Ever since I was a child I have never been a huge fan of meat. I just really didn’t like chewing it. My family used to order a large pizza on a Saturday night and eat it on a picnic rug on the carpet while watching ‘Hey Hey it’s Saturday!’ (Any Aussies remember that show?) I would often ask for a vegetarian or cheese pizza but my parents loved Super Supreme and so I would sit there and pick off most of the meat and give it to my dad. In fact, the only meat I ever really liked was when it would ‘melt in the mouth’ like my mum’s slow-cooked corned beef or pulled pork. In fact, my mum used to tease me as I would gag when she was cutting raw chicken. I hated the look of it, the feel of it and the smell of it and she used to say to me: ‘how are you going to cook dinner for your family when you’re older if you can’t touch meat?’ It was funny that it didn’t even cross her mind that I could live a happy and healthy life without meat. But of course, it wouldn’t, it was such an intrinsic part of her upbringing and meat has always been heavily promoted.
Luckily my mum is a great cook so generally, I was happy! Looking back though, I was probably destined to be a vegetarian (or at least a pescatarian) but because my upbringing was focused around the standard Western diet it took me over 30 years to fully realise it! Funnily enough, my mother in law who is in her 80 says the same. She never liked meat and would often choose to eat a plate of veggies as her Sunday roast growing up. She then got married and was expected to cook the required ‘meat and two veg’ that was so popular at the time. She never enjoyed it though. She spent her life cooking and eating food she didn’t really want to eat because it was deemed ‘normal’ and healthy. But is it?
Yes, animal products contain protein as well as B12 vitamins and iron. There are certainly important minerals found in these foods and when eaten in moderation it is possible to be healthy and nourished while living as an omnivore. But can we live a healthy and nourished life as a vegan?
I will attempt to answer this question in the broadest sense. We are all physically different and I’m a firm believer in listening to your body when it comes to nutrition. A diet that makes someone feel energised and healthy can leave another person feeling sluggish and hungry. But if we are looking at the big picture when it comes to health, wellbeing and nutrition and whether generally speaking it is possible to live a healthy life without animal products, our biggest focus should be on the vitamin B12, since this is exclusively found in meat, dairy and eggs.
To B12 or not to B12?
B12 is an essential vitamin and leads to improved cognitive function. Some scientists say that it is responsible for the brain development of our early ancestors; it does appear that evolution accelerated when we began to consume meat. But does this mean we still have to eat meat in order to achieve optimal levels of this vitamin? The meat industry says ‘yes.’ However, let’s look closely at how B12 is actually produced and how it transfers from the animal into our bodies. B12 is made from the bacteria in the soil and the bacteria found in the gut of animals. Traditionally, animals would root around in the soil and ingest bacteria which would lead to the formation of B12. Similarly, our ancestors who foraged and ate unwashed fruit and vegetables would have also consumed some B12.
However, since factory farming, animals no longer have the chance to root around in the soil as they are kept in crowded buildings and even if they did, pesticides that are now commonly used, kill the bacteria in the soil anyway. Couple this with the fact that animals are now fed antibiotics to prevent infection (because they live in such cramped conditions), which of course kill off any bacteria found in the gut. So the animal agriculture industry face a dilemma; since their argument for eating animal products is based on the knowledge that we all need B12, it’s important that the animals actually contain B12, right? So what is the solution? They feed animals B12 supplements. Yep. 90% of the worlds B12 supplements are in fact fed to farmed animals! So why not just cut out the middle man?
And if you think that is crazy, research has now shown that 39% of people are either low or deficient in B12 and this isn’t just vegans, vegetarians and older people. Those with the highest levels of B12 are people taking supplements and eating B12 fortified foods such as plant-based milk and cereals. In fact, the reason why so many products are now fortified with B12 is to help the population maintain an adequate standard since it’s so difficult to get this from animal products alone. So the lesson? We should all be taking B12 supplements whether we’re omnivores, vegans or vegetarians if we want to maintain optimal levels.
Meat = Protein
So if we don’t need meat for B12, why do we need to eat it at all? Well, it also contains protein and iron. Meat has always been advertised as being the best protein source and people are OBSESSED with getting enough protein. So much so that many of us are actually eating too much protein (including veggies and vegans!) However, there are many healthy plant-based protein sources (such as tofu, lentils, chickpeas, beans, nuts, seeds, potatoes, quinoa to name a few) with the added bonus that they do not contain saturated fat but they do contain fibre. By switching to plant protein you can significantly lower your risk of heart disease, high cholesterol, obesity, cancer and type 2 diabetes and at the same time maintain a healthy gut, help digestion and even lose weight since plants are less calorie dense than animal products.
But why isn’t this common knowledge? Why don’t we see commercials for tofu? Or lentils? Because factory farming is big business. The industry is huge and like anything, money talks. In the US, the agricultural industry invests so much money into congress that they even influence the laws that are made when it comes to factory farming, food production standards and animal welfare. It’s no wonder that the narrative of ‘we need meat’ has been drummed into us since birth. These industries are in control of what we see on TV and what we find in the supermarket. (If you fancy finding out more, watch What the Health, which is available online and on Netflix. It demonstrates how the government and the food industry are intrinsically linked).
Iron
But what about iron? It is true that red meat is rich in heme iron and the meat industry really sells this. Growing up in Australia (which is one of the biggest beef consuming countries in the world), I was brainwashed into thinking that I needed red meat a number of times a week in order to maintain healthy iron levels, especially during ‘that time of the month.’ The commercials for beef were endless. Why? Because beef is big business! Australia is a farming country and the sale of beef helps the Australian economy. But do we need to eat it? Yes, iron is important but there are a number of plant-based foods such as soy, lentils, beans, leafy greens, potatoes, wholewheat pasta and brown rice that contain sufficient iron for a healthy balanced diet.
Yes, it’s true that non-heme iron found in plants is harder for the body to absorb than meat-based heme iron, but since I follow a varied wholefood plant-based diet and take a multivitamin supplement, my levels are optimal. In fact, I have never experienced the symptoms associated with anaemia. Of course, there are people who find it difficult to absorb iron and perhaps for them, eating red meat once or twice a week is the quickest way for them to increase their levels. As I said, you need to listen to your own body but if like me you have never struggled with iron absorption, there is no reason why you can’t get everything you need from a whole food plant-based diet.
So when it comes down to it, we eat the way we do because of what we see, read and hear from birth. Our parents feed us what they deem is best, based on what their own parents told them and so the cycle continues. Food isn’t just fuel, it’s an intrinsic part of our cultural heritage and our family life. Think about Thanksgiving dinner; the idea that you could celebrate Thanksgiving without a turkey is an insane concept for many Americans. But of course, you can! The day is about giving thanks and being with family, and this can still be done without eating meat. But we are creatures of habit and habits are notoriously hard to break. If we’ve grown up eating roast Pork on a Sunday, it’s difficult for us to suddenly replace that with jackfruit. Not only because we enjoy it and it’s habitual but because it is so interlinked with our family life. I grew up drinking tea with sweetened condensed milk because my mum and grandparents grew up drinking this when they lived on a remote farm and couldn’t buy fresh milk. I eventually gave it up when I became more health-conscious but when I’m sick it’s the first thing I crave! It is so deeply embedded in my psyche that I find it incredibly comforting.
So do me a favour and really think about why you make the choices you make when it comes to food. Is it because you truly believe it’s the best fuel for your body? Or is it a lifelong habit of eating a certain way? Are you influenced by what you see, hear and read? Are you passive when it comes to nutrition or do you seek out the most up to date information? For me, veganism isn’t just about eating a healthy, well-balanced diet, it is about eating in a way that aligns with my morals. I no longer want to exploit animals as I don’t believe they were put on this earth to be exploited, but instead were put on this earth to co-exist peacefully with us. Since I can get all the benefits of an omnivore diet through plants, this is a very easy choice to make. But whether you have an affinity with animals or not, as a race we can no longer go down the road that we are currently on; destroying rainforests to make way for factory farming. There will be consequences to these actions and they will be felt by all; firstly by the poorest communities, but eventually by everyone.
The time is now to re-think our habits and ask ourselves what we can do to help ourselves and to help the world. You don’t have to be a passionate, protesting vegan in order to make a difference. In the words of my millennial brother: ‘A world full of imperfect vegans is better than a world of just a few perfect ones.’
So, which one do you want to be? 🤷🏻♀️
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I remember those little piles of cut up ham from your slices of pizza. Back then we just thought it was Ashleigh being quirky we now know it was your first step towards becoming a vegan.
Isn’t it great that now us older generation gets to learn from you young’uns.
Yes the world is changing so fast! Kids learn so much from parents growing up, it’s nice to return the favour when we’re older! 😜