Help yourself and the planet - Eat less meat

Help yourself and the planet - Eat less meat
By Marialisa Calta
Tuesday, February 10, 2009

http://www.douglasdispatch.com/articles/2009/02/10/news/food/doc4991f0ca0ea31650138960.txt

When a consummate “foodie” like Mark Bittman — New York Times food columnist, bestselling cookbook author, food blogger, PBS food-show star — starts advocating a vegan diet, it’s time to drop the foie gras and listen up. Even if it’s just a partially vegan diet, or, as Bittman puts it, a “vegan until 6” daily regimen.

In his new book, “Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating with More Than 75 Recipes” (Simon & Schuster, 2008), Bittman does everyone who cares about his or her own health as well as the health of the planet a huge favor by simply and plainly putting the two concerns together. His conclusion: Our diets may be killing us, and they are not helping the environment, either. Just one example: According to Bittman, industrial meat production is responsible, worldwide, for one-fifth of the production of greenhouse gases. Couple that with the research that has linked diets high in animal protein to cardiac disease and certain cancers, and Bittman’s solution seems like a no-brainer: Eat less meat. “If we all ate the equivalent of three fewer cheeseburgers (or cheeseburger equivalencies) a week,” he told a radio interviewer recently, “it would be the equivalent of taking all the SUVs in the United States off the road.” And we would get healthier and
lose weight. He certainly did.

A couple of years ago, Bittman found that his concerns over global problems related to food production dovetailed with his concerns over personal problems related to his food consumption. He found himself overweight, and suffering from high blood pressure, high blood sugar and high cholesterol. His doctor advised him to adopt a vegan diet (one free of all animal products, including eggs, dairy and honey). Bittman, instead, decided to eat an animal-free diet for two meals a day, and, in the evening — as he said in the interview — to do “pretty much what I want.” The results? He has cut his animal-protein consumption by two-thirds and lost 35 pounds, with dramatic reductions in cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar. He describes his daytime diet as relying heavily on whole grains, legumes, vegetables and fruits; no processed foods, refined carbs or added sugars. But he is not too proud to admit — as he did on the radio — that on the
evening of Super Bowl Sunday, he ate “Super Bowl food,” including hot dogs.

“Are your choices going to be perfect and free of hypocrisy? I’d be lying if I said mine were,” he writes. “But I can’t repeat it enough: The aggregate of even the smallest changes equals big changes.”

If the idea of veganism — or Bittman’s philosophy of “less-meatarianism” — scares you, rest assured it doesn’t have to be complicated. Substitute a bowl of oatmeal for a bacon-and-egg breakfast. For lunch, have a salad with chickpeas on it instead of chicken. And there are books to help. Vegan cook Nava Atlas has come through with “Vegan Soups and Hearty Stews for All Seasons” (Broadway Books, 2009). She is also the author of “Vegan Express” (Broadway Books, 2008).

TACO SOUP

4 cups water
1/2 cup uncooked bulgur
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
2 to 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 medium green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
4 cups cooked pinto beans or 2 (14- to 16-ounce) cans, rinsed and drained
1 (28-ounce) can salt-free crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped mild green chilies, fresh or canned, optional
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano

For garnish:

1 to 1-1/2 cups grated cheddar-style, nondairy cheese
thinly shredded romaine or other lettuce
1 cup finely diced tomato
stone-ground tortilla chips

Bring 1 cup of the water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the bulgur and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes or until the water is absorbed.

Heat the oil in a soup pot. Add the onion and cook, stirring, over medium heat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and pepper, and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until all are turning golden, at least 5 minutes more.

Add the beans, tomatoes, chilies and cilantro (if using), cumin and oregano, the cooked bulgur and the remaining 3 cups water. Bring to a rapid simmer, then lower the heat. Cover and simmer gently for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat.

Assemble each serving: Fill each bowl about two-thirds full with soup. Top with some grated cheese, shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes. Serve tortilla chips on the side or, if desired, line the perimeter with chips, points facing upward, for a star-shaped effect. The chips can be used to scoop the solid parts of the soup or eaten as an accompaniment.

Yield: 6 servings

Recipe from “Vegan Soups and Hearty Stews for All Seasons” by Nava Atlas (Broadway Books, 2009)

MOROCCAN VEGETABLE STEW

1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions, peeled and chopped
2 medium potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
2 heaping cups, peeled 3/4-inch chunks butternut squash or sugar (pie) pumpkin
2 large carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 (14- to 16-ounce) can salt-free diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
water, as needed
1 (14- to 16-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cup uncooked couscous, preferably whole grain
1/4 to 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

Heat the oil in a soup pot. Add the onions and cook, stirring, over medium heat until golden, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Add the potatoes, squash (or pumpkin), carrots, tomatoes, cumin and turmeric. Add enough water to cover all but about 1/2-inch of the vegetables. Bring to a rapid simmer, then lower the heat. Cover and simmer gently for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

Stir in the chickpeas, then season with salt and pepper. Simmer over very low heat for 10 to 15 minutes longer.

Meanwhile, bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir in the couscous, cover, and remove from the heat. Let stand for 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork.

To serve, place a small amount of couscous in each soup bowl, then ladle some stew over it and sprinkle with parsley.

Yield: at least 6 servings

Recipe from “Vegan Soups and Hearty Stews for All Seasons” by Nava Atlas (Broadway Books, 2009)

BREAKFAST COUSCOUS

1-1/2 cups water
pinch of salt
1 cup uncooked couscous, preferably whole grain
1 cup fresh fruit, cut into bite-sized pieces, if needed (bananas, apples, berries, etc.)
1/4 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1/4 cup dried fruit (raisins, dates, coconut, etc.)
drizzle of maple syrup to taste

Put the water, salt and couscous in a pot. Bring to a boil, cover, remove from heat, and let steep for 10 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients, and serve.

Yield: 4 servings

Recipe from “Food Matters” by Mark Bittman (Simon & Schuster, 2008)

Marialisa Calta is the author of “Barbarians at the Plate: Taming and Feeding the American Family” (Perigee, 2005). For more information, go to http://www.marialisacalta.com