Release of New Dietary Guidelines for Americans

Release of New Dietary Guidelines for Americans

The new Dietary Guidelines for Americans devote more attention to vegetarian and vegan diets than any previous version of the Guidelines. The new Guidelines devote two full pages to vegetarian and vegan nutrition and point out that these eating patterns provide nutritional advantages and reduce obesity, heart disease, and overall mortality.

U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010. 7th Edition. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, December 2010. Available at: http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/dietaryguidelines.htm. Accessed January 31, 2011.

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Ask Taco Bell to think OUTSIDE the shel

January 27, 2011

MFA Offers to Help Taco Bell Solve Its Meaty Problem

By Nathan Runkle

There has been a lot of media attention this week over the recent lawsuit against Taco Bell, alleging the company's "meat mixture" contains only 36 percent meat instead of the 40 percent required to fit the definition of beef. But Mercy For Animals has a solution to Taco Bell's problem that could be a win-win for everyone, especially the animals who are cruelly slaughtered for meat.

In an open letter sent to Greg Creed, President of Taco Bell, Mercy For Animals' Executive Director, Nathan Runkle, asks:

Why not "Think Outside the Bun" and switch to a healthy and delicious vegan meat substitute and cash in on the growing demand for meatless meal options?

The letter continues:

Taco Bell customers would lose their appetites if they saw how cows raised for beef are inflicted with third degree burns (hot-iron branding), have their testicles ripped from their scrotums and their horns burned out of their skulls - all without any painkillers. Undercover investigations have revealed sick and injured animals routinely entering the human food supply. At slaughter, improper stunning condemns many animals to being skinned and dismembered while still alive, conscious and suffering.

Cruelty to animals aside, the United Nations is calling for a global shift toward a vegan diet, saying that this is crucial to saving the world population from hunger, fuel shortages and the worst impacts of climate change. And according to the American Dietetic Association, vegan diets provide powerful protection against many deadly diseases, including the three biggest killers in the United States: heart disease, many types of cancer, and strokes.

The letter concludes:

Human health, environmental degradation, cruelty to animals and false advertising allegations are all very serious issues, but Taco Bell can tackle these problems, and more, by adopting and promoting a healthy and humane vegan menu. There is simply no better time than right now to salvage your company's reputation and tap into a growing market for vegan foods. In fact, the National Restaurant Association says that vegan menu options are a "hot trend" for 2011. And with Taco Bell's 12 authentic (and vegan) seasonings and spices, your customers can get the same tastes and textures they know and love with plant-based meat substitutes without all the saturated fat, cholesterol and cruelty associated with animal flesh.

Mercy For Animals is ready and willing to assist Taco Bell in making the socially responsible switch to a healthy, humane and honest vegan menu. We look forward to your response.

Click here to read the complete letter.

While we wait for Taco Bell's response, concerned consumers can ensure they aren't being served a side of "mystery meat" by switching to a plant-based diet. Click here to order a FREEVegetarian Starter Kit and begin your journey toward meatless living.

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Hungry for Change: population growth requies drastic reduction in global meat consumption

Hungry for Change
A new Foresight Report, featuring contributions from 400 researchers around the world, calls for a drastic reduction in global meat consumption to help meet the food demands of the growing human population and end world hunger.

January 27, 2011

Report: Drastic Reduction in Meat Consumption Necessary to End Global Hunger

By Nathan Runkle

On Monday, a new Foresight Report titled "The future of food and farming: challenges and choices for global sustainability," featuring contributions from 400 researchers around the world, called for a drastic reduction in global meat consumption to help meet the food demands of the growing human population.

"The Foresight study shows that the food system is already failing in at least two ways. Firstly, it is unsustainable, with resources being used faster than they can be naturally replenished. Secondly, a billion people are going hungry with another billion people suffering from 'hidden hunger', whilst a billion people are over-consuming," says Professor Sir John Beddington, the British Government's Chief Scientific Adviser and Head of the Foresight research program.

The researchers indicate that grain-fed meat (particularly pigs and poultry) have "serious implications for competition for land, water and other inputs" and that "a reduction in the amount of meat consumed in high- and middle-income countries would have multiple benefits: a reduced demand for grain, leading to lower greenhouse gas emissions, and a positive effect on health." According to the study, "Dietary changes are very significant for the future food system because, per calorie, some food items (such as grain-fed meat) require considerably more resources to produce than others."

With the global population expected to grow from 6.8 billion to more than 9 billion and annual per capita meat consumption expected to rise from nearly 82 pounds today to 115 pounds by 2050, scientists say the increase in demand on food crops to feed farmed animals will lead to higher overall food costs, increased deforestation to provide land to grow farmed animal feed crops and elevated levels of greenhouse gas emissions associated with raising animals for food. Additionally, the researchers conclude that a global shift to organic food production may only meet future food demands if combined with a "major shift in consumer diets," a tax on livestock production and other "proactive measures" to reduce global meat consumption.

As if improving one's personal health, helping spare animals from needless suffering andprotecting the planet from environmental destruction weren't compelling enough, another important reason to transition to a healthy vegan lifestyle is to help stave off global starvation and hunger. Luckily, making the switch to a plant-based lifestyle can be easy and delicious. VisitChooseVeg.com for tips and recipes to help you get started on a path toward a more compassionate and sustainable future.

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Legislatures in four states: Put vegan options on school lunch menus

Legislatures in 4 states: Put vegan options on school lunch menus

Legislatures in four states: Put vegan options on school lunch menus
by Max Kramer
01/06/11

http://www.vegsource.com/news/2011/01/legislatures-in-four-states-put-vegan-options-on-school-lunch-menus.html

This week, President Obama signed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act-the first major bipartisan bill enacted by a deeply polarized congress since the election. The act will replace junk food in school lunches and vending machines with more healthful options.

Several jurisdictions have taken similar action. The Hawaii, California, New York and Florida legislatures passed resolutions recommending vegan school options. Last year, the Baltimore City public school system became the first in the nation to offer its 80,000 students a weekly meat-free lunch. According to the School Nutrition Association, 65 per cent of U.S. schools now offer vegetarian lunch options.

In the past, the USDA has used the National School Lunch Program as a dumping ground for surplus meat and dairy commodities. Not surprisingly, 90 percent of American children consume excessive amounts of fat, and only 15 per cent eat the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables. These early dietary flaws become lifelong addictions, raising the risk of diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

Those who care about our children's health should demand healthful, plant-based school meals, snacks and vending machine items. Additional information is available at [healthyschoollunches.org], [choiceusa.net] and [schoolnutrition.org].

Case Study: The vegetarian church and the feral cats

Years ago, soon after I had become vegetarian (today, 'soon' implies within my first ten years of being vegan), an animal advocate* phoned me with the 'urgency' of feeding stray cats who had found their way into the basement of the local Adventist church building. The church building was only used intermittently during the week (but it was used and sometimes the basement was rented out to other church and vegetarian groups), so the congregation didn't want to pay staff to care for these stray animals (who were there, not because the congregation had borught them in, but, according to Beth, because "God had brought them there to challenge the congregation to become more loving to animals").

*the late and once very strident-voiced Beth, who considered herself a Christian vegetarian, but whose 'Christian vegetarianism' was limited to blaming organize religion to not doing right by animals (perhaps you've seen that happen as you meet people)

Well, we drove over to the otherwise vacant church building and nosed around, trying to see at least one now-sheltered animal pawing through the basement; we could not. But Beth uttered one vitriolic comment after the other about the cold, heartless, cruel, congregation who wouldn't care for these cats and had decided, after a week of deliberations and the inability to get them 'adopted out', to have them euthanized (I guess that local shelters were full).

Beth's heart was exercised; she was distraught, and I could worry about Beth's health because she was elderly (looked about 20+ years younger on a vegetarian diet, but she let herself get SO dreadfully worked up on such issues that I feared she'd lose that entire 20+ years of 'slack' on the stray cats).

I guess that the cats were euthanized, and later, Beth died (presumaby, NOT because of her emotional work-up over the cats because she lived several decades after this, equally worked up over other 'issues' of animal suffering.

My point is that suffering is one fo the several issues on a multidimensional axis; overt cruelty is another dimension; other issues are on that multidimensional grid, whether or not we realize them.

"Whatever we decide needs to improve sustainability of the overall situation."

Beth did not offer a sustainable solution that worked for everyone (including farmed animals); few 'pet companions' offer any real, long-term solutions, either.

Pet 'ownership' or 'companionship' (as if changing the noun we use for these situations makes a material difference) may not be sustainable; animals in the wild are in a real pickle, also, as are humans in the developing world.

Choosing within ourselves to NOT cause harm overtly is one choice we can make; we can make a difference today by becoming vegan, BUT that choice will not resolve ALL suffering lf ALL other persons, but neither will giving money to 'animal protection' organizations (and it might actually pay them to do things which perpetuate the wicked system of food production and animal exploitation and abuse, and like neuroses in otherwise mentally healthy persons, their rationales may merely cover up the wrongs they are doing so that not even they are able to admit or acknowledge these wrongs and injustices to themselves, or within their own minds.

What should a Christian church do? a VEGETARIAN Christian church in which at that time a large number of the congregants may have been vegans?

That's a discussion topic.

Being HONEST on my Facebook Profile

1/21/2011

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**footnote:Thanks to Alberto from Delft U. for this comic idea!

My identity is NOT MERELY an identity

I'm a vegan from Boston. There are 5 million vegetarians in the USA, according to one survey, but VRG (Vegetarian Resource Group) commissioned a study that might lead us to believe there are many more.

www.BostonVeg.org

http://www.Maynard.Clark.GooglePages.com

I believe that everyone SHOULD be vegan, and the disparity between what is and what ought to be gives rise to some serious ethical reflection about the moral 'lack of standing' of homo sapiens.

I don't believe in ETHER US political party; I think that both are disasters, but ... I have a preference... without writing a blank check (of endorsement) to either of them or anyone else.

Culture Building Goals of the Vegetarian Resource Center | LinkedIn

Culture Building Goals of the Vegetarian Resource Centera subgroup of Vegetarian Resource Center

http://www.linkedin.com/groups?mostPopular=&gid=3748439

Culture Building has LONG been a CORE GOAL of the Vegetarian Resource Center. Those who support and work towards culture building with vegan values are invited to participate in this subgroup of the Vegetarian Resource Center, whether or not they have ever previously donated money or time or participated as volunteers in the Vegetarian Resource Center or in the of the Vegetarian Resource Center's outreach and/or development projects.