My vegetarianism/hope-to-be-vegan-someday status is a work in progress, often compromised by laziness and addiction to pizza (seriously, they could do an entire episode of Intervention about it).  So before I ask my question, please know that I am working on it and do realize that the real answer to this question is a resounding NEITHER.  But anyway, if you had to pick, do you think it would be better (for your own health, for the sake of animals and/or with respect to the environmental impact) to choose cheese or chicken?  I've been meat-free for several months, but haven't successfully kicked cheese yet, and I'm wondering if foregoing chiken (or other meat options) but eating cheese, when I don't successfully plan a good vegan alternative, is really the best choice.  Thanks for any insight you have!

Ok, here is another idea for you. Two actually.
The best is to make your own wholegrain crust, and use Daiya vegan cheese (I promise it is great!) and yummy veggie toppings.
Second choice is Amy's dairy-free rice crust pizza.  It is vegan and yummy but very high in calories.  Still better than meat or cheese though, if you really want to know!
Don't give up, you will get there!!!  ;o)

xoxoxo
Donna

But if you had to choose one or the other, I suppose giving up meat would be the step in the right direction, and then you can cut out dairy and eggs later on.  That actually is what I did, went vegetarian for 18 years before I gave up dairy and eggs!  But the difference in how I feel makes me wish I had gone vegan from the start.

I'd say, nobody's perfect! And organic chicken is probably more digestable than

organic dairy. Dairy is just yucky. Read "Diet for a New America" if you need further

inspiration.

HI Jenn!

I am on a journey as well...trying to make the best choices each day and at each meal. I agree with CEL on this one...I would cut out the dairy if you have to make a choice...I have even heard that they will start reccomending the cutting out of dairy BEFORE meat.....crazy huh? I thought it would be hard to cut out dairy for myself but it is much easier than expected. Besides the fact that dairy is fattening, it is so nasty for your tummy and skin.

You are doing a great job :) Good luck on your continued journey.

peace

love

music

s

oh ya!
check out milksucks.com

I second that "Diet For A New America" by John Robbins is a great read! Tons of info!

I think cut out dairy, I never ate tons of dairy when I was skinny but I did eat tons of chicken breast (now allergic). Dairy is way more fatty. Down the road, try to cut out both!

I'm new to vegan (day 2!!) but have been veggie since January.  My take is this - if you can find a source of truly organic and humainly raised chicken where they run free and dine on bugs and grass without hormones or antibiotics and the farmer is selling them direct to you at a local farmers market, then that is the healthiest, and most environmentally sound option. 

In terms of dairy substitues though - they have a lot of unrecognizable ingredients on the list.  Is that really a good alternative?  Or better to have the real thing on a rare occassion then something so produced?  I'd love in put here cuz I know that cheese is going to be my weakness over the next 30 days.

Thanks!

My favorite food has always been chips and queso....I mean a whole bowl of melted cheese....which I could finish BY MYSELF. I still might have a bite when I am out and about but I feel a thousand times better completely of dairy. I am eating fish maybe once a month...and i have had chicken a couple times this year. However, when I wake up the next morning i feel significantly WORSE if it was dairy that I splurged on. It might just be my personal body though....and I know for me dairy is more important to watch. It makes me miserable.

I am so excited to tr y this wayfare stuff because I would rather eat NO cheese than the substitutes I have tried.

s

I personally think if looking from the animals perspective the cheese would be the better option. Even biologically raised chickens, most, dont have a nice life and the killing process is terrible...(not only for the chicken but also for you, stresshormones and such..)  If i had to choose between having a little cheese or chicken, i would definately choose cheese...

 

If you all have not tried Daiya cheeses, you MUST!  Completely vegan but free of wierd ingredients, and they taste great and melt!!!  I had some today in a cup of vegan chili from a local cafe- very yum.  And it works great on homemade pizza too!  And in mac'n'cheese!  I promise you will not believe how delicious it is.

Emily~  I see exactly where you are coming from concerning cheese alternatives.  Daiya is the only one I will use--french_momma is right--it has no weird ingredients, is soy-free & good.  But this is still a rare occassion thing for me, because I love sticking to whole foods.  For that rare treat though, Daiya does not make me feel icky like dairy.  (& I opt for Coconut Bliss over regular ice cream.  Yum!)

I'd have to agree with meat over dairy--on both accounts, health & ethics--but only if it's free-range-organic or game.  I do not agree that dairy is better from the animal's perspective.  Ever been to a dairy farm?  Days of quaint, small farms filled with pasture-grazing cows are long since past. Cows are not treated like cows; they are treated like milk production machines; live in dirt lots or warehouses, often in stalls with no room to even turn around; kept pregnant; denied instinct of nurturing young calves which either become veal (male), rennet for cheese or milk cows (female).  They can only handle this cycle for about 5 years before production is "not profitable enough"; they either become hamburger or dog meat.  A cow can live to 20 under normal conditions.  Fate is the same for organic cows--most of which is owned by one company, whose factory offers no better living conditions.  The animals are still slaughtered but never lived anything close to a decent life.  If you do opt for cheese, I would urge you to try goat's milk cheeses as they are slightly more digestable; &, it's easier to find small farmers who care for their goats.

Take our opinions for what they are worth, but in the end, listen to your own body & mind.  Live how you feel good living.  Oh, & I LOVE french_momma's pizza suggestions.  Much better choices for your health.

I understand what you are saying, and I agree with Axa - from the standpoint of the animal I think cheese would be the better option.  There have been a few times when a bit of cheese has snuck into my food at a restaurant, and although I'm not thrilled about it, I would feel a whole lot worse if there was a hunk of dead animal in it!  My vote is for cheese...