According to the American Dietetic
association, “vegetarians have a reduced risk of heart disease, obesity, colon cancer, adult-onset diabetes, osteoporosis, gout, gallstones, kidney stones, lung cancer and breast cancer.”
This is the Google-manufactured answer I received when I typed “reasons to be a vegetarian” into the search bar. There are so many health-related reasons that I could use to completely validate the fact that I haven’t eaten meat in almost four months. But it would be a lie to say I made this choice for those reasons alone.
It started as a challenge — a bet of sorts. But once I started paying attention to what was in the food I was eating and where it came from, I realized that being a vegetarian was an important decision for me. Soon, I couldn’t look at a piece of meat without thinking about where it came from and feeling a twinge of guilt, knowing that what I was about to eat used to be a living creature.
Now, this is where my Papa or Uncle Robert would butt in and say something about the food chain like, “It’s only natural,” or “God made the animals for us to eat.” I get that. I understand that meat is a staple of the American diet, and I’m not petitioning to get rid of it. This article isn’t meant to say that everyone should become a vegetarian. Becoming a vegetarian was a huge personal decision for me, and even though I intend to continue with this decision, I don’t expect anyone else to. I write this article in hopes of proving the importance of being aware of the things that go into the food we eat.
This might be an exaggeration, but I feel like 80 percent of the times that I have driven through Batesville, Arkansas, I’ve found myself stuck behind one of those chicken trucks. I hate those trucks, not just because they smell like defecating chickens, but because I cringe at the sight of them. Those poor chickens can’t move. They’re forced into tiny cages, shoved in with thousands of other chickens. Some of them won’t make it to the chicken factory alive and the others are stuck chillin’ next to their dead chicken buddies for the entire ride.
Now, I know how good a chicken biscuit tastes. The only struggle I had quitting meat cold turkey was when my roommate suggested Chick-fil-A for dinner before realizing I couldn’t eat there. But, personally, I can’t get over the crazy, gross and cruel conditions those chickens are kept in. And it’s not just chickens. So many factory farms mistreat their animals, and those animals have no legal protection from cruelty that would be illegal if inflicted on dogs or cats. Those animals are just as capable of feeling pain as our pets are, so why do we see them so differently?
This is a cause I’m passionate about, but I understand that I’m a bit more sensitive when it comes to animals than most people. Overall, I just think it’s extremely important for people to be aware of what goes into producing their food, meat or otherwise. And there is so much more to consider, like where the food came from and whether fair trade practices or GMOs were used to produce it.
I encourage everyone to look into the products they buy and the places they come from, but I also understand that college students don’t always have the luxury of making that choice.
I want to say a massive thank you to whoever was behind putting a vegan section in the cafeteria. Thank you for thinking about students with different dietary needs and providing an alternative to salads or grilled cheese. You have no idea how much I appreciate that extra effort. My only suggestion is to have a vegan or vegetarian option available at all times, or at least more often. In all honesty, there should probably be healthier food in the cafeteria, not just for special diets, but for students in general.
Becoming a vegetarian was a decision I made after becoming more aware of what went into the making of my food, but that was a bit of an extreme outcome. Simply being aware of the food you consume can make you think healthier and make better decisions about what you eat.
