Marion Nestle has a very good discussion of the pros and cons of vegetarian and vegan diets in the San Francisco Chronicle. You can read it here: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/02/07/FD821BS2H5.DTL
I eat "mostly vegan," and I exclude some meat products entirely from my diet (along with most processed foods and drinks.) I believe that a mostly plant based diet is both healthier in the long run and more conducive to weight management.
However, I don't think I'll ever take the step to be completely vegetarian or vegan. For one thing, I really don't have all that much empathy for animals. For another, I enjoy eating and just don't want to restrict myself to that level. Finally, I really don't like going to people's houses, etc and being the one who says "I don't eat that."
Marion Nestle said, "American vegetarians have the luxury of making such dietary choices."
ReplyDeleteI agree. My vegan friends think that this is something they could (or should) be able to do anywhere in the world with ease. I think even in developed countries it's often not that easy to do, especially away from home.