Good Morning America: Don't Call Me Vegetarian

On Earth Day, I appeared on a taped segment of GMA to talk about a story we did in the magazine, "How to Be a Healthy Vegetarian."

I should start by saying: I ain't no vegetarian.

However, I eat vegetarian most of the time. Have I indulged in some fine ribs at a tasty little Vietnamese bistro recently? Yes. But most of the time, it's veggies and grains and fish for me.

What I love about the story is that it tells us to let go of the label "vegetarian" and instead focus on healthy choices every day.

The research seems to indicate that plant-eaters are living healthier, longer lives than meat-eaters. And it's getting tough to ignore the horrid impact that factory-farmed meat is having on not just us but the planet--it's the largest contributor to global warming, in fact.

But am I trying to take your steak away from you? Nope. I just say, treat it as a rare delicacy, and not as a kitchen staple.

-Terri Trespicio, senior ed.
Follow me @TerriT

Tags: Vegetarian

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Comment by Caitlin Losey on April 29, 2010 at 4:33pm: I could never go meat-less, but I do find the whole meat-factory thing to be pretty horrifying. It seems to be the theme of my web travels today (this is the 5th mention of forgoing meat I've read). But to be honest, at the end of the day this is all making me want some filet mignon, from a grass fed, non-hormone injected cow that is.

Comment by Lizanne Hennessey on April 29, 2010 at 4:03pm: I heartd on the radio today that that 'lovely' slice of meat we think we're buying in the supermarket is really little leftover bits of meat stuck together! The report was about false advertising, and that people should know what they're really buying, when all I could think was: leftover bits stuck together? Eeuch! And when I think about how harmful factory-farmed meat is for the environment, well there goes my appetite for steak!

Comment by Kim Andrews on April 26, 2010 at 2:47pm: I'm with you, Terri. I'm trying to eat healthier by adding more fruit and vegetables from my diet, however, there are days where I have to have some chicken, or a hamburger, or even bacon. I just have to make sure that I when I do eat meat, it should be organic.

I recently spent 3 weeks with my parents, who don't buy organic food. As a matter of fact, their lunch is usually picked up from fast-food restaurants, or else, they go to a restaurant. Because I didn't want to argue with them (my parents are elderly, have lived this long, so telling them to eat organically will not wash!), I found myself eating a Five Guys burger with fries one day, a McWrap another day, washing it down with cola. Even though there were days that I restrained myself from eating processed meals, I found my skin breaking out more than it normally does when I'm in my own apartment. Lesson learned! When I visit my parents in the near future, I'll make sure that I abstain from their fast-food mania, by either making my own lunch with whatever ingredients are around the house (they do keep vegetables for salads in the house), and, on occasion, I'll sneak something organic into my mother's shopping wagon. I want to continue to enjoy good health, and, in my book, eating in a semi-vegetarian way is the way to go.