Being veggie is in fashion. The term is all the rage on plates and snacks, as well as in cocktails , in cookbooks, and in restaurants. They are the usual vegetables, but arranged in such a way, cooked and, above all, seen with new eyes that make them shine and become an object of culinary desire.
Consuming too much meat or, better still, starting to be aware of it, as well as its dire consequences in terms of health, environment and animal suffering has led us to take a better look at the plant kingdom.
What to do with a sad lettuce, and with some very juicy but not very tasty tomatoes next to a good steak? Veggie philosophy, its know-how, has the answer. His proposal is groundbreaking: instead of bloating ourselves to meat, let’s enjoy vegetables.
- About 8 percent
- Veggie vs veganos
- Is being veggie ecological?
- Global ecological crisis and possible solutions
Index
About 8 percent
According to data from the study “The Green Revolution” 7.8 percent of the adult population in Spain is considered “veggie” and their motivations are both health, ethical reasons “cruelty-free” or the environment. In figures, 57 percent of vegetarians are for animalistic reasons, 21 percent to improve environmental protection and 17 percent for health reasons.
According to this same report, 35 percent of the population has decided to reduce their consumption of red meat, although the Spanish market is still in its infancy . Traits of the veggie trend are observed at a much lower level than other countries that lead this movement, such as the United Kingdom or Germany.
The survey also detects a lack of veggie supply in the world of catering, a sector that has not yet adapted to the existing demand. On the other hand, contrary to popular belief, it is not an urban movement, since almost half of veggies do not live in big cities.
Veggie vs veganos
Within the great family of veggies, many trends coexist, some more ecological than others. Among them, vegetarians and the wide range of possibilities that they include, from vegans (strict vegetarians) to flexitarians (they eat fruits and vegetables within a vegetarian approach but without giving up meat), to give a couple of examples. different.
Therefore, being veggie does not necessarily mean being vegan, and therefore they are by no means synonymous. However, it can be stated to the contrary, since being vegan falls within the veggie option, a type of diet chosen by the “new middle classes”, always according to the study, in which young women abound and, in terms of employment position, includes officials with university degrees, businessmen, managers , middle managers and university professors.
Is being veggie ecological?
As with so many other things, in ecology there are also degrees. Eating more vegetables is a good start, at least a priori, especially when it means reducing the consumption of meat, especially if it is red, since it is synonymous with more emissions and an unsustainable agricultural exploitation for that industry.
Indeed, overpopulation is not the only reason why meat consumption is unsustainable . The emission of greenhouse gases must also be taken into account, in addition to the fact that red meat is a “probable” carcinogen, according to the UN .
On the one hand, more ecological and sustainable agriculture will always be a plus when it comes to adding green points in the practice of the veggie option. It will not be the same either at the health level to feed ourselves with vegetables from organic agriculture.
Again, the different carbon footprints also play a role in organic products. Not only when producing the food, but also adding possible packaging, transport and any other factor that adds or subtracts.
Outside the ecological we can also find differences between hydroponic and conventional agriculture, small local gardens and others that carry out the production and distribution processes following the methods of intensive agriculture.
In short, his thing is to take into account the life cycle of the products, as well as their greater or lesser safety in order to make better purchasing decisions or, why not, in order to start growing our own food practicing organic farming. .
Only then will it be possible to reach a valid conclusion , as we saw in a previous post dedicated to the importance of developing a more transparent and complete labeling, which provides valuable information in this regard.
Global ecological crisis and possible solutions
The solutions to problems pointed by the consumption of meat go beyond veggie as an alternative to red and processed meat . Other possibilities consist of going further and becoming vegan, in betting on other sources of protein, from those provided by legumes, laboratory meat or even insects to raising awareness about the importance of the three R’s of ecology.
Above all, in food matters it is important to waste less food, as well as to reduce meat consumption and waste . And, of course, to do our bit while investing in health, we have at hand to choose the consumption of more fruits and vegetables, ideally and purchased in the local market.
If you want to read more articles similar to Being veggie, the new trend , we recommend that you enter our Healthy Eating category .
Hello, I am a blogger specialized in environmental, health and scientific dissemination issues in general. The best way to define myself as a blogger is by reading my texts, so I encourage you to do so. Above all, if you are interested in staying up to date and reflecting on these issues, both on a practical and informative level.