November 15th, 2007
Restraints in eating habits are important, she says, stating that people living in industrialized countries consume 85 kilograms of meat per person, which is almost three times as much as the 41 kilos consumed in the developing world.
“That is more than our share,” she says, “and more than our climate can afford and more than our hearts can stomach.”
Ms. Kimber notes that despite the Vegetarian Society’s attempt to point this out, “It’s hard for environmentalists to look at what they are eating. It’s much easier to change a light bulb or carpool, than it is to eliminate a favorite food.”
Vegetarian and author M.L. Grant offers these tips for serving a vegetarian guest at the holiday table:
* Look at it as a challenge to learn about a different lifestyle, share recipes.
* Bake some stuffing outside the turkey
* Keep cooking utensils to avoid cross contamination between meat and vegetarian foods
* Make vegetarian gravy
* Adapt recipes where possible – use substitutions such as vegetarian broth, soy milk or EnerG brand egg replacement
* Use vegetable oil instead of animal fat for frying; use vegetable shortening like Crisco for pie crust
* Check all pre-packaged foods for ingredients – gelatin, whey, sodium caseinate can be animal-derived
* Have lots of side dish – but leave them plain
* Have lots of breads, fresh fruit, and non-gelatin desserts as well as beverages
* Ask guest to bring a dish of his/her own to share
* Regular sugar or not? Some sugar is filtered through charcoal – which sometimes means filtered through charred animal bones before it goes in the bag. If a guest is opposed to sugar, try evaporated cane juice crystals (unfiltered sugar). Or you can substitute maple syrup or corn syrup
And what if the vegetarian guest won’t eat anything? M.L. Grant refers to these folks as “vegetarians with attitude.” Her opinion?
<--Previous : : Next Page-->
