I also care, and am vegetarian for most of a given week, but still find it hard to make it to 100%.
There's one easy thing that everyone could do and that would have a *huge* impact: stop eating cows. Raising cows is an incredibly wasteful endeavor. It takes SO MUCH land, water and food to raise cows--more than any other animal we eat, by far. And it doesn't require any "lifestyle change." Just cut out beef and veal. They're bad for you and bad for the planet.
I've basically been doing the NAAH ethos for years, but never had a good name for it, so thank you for that!
Homemade poultry stock is truly a delight. It's gotten to the point where I'll get whole chickens — and have a roast chicken dinner — so that I can turn those carcasses into stock, so I guess eating the actual chicken is the NAAH for me. And I grab a bag of chicken feet in Chinatown to make it extra gelatinous which is technically not NAAH but that stuff usually gets thrown out, so it's not too bad IMO.
Buying beef suet - which is like $2-3 a pound - and rendering into tallow is also a good, cheap way to make animal fat on a budget.
lol i so feel you––i get stressed when there aren't carcasses in the freezer and go "well, guess we're having chicken tonight." But it really is basically the most efficient meat meal so only a good thing imo.
I want to do more research on buying parts (trotters, chicken feet, etc) because I have often felt the same, that they are probably going to get wasted otherwise, but at the same time I wonder if any market for them is market and it's still going to the factory farms... I honestly don't know. Would love to see any studies on this that are out there.
Really appreciated this! I’m with you, in that I can’t give up meat entirely, but I try to keep it sustainable by buying more chicken than red meat. Making stock always sounded intimidating—I like the convenience of Better Than Bullion jars. Will have to give this a try!
Excellent post. NAAH challenges me to reconsider how I use what's in the fridge. Btw, I do save poultry bones but not pork or beef -- and why not? Here's an opportunity to be more creative in the kitchen, making dishes from cuts or parts I might not normally consider. Also. Intention = deeper connection to our meals and where they come from.
I stopped eating animals in 1974 when I read an article about factory farming. I could never do it again after that day. I guess it's a matter of how deeply awareness sinks in. I do think any effort is better than none.
Great post, Claire. I love this NAAH framework. I stopped eating meat in 2016, for no grand reason other than I moved in with my partner who was vegetarian, and it was just easier for us to cook together. Since the covid pandemic started, I've started thinking about my vegetarianism as a labor issue, as there has been a lot of great reporting about the horrible working conditions at Tyson, and there is some evidence that they've called ICE on themselves as a way to squash organizing and lower wages. All good reasons to 'feed the beast' a little as possible.
I also care, and am vegetarian for most of a given week, but still find it hard to make it to 100%.
There's one easy thing that everyone could do and that would have a *huge* impact: stop eating cows. Raising cows is an incredibly wasteful endeavor. It takes SO MUCH land, water and food to raise cows--more than any other animal we eat, by far. And it doesn't require any "lifestyle change." Just cut out beef and veal. They're bad for you and bad for the planet.
Any meat free recipes to share? :)
I've basically been doing the NAAH ethos for years, but never had a good name for it, so thank you for that!
Homemade poultry stock is truly a delight. It's gotten to the point where I'll get whole chickens — and have a roast chicken dinner — so that I can turn those carcasses into stock, so I guess eating the actual chicken is the NAAH for me. And I grab a bag of chicken feet in Chinatown to make it extra gelatinous which is technically not NAAH but that stuff usually gets thrown out, so it's not too bad IMO.
Buying beef suet - which is like $2-3 a pound - and rendering into tallow is also a good, cheap way to make animal fat on a budget.
lol i so feel you––i get stressed when there aren't carcasses in the freezer and go "well, guess we're having chicken tonight." But it really is basically the most efficient meat meal so only a good thing imo.
I want to do more research on buying parts (trotters, chicken feet, etc) because I have often felt the same, that they are probably going to get wasted otherwise, but at the same time I wonder if any market for them is market and it's still going to the factory farms... I honestly don't know. Would love to see any studies on this that are out there.
Obsessed top to bottom
Really appreciated this! I’m with you, in that I can’t give up meat entirely, but I try to keep it sustainable by buying more chicken than red meat. Making stock always sounded intimidating—I like the convenience of Better Than Bullion jars. Will have to give this a try!
This recipe is vegan, though I’ll often eat it with hard boiled eggs because I love eggs with ramen. The broth kicks ass, just don’t let it get too hot or else it gets weirdly foamy. https://www.rabbitandwolves.com/vegan-spicy-thai-peanut-ramen/
Thanks for sharing! I love peanut noodles so I’ll definitely give this a try.
Excellent post. NAAH challenges me to reconsider how I use what's in the fridge. Btw, I do save poultry bones but not pork or beef -- and why not? Here's an opportunity to be more creative in the kitchen, making dishes from cuts or parts I might not normally consider. Also. Intention = deeper connection to our meals and where they come from.
I stopped eating animals in 1974 when I read an article about factory farming. I could never do it again after that day. I guess it's a matter of how deeply awareness sinks in. I do think any effort is better than none.
That is a long time! Props to you. Favorite vegetarian dish you have discovered? :)
Great post, Claire. I love this NAAH framework. I stopped eating meat in 2016, for no grand reason other than I moved in with my partner who was vegetarian, and it was just easier for us to cook together. Since the covid pandemic started, I've started thinking about my vegetarianism as a labor issue, as there has been a lot of great reporting about the horrible working conditions at Tyson, and there is some evidence that they've called ICE on themselves as a way to squash organizing and lower wages. All good reasons to 'feed the beast' a little as possible.
Would love a vegetarian dish recommendation :)