The world is getting more “woke”. Or, at least, we’re trying to be. With the advances in the digital age and the internet, information is more easily accessible than ever before. No longer do the ivory towers of academia decide who can access what information and as a result the masses are learning a lot about their government, their planet, and also their personal health more than ever before. 

With all this information it should be no surprise that people’s day to day lifestyle choices are changing a lot too. One of the most significant changes is a switch towards plant-based eating habits, better known as vegetarianism or veganism. Millennials in particular are making the change with 15% reportedly live on plant-based eating. But why are so many people switching their diet?

Why Go Vegetarian?

The environment

One of the reasons so many people are switching to vegetarian and vegan diets has to do with the environment. Climate change is a big topic right now and there are many sources that indicate it is tied to our dairy and meat industries. 

Our planet is surrounded by an invisible shield of sorts known as the ozone layer, which keeps harmful intergalactic light from affecting us. Unfortunately our ozone has big holes in it and letting extra space light through. This is causing irreparable changes to our environment. We are seeing the median temperature of the planet rise at a drastically fast degree because of the radiation allowed through our broken ozone. With rising temperatures comes the death of many species, particularly aquatic life, the flooding of coastlines, and ferocious wildfires.

This is what we call climate change. Scientists have learned that methane gas emissions made by human industries are one of the biggest causes of the ozone’s depletion. And the biggest producer of methane gases comes from the beef industry and, explicitly put, cow farts. The over herding and breeding of cattle has led to huge methane gas emissions. While it is not the sole cause of our environmental emergency, it is a major one. If humans, en masse, consumed fewer cattle products it would potentially cut down on methane emissions. While that is an unlikely scenario, many people feel going plant-based is a way they can make a more positive environmental impact. 

The herding of livestock does more than just produce greenhouse gases though. It also leads to a large amount of deforestation. As cattle are such large animals and consume such large volumes of food to sustain themselves, it takes a lot of space and resources to breed and keep such large volumes of animals. As a result, in places like Brazil, farmers are actually cutting back and burning down parts of the Amazon rainforest to make room for their livestock. Some believe this has led to the terrible wildfires that have ravaged Brazil in 2019. Not to mention countless animal deaths and even possible species extinction.

It’s not just the land that’s in trouble because of meat industries. Aquatic ecosystems are being disrupted greatly by the overfishing of very specific species. As the most common fish eaten by people are tuna, salmon, haddock, tilapia, and cod these are the species that are struggling to remain properly populated. For example, the overfishing of cod in the Baltic seas has led to an extremely high population of algae-living zooplankton, as the cod eats the herring that eats the zooplankton normally. Without the cod, no one is eating the zooplankton and these creatures stimulate algae growth. As a result there are now large over blooms of algae in the Baltic Seas. This may not seem like a big deal but the large volumes of algae soak up all the sea’s natural oxygens, which leads to deoxygenated waters, or what experts call ocean dead zones. This is all worsened by the fact that hundreds of years of farm-fertilizer-dense-rain run-off has also settled into the baltic seas and also increased algae over bloom. 

One may feel a bit overwhelmed and powerless by all this information. Surely one person’s personal eating habits couldn’t do all that much to help with these daunting environmental issues. In general that is true, no one person is responsible for fixing these problems. But it may behoove you to know that research shows that going vegan can cut down your personal greenhouse gas emissions by 50%. By going vegan for a month, you would not only save 30 animal lives, but also 620 pounds of harmful carbon dioxide emissions, 913 square feet of forest, and 33,481 gallons of water. According to Oxford University, going vegan is the single biggest way you can reduce your environmental impact on the planet. 

Animal Rights

Beyond the environmental impact of meat and dairy industries is another core issue behind why many people chose to go vegan or vegetarian; that is animal rights. Some people find it morally questionable to consume a once-living creature for sustenance. While this may seem overly sensitive to some, remember that pigs are considered to be more emotional and intelligent than even dogs. If you wouldn’t eat your pet why are you eating something just as feeling and smart? Many explicitly oppose the treatment of livestock endures in our factory farming systems, which by all accounts isn’t very pretty.

Let’s walk through the average life of a dairy cow. Like humans, female cows usually only produce milk when they are pregnant. So female dairy cows are forcefully impregnated to initiate milk production. Once the cow gives birth her baby is immediately taken away from her. Many people prefer to not think about how traumatizing this is, or perhaps have convinced themselves that cows don’t form strong emotional attachments to their offspring but this is far from the truth. When the cow has her calf taken away she will wail endlessly, and enter a period of deep depression. Only to immediately be forcefully impregnated immediately again and restart that cycle. 

But what happens to the calf? Well if the calf is male, he is usually sent to veal farms. Once at the veal farm the baby calf will immediately be crippled into a crate so small that he won’t be able to move his body at all. This is to keep his flesh tender and soft until he is slaughtered a few days later. If the calf is female she will most likely go into the same life as her mother. When she is about a year old she will be fully matured, and have small horns. Dairy cows often have their horns cut off by saw, hot iron, sharp wires, and caustic chemicals. As you can imagine it is a torturous procedure. From there they spend their life as a milk-producing machine, being constantly impregnated and made to produce 4 times the amount of milk as they would usually produce. Well cared for cows with space to roam, and natural breeding patterns can live up to 20 years. The average dairy cow literally gives up and dies by age 4. 

Health Benefits

So if saving the environment and innocent animals isn’t enough reason many people make the change for straightforward health reasons. Others may, incorrectly, argue that eating meat or dairy is necessary for healthy eating habits. But this is not true. In fact overeating meat and dairy can cause a whole host of health problems. The current Corona pandemic was caused by eating exotic animals. Other virus outbreaks from the past were even caused by eating not so exotic animals like chickens (the avian flu) and pigs (swine flu). Humans are capable of digesting animal products but that does not mean it is necessary. The health risks associated include high cholesterol, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and many more. 

The number of health benefits that can come from switching to plant-based diets have proven to be endless. Some of the health benefits associated with switching to plant-based include increased vitality, better sleep habits, better ability to stay focused, a stronger immune system, and not to mention healthy weight loss. The whole food plant-based diet specifically provides you with more fortified vitamins and minerals and increased omega 3’s. These help to protect brain functions and more balanced hormone levels and often show much higher levels of free blood proteins than meat and dairy eaters. Even smaller steps towards vegetarian and veganism help greatly reduce cholesterol and have been proven to reduce the risk of heart disease and heart attack. Some cases go so far as to boast that going vegan or vegetarian cured them of type two diabetic, or pre-diabetic status. 

So Where Do You Start?

So say you’ve decided to help out the planet, your fellow animal and your own personal health by switching to a vegetarian or vegan diet. How should you start? It can seem like a really major change if you’ve been eating animal products your whole life like most of us have. Some simple switching in your head can do the trick to get you on the right path. Here are some tips for starting a vegetarian diet or a vegan one. 

For most people, going to the grocery store is a routine process. You have your local haunt, you know where your regular items are, you go through the store as quick as you can and go on with your life. It can seem daunting to try new things and change up your routine completely. So start by making small changes. Spend more time in the produce section than in the frozen meats. Try to focus on hearty meat substitutes. Many people mistakenly assume eating vegan or vegetarian will cost a lot more money. But there are fewer products cheaper in bulk than rice and different kinds of beans. A pound of lentils doesn’t cost more than a dollar. Plus frozen or canned veggies are perfectly appropriate if you’re on a budget. Vegan or vegetarian does not mean you have to spend a lot of money on fancy veggies at Whole Foods. Try your local farmer’s market. They are usually farm to table, and almost always notably cheaper than your local chain. Employing small changes like this, one at a time, is a great way to inch your way into a vegan or vegetarian diet. Starting with familiarity can help a lot too. Remember peanut butter is a great source of protein, and that vegetables and fruits also carry protein in them. 

Trying out some new recipes is a really fun way of starting a vegan or vegetarian diet. It can teach you about different sources of nutrients and specific protein. Buying a beginner’s vegetarian cookbook and starting off with some simple recipes is always gonna be helpful. Any resource that has tips for starting a vegetarian diet will be useful. They can even teach you alternative ways to cook you may not be used to, and innovative solutions to dietary restrictions. Try a cauliflower crust pizza next time you’re at the supermarket. It’s not as scary as it may sound.

It’s also important to be kind to yourself about starting a new diet. You’re not perfect and making such a radical change to your diet can be hard at first. As long as you’re working towards a path to plant-based eating you’re making an improvement. Sometimes very passionate vegan activists will come across as purity testers and come off as judgemental to people who aren’t as perfect with their plant-based diet. It’s important to ignore these people and not let them deter you from working towards a plant-based diet. If 100 people stopped eating beef for a month it makes a bigger difference than 1 person going completely vegan and plan-based for a month. So start by making mindful steps and don’t be too hard on yourself especially if you’re just starting out.

There positive results of going vegetarian or vegan really speak for themselves. Helping the environment is a very important issue for us and future generations. And going vegan is the easiest way to make any kind of tangible difference. Defending the intrinsic value of all animals is not only noble but it is much healthier for you as well. There are really only positives to switching to plant-based eating habits. 

Food lovers, if you like fancy foods, regional foods, or farm to table foods, then you have probably been to your local food festivals year after year. You are probably craving something new. The good news is, there are two food festivals this year that are worth taking a trip for. The Fancy Food Show in San Francisco, and the Taste of Chicago are two great options if you want something new on your plate. Also, Chicago has a little something extra to offer. Here is what you can expect to find from both venues.

• The Fancy Food Show 2013

This year the show will be in San Francisco, featuring more than 80,000 products that you can sample. Absolutely everything is being presented by about 1,300 exhibitors who represent only the fanciest of foods both nationally and internationally. The best part

When going to a fancy foods show, you want to prepare yourself ahead of time with a little research. You can look up fancy fast food, fancy specialty foods, or even just a list of fancy food names. Read on for some of my favorite fancy food names, and what the heck they are.

1. Canapes

Fancy name for little toasts. Seriously, it is a little toasted point of bread that is smeared with some sort of spread, sometimes a protein, and then a garnish of some sort. It can be Wonder Bread, mayo, baloney and mustard, or it can be brioche, fig chutney, prosciutto and caviar.

2. Trifle

This dessert is layered inside a big glass dish, so that you can see all the way up the sides, at each and every layer. It makes you feel like a dessert archaeologist. The cake bit is usually lady fingers, with some pudding or jam, and

An article in the Chicago Tribune on July 13 was not exactly breaking down walls when it revealed that just about everyone has a desire to take in a little fast food from time to time. What it did show was that the wealthy and ethnic minorities were listed as the most likely to find fancy fast food options. Those making under $25,000 a year were least likely to do so.

Is there such a thing as fancy fast food? Are there specialty foods in the fast food market that can contribute to a healthier lifestyle, while still presenting all of that amazing fast food flavor? Thankfully, one can learn how to spot healthier alternatives on a fast food menu, and they will not have to make a special trip to a fancy foods show to do it.

1. Look at the fried food. One of the biggest waistline expanding things in the world o

There are dozens of cities across the United States that host specialty foods shows each year, both winter and summer fancy food shows. These fancy foods shows are a meeting of the largest fancy food names and products, frequented by chefs, distributors, and other food service employees to find the most popular trends and ideas for their own companies and restaurants. Just as with fashion, the trends and popular items in food vary by season, which is why these winter and summer fancy food shows are so popular. Representatives from various culinary institutions, as well as grocery stores with prepared food sections, independent restaurants, and more, frequent these repositories of knowledge and current innovation with regard to fancy food.

Specialty foods and fancy foods have become common fare in

Keeping restaurant customers healthy is an integral part to keeping them both happy and satisfied. With so many restaurants in the limelight for poor sanitary conditions and violations of restaurant food safety guidelines lately, restaurant owners are scrambling to make sure their businesses are up to industry standards. Whether you own a family business or bought into a global chain, are you doing everything you could be to follow the restaurant food safety guidelines laid out by the FDA?

While there are several elements to maintaining a cleanly atmosphere, among the most important of restaurant food safety guidelines is streamlining a food safety management system. The FDA recommends a safety system for restaurant operators, known as Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point. The system includes seven principles that manage every step of food storage and preparation. It’s designed to help restaurant staff prevent food borne illnesses and ensure safe food preparation.

Your restaurant staff members are a key part to maintaining quality cleanliness standards in your restaurant. While you may feel you are educated on the proper processes, it is your employees who come into contact with your food the most, making it imperative to stress proper procedure with your staff.

The FDA recommends four key restaurant food safety guidelines in terms of food handling. First, food should not be touched with bare hands, instead a pre-approved procedure, such as food safe gloves, is necessary. It should go without saying that when food is being served to customers, your employees should not be using their bare hands. However, more often than not, this is a rule that is not strictly enforced, despite how easily it can be.

Workers should also practice proper hand washing procedures, even if they wear gloves . Despite the fact that this is something we learn early on in our lifetimes, it is important to refresh proper hand washing procedure. The FDA issues reminder signs that can be placed in employee bathrooms as a reminder to enforce restaurant food safety guidelines.

Workers should prevent cross-contamination by keeping ready-to-eat food and sanitized food-contact surfaces apart from raw animal foods or dirty cutting boards, utensils and other objects. This also assists with avoiding allergy related incidents, as cross contamination is often the result of allergy related illness within the restaurant industry.

Finally sick employees should be excluded or restricted from food preparation. While it can often be frustrating to be short staffed, contamination by employees is a major cause of foodborne illnesses. As a result, according to CDC 48% of food borne illness is traced to restaurants! Be sure to staff back up employees on your busiest nights, or institute a rule the assists your business with adequate coverage, without putting guests at risk for food contamination.

Following proper restaurant safety guidelines not only help your customers stay happy and healthy, but also keep the doors to your business opened. For more information on how to be sure your business is up to industry standards, visit the FDA website.

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Admit it. There are probably some wonderful restaurants that you would love to dine at, but probably cannot afford. The Fancy Food Show in Chicago provides locals and tourists with the wonderful opportunity to try specialty foods from all the top well known restaurants and even some that you have probably never heard of before.

The Fancy Food Show 2013 is a gathering of some of the best and most well known restaurants in the area. These restaurants are notorious for providing some of the most eclectic and diverse menus that feature hundreds of specialty foods. They all take the time to gather at this Chicago food show to show off their favorite and priced specialty foods.

This summer Fancy Food Show is a great opportunity for people who have longed to try these specialty foods out. These well known resta

A fancy foods show is a great way to learn about specialty foods or other types of fancy foods that you want to consume. You can find a summer fancy food show or a Chicago food show that will help you learn about fancy food names and make sure that you understand how to prepare the foods that you want to dine on to make your meals more interesting. Fancy foods are a way that you can put an interesting twist on common meals that people eat on a daily basis.

Fancy foods are a way that you can take normal fast food and add certain elements to it that will make these dishes more exciting or more interesting to see on a plate. One of the easiest ways to learn about fancy foods that you may want to eat is to use the web. There are all kinds of blogs and other fancy foods pages that you will be able to browse so that you can learn as much as possible about new fast food dishes that you can prepare using simple ingredients. One of the great benefits of using a blog to get details about fancy food is that you can get updates frequently that are posted by the blogger when they want to share information about a new recipe they have recently learned about. Blogs will also often contain pictures of fancy food that will help you understand how these foods are supposed to look once you get them prepared and put on a plate.

When you go to start preparing fancy foods, you should consider your cooking level as well as the specific types of foods that you want to consume. Be sure to consider whether or not you have any kinds of food allergies, which can be dangerous if you do not account for them while you are preparing foods that you will be eating. You will also want to be certain that you eat food that is interesting to you so that you can get more pleasure out of the meals that you prepare for yourself. Cooking can also be a fun way to spend time with a significant other or family member that you care about, as it allows you to engage in a joint effort that both of you can enjoy once it is completed. Go online to begin expanding your dining horizons today.

One trend in American cuisine today is specialty foods. Sushi, which was once an exotic dining option, is now practically mainstream, and diners are continuing to venture into the more unique and interesting options available to them in the quest to find new fancy foods that are both delicious and one of a kind.

Fancy fast food has been one interesting aspect of the growing awareness of specialty foods. The idea here is to take food purchased at a fast food location, and garnish, recut, and recook it until it resembles a culinary masterpiece. This is a challenge several food shows have used for their competitors, and it is also something many people try as a fun way to add spice to an otherwise predictable fast food meal. Many of the results are surprising, with burgers, fries, and other choices being reimagined as something high class and exclusive.

The fancy food show 2013 is another way to get in on the latest updates to specialty foods. The summer fancy food show will feature vendors from around the country, whipping up culinary masterpieces using ingredients from mushrooms to pork, miso to oregano. Fancy foods show, in the past, have often featured amazing or even frightful food combinations. Few people would forget the Japanese inspired dishes that have seafood so fresh it is still moving. Speciality foods that still have muscle reflexes are a bit too interesting for my tastes, personally.

Regardless, it will be worth your time to check out what goes down this year with fancy foods. Not only is it an interesting way to reexamine the way we cook, but master chefs can also give you good ideas for how to create alternatives for your own home cooked meals. Multiple options open up for everything from soup to pizza.

There are a lot of things that Americans are passionate about. Among these passions are reality television, bad music, 200 inch televisions, smartphones, texting, computer games, avoiding exercise, and eating. Of all of these passions, fancy foods would likely be rated near the top. Now, if it were fancy fast food, it would be right at the top, because it would not be just fancy foods, it would be fast food, as well. And everyone knows the popularity of fast food in the United States. However, for those with discriminating taste in food, and consider themselves connoisseurs of fancy foods and specialty foods, they do not want to miss the Chicago food show or Summer Fancy Food Show 2013.

The absolute pleasure and joy that people experience when they are able to partake of the most popular and delectable fancy foods is akin to kicking your feet up on a private island paradise and being served anything your heart desire forever. Obviously, that is an exaggeration, but it one cannot deny that one of the more enjoyable ways to spend a meal on a Friday evening is experiencing the finest fancy foods the world has to offer. While one may need help pronouncing certain fancy food names that are more exotic in nature, one would be hard pressed not to find a tasty new delight at a fancy foods show.

While fancy foods are not for everyone, those who consider themselves connoisseurs of fancy foods look forward to fancy foods shows all year round. In fact, foodies, to which these folks are often referred, will travel great distances to attend their favorite food shows and festivals. Perhaps the best fancy foods shows are ethnic festivals, because lovers of a specific type of ethnic cuisine can experience a full array of dishes from that culture. However, no matter how you slice it, there are few pleasures in life than having the opportunity to relax and enjoy your favorite fancy foods.