Somebody in Woodbury Make a Meatless Meal for Me

Would you dine at a vegetarian restaurant in Woodbury?

Research shows that eating in restaurants is bad for your health. And yet Americans eat out 4-5 times per week.

That might not be so bad if there were more truly healthy restaurant options. I’m not talking about substituting vegetables for French fries. I’m talking about enjoying entirely meatless meals. (Editor's note: See Meatless Monday.)

I’m not a vegetarian and I consider cheeseburgers one of the tastiest sandwiches ever invented.

But I don’t eat many cheeseburgers anymore. In fact, I’ve eaten very little red meat for years. The data points to there being no healthy level of red meat consumption.

But every once in a while, I wonder if health is the only good reason to forego meat. I recently read an article in The Atlantic about commercial beef production. It focused on a book, Every Twelve Seconds: Industrialized Slaughter and the Politics of Sight, by Timothy Pachirat. It disturbed me.

Made me want to squeeze my eyes shut, stick my fingers in my ears and sing lalalalala.

That’s pretty much the same reaction I give whenever folks point out how much trans fat is in my peanut butter. I can only be neurotic about one thing at a time. I gave up buying organic milk because it’s too expensive. I’m just a mom trying to get dinner on the table. A girl raised on meat and potatoes like many of you. I’ve never given much thought to where meat comes from. And I’m not sure my brain has the capacity for being concerned, obsessed or overwrought with one more thing. It’s easier to feign ignorance. But is it right?

There are those who advocate for more sustainable and humane farming and still others who say there is no such thing. Hysteria abounds on the issue.

This friend is a hunter. I thought he'd scoff at my ambivalence on the issue of eating meat. Instead, he was empathetic.

The New York Times asked for essay submissions answering to the question, “Is it ever ethical to eat meat?” The winner gave a very reasoned response. You can read it here.

A friend suggested I watch a film on the subject, Temple Grandin. The true story of an autistic woman who dedicates her life to the cause of humane livestock handling.

This friend is a hunter, whom I thought would scoff at my ambivalence on the issue of eating meat. Instead, he is empathetic. Maybe because he is a hunter, he better understands what is involved in bringing meat to the dinner table. That it is something not to be taken lightly.

My sister-in-law is a vegan. She creates yummy recipes at The Pura Vida Pantry in Costa Rica. She is so dedicated to the vegan lifestyle that I’m amazed she tolerates a wishy-washy meat eater like me. If only there were a restaurant like hers in Woodbury. I’d eat there!

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