Friday, April 12, 2013

Should You Make Your Pet Go Vegetarian?

I'm a lacto-ovo vegetarian, but my dog is a full-blown omnivore, who is fed a diet of rice, vegetables and fish daily. He seems to thrive on it, but the question I often get from other vegetarians is: "Why don't you make your dog go vegetarian?"

According to Pet MD, getting your dog to go vegetarian is not as harmful as doing the same to your cat. The same is said by veterinarians in this article as well, yet I do know people who continue to feed their cats vegetarian diets.

I'm all for vegetarian diets in humans, but animals are a different matter entirely, even dogs, who are omnivores. According to an article on Mother Nature Network, a vegetarian diet can be prescribed to dogs, provided it is nutritionally sound. However a vet quoted in the same article also says:

“Vegetarian proteins tend not to have all the amino acids, so you have to do multiple combinations of varying types of sources of protein to get the right amino acids, which can get a little tricky to manage,” says Dr. Jessica Waldman, a veterinarian who operates a full-time pet rehabilitation clinic in Santa Monica, Calif. Waldman says she steers her clients away from vegetarian diets because she believes they are unnatural.

“Although I think it would be possible to put a dog on a vegetarian diet, it is truly unnatural for them,” says Waldman. “There are still dogs in the wild and they eat a vast majority of animal protein, so I think that keeping your pet’s diet as close to natural is best for limiting disease and promoting health.”

I'm inclined to believe Dr. Waldman, as I believe in feeding my dog as natural a diet as possible. My dog doesn't eat commercial pet food (only home-cooked meals), hence I believe his diet is "safe" for him. Other vegetarians may hate me for saying this, but I believe that being the peace-loving people we are, vegetarians should allow our pet cats and dogs to eat the diets that come naturally to them. By the same virtue, you could say that humans should be omnivore as being omnivore "comes naturally" to us as well. There is some truth to that, but it is not the only truth. Vegetarianism arose from the truth that humans are advanced enough now to pursue diets that are nutritionally sound as well as compassionate.   It's a matter of perspective, really, and I stand by the truth that vegetarian diets are suitable for human beings, who possess the intelligence and ability to fend for themselves and therefore, eat more compassionately. The same can't be done for our pets, who are entirely dependent on us for food and shelter.   So do right by them, stand by your beliefs but allow your pets the right to lead normal, nutrionally-balanced lives. Let them eat what they need, not what you want.

Monday, April 1, 2013

15-minute Vegetarian Meals

Lately, I haven't been paying much attention to nutrition as I spend around 3 hours a day commuting to and fro for work, which doesn't give me time to prepare my own meals. Since I work in an area of Cyberjaya that is devoid of vegetarian options, it leaves me with only one choice: bringing lunch to work. 

Unfortunately, most Indian meals take ages to prepare. Desperate for more convenient meal recipes, I trawled the Web to locate healthy vegetarian recipes. These are ten of my favourite 15-minute meals (in no particular order):

1. One Pot Kale and Quinoa Pilaf

Since kale is not available where I live, I decided to use mustard greens instead, which turned out quite well as it is also crunchy. I also replaced the pine nuts with sunflower seeds to lock in the protein. Check out the original recipe here.


2. Wild Rice Salad

 
Haven't tried this one out yet, but I can imagine it will go well with any type of leftover vegetarian curry. Yummy! 


3. Spicy Falafels

The base ingredients for falafels are chickpeas. Tip: Boil and drain the chickpeas the night before so you're not in a rush the next morning. I like my falafels stuffed into pitas with a salad on the side. 


4.Egyptian Edamame Stew

This stew goes best with couscous, or toasted pita bread.


5. Indian Spiced Tomato Soup

This too tastes fantastic with toasted pitas!


6. Keralan veggie curry with poppadoms, rice and minty yoghurt 

I've gotta hand it to Jamie Oliver, he does know the way to a vegetarian's heart! Check out the recipe here.


7. Sweet and Sour Tofu With Rice Noodles

This one comes from Shape.com, it's actually not bad.


8. Macaroni and Cheese With Broccoli

Another healthy recipe from Shape.com.


9. Quinoa Black Bean Burgers

Not bad, not bad at all, this.


10. Vegetarian Paella

Ok so I cheated, this recipe takes more than 15 minutes to prepare, but it is so worth it! Just keep it in the fridge overnight and reheat the next day for lunch.