By Larry Evans, Raleigh, NC
When I was about 10 years old my Dad came home one day with fresh steaks. He threw them on the grill and we began eating them that evening. Halfway through the meal, my dad said, “This meat went “Moo” this morning!” True or not I didn’t want to finish the steak. A cow was killed that day for me! The “Moo” comment reminded me of things I didn’t want to think about. “An animal had to die to feed me. Oh no!” I’m sure by the next day I had moved on. Back then (around 1970) everyone ate meat. Not to mention eating meat was a sign of success. I probably bragged to my friends how much roast beef, hamburger, and pork chops my family ate. With the exception of veal. My Mom said “no” to eating veal. We can eat cows, just not calves. How strange to think that a fully grown animal is less innocent than a newborn animal. It’s not as if the fully-grown animal has the opportunity to defend themselves from being slaughtered in an agricultural food factory.

As I got a bit older I became a vegetarian but for all the wrong reasons. I committed to the diet because I like challenges, thought it would keep my weight down, would save money, and thought it would make me appear to be cool and more enlightened in the dating world. At the time it was all about me. Rarely I did I think about animal cruelty in the food industry. I was oblivious to animal cruelty, well sort of. 
I recall one Thanksgiving Holiday, where my kids and I were watching A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. I thought it was weird that Woodstock (a bird!) was sitting at a Thanksgiving table waiting anxiously for Snoopy (a dog!) to serve him a slice of Turkey. Really? We watched the Peanuts special right after eating Thanksgiving dinner and I could smell turkey meat on my breath. I thought, “I have a dead animal in my stomach.” Right then I became a vegetarian. It lasted two years. I justified going back to eating meat because it was just easier. Also, some of my friends were offended that I didn’t eat meat. I think they felt I was silently scolding them for being meat-eaters. 

Many years went by and my diet settled into a groove of mostly cheese, rice, peanut butter, and roast chicken on very, very special occasions. I guess it didn’t bother me that I could smell chicken on my breath. No red meat but also no vegetables. The truth is, I was lazy. I didn’t want to take the time and energy to prepare plant-based meals. So, I was fine with my diet and I was happy with my decision to eat dead animals again. Besides, I took multivitamins to compensate for my poor diet. Little did I know.

Then, two years ago, some of my family members committed to the plant-based diet. I was hesitant to jump on-board because of the reasons I previously mentioned. Every time I would defend eating meat they responded with tons of information that I could not dispute. Their arguments were not about plant-based diets being more healthy, which they are. They fiercely defended a plant-based diet because of the devastating harm that it inflicts on animal agriculture, our environment, our society, and our general well-being. I listened. I understood. I agreed. I could no longer justify eating meat or should I say, eat animals that were raised, killed, and processed in such a horrific way that most horror films could not even compare. Animal agriculture is a grisly affair and it is futile to defend their practices.

Unfortunately, many of us will still bury our heads in the sand and ignore the fact that animal agriculture is one of the most toxic forces on our planet. I could provide a laundry list of the destruction but we already know them. We all know the horrors, yet we choose to ignore them. Why? Maybe because making changes in our diet is too much of a hassle, not convenient and we think plants do not taste as good as eating meat.

Fortunately, we have a nutritionist in our family. She has taught us how to create plant-based meals that are easy, not expensive, and taste great. (Reach out and I’ll pass on her contact info!) I do not miss meat at all, my weight is down, my workouts are better, and I’m healthier mentally and physically. As an athletic guy, I was worried that I couldn’t get enough protein with plants and my muscle tone would suffer. That hasn’t happened at all! 

I don’t expect the world to change overnight but I do encourage everyone to try a plant-based diet on occasion. Dine at a vegan restaurant. You will be surprised how tasty the vegan meals are. You will also feel better that you’re eating healthier and that your dinner did not cost an animal their life. I started off slow. I began eating plant-based two days a week, then three days a week, and finally every day as I completely embraced the diet. I’m happier and healthier. Now I just have to figure out how to get Woodstock to eat a plant-based Turkey dinner this Thanksgiving.