Real Girls Eat Meat

For some reason, people always ask me why I am a vegetarian.

If anything, at this point, it's partially habit. I became one originally for moral and idealistic reasons, but it's been so many years, I don't even know what a hamburger or steak tastes like.

The most convincing reason to stay one seems to be the environmental effects of the production of meat. According to the Environmental Defense Fund, if every American gave up meat for one dinner a week (what? they don't? do people like this exist?), then it would be equivalent to taking 5 millions cars off the road. Of course, those figures are based on the traditional factory style method of meat production, not based on meat from environmentally conscious local farms.

However, figuring out where meat comes from and how it's regulated is a whole problem on its own. Spending last summer in France made me appreciate the methods of farm production and its emphasis on eating locally. But, that's more part of European culture than North American, anyways. It's so complicated navigating the most morally conscious way to consume meat and produce. For example, the demand for grazing land for cattle in order to feed the North American appetite has absolutely ravaged previously usable farmland and rainforest in South America and Africa; but their economies have now become dependent on the continued exportation of meat. Unless their economies are diversified, the financial consequences of not purchasing meat from South America and Africa are comparable to the environmental consequences of purchasing from them. Anyways, ya'll have heard this song before, I'm sure.

I've struggled with veganism. I've read absolutely horrible things about the dairy industry and cringe when I think of the hormones present in dairy products. I've been a vegan for months on end before, but I always cave in Europe, and since the 2 week New York pizza binge in July, I'm completely off the wagon. Unfortunately, I really love artisan cheeses. When I think about a frittata with goat cheese, fresh basil, and sundried tomatoes, I start mentally making a grocery list.

That being said, I probably eat 90-95% vegan. I do believe it's the healthiest and most ethical way to live, and I hate to be the high maintenance person that looks for vegan wines and asks if the bun on the veggie burger in the dive bar is vegan. But, if someone invited me over for a brie fest tomorrow, I couldn't say no.

Now that I'm on this roll, I have, admittedly, been craving seafood lately. Although I've cut out red meat for the better part of two (!) decades, seafood has been my weakness (save for the one time on my first date with a boy when I was 18, when he thought vegetarianism meant you could eat lamb. I should've taken it as a sign things weren't going to work out). I can't cook it to save my life, but lately, I don't know if it's the late summer sun or what, but I've been having lobster, halibut, and crab fantasies. Ugh.