Several weeks ago, a good friend received a medical
diagnosis along with a recommendation from his physician to switch his usual
diet to a vegetarian diet. Since the Mrs. and I usually indulge in near
vegetarian cuisine for lunch and dinner during the workweek, I decided make
little tweaks in the dishes so that it’s vegan and we deliver part of that
culinary creation once a week to our buddy.
Vegetarian or Vegan?
Run of the mill vegetarian cuisine usually refers to a
dish that’s devoid of any animal flesh or contains ingredients that are derived
from animal flesh. For instance a minestrone soup that uses chicken stock isn’t
vegetarian even if the solids are all vegetables because chicken parts created
that chicken stock. If vegetable stock is used in place of the chicken stock
and if only vegetables go into the soup, then it’s vegetarian.
Most vegetarians still consume animal products such as
dairy from bovine and goats or unfertilized eggs and sometimes are referred to
as Lacto-Ovo vegetarians (milk and egg vegetarians). Veganism takes that one
step further where no animal products are consumed including dairy and eggs. So
that pure vegetable minestrone made with vegetable stock would also qualify as
vegan if no cheese were sprinkled on the finished dish.
Why Only
Vegetables?
People have different reasons for adhering to a diet
that’s purely plant based. For some, it’s simply ethical concerns where after
viewing those videotapes of large poultry farms where chickens are packed into coops
living on their own waste or whether it’s a bio-ecological concern that bovine
husbandry waste more resources than the final end point provides. Or it can
simply be for health reasons as vegetables contain zero cholesterol and most
sources are low in saturated fats. Or it could be a combination of all.
Personally, seeing videotapes of large poultry farms
where hormones are employed to get chicken to market size as fast as possible –
so fast that many birds’ legs can’t even support their breast tissue so they
simply sit on their waste for their short lives – along with the knowledge that
at major processing plants, their demise is far from humane is a little
troubling. It also is troubling that as a pharmacist, we see antibiotic
resistance on a regular basis and most of this resistance stems from the
regular use of antibiotics in animal husbandry. Since living conditions can be
cramped with the major labels, all you need is once sick animal to infect the
rest of the flock or herd hence the use of antibiotics. But when we consume
these animals, we also consume low levels of these antibiotics. Not in high
enough amounts to kill our own natural bacteria but enough so that these microbial
residents can create ways to disable these antibiotics. Which is a very bad
thing when you need that lifesaving antibiotic for a serious infection.
And everyone knows that one of the major by-products of
fuel combustion is carbon dioxide which as a greenhouse gas contributes to a
rise in global temperatures. Well, methane is also a greenhouse gas that has
about 70 times the atmospheric warming potential over a 20 year period as
carbon dioxide. And what is a significant source of methane? Cows! That multiple
chambered stomach is simply a large fermentation vessel that creates a load of
methane (the “air” that accidentally or intentionally is released from your
backside is simply swallowed air with some carbon dioxide) via the methane
producing bacteria that assist cows with digesting the copious amounts of
greenery they consume.
Or sometimes a vegetable based diet is simply consumed
for health reasons. They can add a lot of dietary fiber to our diets, contain
zero cholesterol (only animal products contain cholesterol) and are usually
very low in saturated fats – the type of fats that raise serum cholesterol. And
because animal hormones aren’t employed by even the large commercial farmers,
you don’t have to worry about unintentionally consuming hormones that might
foster the growth of unwanted tissues whether benign or malignant.
Is There Life
After Bacon?
I know Kenji will disagree with me but yes, the sun will
rise again tomorrow and life will go on as usual. Though I enjoy a 14 hour
smoked beef brisket or 12 hour smoked pork shoulder, animal proteins aren’t the
only foods that can be smoked. For starters, you can season your vegan cuisine
with smoked salt – I personally keep about three different smoked salts on hand
for everyday use. A hickory or mesquite smoked salt for that bold smoky flavor,
an apple or cherry wood smoked salt for that subtle smokiness and an alder or
wine vine smoked salt for that medium smoky flavor. I also like to finish
salads with smoked olive oil and simply grab liquid smoke for vegan stews and
casseroles. Or simply treat your vegetables like your animal proteins and throw
them in your smoker. An added benefit of smoking vegetables is plant matter
doesn’t contain the collagen and connective tissue that animal proteins contain
so you don’t have to smoke them for hours on end. We simply peel off the tough
stuff as our cooking preparation instead of cooking them for hours.
Am I Getting
Enough Protein?
Sure, if all you eat is carrots, you won’t get all of the
necessary nutrients including protein but the same can be said if you only eat
beef minus the protein part. The key is combining various foods regardless if
you’re a vegetarian or not. For instance, combining wheat, bean and sesame
protein gives you a complete protein. Perhaps that’s why hummus (bean and
sesame) on pita bread (wheat) has been consumed in the Middle East long before
nutrition was even a field in college. And now there are those “super” grains
like quinoa and amaranth that despite being of plant origin have complete amino
acid ratios like any animal protein. The ubiquitous potato also has a complete
amino acid profile making its protein as nutritious as most animal proteins.
But unlike animal proteins, these plant proteins come with a healthy dose of
dietary fiber and phytochemicals that may prevent or delay certain health
conditions. I’ve never heard of beef making you “regular”, lowering your risk
for heart disease or contributing to the “Five a Day” nutrition campaign.
Any Downside?
Consuming a vegan diet without any dietary
supplementation does leave you at risk for a vitamin B12 deficiency as vitamin
B12 or cyanocobalamin only comes from animal sources. Therefore, you would
either have to supplement your diet with B12 tablets or occasionally convert to
a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet. Some processed foods (cereals) are still vegan and
are also supplemented with B12 as a long term deficiency of B12 can lead to a
pseudo-dementia as well as certain anemias so you do want to make sure you get
adequate B12 if you are a strict vegan.
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