 years ago. I’ve created a new habit and I feel great inside and out.
On Fridays, mind you, I almost always enjoy an organic fillet of beef with fries. Yes, I am way more picky than before when I do eat meat but I eat it regularly. What I notice though is how satisfied I’ve become with eating one serving and not going for seconds.
Am I a fake vegetarian?
What sometimes surprises me is how hard it is for others to wrap their heads around my behavior. Why would I ask for the vegetarian alternative if I am not a vegetarian?
Come on, dude, you have to decide, are you vegetarian or not? Well, obviously not, since I do eat meat. Well, why do I share all these recipes for vegetarian meals on Facebook, and rave about the new vegetarian food, even ham substitutes, that I’ve discovered in the local supermarket? Well, because obviously I eat a lot of vegetarian food as well.
The logical error we make about meat-eaters
I seem to be challenging a preconception that you either must be a vegetarian or not, and if you’re not a vegetarian then you must be prepared to eat meat every waking moment.
No.
Liking and eating meat does not imply that you are always ready to eat meat. That’s where we get it wrong over and over, and that’s why so many fail to see this opportunity of eating meat regularly but still eat much less of it.
Liking and eating meat does not imply that you are always ready to eat meat at every waking moment.
It’s important to note that vegetarianism is not necessarily a goal in itself. The goal, for me, is being able to make rational decisions with regards to my health and my contribution to the negative effects of prevailing food production.
I research the data, draw conclusions and alter my behavior to align with the goals I want. But I also alter my behavior in a way that minimizes the risk of setbacks and failures.
And, I am realizing, in a way that others will find it easier to copy.
Ok, research you say, but what really is a healthy amount of meat?
(skip this section if you hate numbers)
The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) recommends a maximum weekly consumption limited to 500 g (1.1 lbs) of red meat. That’s 26 kg (57 lbs) per year. They also recommend that you skip cured meats altogether. Cured meat is food like sausages, salami, smoked ham and liverwurst — where manufacturers add salt, nitrates, nitrate or sugar for flavoring and preservation.
Note: The number 500 is a maximum. Some will need less, and other organizations actually recommend keeping to around 300 g of red meat per week.
But we’ve eaten meat since the beginning of mankind?
Yes, but not in these vast volumes, and not mass-produced with additives the way it is today. And not stored in a freezer for easy picking. The average yearly consumption per person in the US today is 122 kg (270 lbs) — and that average includes vegetarians and small children so yes, some people eat a lot more. The corresponding number in the EU is 86 kg (190 lbs) per year on average. The average for the whole world is estimated to 42 kg.
Safe to say: we are not eating less meat than the hunter-gatherers of prehistoric times. Safe to say: the way we hunt and gather today is wildly different. Devastatingly different.
But humans need protein!
Yes, but we don’t need insane amounts of protein. Again, I’m not telling you to stop eating meat, for the very reason that there shouldn’t be a risk of you not getting enough protein. What I’m saying is that there is a more balanced way of approaching a diet that includes meat. And for now we can disregard the fact that you could very well go completely meatless and still get the protein and iron you need from other foodstuffs.
Becoming a vegetarian is too big of a step for many people, but you can still make a huge social impact with a healthier amount of meat.
The Institute of Medicine recommends that protein-rich foods represent 10 to 35 percent of the calories you take in. A fair average is 52 g (1.8 ounces) per day, though this of course is related to body volume and how much you exercise.
Many foods contain protein but some examples which are especially high in protein include milk, nuts, beans, tofu, yogurt, cheese, and eggs.
So the longer you fare with this idea of eating less meat, the more second nature it will become to replace meat as a protein source with other foodstuffs. But never make it hard for yourself. Let others give you inspiration by eating vegetarian meals at restaurants. Learn what you like and take it from there.
It took you a few years to get here. Allow a few years, yes years, for yourself to change your behavior. But start now with small changes that don’t feel like a battle. Stick with them for at least a month to turn them into a habit.
Is it really that easy?
Reducing the amount of meat I eat has, surprisingly I must add, been a no-brainer. I’m never in a situation where there is nothing for me to eat. I simply focus on avoiding meat when this is a frictionless option. For me, the options increase over time, as I learn and become more aware of smart alternatives.
Remember, don’t try to change your diet overnight. Change one aspect of your diet and do that for a few months. Then make the next change. And think about all the the stuff you already eat and like today, that isn’t meat.
I love the idea of not having to become a strict vegetarian but still contribute to a big social impact with changes in my diet.
Overcoming the paradox of choice.
Another benefit of my eating vegetarian meals at restaurants was one I hadn’t expected at all.
In neuroscience the paradox of choice describes a situation where we as humans make poorer choices when we have many options available. The reasoning is that making a choice when there is a lot of information available requires more effort, and we’d rather not spend all that effort and hence often settle on irrational choices.
Well, most lunch restaurants in Stockholm only offer one, or at most two, vegetarian meals. The effect is that I spend less time, and less effort, scouring menus for items that will satisfy whatever craving I presume I have that day.
So, in a sense, what I thought would be more of a struggle has made some parts of my life easier.
I’m betting you’ll discover many small unrelated changes in your life unraveling as you change your habits and your relationship to vegetarian meals.
But what difference does it really make for you to do this?
So, as it turns out, many of us are consuming meat in such abundant quantities that it’s actually increasing our risk for illness, creating unhealthy work environments for food producers, causing serious and extensive maltreatment of animals, and pushing the mass breeding of animals for food in such a way that our environment is deteriorating.
Obviously then, when a lot of people start just halving the amount of meat they eat, this has the potential for a huge impact throughout society and the environment.
In my head it’s better for one million people to halve their meat intake, or even just reduce it by 30%, than for one thousand people to become vegetarians. It’s more realistic. And the potential societal and environmental benefits are mindblowing.
Seriously, you think that would happen?
Well actually, once you’ve read this far it’s more about what you think will happen. Start next week. Only eat vegetarian meals for lunch for a month. Feel free to keep devouring meat in the evenings. That’s one simple choice you can make.
Let me know how it goes.
Sources and further reading:
- UK Meat consumption— The Guardian
- Meat consumption by type and country — census.gov (PDF)
- Meat consumption in Europe: Issues, trends and debates — paper by Minna Kanerva
- WCRF global network’s diet and cancer report website — World Cancer Research Foundation
- Visualizing a nation of meat eaters — NPR
- Three Problems Associated With Too Much Protein Intake — Healthy Eating, SF Gate
- How Much Dietary Protein Should People Consume? — MedicineNet
- Questions about protein — Harvard School of Publich Health
- How much protein do I need each day? — Popsugar
