Don't be guilted into going veggie

After reading Jon Ward's "Go Veggie," I must say that he has a good point about changing a person's diet to a more vegetarian one but should be more accurate on his points and if converting is his goal, he should do so with facts and not through guilt.

One statement he made, "Meat is very bad for you," is a bit inaccurate. Meat is not bad for us, it is bad for cows. Some people actually benefit from eating meat because it provides nutrients they need for their diet. I am sure that these nutrients can be consumed from other sources but this is just to show that it is not "bad."

The other inaccuracy is that Jon stated that going veggie is cheaper. This couldn't be farther from the truth. Eating vegetarian is actually more expensive than dieting off Big Macs and Fries and things of the like.

The rule of thumb that I think we all know is the better it is for you, the more expensive it will be. But it is well worth it. Earlier this year I eliminated red meat from my diet. I did not do it because someone made me feel guilty about what happens in the slaughter house; I was well aware of what happens, but because I dated a vegetarian who showed me how I could live without it in my diet.

She taught me some of the benefits of eating more vegetarian food. Since then, I have never felt healthier and vegetarian meals are some of the best meals I have ever had. I do however, still eat chicken but I'll take this one step at a time.

Now, if I were given the guilt trip, which I see as an indication that that person needs to grow up, I would have just ignored that person, but instead, I was treated like with respect as I was shown a better way to eat. It is not a sin to eat red meat as Jon makes it seem, it is just that there are better alternatives for a healthier diet.

Michael Matagrano
Elementary education senior