WIAW: Vegucated

Hey everyone!

[loving the leopard leggings!]

I’ve mentioned a few times that last week I went to a special screening of the documentary, Vegucated. It was really interesting so I thought I’d share a little about it and what I got out of it.

The documentary followed 3 New York City residents who took part in a 6 week social experiment that involved going vegan and learning more about the (TERRIBLE) American food industry. From the website:

“Part sociological experiment and part adventure comedy, Vegucated follows three meat- and cheese-loving New Yorkers who agree to adopt a vegan diet for six weeks. Lured by tales of weight lost and health regained, they begin to uncover the hidden sides of animal agriculture that make them wonder whether solutions offered in films like Food, Inc. go far enough. This entertaining documentary showcases the rapid and at times comedic evolution of three people who discover they can change the world one bite at a time.” 

The three participants were the farthest thing from vegan, let alone health conscious at all! But the transformations they made in terms of thinking about their food and the reform that the food industry needs, just shows that giving people a little bit of information can make huge strides towards positive change. Hey, if 3 meat loving New Yorkers with no particular interest in health or animal welfare can be moved to tears at the thought of the how slaughter houses operate in our country, then anyones minds can be changed!

One thing I particularly liked about the film was how they also discussed that you can’t always trust labels like “natural”, “organic”, “free range”, “happy”, or “cage free”. These labels make it seem like the animals are experiencing less suffering and that the regulations to protect them are stronger, but in reality these labels only cover very specific standards. In the grand scheme of things and upon further inquiry, it turns out these labels don’t mean a whole heck of a lot. (There are some companies that are doing the right things of course! But some hide behind these labels to appear more marketable to environment and health conscious consumers!)

Although exposés like this and Food Inc. really drum up a lot of emotion in me and make me want to go and give up animal products all together (not to mention get a job in government so I can get some legislation passed to change the food industry…which I am actually looking into!), I just cannot do that right now. I eat poultry, fish, and dairy products because I enjoy them and my body gets a lot of nutrition from them. I DO NOT EAT RED MEAT (I think this part of the food industry is the most despicable) . I choose reputable organic and free-range options when ever possible and always look for local products as well. Frankly, animal products aren’t a huge part of my diet in comparison with the typical American so I feel okay about the choices I make. If everyone ate even slightly less meat then they do now, think about all the change we could make in terms of environmental and animal welfare. In a perfect world, I would be vegan (we ALL would be vegan!) because I really am an animal lover and an environmentalist…but for where I am in my life that’s just not feasible.

But like I said, I make smarter, more ethical choices based on the information I have taken in and I think that’s half the battle right there. Getting this information about the food industry out there will make consumers more aware of the atrocities that are committed everyday for the sake of our gluttony and will hopefully make people think more about the food they choose to purchase and eat.

Needless to say, I thought this documentary was very well done. In the end, some of the people involved stayed vegan, others vegetarian, but all walked away with a deep enlightenment on how there choices effect the world around them and that we all need to be a little more mindful of the food we put in our bodies.

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From the serious side of food…to the FUN side! Lots of good eats to share this week for WIAW!

[turkey cabbage sautee with toasted pita topped with bean dip, cheese, and tomato]

[homemade black bean burger with kabocha, laughing cow, and roasted veggies]

[leftover lentil bolognese on salad greens]

[frozen banana and pb tortilla]

[tofu, bean quesadilla with roasted veg, yogurt, and avocado]

[turkey egg scramble and toasted pita with cream cheese and jam]

[pear and strawberries with peanut flour, flax, and almond milk]

[coconut spelt pancakes with blueberries and peaches]

[lentil and turkey salad]

[grilled cheese]

[THE BEST CHICKEN MARSALA EVER, sweet potato fries, pear, and laughing cow]

[turkey, bean salad, veggies, and squash]

[perfect grille chicken salad]

[chia bar with carrots and peanut butter]

[tuna salad sushi and salad with roasted garlic dressing]

[tuna, bean, pear salad]

[almonds, pear, and bean/cheese topped crackers]

[butternut squash, chick pea sautee pasta with roasted veggies and toast]

No submissions yet for this weeks Lend a {Healthy} Hand round up! So lend me a hand and tell me something nice you’ve done for someone else this week! Also, SPREAD THE WORD! It’s important that random acts of kindness keep getting done!

Love you all!

Kaila 

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Todays’s Healthy Help: Lent someone my phone who’s car battery died at school!