riddle@ut-sally.UUCP (Prentiss Riddle) (01/06/84)
All of the vegetarians I know are lacto-ovo-vegetarians, whereas a number of the contributors to net.veg seem to be "total" vegetarians. As an alternative to the continued flaming about vegetarianism vs. meat-eating, I'd like to propose the following topic for some (hopefully more restrained) discussion: what do you consider to be the pros and cons of including eggs and dairy products in a vegetarian diet? Are the reasons for "total" vegetarianism based on morality, health, or both? Are milk and eggs any less wasteful a source of protein than meat? From a sympathizer who still eats an occasional dead animal-- Prentiss Riddle ("Aprendiz de todo, maestro de nada.") {ihnp4,seismo,ctvax}!ut-sally!riddle
mason@utcsrgv.UUCP (Dave Mason) (01/09/84)
The following information comes from "Diet for a Small Planet" by Frances Moore Lappe' (C) 1971,1975 Ballantine Cookbook. Beef steers are the champion protein wasters. Estimates vary from 20:1 to 7:1, but the 7:1 assumes that all the market protein on a steer comes from the grain it is fed. The USDA quotes a number of 16:1. Pork is substantially better: 6:1. Turkey : 4:1. Eggs: 3:1. Broiler chickens: 3:1. Milk production by cows is stated to be about one pound of grain per pint. By my calculations this is between 2:1 and 4:1. Note that livestock are not only fed grains, but also soybeans & milk. Fate of US Protein Resources Resource Average Protein Proportion Fed Content to Livestock 1. Corn, Barley, Oats 8%-14% 90% 2. Soybeans 35%-40% 90%+ 3. Wheat 11%-14% 24% 4. Milk (solids&liquids)3%-33% 2% 5. Total harvested acreage 50% Looking at the global situation: 1. Grain 8%-14% 33%-35% 2. Oilseeds 26%-40% 60%-70% 3. Fish 15%-25% 40%-50% 4. Milk products 3%-33% 25%-40% In 1971 140 million tons of grain & soy were fed to livestock, yielding 20 million tons of meat, and WASTING 118 MILLION TONS! Through oilseeds (peanuts, palm kernels, copra, etc.), oilseed products, and fish meal, the Western World is currently acquiring from the hungry world one million metric tons more protein than is delivered to the hungry world through grains. In other words, the Western World is exchanging approx 3 million metric tons of cereal protein for 4 million metric tons of other proteins which are superior in nutritive aspect. (DM note: the essential amino acids in grains require substantial balancing with oilseeds amino acid to supply the balance required for complete human nutrition) -- Dave Mason, U. Toronto CSRG, {utzoo,linus,cornell,watmath,ihnp4,allegra,floyd,decwrl, decvax,uw-beaver,ubc-vision}!utcsrgv!mason