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Evolution to a Vegetable Diet
By Ron Skaar
Numerous ancient philosophers chose to follow a vegetarian diet. Pythagoras,
photo by Jon Russo
who concocted the theorem for triangles, was an outspoken advocate of animal rights in ancient
Greece. Other Greeks,
notably Plato, plus
Roman philosophers Seneca the younger, Ovid and Plotinus followed suit.
Their argument
for the vegetarian diet was based
on health and the transmigration of souls, at death into another body. If humans deserved justice, so did animals. Confucius and Gautama Buddha were promoting similar ideas, both around the 5th century B.C. By the 11th century A.D., St. Francis of Assisi had taken up their mantel.
Christian vegetarianism was preferred by seventeenth century Englishman, Roger Crab.
He had radical views on pacifism and the evils of owning property, while promoting ingesting grass, weeds and roots as food. Perhaps that is why Crab was the inspiration for Lewis Carrols “Mad Hatter”.
Voltaire, the French advocate for civil rights and freedom was a vegetarian, along with our own Ben Franklin. Vegetarian societies were well established in 19th century England and America. Those who included fish in their diet were called pescetarians. By the turn of the century Mahatma Gandhi was a member of the London vegetarian society, saying the plant based diet was a matter of ethics, not health.
Albert Einstein wrote, “Nothing will benefit human health and increase the chance of survival of life on earth, as the evolution to a vegetable diet.” Shortly after those words were written, veganism arose out of the London vegetarian society. At first it meant a non-dairy vegetarian but quickly grew into the non- exploitation of animals.
The vegan philosophy extends beyond diet by opposing the use of animal products for any purpose. Environmental vegans believe that harvesting animals on industrial farms is both environmentally damaging and unsustainable. Sustainable farming is the skillful production of safe, high quality agricultural products while protecting and improving the natural environment, the social and economic conditions of workers, and safeguarding the welfare of all farmed animals.
I became a pescetarian after moving to San Francisco, with all its fresh seafood. As a chef, I learned to compromise and taste all sorts of protein. I
still do not eat red meat (bacon is a seasoning, right) but have found a middle ground, as a “fowlatarian”.
Thanksgiving was always the hardest holiday for me, as a vegetarian, to enjoy. Luckily all the side-dishes made it similar to a smorgasbord. Now with the bounty of fall crops upon us, family farms like local Tierra Vegetables
are awash in winter squash and root vegetables. The accompanying recipe makes marvelous use of these products.
This salad pops with color, mixing roasted vegetables with crisp apple in
a zippy herb dressing. Using a non- dairy substitute in the dressing makes it deliciously vegan.