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Vegetarian Starter Kit (Compassion Over Killing)
Vegetarian Starter Kit (Compassion Over Killing)
starter guide
of scavenger hunt. But today, virtually every major grocery store sells animal-free
foods like veggie burgers, creamy soy and rice milks, meat-free “chicken” patties,
soy sausage, and even dairy-free ice creams. And restaurants—from fast-food to
“Vegetarian” means different things to different people. In this guide, the word
describes avoiding meat, eggs, and dairy products––also called vegan (pro-
nounced VEE-gun). A lacto-ovo vegetarian is someone who does not eat meat, but
and earth-friendly people are eating vegetarian fare and just how easy it can be!
COMPASSION Thanks to Sarah Farr, PETA, Farm Sanctuary, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, Poplar
Spring Animal Sanctuary, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture for sharing photos with us.
OVER KILLING
Box 9773 • Wash., DC 20016
www.cok.net • [email protected]
301- 891-2458 • F: 301- 891- 6815 Printed in loving memory of Cliff Kaminsky.
3
saving ourselves,
one bite at a time
As rates of obesity, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, hypertension, and
other life-threatening conditions skyrocket in the United States,
many researchers and medical experts come to the same conclusion:
A vegetarian diet can help protect your health and even reverse
some diseases, including the most common one—heart disease.
Vegetarians have been reported to have lower body mass indices than non-veg-
etarians, as well as lower rates of death from ischemic heart disease; vegetarians
also show lower blood cholesterol levels; lower blood pressure; and lower rates of
hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and prostate and colon cancer.
— The American Dietetic Association, Journal of the ADA, June 2003, Vol. 103, No. 6
is milk a natural?
Our bodies have no natural need for cows’ milk. We weren’t designed with some
odd flaw requiring us to drink the milk of other animals. Yet humans are the only
animals who drink another species’ mother’s milk. Indeed, just as dogs’ milk is
intended for puppies, rats’ milk for baby rats, and humans’ milk for human infants,
cows’ milk is for calves. Our bodies treat cows’ milk as an invader, and including
milk and other dairy products in our diets is linked to many health problems.
Milk is touted for building strong bones, yet some research shows otherwise. Harvard School of Public Health’s
Nutrition chairman Walter Willet, M.D., M.P.H., Dr.P.H., writes: “Interestingly, many long-term studies have now exam-
ined milk consumption in relation to risk of fractures. With remarkable consistency, these studies do not show reduction in
fractures with high dairy product consumption. The hype about milk is basically an effective marketing campaign by the
American Dairy industry.”9
Risk of osteoporosis can be lowered by reducing sodium intake, eating more fruits and vegetables, exercising, and
getting enough calcium from plant foods and vitamin D from sunlight or fortified sources. (Please see suggested calcium
sources on page 5.)
protein: almonds, black beans, brown iron: black beans, bran flakes, cashews, calcium: almonds, black beans,
rice, cashews, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), Cream of Wheat®, garbanzo beans broccoli, calcium-fortified orange juice,
kidney beans, lentils, lima beans, peanut (chickpeas), GrapeNuts®, kidney beans, collard greens, great northern beans, kale,
butter, pinto beans, seitan, soybeans, lentils, navy beans, oatmeal, pumpkin kidney beans, mustard greens, navy
soymilk, sunflower seeds, textured seeds, raisins, soybeans, soymilk, beans, orange juice, pinto beans, sesame
vegetable protein (TVP), tofu, vegetarian spinach, sunflower seeds, tofu, tomato seeds, soybeans, soymilk, textured
hot dogs and burgers juice, whole wheat bread vegetable protein (TVP), tofu
For more detailed information on vegetarian eating and your health, visit PCRM.org, VRG.org, or VeganHealth.org.
1. Ornish D, et al. Can lifestyle changes reverse coronary heart disease? Lancet 1990;336:129-33. 5. Proposed CAFO Preamble and Rule, U.S. EPA, www.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/cafo_ch5.pdf.
2. Phillips RL. Role of lifestyle and dietary habits in risk of cancer among Seventh-Day Adventists. 6. Literature Review and Assessment of Pathogens, Heavy Metal, and Antibiotic Content of Waste and
Cancer Res (Suppl) 1975;35:3513-22. Wastewater Generated by CAFOs, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency contract 68-C-99-263.
3. Ornish D, et al. Dietary trial in prostate cancer: early experience and implications for clinical trial 7. Antibiotic Use in Food-Producing Animals Must Be Curtailed to Prevent Increased Resistance in
design. Urology 2001;57(4 Suppl 1):200-1. Humans, World Health Organization, Press release WHO/73, Geneva, October 20, 1997.
4. Spencer EA, et al. Diet and body mass index in 38,000 EPIC-Oxford meat-eaters, fish-eaters, 8. American Medical Association. House of Delegates, Resolution 508, June 2001.
vegetarians and vegans. International Journal of Obesity 2003;27:728-34. 9. Scientific American, January 2003.
saving animals,
one bite at a time
The animals we eat are individuals capable of experienc-
ing pleasure, fear, and pain. Think about dogs or cats
you’ve come to know. They can feel sorrow, joy, terror,
and other emotions. So can animals we don’t know so
well, like chickens, cows, or pigs. All of these animals,
whether chicken or cat, pig or puppy, experience a wide
range of emotions and value their lives. Yet, the animals
who we eat are treated so abusively in this country that
similar treatment of dogs or cats would be grounds for
animal cruelty charges in all 50 states.
In the United States alone, more than 10 billion land
animals (and billions more aquatic animals) are slaugh-
tered for food every year—more than 1 million animals
every hour. The overwhelming majority of them are
kept on factory farms, where the goal is to raise as many
animals as possible in the least amount of time and space.
the birds
“Layers” (chickens raised for their eggs), “broilers” (chickens raised for
meat), and turkeys are forced to endure horrific abuse.
Only female chickens lay eggs, and since the breed of egg-laying
chickens is totally different from that of bulked-up broiler chickens, male
chicks are useless to the egg industry. So they are gassed, crushed, dis-
carded in trash bags to suffocate, or simply piled one on top of another, to
die from dehydration or asphyxiation. They have it easy compared to Soon after birth and without painkillers,
female chicks. parts of laying hens’ and turkeys’ beaks are
While many countries are banning the battery cage system seared off with a hot blade. Factory farmers
mutilate them to diminish the effects of
because of its inherent cruelty, egg producers in the United States aggression caused by severe overcrowding.
still cram hens into small, wire cages for their entire lives.
These hens spend their days unable to engage in nearly any of their
natural habits, like perching, nesting, dust-bathing, foraging, roaming, or
even flapping their wings. Frustrated and overcrowded, the birds often
attack each other. To reduce the impact of stress-induced aggression, soon
after the chicks are born, parts of their beaks are seared off with a hot blade
without painkillers. Debeaking causes them both acute and chronic pain.
When their egg production declines, “spent” hens are killed and
sent to rendering plants as their flesh is too battered to even go into
canned soup. Egg-laying hens are so intensively
confined in cages that they cannot even flap
Broilers—the chickens we eat—and turkeys are confined in large, their wings.
warehouse-style sheds housing tens of thousands of animals. To reduce the
pressures of overcrowding, factory farmers amputate turkeys’ toes and
mutilate their beaks shortly after birth, causing pain and physical
conditions that makes eating, walking, and even standing difficult.
Nearly all of the chickens we eat (called Egg-laying hens are crowded in wire Factory-farmed turkeys are constantly
“broilers”) are kept tightly packed in sheds “battery cages” the size of filing drawers, confined in warehouse-type sheds holding
without access to the outdoors. stacked one on top of another. tens of thousands of birds.
Meet Ashley
Ashley was rescued from a gruesome
slaughter and now lives in peace at an
animal sanctuary. She makes sure to
meet and greet visitors and delights
everyone with her quirky personality.
Heavy from the selective breeding of meat factory farmers, she walks
slowly. Often, she’s carried back to her barn companions after a day of
Many birds are slaughtered while fully serving as a turkey ambassador.
conscious.
the pigs
Each year, millions of pigs are kept constantly confined by U.S. animal
agribusiness. In the wild, pigs root the earth, cool themselves in mud baths,
and walk for miles sniffing for food or exploring their surroundings. On
factory farms, they’re unable to do much of what is natural to them and are
treated as though they are unfeeling, meat-producing or piglet-making
machines.
Pigs raised for meat are kept in concrete
Sows (female pigs) suffer through constant cycles of pregnancy and fattening pens.
nursing, in metal stalls so small the animals can’t even turn around or lie
down comfortably during their entire four-month pregnancies.
Piglets not used as “breeders” suffer mutilations just as chickens and
turkeys do. Confinement in fattening pens—concrete cells housing several
pigs—and the unnatural conditions inherent in factory farming result in
frustration, boredom, and aggression such as tail biting and fighting. The
industry’s response is not to make conditions less inhumane. Instead, factory
farmers cut off the tails of baby piglets, punch bits out of their ears, cut off
the ends of some of their teeth, and rip out the males’ testicles—excruciat- Pregnant sows are kept in gestation crates
ing procedures performed without painkillers. so small they can’t even turn around.
The slaughter of pigs can be horrific. While they are supposed to be
stunned before being killed, the procedure is often rushed and imprecise. As a
result, pigs are commonly still conscious as workers hang them upside down,
slit their throats, cut off their limbs, and rip their skin from their bodies.
Meet Larry
Larry was rescued and taken to
an animal sanctuary, his life
spared while his mother’s was
taken. Too young to take care of
himself, he slept snuggled next to a Piglet doll.
Now, Larry lives with other rescued pigs and naps in cool mud
baths, roots through the soil, and takes leisurely strolls. Rub his
belly—just for a minute—and you’ve got a friend for life! At slaughter, pigs are hung upside down
and have their throats slit.
Artificially inseminated cows are pumped Veal calves are constantly confined in small A downed cow is left to suffer and die at a
full of drugs to increase milk production. crates that restrict virtually any movement. stockyard as her frightened calf looks on.
the cows anemic and pales the color of their flesh. After roughly 16
weeks of lonely intensive confinement, without being
Every year, millions of cows are slaughtered to stock our nursed by their mothers or feeling grass beneath their feet,
grocery stores with beef, veal, and even dairy products. the calves are slaughtered.
As with all mammals, cows produce milk for their Cattle raised for beef sales are also subjected to cruel
babies. To ensure the highest milk yield possible, U.S. treatment. Without painkillers, they have their testicles
factory farmers artificially inseminate dairy cows every year ripped out, their horns cut off, and third-degree burns
and keep them pumped full of steroids and other hormones. (branding) inflicted on them. For the first six to ten
After giving birth, the mothers are hooked up to months of their lives, they are allowed access to the out-
machines two or three times a day that take the very milk doors before they’re trucked—often over hundreds of
intended for their calves. After two months, the mothers are miles—to feedlots where they’ll be fattened on an unnatu-
once again impregnated and then milked for seven months ral diet of grains and “fillers” (including sawdust and
of their nine-month pregnancies. The physically taxing chicken manure). They’ll stay on the feedlot for another six
cycle of impregnation, birthing, and mechanized milking to ten months until they reach “market weight” of more
forces the average dairy cow to be “spent” by her fifth than 1,000 pounds. Finally, they’re shipped to slaughter.
birthday. If allowed to live naturally, cows can live to be 25. Food given to animals the day before and during
One byproduct of the dairy industry is a calf per transport to slaughterhouses won’t be converted into flesh,
year per cow. A calf ’s fate depends on his or her gender: If so they receive no food or water. Animals may die on the
female, she will likely join her mother on the dairy line. If trucks—frozen to the metal sides, overheated, or dehy-
male, he will be sold to beef or veal farmers, often before he drated. At slaughter, they endure painful deaths like pigs
is a week old. and other farmed animals.
The veal industry is thus a direct byproduct of the dairy
industry. Virtually every calf slaughtered for veal is the
child of a cow on the dairy line. Most of these calves spend Meet Norman
their entire lives chained alone inside wooden crates too
small for them to even turn around. To produce the most Thankfully, Norman was
tender meat, the crates are purposefully designed to prevent rescued before being turned
movement and cause muscle atrophy. The urine-soaked into hamburger. Strikingly
wood-slat flooring causes many calves to suffer from handsome, his expressive
eyes follow you as you
chronic pneumonia and other respiratory problems, so veal
approach, wondering if
farmers dose them with antibiotics. And, while their
you’ll have the apples he
mothers’ milk is being stolen on dairy farms, these calves
loves so much.
are fed an iron-deficient milk substitute that keeps them
Our everyday food choices have far-reaching impacts that can’t be ignored. Each time
we sit down to eat, we make a choice: do we want to support kindness and mercy, or
do we want to support cruelty and misery?
The animals we eat can suffer just like the dogs and cats we welcome into our
homes and families. Yet, if the abuses endured by farmed animals were forced upon
dogs and cats, the perpetrators would be prosecuted for cruelty to animals.
We can help make the world a better place, every time we sit down to eat. By
choosing vegetarian foods, we take a stand for compassionate living.
choosing sustainability
Enjoying vegetarian foods not only saves the lives of countless animals each year,
but also helps restore our natural environment. By avoiding animal products in our
diets, we choose sustainability over ecological destruction, and take positive steps
to protect our planet for ourselves and our loved ones.
1. Animal Waste Pollution in America: An Emerging National Problem, Minority Staff of Senate Committee 4. Howard Lyman. Mad Cowboy: Plain Truth from the Cattle Rancher Who Won’t Eat Meat. Scribner, 1998.
on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry, 104th Congress, Dec. 1997. 5. EQIP Restrictions For Large CAFOs: A Key to Saving Small Farms and Environmental Quality,
2. Michael Brower and Warren Leon. The Consumer’s Guide to Effective Environmental Choices: Practical Advice Defenders of Wildlife, 2001.
from the Union of Concerned Scientists. Three Rivers Press/Crown Publishers, 1999. 6. The Rap Sheet on Animal Factories, Sierra Club, 2002.
3. Clean Water & Factory Farms, Corporate Hogs at the Public Trough, Perdue Farms, Maryland, Sierra 7. Resolutions for a New Millennium, Audubon News, Jan. 1, 2000.
Club, 1999. 8. Marcia Barinaga. Fish, Money, and Science in Puget Sound, Science, Feb. 9, 1990.
for your
grocery cart
Vegetarian eating is as easy as substituting tangy
marinara for meat sauce, opting for black bean
burritos instead of beef tacos, enjoying creamy soy or rice
milk in place of cow’s milk, and exploring all of the wonderful animal-free, earth-friendly,
and healthy products in our grocery stores. Today, we no longer need to make a special
trip to our local health food store to fill our shopping carts with a wide array of vegetarian
choices: Nearly all major supermarkets feature delicious, cruelty-free food.
hot dogs: Lightlife’s Smart Dogs® and Yves’s The Good Dog®
hamburgers: Boca’s Vegan Original® and Gardenburger’s GardenVegan®
cold cuts: Turtle Island Foods’s Tofurky® and meatless deli slices by Lightlife and Yves
ground beef: Boca’s Ground Burger®, Morningstar Farms’s Ground Meatless
Crumbles®, Lightlife’s Smart Ground®, and Yves’s Ground Round®
sausage & bacon: Gardenburger’s Meatless Breakfast Sausage®, Lightlife’s Gimme
Lean®, and Turtle Island Foods’s Tofurky® sausages and bratwurst; Lightlife’s Smart Bacon® and Fakin’ Bacon®
chicken nuggets: Trader Joe’s Soy Poppers® and Health Is Wealth’s Chicken-Free Nuggets® and Buffalo Wings®
butter: Willow Run’s stick soy margarine, Soy Garden’s Natural Buttery Spread®, and Earth Balance’s Natural Buttery Spread®
eggs: Ener-G’s Egg Replacer® and Fantastic Foods’s Tofu Scrambler®
milk: any of the dozens of brands in various flavors of soy or rice milk
ice cream: pints, bars, and even “nice” cream sandwiches • Soy
Delicious’s Decadent®, Tofutti Cuties®, and Whole Soy’s Glacé®
cheese: Tofutti’s nondairy soy cheese and Follow Your Heart’s Vegan Gourmet®
yogurt: Whole Soy’s and Stonyfield Farm’s vegan yogurts
cream cheese & sour cream: Tofutti’s Better Than Cream Cheese® and
Sour Supreme®
mayonnaise: Nasoya’s Nayonaise® and Follow Your Heart’s Vegenaise®
Ener-G’s Egg Replacer® is a ready-made product available in most health food stores that is not only quick and easy
to use when recipes call for eggs as a binding agent (such as in baking), but is also cholesterol-free.
Nutritional yeast is an inactive yeast rich in vitamins and minerals, with a wonderful cheesy flavor. It can be easily
added to soups, stews, casseroles, or in place of cheese to make any dish creamier. Experiment and be pleasantly surprised
by the delicious concoctions you create!
Seitan (SAY-tan), also known as wheat meat, is a delicious, high-protein meat substitute. Made primarily from wheat
gluten, find it prepackaged in a variety of flavors and dishes. Try seitan in your favorite entrée recipe or in a stir-fry.
Soy cheese is a non-dairy cheese made from soybeans. In 1968, I became vegetarian after realizing
Use it as a cheese substitute in any dish. Check the product that animals feel afraid, cold, hungry, and
label as some brands contain casein, a cow’s milk protein.
unhappy like we do….It was my dog Boycott
Soy margarine is a tasty, non-dairy version of butter who led me to question the right of humans
without the cholesterol (and cruelty) found in other butters
to eat other sentient beings.
and margarines.
— Cesar Chavez, farming activist
Soy and rice milks are healthy alternatives to cow’s milk.
Increasingly available in your local grocery store (as well as in health food stores), soy- or rice-based beverages come in
flavors ranging from plain to vanilla to cocoa to strawberry. Try it on your favorite cereal, in your morning coffee, in any
recipe that calls for milk, or drink it straight! Each of the dozens of brands of soy and rice milks has its own distinct taste,
so taste test to find the one you like best.
Tofu, a staple in Asian cooking, is a high-protein soybean product. Tofu comes in many different textures and happily
absorbs flavors and spices. Use it in stir-fries, scrambled with nutritional yeast and other seasonings in place of eggs, or
marinate and bake it as an entrée. Blend the softer, “silken” varieties for dressings, shakes, and pie and dessert fillings.
TVP (textured vegetable protein) is a dried soy product and a simple substitute for ground beef in stews, chili, and pasta sauce.
If the menu only lists a steamed vegetable plate, don’t panic! In the mood for an All-American meal? Veggie burgers
Many restaurant chefs welcome the opportunity to show and veggie dogs are on menus across the country from
off their culinary skills to whip up an animal-friendly national restaurant chains to mom ’n pop diners.
entrée for you…so just ask. Many dishes can be
“vegetarianized” with minimal effort, so put the chef to the Replace cheese or sour cream in Mexcian fare with an
challenge and enjoy the creation! extra dollop of guacamole or some light and refreshing
pico de gallo.
Most ethnic fare includes more legumes, vegetables, and
beans than traditional Western foods. So visit that Indian, Want some mock meat? Many Asian restaurants—parti-
Middle Eastern, or Thai restaurant you’ve been eyeing cularly Chinese, Thai, and Vietnamese ones—feature great
and savor the delicious spices surrounding such staples as soy- and wheat gluten-based meat alternatives. Enjoy
tofu, lentils, and chickpeas. Try falafel, spicy tofu curry, scrumptious kung pao veggie chicken, spicy Hunan veggie
mung bean or scallion pancakes, or hearty lentil dahl. beef, or tofu pad thai.
recipes for
vegetarian delights
strawberry smoothie • makes 2 cups
• 1 cup frozen strawberries • 1 cup frozen banana chunks • ½ to 1 cup soy or rice milk
place all the ingredients in a blender and process on high speed until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes,
occasionally stopping the blender to move any unblended fruit to the center with a spatula.
• 4 slices Italian bread • ¼ cup pitted, halved black olives (optional) • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• olive oil cooking spray • 2 pints cherry or grape tomatoes, halved • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 cup basil leaves (preferably fresh) • 1 16-ounce can white beans, drained • 1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
• ½ cup thinly sliced red onion • 1 tablespoon water • ½ teaspoon pepper
• ½ onion, chopped, or 1 tablespoon onion powder • 5 to 6 cups fresh or frozen berries (boysenberries,
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed, or 1 teaspoon blackberries, raspberries, or a mixture of these)
garlic powder • 3 tablespoons whole-wheat pastry flour
• 1 small bell pepper, diced (optional) • ½ cup sugar or other sweetener
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil • 1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
• ½ pound firm tofu, crumbled (about 1 cup) • 2 tablespoons sugar or other
• 1 tablespoon chili powder sweetener
• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (optional) • 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon each: cumin and dried oregano • ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• ¼ cup tomato sauce • ½ cup soy or rice milk
• 6 corn tortillas • topping: non-dairy ice cream
• garnish: lettuce, onions, tomatoes, and avocado
preheat the oven to 400°F.
sauté the onion, garlic, and bell pepper in the vegetable Combine the first three ingredients and then spread the
oil for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the tofu, chili powder, berry mixture in a 9- x 9-inch baking dish.
yeast, cumin, oregano, and soy sauce. Cook for 3 In a separate bowl, mix 1 cup of flour and 2 tablespoons
minutes, then add the tomato sauce and simmer over low of sugar with the baking powder and salt. Add the oil and mix
heat until the mixture is fairly dry. with a fork or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse
One by one, heat the tortillas in a heavy, ungreased cornmeal. Add the soymilk or rice milk and stir to mix.
skillet, turning each from side to side until soft and Spread the mixture over the berries (don’t worry if they’re
pliable. Place a small amount of the tofu mixture in the not all covered). Bake until golden, about 25 minutes, and top
center of each tortilla, fold in half, and garnish, if desired. with non-dairy ice cream, if desired.
#1 • Try three days a week for the first #2 • Now try five days a week for an-
two weeks. Substitute a couple of ingredients in other two weeks. Add a couple more days of
your favorite dishes to make them animal-free. Can’t get compassionate eating so you’re a five-times-a-week
enough spaghetti with meat sauce? Smother your preferred vegetarian for two weeks. Pick up some new-to-you
pasta with tangy marinara and throw on some sautéed vegetarian products from your local grocery’s “natural
garlic, mushrooms, or peppers for an extra kick. Love beef foods” section or the neighborhood health food store and get
tacos? Swap the ground beef with TVP or meatless crumbles creative in the kitchen. If you need help finding a tasty
(see page 14 for product information) and spoon on a recipe to go with the ingredient or product, check out the
dollop of guacamole instead of sour cream. Toss on online recipe sites on page 23 for thousands of free recipes!
chopped veggies like greens, onions, and tomatoes, and If you prefer eating out, visit your favorite restaurant and
voila! You’ve got a delicious treat just waiting for you to take order a vegetarian dish (see page 15 for some dining out
that first bite. Making simple substitutions in your tips) or check out an animal-friendly establishment and
favorite recipes is an easy way to get used to eating sample something new. It’s never been easier or more
vegetarian food. convenient to enjoy delicious vegetarian fare.
#3 • So, you’ve been a near-vegetarian for a whole month. Congratulations! By rounding out
your week with two more vegetarian days, you’ve made it! Give yourself a pat on the back! You’re making wonderfully
positive changes not only for yourself and the environment, but for the animals, too.
don’t throw in the towel • For some, becoming vegetarian is a snap decision. For others, it’s a process
with many steps along the way. Don’t get frustrated if you aren’t able to make the transition to vegetarianism
overnight. Each compassionate decision you make sends a message to those around you as well as to animal
agribusiness that you don’t condone animal abuse. Keep striving towards vegetarian eating . . . you are making a
difference!
work those brain cells • The more informed we are about animal issues, the more effectively we can
speak out for the voiceless.
there’s power in numbers • Meeting other like-minded people can help affirm your decision to stop
eating animals. Attending animal advocacy events, vegetarian society get-togethers, and joining email listservs
about vegetarian issues can be a great way to meet other compassionate individuals.
leading by example
As we learn about the ways animals are exploited, it’s common to feel anger and frustration. But we
need to make sure our emotions don’t overwhelm us—to be effective animal advocates, we should be
teachers, not fighters.
Most of us weren’t raised as vegetarians. While we learn more about animal exploitation, it’s often
difficult to remember that—just like our friends and relatives who aren’t yet vegetarian—we, too, once
contributed to animal suffering.
Because of this, it’s often helpful to ask ourselves, “Why did I become vegetarian?” Chances are, it
wasn’t because someone called us murderers or condemned our food choices. Likely, we adopted
vegetarian eating because someone helped us see that choosing compassion over killing was a simple
way to reduce suffering, while improving our health and the environment.
You can be the animals’ most effective ambassador by leading by example and teaching others with
patience. The animals would thank you if they could.
vegetarian FAQ
Q. Other animals eat each other. Why can’t we eat them? Similarly, raising animals for the purpose of eating
A. Predators in the wild kill other animals out of necessity. them does not justify their exploitation.
Without doing so, they wouldn’t survive. We kill other
animals by choice. Our bodies don’t need meat at all. Q. Where do you draw the line? Insects? Plants? Bacteria?
In fact, it has consistently been shown that a low-fat A. Because of their lack of a brain, nervous system, pain
vegetarian diet is healthier than a diet heavy with receptors, and so on, it is certain that plants and
animal products. bacteria do not suffer (though you kill many fewer
Is it acceptable to inflict suffering on countless plants by eating them directly, rather than by funneling
animals for something that isn’t even necessary? them through farmed animals, as discussed on page 13).
There are some
Q. If you want to be animals (such as insects)
vegetarian, that’s Q. It’s impossible to live completely cruelty-free. who we are not certain are
fine. But, don’t tell Almost everything we do causes suffering. Why try capable of suffering. It is
me what to do. at all? up to each individual to
A. Imagine saying to
A. True, it is impossible to completely avoid causing any
decide where she or he
someone, “If you don’t feels the line should be
suffering in our lives. However, that doesn’t justify an
want to beat your dog, drawn. All of the pigs,
“open season” for flagrant animal abuse. By adopting
that’s fine. But, don’t cows, chickens, fish, and
a vegetarian diet, we can dramatically reduce the
tell me not to beat other animals we raise and
amount of suffering we cause in our daily lives.
mine.” While we are kill for food are able to feel
Being vegetarian isn’t about being “pure.” Rather, it
entitled to believe what pain. Because of this, they
is about doing what we can—within reason—to
we like, we are not remove our support for animal cruelty. deserve to be free from
entitled to treat misery just as much as
others—especially dogs and cats do.
those weaker than us—however we like. If we are
responsible for harming others, people have every Q. Humans are the smartest animals and we’re the “top
right to ask that we stop. of the food chain.” Why shouldn’t we use our
strength to our benefit?
Q. If the animals are raised to be eaten, isn’t that okay? A. The argument that “might makes right” has been used
A. Two hundred years ago in the United States, humans by many to justify countless forms of cruelty and
raised other humans to be slaves. The fact that these domination throughout history. Just because we’re
people were raised to be slaves did not justify slavery. able to be cruel doesn’t mean we ought to be.
breakfast lunch
• cereal with soy or rice milk • veggie burger
• oatmeal with cinnamon and maple syrup • falafel wrap with lemon tahini dressing
• fruit smoothie • mock meat sub / hoagie
• tofu scramble and soy sausage • spinach salad with walnuts
• toast with peanut butter • cajun-style beans and rice
• soy yogurt with raisins • veggie chili with mixed green salad
Some Great
dinner Vegetarian Information
snacks Online,
on• Paper,
vegetable stir fry for the Kitchen, and
over rice onfruitVideo
• fresh
• spaghetti with mock meatballs • mixed nuts
• vegetable stew with sourdough bread • energy bar
• BBQ tofu with corn on the cob • soy or rice milk smoothie
• black bean burrito • baked pita wedges with hummus
• vegetable lasagne with mock ground beef • chips with salsa
on paper
• VegNews magazine (VegNews.com) • A Teen’s Guide to Going Vegetarian by Judy
• Herbivore magazine (HerbivoreMagazine.com) Krizmanic, Matthew Wawiorka, & T. Colin Campbell,
• Animal Liberation by Peter Singer Ph.D., M.D.
• Slaughterhouse by Gail Eisnitz • Animal Rights: A Very Short Introduction by David
• Food for Life by Neal Barnard, M.D. DeGrazia
online
reference sites • COK.net • TryVeg.com • GoVeg.com • VeganHealth.org • VegDining.com
recipe sites • VeganCooking.com • VeganChef.com • VegRecipes.org • VRG.org
Start today.
Compassion Over Killing (COK) is a nonprofit animal advocacy organization based in Washington, D.C. To learn more
about us or to support our work on behalf of animals, visit cok.net or contact us at [email protected]. Thank you.
cok.net
TryVeg.com
VegRecipes.org
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