I thought I’d post some things that are great to read if you’re interested in vegetarianism (and if anyone out there is reading, please comment any additions!)

-Eating Animals (yes! Good read! The paperback is coming out soon too). An interesting look at the food industry in general

-Food Inc.

-Let Them Eat Junk (more of a academic book about capitalism but it’s a look at the American food industry that makes me question more than just meat)

-A blog by Saul Williams about vegetarianism

Will update as more come to mind!

I tore myself away from the book begrudgingly. I would have bought it then and there but it was $40, which seems like a lot to be spending on myself four days before Christmas. I have realized that I’m going to need to buy it though, Toronto Public Libraries have about 40 copies and all of them are on hold or out. And I need to read this book.

Jonathan Safran Foer tells his story of seeking out the answer to what “meat” is. His quest starts because, as someone who has been an on-again-off-again vegetarian, he really needed to decide how to feed his soon-to-be-born son.

His story seems to be plentiful in terms of both research and narrative (at least from the first few chapters that I read at Chapters) and his website has both information and discussion boards. He said in an interview that he wants to start a conversation and I’m really optimistic after this and the documentary Food Inc. that a mass conversation is on its way.

Here’s an interview with the author on Ellen:

I will update after I’ve fully read the book!

I watched the documentary Food Inc. a few days ago. It started with some feel good info for me, as a vegetarian. You know? Meat is pumped with hormones and factory farmed, same old. I was really feeling good, and then I really got some food for thought when I was reminded that food issues don’t stop or start with meat. It’s almost more like it starts with corn and soy. It’s also a good reminder of how powerful the food industry is.

Definitely check it out.

I was out for dinner a few nights ago with my masthead and we ordered some nachos. There were three plates, one plate with chicken at one end of the table, veggie nachos in the middle and beef nachos on the other end.

I was, of course, well placed in the middle of the table with vegetarian nachos sitting in front of me. The only other vegetarian on masthead was beside me. The amount of fuss other people created about having to eat vegetarian nachos before the others were rotated through really astounded me. I get that people want as much as possible and that they don’t want to miss out on anything. But people were acting like the exact same nachos without beef or chicken were disgusting… and they’re exactly the same minus the meat. Maybe they’d seem a little incomplete to some people but I don’t understand how they seem disgusting. Come on, they’re nachos!

If someone has an explanation, please let me know.

Vegetarian - someone who chooses not to eat meat, poultry, fish or byproducts of meat and fish, such as gelatin.

Lacto-ovo-vegetarian – include eggs and dairy products in their diets

Lacto-vegetarian – avoid eggs

Vegan – vegetarians who avoid dairy products and eggs, and nonfood items produced from animals

*The Vegetarian Cookbook (Nicola Graimes)

But something’s not sitting well, it’s not that my stomach’s upset it’s just that I feel like a cheat. How I feel about eating dairy has been on my mind a lot lately because I had a big talk with someone about veganism a few weeks ago.

I should mention that when I get an idea in my head (like “maybe dairy is gross”) I find it really hard to shake off. That’s probably why once I decided to be a vegetarian it wasn’t difficult for me to turn down meat, it had been written off in my mind.

So now I’ve been thinking a lot about whether I should be eating dairy and days when the thought is really on my mind it turns my stomach (clearly today wasn’t one of those days until after lunch). Before I was satisfied with always buying free range eggs for home and drinking soy milk instead of regular milk. I told myself I was doing as much as I could on my budget while trying to remain healthy. But of course, when I eat out it’s impossible to tell the conditions the cows and chickens lived in to provide dairy products. But, I told myself I was doing everything I could.

But now I’ve been reminded that cows are artificially inseminated to keep up milk production and that rennet (an enzyme found in a calf’s stomach) is in a lot of cheeses. While supporting both of these things may strictly stay within the lines of vegetarianism, it doesn’t seem right to me.

My reasons for keeping my eating habits dairy-inclusive are mainly out of convenience. Now that I’ve been confronted with problems in the dairy industry because of that recent conversation I’m feeling conflicted. For now, I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing, which includes thinking a lot about this and aiming to try out veganism soon.

*photo courtesy of www.alanskitchen.com

This isn’t about convincing anyone to be a vegetarian or telling you that vegetarianism is better than eating meat. You can make up your own mind. But because I get a lot of questions about being a vegetarian and I have a lot of thoughts about my choices that go beyond them being good, I thought I’d write them here.

Maybe I’ll talk about why I’m a vegetarian, what it’s like to be a vegetarian, why I’m not a vegan, what I eat and where I eat. We’ll see how it goes.

Enjoy.