Meat: can we do without it? What does it mean to be vegetarian

Mary Shelley, the visionary author who wrote at 18 Frankensteinhe didn’t eat meat. Not even one of the greatest geniuses of science and art, Leonardo da Vinci, ate it, nor Pythagoras, to whom the world is indebted for the theorem on the right-angled triangle. Human beings have long struggled with their conscience. “The paradox of the flesh”, as it was defined, indicates the moral conflict between the love of animals and the desire to eat meat.

How do you deal with cognitive dissociation of this type? Either consumption is refused, aligning the diet with ethical sentiment, or psychological strategies are found to justify oneself. A recent theory “the four Ns”suggests that we defend the choice to have steak at the table by convincing ourselves that it is natural, normal, necessary and nice.

However, these excuses are starting to crumble, because the philosophy according to which hamburgers are a legacy of the past, an old-fashioned and bloody food to be limited for the good of health and the environment has become pervasive, through social media, cinema, newspapers and television.

Italians are less and less carnivorous

The fact is that Italians are less omnivorous than they used to be. Today two out of ten (22 percent) have eliminated or reduced their meat consumption, as reported by the Coop 2024 Report, but 39 percent could do so in the future, especially those under 35 (82 percent). The others? Almost 73 percent declare themselves against intensive farming for food use, perhaps forgetting that much of the meat on the plate comes from there, in the form of stew or filling for tortellini (Eurispes Italy 2023 report).

There diet with a strong plant base and with a lower intake of meat and sausages than Western standards related to health and longevityscholars have no doubts about this. It would reduce the risk of death from stroke, from some forms of cancer, from neurodegenerative diseases and from other chronic pathologies by a quarter, as Harvard researchers recently concluded, after monitoring one hundred thousand people over thirty years.

A well-known doctor in the United States, Kim Williams, former president ofAmerican College of Cardiologyhe went so far as to say: «There are two types of cardiologists: vegans and those who have not read the data». An extreme position, but it makes you think.

The impact on the environment

The impact of the food system on the environment also generates reflections. It has been proven that the Vegan diets produce about 75 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissionswater pollution and land use compared to menus with over a pound of meat per day. In the work of the University of Oxford, conducted on 55 thousand people and appeared on Nature Foodwe read that the advantages for the planet can also be obtained with less drastic choices: just drop below 50 grams per day of slices and cured meats to halve your ecological footprint. For those who don’t know, the the problem is the eructations and flatulence of ruminants, because they contain methane, one of the greenhouse gases responsible for global warming and therefore climate change.

The January campaign

It seems like impose a green period on yourself is a method to start reducing the portions, at least to reach the three total, with only one of red meat, expected for omnivores in National guidelines for healthy eating. Every January, since 2014, the “Veganuary” campaign of the association Being animals encourages following a plant-based diet for a few weeks, proposing images of cute pigs and fluffy chicks to try to break down the psychological defenses that lead to the meat paradox. In 2024, approximately 25 million people registered on the site, of which 1.7 million in Italy.

At the University of Exeter, in the United Kingdom, three online studies were independently conducted on Veganuary participants to understand whether some of them maintained their reductions in meat consumption even in the following months. It emerged that, on average, people say they appreciate meat less after green days and some end up finding it even disgusting. The self-perception would then change, going from considering oneself carnivores to human beings who tend to exclude meat. This change in identity is associated with greater success in reducing the consumption of animal sources.

Various degrees of abstention

The idea that the preparation of the dishes is inconvenient and that there are not enough options in the restaurant can hinder adherence to Veganuary. In this sense, joining the campaign allows you to receive daily emails with recipes and advice. It should be noted that there are many degrees of abstention. Vegans (4 percent of Italians according to the 2024 Coop Report) give up all animal derivatives, including honey, while vegetarians (6 percent) allow eggs, milk and dairy products at the table. Pescetarians accept fish and not meat and are further divided into pesco-vegans or pesco-vegetarians. And flexitarians are on the rise (7 percent), who could be defined as conscious omnivores or eco-carnivores. The flexitarian diet is flexible by definition (from the portmanteau of the English terms flexible and vegetarian) and resembles the original Mediterranean diet, in which meat appeared on holidays or was used to flavor other ingredients. Basically, a plant-based diet is adopted, with moderate portions of fish and eggs and small quantities of meat and dairy products.

Vegan supplies at home

Anyone who wants to take up the vegan challenge should know that they don’t have to fear going into protein debt if they eat legumes, cereals, dried fruit with shells such as walnuts and oilseeds every day. A plate of pasta with beans gives you all the protein you need. It is true that legumes are lacking in some amino acids (the building blocks with which we form proteins), which however are compensated for by cereals, if consumed during the same meal or throughout the day. As explained by Veganuary in the first email after signing up, when shopping it is best to vary between chickpeas (yellow and black), beans (from borlotti to cannellini), lentils (from small to red), broad beans, soya (also edamame ), peas, grass peas. Depending on the time available, dried or jarred legumes, flour and legume paste, tofu and tempeh, a sort of fermented brick which in some specialized shops can be found not only made of soya, but also of beans, are offered as stocks. , chickpeas and peas. What if we go out for dinner? It is always the welcome message to the campaign that reminds us that many traditional Mediterranean dishes are vegan. Spaghetti with tomato sauce and pizza without mozzarella can be found everywhere. In Tuscan trattorias, panzanella, ribollita and beans all’uccelletto are served, while in Ligurian ones chickpea farinata is served.

Meat is not essential

Being vegan is not for everyone, it must be said. You have to make an effort, especially at the beginning, to find a nutritional balance. And the debate remains heated on the opportunity to completely eliminate meat, eggs, fish and dairy products in the elderly, in some more fragile categories of adults and in children. In this regard, vitamin B12, or cobalamin, is often mentioned, which is not found in any plant source. The body needs it in small quantities, but it is essential that it is consumed and, to avoid a deficiency, fortified foods are recommended for vegans, such as soy-based products added with the micronutrient. What the scientific community is now certain of, however, is that meat is not indispensable for the populations of the richest countries, where food alternatives are able to compensate for the absence of steers and chickens. Stopping eating them would save the lives of 83 billion animals a year (UN estimates, 2022). “When will you put an end to this damned massacre?” exclaimed the Greek philosopher Empedocles. And it was the fifth century BC.

Veganuary for 25 million

Veganuary, an acronym for “january” and “vegan”, has fallen in January since 2014. The initiative is by theessere animali association and consists of deciding to eat vegan for a few weeks. Last year, 25 million people joined, of which 1.7 million in Italy (according to registrations). According to some studies, choosing to eat only vegetable proteins for a period can lead to a gradual disaffection from meat, which in excess is not good for health and the environment or for the well-being of other living beings.

Eliana Liotta is a journalist, writer and science communicator. On iodonna.it and on the main platforms (Spreaker, Spotify, Apple Podcast and Google Podcast) you can find his podcast series The good that I want.

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