Re: Five Reasons Not To Be A Vegetarian: Tim Love

image: Tydence

ran across a link to this 5@5 quicky with Tim Love chef and owner of The Lonesome Dove Western Bistro in Fort Worth, TX.  Tim gives 5 (i'm not sure he knows how to count) reasons he thinks people shouldn't be vegetarian.  I'll summarize each reason, and then give my feelings on the subject, similar to here.   But honestly, Mr. Love achieves to add nothing of substance to this discourse.

Basically, his arguments grill down to the following:
1. Meat tastes better than vegetables.  If you are vegetarian because you think the food contained in your diet tastes better, than i don't think he's convincing you.  For the rest of us, he's missing or ignoring the point.   This is all relative.   Ice cream tastes great, but no one is suggesting we eat it all the time.
2. Meat smells better than vegetables.  Uh, see above.
3. Vegetarians are preachy.  This irony is more ripe than corn fed manure.  Eat what you want.  Be educated and thoughtful about it.
4. Meat is fine in moderation and provides protein and iron and amino acids.  While i'm pretty sure all of that is true, he's pretty much made an opposing argument.  What is this, 1940?  protein, iron, and amino acids are usually the last of one's dietary problems even if one eats a vegan diet and does so poorly.
5. People look at you funny.  Yeah, well, your mom dresses you funny.

I thoroughly enjoy hearing what people have to say about their diets and thoughtful questions on mine.  I'll be the first to admit that meat can taste fantastic.  But so can a Duxelle tart with mascarpone.  Or A wild mushroom stroganoff with fresh egg noodles.   I have the choice in what i eat while staying healthy and happy.  I do it easily and willingly because it's about more than I and what goes into my mouth. 
As Michael Pollan says: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."