Why Some Vegetarians Do Not Wear Leather And Silk

Most vegetarians who stop eating meat for ethical
reasons also take measures to avoid contributing to the
suffering and death of animals (and even insects) in other
capacities. For instance, a number of vegetarians refuse to
wear leather and silk because they see it as an ethical
violation of their respect for all living things.

Vegetarians who refuse to wear silk argue that the process
involves unnecessary cruelty to moth larvae. Rather than
allowing the moth to grow and leave the cocoon, silk
manufacturers boil the larvae alive, causing them to suffer
and writhe, in order to obtain longer strands of silk.

Leather, by contrast, does not directly contribute to the
suffering of animals in most cases. In most cases, leather
is made from the byproducts of animals that would be
slaughtered for meat, rennet, and other animal
products.

This is precisely why many vegetarians who have an ethical
dilemma with meat have no problem wearing leather: because
they do not see it as the primary reason for killing the
animals, but instead a byproduct of the slaughter.

However, certain groups of vegans oppose wearing leather
on the grounds that it indirectly contributes to the
suffering of animals.

These vegans argue that contributing money to the companies
that own the slaughterhouses (and sell the byproducts for
leather, etc.) is just as bad as actually purchasing and
eating meat yourself because you are still contributing
money to the continuation of institutionalized animal
suffering.

This is certainly something to consider if you are
currently a vegan or a vegetarian for ethical reasons.
It may have been tough to give up meat in the first place,
but if you are truly committed to the cause and you
believe the arguments are strong-enough, you may want
to avoid clothing purchases that will aid institutions
that cause animal suffering.

Trail Mix

Makes: 6+ Servings

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Raisins
1/2 Cup Walnuts
1/3 Cup Almonds
1/4 Cup Dried Banana Chips

Directions:

1. Mix ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Serve.

Baba Ghannouj

Makes: 3 Servings

Ingredients:

2 Baby Eggplant
1/2 Tablespoon Lemon juice
1/4 Teaspoon Pepper
2 Cloves Garlic – Mashed
1 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
1/4 Cup Tahini
1 Tablespoon Fresh Parsley – Chopped

Directions:

1. Cut eggplant into cubes & steam in water.
2. Blend eggplant into paste.
3. Add remaining ingredients.
4. Blend further.
5. Chill in refrigerator.
6. Serve.

Why People Become Vegetarians

Many nonvegetarians wonder what drives vegetarians to give
up meat and adopt an entirely different lifestyle.
There is no single answer to this question. Nonvegetarians
become vegetarians for a number of different reasons – some
even for multiple reasons.

Most vegetarians claim that they became a vegetarian for
one of three reasons.

The first reason, which most vegetarians claim, is that
they have ethical problems with eating meat. Most disagree
with how chickens are debeaked, forced to live in small
cages, and are then slaughtered when they do not produce
eggs fast enough.

Most vegetarians also disagree with the crowded and
stressful environments animals are forced into; and
the hormone-laden feed used to make them grow faster
and produce more.

People who become vegetarians for this purpose often
draw ethical boundaries in different spots, depending on
their personal beliefs. For instance, some staunch vegans
wont consume yeast, wear wool, or even eat certain
vegetables, such as carrots, that require killing the
plant to harvest.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, some vegetarians–
sometimes referred to as pseudo-vegetarians–will actually
eat fish and chicken on a regular basis.

The second biggest reason vegetarians claim for not eating
meat is that it conflicts with their dietary preferences.
Some of these vegetarians simply do not like the texture
and taste of meat; others do not eat it because it is high
in cholesterol and often contains high concentrations
of hormones and preservatives.

The third and smallest group of vegetarians cite
environmental reasons for not consuming meat. They complain
that consumption of meat causes farmers to continually
deforest land to create grazing land for cattle.

In addition to these three major groups, there are a number
of other smaller groups of vegetarians who stopped eating
meat for entirely different reasons.

Extra Cheesy Toast

Makes: 3 Servings

Ingredients:

6 Slices Whole Wheat Bread
9 Slices Cheddar Cheese
1 Tablespoon Butter

Directions:

1. Butter each piece of toast.
2. Create 3 sandwiches – each with
3 pieces of cheese.
3. Cook in oven at 350 degrees. Flip
half-way. Cook until cheese is melted
and toast is browned.

Wild Rice & Mushroom Casserole

Makes: 4-5 Servings

Ingredients:

2 Cups Wild Rice
1 Vidalia Onion – Sliced
4 Cups Vegetable Broth
5 White Mushrooms – Sliced
3 Cloves Garlic – Diced

Directions:

1. Add ingredients to crockpot or
casserole dish.
2. Pour broth over top & cover.
3. Cook on low heat for hours until
vegetables are soft and rice is finished.

Vegan Alternatives To Gelatin

Gelatin serves both nutritional and culinary roles in
nonvegetarian diets; however, a lot of vegetarians and
all vegans do not consume gelatin in its many forms
because it is often created out of boiled pig skins and
dissolved veal cartilage and bones.

This leaves vegetarians with a gap in cooking
functionality when a recipe calls for a gel or thickening
agent. It also leaves vegetarians with fewer options if they
need a source of gelatin to increase bone and cartilage
health.

If you are a vegetarian and you are looking for something
to replace gelatin, do not despair. Here are some alternative
options for you:

1. Use a rice starch alternative. A&B Ingredients recently
developed a rice starch alternative to gelatins that mimics
the cooking functionality of gelatins closely.

2. Use a soy-based alternative. Soyfoods USA developed
NuSoy Gel, a gelatin alternative which was created
entirely out of of soy isoflavones and contains 100% of
your vitamin c recommended daily allowance.

3. Use seaweed-based alternatives. Agar-agar, for instance,
is a seaweed based alternative to gelatin that can simulate
the culinary functions of gelatin.

4. Increase your calcium intake. One component of gelatin
supplements that allegedly increases joint health is
calcium. If you want to increase your calcium intake
without eating gelatin, you can simply consume more
calcium-fortified foods and even take supplements.

5. Increase your vitamin c intake. Another component of
gelatin supplements that allegedly increases joint health is
vitamin c. You can increase your vitamin c intake by
consuming more citrus fruit.

6. Increase your glucosamine intake. No foods contain
glucosamine, but you can increase your intake by purchasing
supplements at your local grocery store or pharmacy. This
is rumored to improve joint health if taken regularly.

To reiterate – gelatin has two major functions: it works
as a thickening agent for foods and is rumored to improve
joint health; both of these functions can easily
be mimicked by structural and nutritional alternatives.

Apple Crunch Muffins

Makes: 8 Servings

Ingredients:

3 Cups Flour
1 Cups Sugar
2 Eggs – Beaten
4 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 Cups Vegetable Shortening
1 Cup Milk
2 Teaspoons Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Salt
2 Cups Apples – Diced Well

Directions:

1. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.
2. Mix wet ingredients in another bowl.
3. Combine wet and dry ingredients.
4. Mix in apples & beat out lumps.
5. Add batter to muffin tins.
6. Cook at 375 degrees.
7. Allow muffins to cool on a rack.
8. Serve!

Cooking With Tofu

If you aren

Mushroom Pasta

Makes: 4 Servings

Ingredients:

4 Cups Fresh Mushrooms – Sliced
1/2 Purple Onion – Diced
2 Tablespoons Dry Sherry
1 Cup Vegetable Broth
1/2 Cup Soy Milk
1 Tablespoons Mustard
2 Cups Pasta
1 Tablespoon Flour

Directions:

1. Add small amount of liquids to a saucepan & heat on a low
flame.
2. Add vegetables and saute until tender.
3. Add broth & bring to a boil.
4. Mix in remaining ingredients (other than pasta),
cover with a lid & simmer for 10-15 minutes.
5. Cook pasta in a pot.
6. Add pasta to vegetables and spices & serve.