Jews Should be Vegetarians

Plug in "Kosher" on PETA's website to get the facts

I read this article a long time ago (3 years?), but I wanted to bring it some more attention. Richard H. Schwartz argues that Vegetarianism is a Jewish Value. I completely agree (though I still eat fish, I’m not that proud of it and perhaps someday I’ll stop). Indeed, even if all efforts are made to kill the animal humanely, there seems to be a “loophole” in the Kosher laws that says nothing about how an animal is kept.

PETA's Website will give you the facts

I’m not sure Jews who keep Kosher know this or really care, but since there are no requirements regarding how an animal to be served Kosher is raised and kept, the conditions are oftentimes just as atrocious as non-Kosher meat and poultry. I’ve gone on before about how just there mere raising of cattle does tremendous damage to the earth G-d left us to care for.

Ants! I’ll Get You Mother F*ckers!

Friday, another mom on the playground asked me if the “ants showed up yet.” “What?” I asked. “Oh, it’s my fault, I left cookies out on the counter last night.” She was talking about the ants that invaded her house. I was feeling a tad bit superior b/c we didn’t have any ants inside our house. In fact, with the exception for a brief couple of days last year, we have never had ants in our house. Unfortunately, the second we entered the house, Charlie spotted an ant. I assumed we brought it in with us. No such luck. Five ants later in our kitchen and I was freaking out. Typically, I want to see all living things thrive and I don’t want to see them hurt (one of many reasons why we don’t eat meat). However, when it comes to my home, all bets are off. I feel like it is a personal attack on me when bugs or mice (we’ve had mice!) come into my home. I become obsessed. I want them gone! Right away, I got out the vinegar and water. I vacuumed and washed the floors. A few hours later, I spotted some more. I refused to go to sleep until Gadget Man (or I) went out to get some ant traps. Three days later and here they are again! I cleaned the floor again and ten minutes later, I spot some. I recently read that an ant can smell a crumb 100 yards away. With two little ones, a dog, and a husband who eats over the kitchen sink, we don’t stand a chance!

PETA’s New Eat No Animal Campaign

Check out the celebrities and funky t-shirt for PETA’s Eat No Animal Campaign.  I’m ordering one . . . MOO!

Love the Boca Burger?

Do you love Boca Burgers?  If you are like me, you’ll like them better if they are free.  Click on this link for a chance to win some free (I’m in the running myself).  When I was in Maryland at my Grandfather’s bedside, I was comforted by a warm Boca Burger from the hospital cafeteria.  Even today, it is so rare to find veggie options that are not pasta or cheese.  Believe me, if it were healthy to do so, I would eat pasta and cheese all the time!  Anyway, how do you like your Bocas?  I believe they are best on the grill, snuggled in an organic whole wheat bun and topped with grilled onions, organic relish (no high fructose corn syrup), organic ketchup (again, no hfcs) and mustard.  Gadget Man puts cheese and avocado on top.

Our School Cafeteria Food Sucks

My daughter just started kindergarten, so this is our first experience with school cafeteria food. Maybe I am naive, but I expected healthy food. The very first day of school should have been a clue for what was to come. The “special” of the day was hot dogs! This month’s menu has a hamburger or cheeseburger special every week and Tyson’s chicken patties or nuggets twice a week. The milk and cheese is chock full of artificial hormones and antibiotics. The chocolate milk has high fructose corn syrup and artificial flavoring. When I had lunch with my daughter one day, I discovered the pizza slices are heated in plastic wrap! Also, the “salad” consists of plain lettuce shoved into one of those condiment cups you get with take out (and, of course, the dressing had high fructose corn syrup in it). How can this be considered a serving when the entire salad fits on one fork? Besides the potentially soggy cheese pizza served every Friday, there are few meatless options for our family. Approximately twice a month, the special may be macaroni & cheese and some other pasta thing. Every day, the school has grilled cheese and peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, but my little one won’t eat either of those.
I could go on and on but by now, you get my point. Or maybe you don’t. Whenever I try to discuss these problems with the other parents, I get blank stares or a parent will say, “Why don’t you just pack a lunch?” Well, of course, I do. But why am I the only one up in arms about all of this? I thought the people in Skokie were more enlightened than this. I don’t expect tofu and bean sprouts. I do expect fresh food, abundant fruits and vegetables, and no artificial ingredients and hormones. Our district speaks over fifty languages (I can’t even name twenty!). Where’s the hummus, the Jerusalem salad, the rice & beans, the lentil soup the Thai noodles, the edamame?
School is about education, and that should include food. Furthermore, I believe that schools should set an example of what to eat to be healthy. If obesity is such a big problem among children, no one in this school district seems to notice. Oh, how I wish Alice Waters had a child at this school. She could rally the troops. I just met someone from the Healthy Schools Campaign. I hope she can help.

Ideally, I wish the school cafeteria served whole, unprocessed foods that were organically and/or locally grown. At the very least, I believe schools should not be providing foods with high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, artificial colors and flavorings, and artificial hormones and antibiotics. High fructose corn syrup is scientifically linked to obesity and can be found in most processed foods. Hydrogenated oils are trans fats which also contribute to obesity. Artificial food additives like colors and flavorings have been linked to cancer and hyperactivity in children (even ADHD). Artificial hormones, also known as rGBH and rBST (banned in the European Union) are administered to cows to aid in milk production. The hormones make the cows sick, thus causing the need for high doses of antibiotics to be administered. Ultimately, the hormones and the antibiotics get passed on to our bodies whenever we consume dairy products from these cows. These artificial hormones and antibiotics wreak havoc on our children’s bodies.
The two best books I have read on American obesity and food ingredients are Greg Crister’s Fat Land: How Americans Became the Fattest People in the World, and Eric Schlosser’s Fast Food Nation. Indeed, I believe every adult in this country who eats food or feeds food to children should read these books (yes, I know this means everyone, I’m being cheeky). So, the next time you find me standing next to you in the school pick up line, ranting on and on about the cafeteria food, you’ll say, “Right on, sister!” and we’ll start the revolution together.

Great Veggie Fast Food Alternatives

 

Do you know what drives me crazy? When I go to the food court (which is a rare occasion), the longest line of moms and kids is always at McDonalds. I have so many problems with that company that I just can’t name them all (most of all, they kill more animals than any other chain). Anyway, I came across this website and I couldn’t believe how many veggie and vegan options there are at some of the chains. If it says you can order the fries and a salad, I don’t find that to be a viable alternative. However, some of these restaurants really have some healthy stuff. The site also makes a good argument for patronizing some of the predominantly meat-based establishments such as Burger King:

Some well-meaning vegans have chosen to ignore the fast-food and chain restaurant market because of its emphasis on animal flesh, but the bottom line is this: In order to convince meat-eaters to stop eating animals, vegetarian options must be convenient and available in the places where meat-eaters munch. There will never be vegan or vegetarian options at restaurant chains unless vegetarians and vegans support them. Some of us never thought that we’d see the day when Burger King or Bennigan’s offered veggie burgers, but now that they do, the millions of carnivores who eat there can see that choosing meatless meals is easy and tasty. This is a huge step in the right direction.

It got me thinking, and it got me hungry!

Don’t Have a Cow Man!

Today I heard that livestock “farmers” are upset because corn prices are rising, due to the demand for corn in making ethanol. Don’t get me wrong, I love America’s farmers — the ones who don’t “farm” animals. The methane produced by cows greatly contributes to global warming. If you really want to be green, don’t eat meat! Putting the cruelty to animals argument aside (I consider it to be important, but many others could care less what happens to the animals that are put on their table), and putting the artery clogging argument to the side as well, these animals are polluting our earth! Here is part of an article published by Noam Mohr for Earth Save:

Methane and Vegetarianism
By far the most important non-CO2 greenhouse gas is methane, and the number one source of methane worldwide is animal agriculture.

Methane is responsible for nearly as much global warming as all other non-CO2 greenhouse gases put together. Methane is 21 times more powerful a greenhouse gas than CO2. While atmospheric concentrations of CO2 have risen by about 31% since pre-industrial times, methane concentrations have more than doubled. Whereas human sources of CO2 amount to just 3% of natural emissions, human sources produce one and a half times as much methane as all natural sources. In fact, the effect of our methane emissions may be compounded as methane-induced warming in turn stimulates microbial decay of organic matter in wetlands—the primary natural source of methane.

With methane emissions causing nearly half of the planet’s human-induced warming, methane reduction must be a priority. Methane is produced by a number of sources, including coal mining and landfills—but the number one source worldwide is animal agriculture. Animal agriculture produces more than 100 million tons of methane a year. And this source is on the rise: global meat consumption has increased fivefold in the past fifty years, and shows little sign of abating. About 85% of this methane is produced in the digestive processes of livestock, and while a single cow releases a relatively small amount of methane, the collective effect on the environment of the hundreds of millions of livestock animals worldwide is enormous. An additional 15% of animal agricultural methane emissions are released from the massive “lagoons” used to store untreated farm animal waste, and already a target of environmentalists’ for their role as the number one source of water pollution in the U.S.

The conclusion is simple: arguably the best way to reduce global warming in our lifetimes is to reduce or eliminate our consumption of animal products. Simply by going vegetarian (or, strictly speaking, vegan), , , we can eliminate one of the major sources of emissions of methane, the greenhouse gas responsible for almost half of the global warming impacting the planet today.

Indeed, all the waste runs off into our crops. Experts believe this is how e coli outbreaks occur in vegetables (e coli is found in the intestines of livestock).  While I feel sorry for farmers who are suffering from the higher prices of corn, I really wish they would find another line of work.  However, as long as people want to eat animals, “farmers” will want to breed and raise them.  Do something green (and good for your body too) stop eating meat!