Eating that Cow is Like Driving an SUV or Be More Friendly with Veggies

Let's be clear. I am an Omnivore, but I have not finished the copy of The Omnivore's Dilemma that's been on my side table for more than a year. Nor have I consumed In Defense of Food, the Caveman Diet, or the myriad of other writings on healthier, organic eating. (I do plan to make my way through at least Pollan's work as a start). So at this moment, I am not yet scarred by the horrific images of our food chain.

My Midwestern roots currently keep me firmly comfortable with consuming most meats and veggies. And no, I do not know 100 ways to prepare corn just because I know how to detassel it.

I also have no aversion to vegetables. With very few exceptions (sorry lima beans and collard greens) I am friendly with produce. Bring on the roasted brussels sprouts, steamed or grilled asparagus, peas by the pound, and so much more.

Yet, when putting together a dinner menu for the week, I am always following the unspoken triangle in my head: meat, veggie, starch. This does not mean only pot roast and pork chops. We eat a lot of fish (a potential problem and separate post) by way of tilapia, salmon, and sea bass. We also tend to use ground buffalo now more than ground beef thanks to the Buffalo Lady at the Kansas City farmer's market. (Note: Only Whole Foods and Wegmans in our area consistently carry Buffalo and even then, very little variety.)

So, when the idea was presented that eating one additional meatless meal per week could have a real impact on the environment, I was intrigued. After all, I'm pro-veggie, so why not consciously make a choice to eat a meal entirely built around them (fruits too, but I am not a fruitarian).

The environmental cost of meat. Eating one pound of meat emits the same amount of greenhouse gases as driving an SUV 40 miles. It's the supply chain and the product itself that hurts us on this one.

An interesting piece in NewScientist reviews new research on this issue:

• Cutting back on beefburgers and bacon could wipe $20 trillion off the cost of fighting climate change.
• The livestock sector receives surprisingly little attention, despite the fact that it accounts for 18% of the greenhouse gas emissions and for 80% of total anthropogenic land use.

"The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization has estimated that meat production accounts for nearly a fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions. These are generated during the production of animal feeds, for example, while ruminants, particularly cows, emit methane, which is 23 times more effective as a global warming agent than carbon dioxide. The agency has also warned that meat consumption is set to double by the middle of the century."

Many of us could argue, we already eat at least one meal a week that doesn't contain an animal protein. So, why not add another? That is the question I am pondering as I plan my weekly meals.

The easy solution of course is stir fry (I know, you thought I was going to say cheese pizza). This past year I have started to embrace wok cooking. For the record, the wok is genius. Why on earth I didn't bother before and why I don't use it more is a perfect example of why we cook what we know. I didn't grow up with wok cooking, I didn't have an early exposure to wok cooking, so I just didn't do it.

Between a trip to China and a trip the Philippines our household suddenly became intrigued enough by the capable piece of cookware to ask for one (thanks mom!). But let's be honest, cooking veggie stir fry takes a lot of prep. Seriously look at all these veggies:

It is going to take some serious re-prioritization to get me to chop that many veggies more than once a week, so I think additional veggie dinner choices are going to have to be explored (again, beyond pizza).

In case you're wondering, all those veggies cook down in about 10 minutes and are delicious on  rice (in this case jasmine, it's what I had on hand).

So, I'm in pursuit of non-pasta, non-carb heavy meat free options to take our house from one meal meat free a week, to at least two.