Save the Cow, Save the World...

"If we continue to consume meat and dairy at the current rate both animals and the planet will suffer."
- Joyce D'Silva, Ambassador for Compassion in World Farming

When we look at food, we usually only think about how it affects us (i.e. "How many calories are in this?"), if we think about it at all. For example...

You wouldn't pay someone to kick a puppy, or throw rocks at a cat. But, anytime you buy red meat, you're supporting an industry built on animal cruelty. In some farms, cows are kept in filthy pens without sufficient space to move around. The weak and sick are prodded with electric shocks, and must be moved using forklifts since they are not well enough to walk on their own. It's an abomination that must be stopped. The good news is that buy consuming less red meat, it can also lessen the abuse of animals. That's one of the reasons that this diet is so great.

The second reason for our "almost-vegetarianism" is that it's great for the environment. To farm cattle (without cruelty), you need a lot of grazing land. This means you have to clear forests, and even the parts that survive will probably be trampled or eaten by the bovines. Another fact is that cows produce a lot of methane (a greenhouse gas); in a year, a cow will produce a little over 300 lbs of it! But, wait! Where's the beef? It still needs to be transported to your local supermarket. Altogether, animal production produces 18% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions.

Our diet is the perfect compromise, it still allows you to eat meat and reap many of the benefits of a vegetarian diet. And, as you'll see, it's also healthier. So, come on over to the side with the turkey bacon! (Below is some additional motivation to give up red meat...)




AWWWWWWWWW!!!

To Eat...

There are many foods that are important for teens to eat. These include nutrients and other important chemicals that can only be found in certain foods. Some specific foods teens should eat are:
-milk- this is an important and good source of calcium which will help prevent Osteoporosis later in life (ooohh exciting(I know that doesn't sound awesome but it is...)).
-oranges (wow, what color are those?) or other citrusy fruits- this awesome fruit(s) is a great source of vitamin C which is necessary for healthy bones, teeth, and skin... -whole wheat- this is a good source of vitamin B6 which helps your bodies turn food into energy. It is also a good source of iron which helps your blood carry oxygen to your body.

These are only a few of the many important foods for teens but if you roughly follow our 3 day diet (see 2nd post) you can learn to balance your diet and get all of the essential vitamins and minerals (Ohana means family, family means nobody get left behind or forgotten (include all of the vitamins!)).

Or Not To Eat?

Well if you haven't caught on yet we'll reinforce the point *clears throat*

"NO RED MEAT!". For a healthy diet you should also avoid most packaged foods especially those with high saturated and trans fat content (find this on the nutrition label...I thought I should mention this for those of you who are new to the world and have never been bored enough to read the side of a cereal box). Saturated fats are found in large amounts in cow and beef as well as small amounts in poultry and dairy. Trans fats are not found in nature and are in processed and packaged foods. You should also avoid high sugar foods because they build up fast and if you don't excercise as much they will turn into fat.

Avoid:

-High amounts of food like french fries and popcorn

-Packaged snack foods like Doritos or Oreos

-Red meat like beef or pork

-Foods high in sugar like Skittles

Carbs And Fat And Protein: Oh My!

Carbs (technically carbohydrates but it's not like the ohydrates part is important):

Carbs are the fuel for your body and provide you with much needed energy (so before the big saturday party make sure to eat a big bowl of pasta). There are 2 kinds of carbs: simple and complex. Simple carbs are sugars give you quick energy and are found in almost everything. Complex carbs are starch and are found in pastas and grains as well as potatoes and corn. Complex carbs take longer to digest and give a lesser more gradual supply of energy. A lot of people think carbs make you fat but as long as you burn off as many carbs as you eat your golden. Carbs are continuously burned by the body to keep you running through the day but that burning process is increased through excercise. Unused carbs are stored in your body in fat cells and saved to burn off later. Teens need around 1500 to 1800 calories a day and about 600-1000 should come from carbohydrates. There are 4 calories per 1 gram of carbohydrates so around 150 to 300 grams of carbs a day for the average teen (not counting the atheletes who need like waaaaaaaaaaaaay more to stay energized).

Fat (Ewww! like "Super-Size Me!"):

No matter what...even if you're a super model in training...fats are important. *gasp* NORMAL teens need about 2 to 4 servings per day (those who aren't intense and don't work out every 5 minutes *cough cough* you know who you are...) They're important because (ummm... hmm... oh I got one) they store energy for your body (so when you get stuck on a foodless island you won't die...of hunger...as quickly...well, on the bright side you might become a cast member of "Lost"). Another reason they're important is for your hormone system (don't freak out guys). These hormones help fend off invading bacteria, replace dead cells (I see dead people...or cells), control weight, temperature, blood. They also help keep you warm (so when you try to swim off that foodless island in that freezing water...make sure you're fat-tank is full).

1 Serving:
-6 almonds
-10 peanuts
-2 Tbsps cream cheese
-1 tsp oil, margarine, mayonnaise, or butter
-1 Tbsp salad dressing

***IMPORTANT***No cows were used in the making of these servings!!! Yay! (except for that cream cheese and buttery whatnot...oh well, we're only wannabe vegetarians...)

Protein:

*Okay so for normal people, who can't figure out how the heck to work the metric system, divide your weight in pounds by 2.2 to get your weight in kilograms (kg for those who can't spell).*

Age 15 to 18: 40 to 50 grams a day. You need protein to grow and to maintain your muscles (so if you don't want to be short and wimpy for the rest of your life you need protein). Protein also make up molecules called amino acids and there are nine essential acids that your body cannot make and so needs to take in. For almost vegitarians dairy, poultry, and seafood products are the key protein sources along with beans.
We know its tempting because cow is such a good source of protein but put the burger down and walk over to KFC to get a different protein source. Teens can just as easily get protein from chicken or fish as from cow plus its healthier to do cows and yourself a favor and be an almost vegitarian.

How Cows Affect Calories

Average teenagers (moderately active) need around 1500 to 1800 calories a day but to specifically determine your intake you must calculate how many calories your body needs to function (BMR(yay acronyms...wait no...nevermind...)) and factor in the amount of excercise you do. Teens who are more or less active will have different estimate because their bodies need more energy because they do more. This site is an easy way to figure out your recommended calorie intake (this is for those of us who can't do math even though all of the teachers insist that we "just aren't reaching our full potential and just need to study more"(for the intense math geniuses you can find the actual numbers here)). You can also find out how many calories you actually take in by finding out how many grams of protein, fat, and carbs you eat a day. There are 4 calories per gram of protein and carbs and 9 calories per gram of fat.

Initiation Of A Non-Red Meat Eater

Teen Diet: this is an example of a healthy almost vegitarian 3 day diet...

Breakfast:

Day 1:
Fresh fruit- an orange, pear, strawberries, banana, watermelon, peaches, blueberries-mix some of your favorite fruits with a container of yogurt and add some granola for a delicious breakfast (sort of like a parfait, except better than Mcdonald's...its waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better than fast food, its (enter your name here)'s)).
Day 2:
Eggs-fried, scrambled, poached, or hard-boiled with whole grain toast- This great source of protein will help to give you energy to start your day.
Day 3:
Oatmeal with chopped nuts and raisins, a sliced banana, or strawberries- If you want more protein, add some peanut butter.

Snack:

Days 1-3:
Grain- just something to give you a little energy even chips are fine just not more than 1 bag.

Lunch:

Day 1:
Vegetarian chili with tortilla chips- its basically the same chilly but with more vegis like corn and no meat, all the good and none of the bad.
Day 2:
Tuna salad sandwich on whole grain bread or roll- This is a healthy way to get protein instead of eating red meat (yay we saved cows).
Day 3:
Egg salad sandwich on whole wheat bread with lettuce and tomato- Another healthy red meat alternative

Dinner:

Day 1:
Ravioli or pasta with cheese sauce- you could also eat it with pesto sauce but the cheese gives you a little more variation.
Day 2:
Broiled salmon with vegetables- this will give you much needed proteins and good fats without using the bad fats and cholesterols found in red meat.
Day 3:
Stir fry vegetables with shrimp, or chicken- Yummy and its good for you!

Dessert:

Days 1-3:
Ice cream or your favorite treat- a few fatty foods a day are perfectly fine especially at dessert time. Just remember not to go overboard with the chocolate and make sure (I can't believe I have to say this but just in case...) you don't eat some kind of meat for dessert.

Bibliography

The cows of the world thank these websites for helping us spread the word of almost vegitarianism (linked because it wouldn't let us put in the actual urls):

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