Have YOU Hugged a Vegetarian Today? – EVST 100: Intro to the Environment

There are just two more weeks left of going meatless 4/7 days of the week, and I’m going to have to say that I’m going to excitingly continue this past the two week deadline. I don’t miss chicken nuggets, cheeseburgers, or ham sandwiches. Mainly, I am most excited about doing a good deed for our planet each day, and taking that small step to hopefully create a difference. While looking at the turkey burger station at Marquis dining hall, I’ve somehow developed the irrational mindset of “don’t eat that turkey burger, or else you’ll make global warming worse, Jen!” As crazy as that sounds, it works, and I’ve encouraged my friends to think that way along with me. I have every hope that this one cumulative effort can help, even if it’s miniscule.

Having this voice inside my head telling me that eating meat will only make global warming worse, is a great way to reduce barriers in going meatless, however I’m going to try something new to continue with. Aside from constantly reminding myself, I am making an additional effort to ensure that I remain true to myself as well as accountable. I will reward myself on Sundays with a type of sweets: a cookie, a cupcake, a brownie, just one, but something I really enjoy to compensate for giving up meat and living a much more sustainable lifestyle by eliminating meat from my diet. This benefit, such as one cookie once at the end of every week, will not be overly consumptive or non-sustainable, and will not be negating the progress I have been making. Additionally, I will only get this reward if I DO meet my goals of not eating meat 4/7 days of the week. If I cave one day and eat a chicken cutlet sandwich, then I will not get my cookie. And tell me, who wouldn’t want a cookie on a Sunday night before the grueling workweek begins? I have a sweet tooth, so this benefit is extremely individualized and works best for me. My biggest struggle so far has been what I’ve talked about previously: choosing to NOT get meat when everyone around me such as my friends and peers are getting meals including meat with me. I am constantly tempted, and occasionally forget. As I look back on our “Sustainable Behavior” day in class, I acknowledge that a strategy that do work, is getting people to commit to smaller challenges first. No, I’m not going to save the world today or tomorrow by eliminating meat consumption, but by encouraging other people to minimize their meat consumption, just by a little, cumulatively it can make a huge difference. Originally, I was very skeptical about the whole “vegetarian” concept. I love animals as does everyone else, but it’s part of our culture to eat chicken and steak. Now I realize it’s much more than that. It’s about our earth, it’s about the health of our planet. And for that, when I find out someone is a vegetarian, I will give them a hug.

Finally, since I am at the midway point, I do conclude that I will continue this behavior change beyond EVST100, because I genuinely feel that this is one small step towards a better tomorrow for this world. And if I never get to see the impact I make, maybe my great great great grandchildren will, and that’s good enough for me.

Hailey Votta says:

November 24, 2013 at 7:24 pm

Hey, Congrats on cutting down your meat consumption to 4/7 days out of the week! That is a big commitment and something you should be proud of. My main struggle have been similar to yours- trying to cut down on meat when your friends are munching away on it. When you see someone else eating meat sometimes it is hard to remember that it was your day to go vegetarian. But I think your reward system is really working for you. I also have a sweet tooth and they also serve as a big motivator for me when I am trying to accomplish a task. It is a great way to stay honest and a satisfying reward for a job well done. Like you, I am planning of continuing eating with lower meat consumption after EVST is over. I wish you the best of luck with the remainder of the challenge.

Emily McGonigle says:

November 25, 2013 at 11:38 am

Congrats on cutting down meat that much! That’s awesome that you are able to do it so easily and enjoy doing it. I like your plan of the desert incentive. That would definitely make me eat less meat in order to have dessert. I think that was a great way to get yourself started on the path to eating less meat. It probably helped you realize how much meat you were really eating. I know that when I started paying attention to the amount of meat I was consuming, it really surprised me. I wish you all the best with your limitation of meat and hope that soon you won’t even need the incentive to do it!

Jeremy Cooley says:

November 25, 2013 at 6:33 pm

I must applaud you for your innate ability to make the right eating choices; I sadly do not have that kind of willpower at this point in time. Your reward system for making good decisions is a very interesting take on how to continue the level commitment and also take your mind off of eating meat in general. I may try this for myself, but I do not have a rather large sweet tooth, so I will try to find something else that could be substituted. Also from a nutritional standpoint I do have two questions. How have you been able to replace the protein and aminos that have been taken out of your diet? Have you experienced any out of the ordinary lack of energy ? These are just two things you might want to think about because you may eat less meat, but that does not mean you can live pleasantly without replacing its nutritional value. Good-luck with the rest of the challenge!

Joan Haling says:

November 26, 2013 at 10:48 am

Wow! It is impressive to see that you feel so positively about your sustainable behavior challenge at this point. I can tell that you are not only changing your behavior but also are having positive impacts on the behaviors of others. The methods that you are using to encourage yourself to stick to your goal are perfect for you. The little voice inside your head and the treat at the end of the week are two things that I would have suggested for you as well. While using a treat for incentive has helped me a little, it has not worked as successfully because I enjoy the main dish, usually meat related, more than the dessert. However, it is working for you so keep at it! It is very exciting that you are going to continue sticking to your meat reduction even after the project ends. I hope it continues to go so successfully for you, good luck!

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