Veggie Burgers, Anyone?

January 18, 2023

I have a lot of respect for vegetarians. I’m just not ready to be one.

I would like to be a vegetarian because their diet harms no animals, and it does minimal harm to the planet. It’s also a healthy way of eating, but so is my omnivore diet. I almost never ingest beef, but I do occasionally eat pork, and I frequently enjoy chicken and fish. I don’t want to give up salmon, sardines, or turkey, but I’d like to be as virtuous as my vegetarian friends. I guess they’re more evolved than I am, at least in the food department.

I’ve read horror stories about how pigs, chickens, and cows are mistreated, and I wish all animals were treated humanely. But I still buy a deli chicken from Costco because it’s cheap and delicious. And when pork roast is on sale at Safeway or Lucky, I’ll buy two – one to eat now, and one to freeze for later.

This week I’ve been scarfing veggie burgers that I got on sale at Costco, and for several days now my meals have been 95% vegetarian. But sometimes I eat turkey burgers. And last week I chowed down on pepperoni pizza. If I was still a Catholic, maybe I’d have to confess my dietary sins to a priest. But maybe not – he might eat steak.

A few years ago I was in Hanoi, where I saw dogs being barbequed. I was disgusted. But I had to admit that my moral righteousness was hypocritical. Is my devouring bacon more virtuous than dining on canine ribs?

Although I consume a lot of vegetables, I never buy the organic versions because they’re too expensive. And GMO produce? It’s supposedly bad for the environment, but I eat it all the time. I love almonds, especially the salted smoky flavored ones, but growing them consumes vast amounts of water in the drought-stricken Central Valley.

At least I don’t eat McDonald’s hamburgers, which are partially responsible for the destruction of the Amazon rainforest, since loggers are clearing trees there to make way for cattle pastureland whose animal products they can sell to McDonalds. But I do drive an all-gasoline car, and when I travel I often fly. I’m contributing to climate change, though eventually I’ll get an electric car. But since overpopulation is a big part of climate change, I can console myself with the fact that I never added to that problem.

American Indians and other indigenous peoples probably had it right when their spiritual practices required that if they killed an animal or a plant, that they do so with respect and appreciation for the lifegiving qualities of those beings. In that sense, those peoples practiced mindfulness.

Am I willing to become a vegetarian to help save the planet? Not yet. But in the meantime, I’m working on becoming more aware of my habits and their consequences. You gotta start somewhere.