Interviews: Dana: How She Met Her Meat and Went Veg

CYoFC:  Describe your current diet/lifestyle (vegan, lacto-ovo vegetarian, pescetarian, freegan, flexitarian, omnivore with vegan tendencies...etc.).

Dana:  I currently follow a pescetarian diet, as I eat fish about once per week. My diet consists mostly of grains, fruits/vegetables, eggs, dairy, tempeh, seitan, and some meat substitues.

CYoFC:  For how long have you been a pescetarian?

Dana:  I stopped eating meat five years ago. I followed a vegan diet for the first six months and then a strict vegetarian diet for the next year. I then incorporated fish into my diet and have done so for the past 3.5 years.

CYoFC:  What prompted you, originally, to change your diet?

Dana:  I read an editorial in my university's newspaper about animal cruelty. The writer mentioned a video called "Meet Your Meat," which is produced by PETA. I ordered a free copy of the DVD; while it was incredibly painful and disturbing to watch, it solidified my decision to give up meat. I have always loved animals, and truthfully, never cared too much for meat, so the decision was a no-brainer at that point.

CYoFC:  It takes a lot of courage to watch something so painful, but you did it and it changed your whole outlook. Were there any challenges along the way to changing your diet? What about current challenges, or aspects about pescetarianism that you don't like?

Dana:  When I first started learning about the mistreatment of animals in the food industry, I was incredibly passionate about spreading the word. I believed that if people really knew what went on, they would not want to eat meat either. Unfortunately, this initially translated into a lot of frustration with friends and family members who did not feel so inclined to change their eating behavior. Over time, I learned to focus only on myself, and this has made it much easier to be around others that eat meat.

I am able to find something that accommodates my diet on nearly every menu, so I don't think it interferes with my lifestyle in any significant way. The biggest challenges, however, are the "hidden" animal products. For example, gelatin is in many yogurts, and chicken broth is frequently in restaurant foods such as Mexican rice or broccoli cheese soup.

The primary thing I don't like about my current diet and lifestyle choice is that it is difficult to decide where to draw the line. I don't eat cows, but I do wear leather... I won't eat chicken, but I will eat fish... And so on... This creates some moral conflict, but I have found it helpful to think of my dietary choices in the way environmentalists conceptualize a "carbon footprint," where every little bit helps.

CYoFC:  This moral conflict you raise is often used by opposers to argue against vegetarianism in any form. "Animals are killed, so are plants," etc., etc. But at the end of the day, an individual choice must be made, and people must choose what works for them, mentally and physically. Do you plan on remaining pescetarian? If so, what motivates you? If not, what motivates you to change?

Dana:  I plan to maintain a pescetarian diet indefinitely.

CYoFC:  Why should others go vegetarian or pescetarian?

Dana:  I think this is a very personal decision, and I have moved away from trying to persuade others to give up meat. However, I think EVERYONE should make an effort to avoid meat that comes from factory farms. Small, organic farms (which don't use growth hormones) tend to raise animals in pastures and sometimes use more "humane" methods of killing the animal.

CYoFC:  Do you have any tips or advice for people who want to do this?

Dana:  Experiment with lots of new foods. Make a big effort to get protein. Soy-based products are great, but beware that some are high in fat. The best options are typically seitan or wheat-gluten based substitues, which are high in protein and have no more than 2-3 grams of fat per serving.

CYoFC:  What are your favorite foods?

Dana:  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE a new brand of meat-substitute foods by Gardein. The pulled pork and beef burgandy are especiallly good and simple to prepare. It is sold at Whole Foods and stores that have a health/organic section. I also like Tofurkey deli-slices. Quinoa is one of my favorite, high-protein grains.

CYoFC:  Are you getting enough protein?

Dana:  This is something I struggle with, which is why I added fish into my diet and have begun to make more of an effort to consume eggs and fake-meat products. I also try to eat a lot of nuts and protein bars (I added protein shakes while training for a marathon).

Want to go vegan but worried about protein? Finding enough protein is completely possible with a vegan diet. A great example of a high-protein source is kamut noodles, or any kamut product. Kamut is a type of grain originating from ancient Egypt. One serving of a popular brand of Kamut spiral pasta noodles has about 10g of protein and only 1.5g of fat (0g saturated). I like these, myself. 

Dana mentioned that she watched the documentary, Meet Your Meat before becoming meat-free herself. For those interested, you can watch it by clicking here. If you are just beginning to learn about the meat and dairy industries, I highly suggest you watch it. I warn you, though, this video is shocking and disturbing.

Dana, 29, is a clinical psychologist in Ann Arbor, Michigan. In addition to vegetarianism, her interests include running, golf, sporting events, reading, relaxing, and shopping.

Interviews: Mama-to-be: Meat Miminalism During Pregnancy

CYoFC:  Describe your current diet/lifestyle (vegan, lacto-ovo vegetarian, pescetarian, freegan, flexitarian, omnivore with vegan tendencies...etc.).

MTB:  My current diet would best be described as pescetarian with chicken tendencies (but I don’t eat shellfish due to Jewish tendencies).

CYoFC:  For how long have you been eating this way?

MTB:  Over the past ten or so years, I have vacillated between a standard lacto-ovo vegetarian diet and a pescetarian diet.  Within the past couple of months I have reintroduced chicken into my diet.  This has correlated with my pregnancy (I am 5 ½ months).  Not only did I choose to eat chicken for an easy source of protein, but also because I began to feel very limited by the many pregnancy-related diet restrictions (e.g. no tuna, feta cheese, sushi).   

CYoFC:  What prompted you to first become vegetarian?

MTB:  My vegetarianism initially began at about the age of 10 when I first was introduced to the inner workings of the meat industry through my social studies class (one of the few units that actually grabbed my attention).  My fourth grade mind was disgusted by the idea that so many animals were bred just to be slaughtered and I very quickly lost my appetite for meat.  After about a year, I gave in to pressure from my parents who convinced me that my growth would be stunted (how lame)!  Then about 8 or so years later I was suddenly staring at a chicken sandwich, unable to eat it.  I reconnected with my earlier disgust with the meat industry and also my growing awareness of how it was impacting the environment.  In addition, I was no longer convinced that the only way to maintain a healthy diet was by including meat in my diet.   

CYoFC:  Were there any challenges to becoming vegetarian? What about challenges of your current vegetarian-esque diet?

MTB:  Initially, there was a learning curve, i.e. I would mistakenly order (and sometimes begin eating) a meal that included meat before remembering my new commitment to being a vegetarian.  Eating meat was such a long-standing behavior that it just took some time for the change to become second nature.  The only real challenge that I’ve encountered since then is getting the third degree from well-meaning (okay, maybe not all have been well meaning, but more judgmental) friends, family, and relatives.  Although, this has gotten easier over the years, which I think is partly due to the fact that it has become more of a social norm. 

CYoFC:  Do you plan on maintaining vegetarian leanings in your diet? If so, what motivates you? If not, why not?

MTB:  I would like to remain a meat minimalist for the time being.  My plan is to return to a pescetarian diet, likely after my little one has arrived.  I try to do what I can in leaving as little a footprint as possible (through diet, recycling, public transportation, etc.), short of it becoming a rigid, compulsive part of my lifestyle, i.e. I try to find a reasonable balance between doing my part to lesson my impact on the planet and being able to relax and enjoy the time that I have in this life!   

CYoFC:  "Meat minimalist" - I like that. Why should other people go vegetarian, or at least become meat minimalists?

MTB:  If more people ate less meat, it would (in theory) reduce the tremendous impact that the meat industry has on the environment. 

CYoFC:  Do you have any tips or advice for new vegetarians?

MTB: Have something short and sweet prepared to say when people ask you why you are vegetarian to a) shut them up and maybe educate them a little, and b) so you can get to your meal more quickly!

CYoFC:  Right on. Favorite foods?

MTB:  Dessert, all kinds of fruit, and Morningstar sausage patties.


Thanks, MTB!

At 25 weeks!

MTB, 27, lives in Manhattan with her husband, 30. They moved to NYC about 9 months ago after he finished his doctorate in math and got a job there.  MTB is pursuing a doctorate in clinical-developmental psychology, and is currently completing a practicum where she works as a school psychologist conducting psychoeducational evaluations, therapy, and remediation with children K-12 in the Bronx. MTB and her husband are expecting their first child in July. 

Interviews: AJ: "I Think, Therefore I'm Vegan"

CYoFC:  Describe your current diet/lifestyle (vegan, lacto-ovo vegetarian, pescetarian, freegan, flexitarian, omnivore with vegan tendencies...etc.).

AJ:  Vegan. A no-honey, no exceptions vegan.

CYoCF:  For how long have you been vegan?

AJ:  I was a pescetarian for 10 years and February 3, 2010 will be my 3 year veganniversary. Typically celebrated with a feast of delicious vegan food. Oh wait, that's every day.

CYoCF:  Veganniversary, I love that! What prompted you to become vegan?

AJ:  After 10 years of being a fish-eating vegetarian, I started dating my partner, who, at the time, was a real vegetarian. We had both lived in vegetarian/vegan co-ops as undergraduates and knew that being a vegetarian (especially me as a not real vegetarian) was basically pussy-footing around what was basically an issue of oppression and equal rights. We're lesbians so we are perhaps more sensitive than average to these issues and it seemed hypocritical to want an end to oppression of sexual minorities while ignoring other oppressed populations. So we decided to go vegan, postponed it for a bit, gorged ourselves on non-vegan food, then took the plunge. As we started to concurrently educate ourselves about the food industry, we were confirmed in our initial reasons to move towards a compassionate lifestyle.

CYoCF:  Right on. Were there any challenges to becoming vegan? What about current challenges or aspects about veganism that you don't like?

AJ:  Yes, naturally. I miss being able to get a slice of gooey cheese pizza at Rays Original when I'm home in NYC, I miss bagels and lox with a schmear, and spicy tuna sushi. However, these "sacrifices" are nothing compared to animals unwillingly sacrificing their lives. And in actuality on a day-to-day basis I hardly miss these foods because (and this leads me to my more pressing challenges) there is a great variety of delicious indulgent vegan foods, which people who are not vegan do not realize. I dislike that restaurants are unwilling to provide vegan options on a regular basis (I can cook delectable vegan treats, surely professional chefs can do the same).

I absolutely HATE that when I tell people I'm vegan they tell me all the reasons they are not vegan. An inability to consume sufficient calories to support whatever crazy metabolism you believe you have is a bogus excuse. So is not being able to get enough protein - there are successful vegan body builders, if they can get enough protein, so can you. Additionally, not being able to give up (insert food here) is a similarly bullshit excuse.

You are asking other living beings to be tortured and killed for your lifestyle. That is a fact. You have choices about what you eat and you can make the choice to give up whatever you say you cannot live without. That is another fact. Don't argue with me about it. Don't tell me about it. This is about oppression, this is about power inequality, this is about torture and cruelty. If you support these things and are hell-bent on continuing to support these things, keep it to yourself around me. If you have an open mind and are serious about learning more about farming practices and the food industry, I'm happy to discuss it with you.

CYoCF:  You're so clearly passionate about this issue, and it's admirable. Do you plan on remaining vegan? If so, what would you say is the crucial motivating factor for you?

AJ:  I have the symbol for "therefore" and the word "vegan" tattooed on my arm (as in "I think, therefore I'm vegan") so yeah I do plan on remaining vegan. I remain vegan because it's the only choice for me in my dedication to a compassionate, cruelty-free, green lifestyle. I cannot ask for an end to my oppression as a lesbian, and a woman, and continue to oppress other living beings. Animals feel fear and pain. The argument that animals are lesser beings or somehow less deserving of equal rights is the same argument that has been used to justify inequality (racial, sexual, gender, ethnic, religious) throughout history.

CYoCF:  As a fiercely committed vegan yourself, tell me, why should other people go vegan?

AJ:  If you care about the environment, it is the single most important contribution you can make towards protecting the planet. If you care about equal rights among humans, extend that caring to all living beings. Educate yourself, there are plenty of printed and electronic resources. Skinny Bitch is a really accessible (if somewhat blunt) resource.

CYoCF:  Do you have any tips or advice for new vegans?

AJ:  Keep going! You have made a really important decision for your own health (I haven't even touched on that, but yeah being vegan is much healthier than any other way of eating) and for the health of those around you. Surround yourself with others who support your decision - other vegans! They will cook for you, take you out to other restaurants and continue to affirm your decision and provide you with even more reasons to continue this lifestyle. And continue to educate yourself - the more you know about how animal products are derived the more you will be affirmed that your decision is the best one, really, the only one.

CYoCF:  What are your favorite foods?

AJ:  PASTA!!! I've always loved pasta, noodles of any kind, and of course it's a good basic for any vegan. Thai noodles, veggie lo mein with tofu, Italian style spaghetti & meatless balls, and Mac n' Cheeze (I'm on a quest to find the best.... Chicago Diner and Soul Veg in Chicago are tied for lead). My partner's vegan nachos are also up there! Veggies of all kind. Anyone who thinks vegan cooking is boring, doesn't know how many crazy veggies are out there and the billion different ways to prepare them all (and add them to noodles).

CYoCF:  So much goodness and yet none of these contain cheese, which is commonly a favorite food. Describe what the giving-up-cheese process was like for you.

AJ:  The toughest part were two foods that are important to my background as a New York Jew... NY Style Pizza and Bagels and Cream Cheese. I did enjoy cheese before going vegan and I won't lie and say it wasn't hard, but after I learned more about the dairy industry, my decision was affirmed to me. And I found amazing substitutes... avocado and/or hummus on a sandwich can be great instead of a creamy cheese, loading up pizza with veggies and a good soy cheese (Vegan Gourmet is the best I've found) is great and much healthier! and bagels with hummus with tomatoes, onion, capers and some tapenade is a great brunch! These days, I really don't miss it. Yes, I walk past Ray's Original in NYC and it smells gooooood, but then I remember the cute little kosher/vegan place a few blocks away from my parents' in NYC and give my business to them. And honestly, their pizza place smells just as good, if not better!

CYoCF:  One last question. Are you getting enough protein?

AJ:  More than enough!!! non-animal derived protein is not only more efficient to produce (the same amount of land that produces 1 lb of beef can produce 13 lbs of soy protein), easier to digest and more rich and varied, but it's incredibly easy to get in a diet without thinking too hard. I eat beans in a lot of varieties, tofu in all its incarnations, seitan, tempeh.... the list could go on. This question is my pet peeve and indicates to me that someone knows very very very little about nutrition.

CYoFC:  "You need a lot of protein" is a message most Americans hear from early childhood. But what is "a lot?" (Not to mention, how much is actually too much?) And where are the "best" protein sources found? We are often told the answer is meat, but you bring up evidence to the contrary. These are important but rarely discussed points.


Thanks, AJ.


AJ is a pro-choice, atheist, vegan, tattooed, lesbian. As she puts it, she is "everything your mother warned you about." She's also the edgy-yet-eloquent author of Queer Vegan Runner.