" Vegetables ... "

If you brought a big brown bag of them home
I'd jump up and down and hope you'd toss me a carrot ...

I tried to kick the ball but my tenny flew right off
I'm red as a beet 'cause I'm so embarrassed

I know that you'll feel better
When you send us in your letter
And tell us the name of your
Your favorite vegetable

~ Beach Boys ~ Vegetables

***

I have to start off with my amazement ... finding song lyrics about vegetables, so cool!  Anyhow this post does not have the intention to sway anyone to become a vegetarian ... just wanted to find out more about this choice of a meatless path.

Where vegetarianism originates ... The word vegetarian is derived from the Latin world vegetus which means lively or vigorous ...

Historical records show a long tradition of ethical wrangling with respect to animals.  Some time between 4000 and 1500 BC and within the four sacred Indian texts known as the Vedas, the wondrous power of the natural world was explained and set the stage for vegetarianism.  The concept of the transmigration of souls with Gods taking animal form and human beings having past animal lives.  All creatures harbored the Divine so the idea of meat on the dinner plate was less palatable.

Also, many yogis follow the practical guidelines within the Bhagavad Gita, religious book of Hinduism.  It specifies that sattvic foods such as milk, butter, fruit, vegetables and grains promote vitality, health, pleasure, strength and long life ... whereas bitter, salty and sour rajasic foods such as meat, fish and alcohol cause pain, disease and discomfort.  Vegetarianism is the spirit of the Indian tradition.

The idea of nonviolence towards animals even dates back to ancient Greece in the 5th century BCE.  Yet following the Christianisation of the Roman Empire, vegetarianism disappeared from Europe only to re-emerge during the Renaissance in the 19th and 20th centuries.  The first Vegetarian Society was founded in the UK in 1847.  In the Western world, the popularity of vegetarianism grew during the 20th century as a result of nutritional, ethical, and more recently, environmental and economic concerns.

And thankfully, scientific endeavors in the area of vegetarianism have shifted from concerns about nutritional adequancy to investigating health benefits and disease prevention.  Vegetarian diets are being used to support treatment for chronic illnesses and avoid the transmission of a number of diseases from animals to humans.

In many socieities, there is controversery over the ethics of eating certain animals.  These objections are based on the consideration for animals, the act of killing and the opposition to certain agricultural practices surrounding the produciton of meat.

Personally I have been vegetarian for 2.5 years now, being vegan for 2 years of that time.  I will never again eat anything that has parents.  Just doesn’t work for me ... and it is a personal choice.  Some feel they can’t live without their burgers and steaks, others love their tofu and soy.  Do the research and make an educated decision but in the meantime if you were wondering where you will get your “protein” ... check out this delicious list of foods ... 

1 avocado - 10 grams

1 cup broccoli - 5 grams

1 cup spinach - 5 grams

2 cups cooked kale - 5 grams

1 cup boiled peas - 9 grams

1 cup cooked sweet potato - 5 grams

1 cup soybeans - 28 grams (1 cup tempeh - 30 grams)

1 cup lentils - 18 grams

1 cup refried beans - 15.5 grams

1 cup garbanzo beans (and hummus) - 14.5 grams

1 cup pinto, kidney, black beans - 13-15 grams

1 oz peanuts - 6.5 grams

1 oz. cashews - 4.4 grams

1 oz. sesame seeds 6.5 grams

3 tablespoons of tahini - 8 grams

1/4 cup (2 oz.) walnuts - 5 grams

1 oz. pistachios - 5.8 grams

2 tbsp almonds - 4 grams

nut butters - peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter - 2 tablespoons has about 8 grams of protein

Soy, almond, ancient grain. 1 cup gets you 7-9 grams of protein.

Quinoa is versatile and delicious. 1 cup - 9 grams.

Oatmeal - 1 cup = 6 grams.

Sprouted grain bread products - 7-10 grams

Hemp - 30 grams of hemp powder ~11 grams of protein