Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.3 4.3bsd-beta 6/6/85; site aero.ARPA Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!bellcore!decvax!ittatc!dcdwest!sdcsvax!sdcrdcf!trwrb!trwrba!aero!anderson From: anderson@aero.ARPA (Tom Anderson) Newsgroups: net.veg Subject: Re: meat is a poison? Message-ID: <254@aero.ARPA> Date: Thu, 6-Feb-86 21:42:38 EST Article-I.D.: aero.254 Posted: Thu Feb 6 21:42:38 1986 Date-Received: Tue, 11-Feb-86 03:21:37 EST References: <796@decwrl.DEC.COM> <33@tekchips.UUCP> <73@Shasta.ARPA> Reply-To: anderson@aero.UUCP (Tom Anderson) Organization: The Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo, CA Lines: 74 [for the line eater] i too am a vegetarian that found out its tough to return to eating meat products. twelve years ago when i started eating veggie (as an experiment for reasons of health) i would try to accommodate meat eating friends and family by taking small portions (this occurred at holiday times). needless to say i experienced the same digestive discomfort mentioned in the referenced article. the longer i had been away from meat, the harder it was on me, so that now even a little bit would be very distressful. (the last time i tried to handle meat as part of a meal was over 5 years ago) i have to work hard not to sound like an evangelist when talking about the vegetarian diet. it really is something which works for me, and might work for others, but they have to find that out for themselves. i have probably done more converting to the idea of a meatless (or greatly reduced) diet by sharing the output of my kitchen than i have by discussion. the most prevalent question is something on the order of "...don't you get bored just eating vegatables...?" from the discussions i have been in, its obvious that i eat a more varied diet than almost all of my meat-inclusive eaters. (yes i still use eggs, cheese and other diary products, but in a very limited manner. i've dealt with lactose intolerance since birth) of course, living in southern california has made it significantly easier, as a wider variety of fresh veggie's are available year-round than i have found in other parts of the country. (i'm an old mid-west boy, grounded in the heart of meat-and-potatoes country) my biggest problem with being a veggie comes from travelling, which i do on an all too frequent basis. i have found that most good restaurants can accommodate you with off menu dinners, but i am often far from where good restaurants hang-out. so i have to plan ahead and be satified with picnic-ing out of my private food basket. an earlier net question on "...how do you find all the time..." is a second prevalent question. i don't notice the difference but then i started from the point of preparing from scratch before eliminating meat. i find the popularity of fast food a bit depressing, as i really love the smells coming from preparing ones own food. the local restaurants that i'm willing frequent have this trait too. i second the cookbook by Madhur Jaffrey for wonderful eastern sauces. the other recipes are also good. i have successfully translated most of the sauce recipes in Joy of Cooking from their meat (or other unacceptable ingredients for my diet). mostly i allow for experimentation, and don't fret when an attempt comes out "interesting". other cookbooks that i recommend include the Moosewood Cookbook and the sequel The Broccoli Forest; Vegetarian Epicure and Vegetarian Epicure II. i have used Diet for a Small Planet, Recipes for a Small Planet and other such cookbooks for improving the protein balance (and general nutritional balance) but find many of their recipes need work to make them palatable for even a long time veggie like me. both are good references. a bit long winded, but intended to encourage fledging veggie's. in truth, we are everywhere, and perhaps growing in percentage of the population, hopefully in acceptance. -- Thomas Anderson (213) 615-4360 anderson@aerospace.ARPA anderson@aero.UUCP {seismo!hao | tektronix}!hplabs \ !sdcsvax - !sdcrdcf!trwrb!trwrba!aero!anderson Aerospace Corporation, PO Box 92957, LA, 90009, MS: M1-117