Vegetarianism, not only is it healthy but it is safer for the environment. Some people believe eating vegetarian is to difficult or time consuming, but in reality its not. Here is a simple recipe and an easy to follow how-to video we think you will enjoy.

INGREDIENTS for California Grilled Veggie Sandwich

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• 1 cup sliced red bell peppers
• 1 small zucchini, sliced
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 1 small yellow squash, sliced
• 2 (4-x6-inch) focaccia bread pieces, split horizontally
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. In a bowl, mix the mayonnaise, minced garlic, and lemon juice. Set aside in the refrigerator.
2. Preheat the grill for high heat.
3. Brush vegetables with olive oil on each side. Brush grate with oil. Place bell peppers and zucchini closest to the middle of the grill, and set onion and squash pieces around them. Cook for about 3 minutes, turn, and cook for another 3 minutes. The peppers may take a bit longer. Remove from grill, and set aside.
4. Spread some of the mayonnaise mixture on the cut sides of the bread, and sprinkle each one with feta cheese. Place on the grill cheese side up, and cover with lid for 2 to 3 minutes. This will warm the bread, and slightly melt the cheese. Watch carefully so the bottoms don't burn. Remove from grill, and layer with the vegetables. Enjoy as open faced grilled sandwiches.

Meat consumption requires massive amounts of water. One pound of beef takes 2500 gallons of water where one pound of soy takes 250 gallons of water and one pound of wheat takes 25 gallons of water. Animal production consumes an amount of water roughly equivalent to all other uses of water in the U.S combined (1).

If every American skipped one meal of chicken per week and substituted it with vegetables and grains the carbon dioxide savings would be the same as taking more than half a million cars off of U.S roads (2). American meat eaters are responsible for 1.5 more tons of carbon dioxide per person than vegetarians each year. Livestock farming contributes 47% to total methane emissions. Cows emit a large amount of methane through belching and a lesser amount through flatulence. Cows, goats, sheep and several other animals belong to a class of animals called ruminants. They each have 4 stomachs to digest the food rather than intestines. The stomachs are filled with bacteria that aid digestion but also produce methane.

Meat requires fossil fuels to be produced and distributed. 1/3 of fossil fuels produced go to animal agriculture. Transporting food for the animals and the animals themselves contributes too much of emissions and fuel consumption. With the energy needed to produce a single hamburger, you can drive a small car 20 miles and save about 1,500 gallons of water (3).

There are many ways to reduce the harm and eating vegetarian is one of them. It saves water, reduces air pollution, and saves fossil fuels.

 

Works Cited

• http://vegetarian.about.com/od/vegetarianvegan101/f/waterpollution.htm
• http://www.edf.org/article.cfm?contentid=6604

http://wisdom-magazine.com/Article.aspx/899/

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