Vegan VS Meat

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What does a plant-based diet mean?

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Before going into detail about vegan diet vs animal diet, we must understand what a plant based diet truly means. From the name itself, we come to know that it is a diet that revolves around natural ingredients and there are no animal products involved in them. In proper words, plant based diet focuses on food that is minimally processed, avoids products produced from animals and gives more attention to diet including of plants such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, etc (Kubala 2018). Unlike a decade ago, there is an evident increase in number of people that are opting for more plant based foods while going outside to eat (Davis 2019).

Benefits

Adopting a plant based or a vegan diet comes along with a few perks:

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  • There is a reduced risk of developing heart conditions later on in life. A study conducted in Netherlands and Brazil found that most people following a plant based diet were less likely to suffer from heart diseases than people following animal based diets (Newman 2018).
  • Following a plant based diet can heavily reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as type-2 diabetes and certain cancers can also be avoided (Imatome-Yun 2019).
  • Plant based diets can also be a very effective way to loose weight much faster than by following a meat based diet. Many researches out there prove that vegetarians are prone to consume more foods of less calories and thus, not gain excessive weight (McMullen 2016).
  • If it were possible that more people stop eating meat in their diet, there can be a drastic change in environment. Production and consumption of meat has proven to increase the carbon footprint over the years and therefore, reduction of it will start putting things in balance (Fortuna 2019)

Would I do it?

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For the time that I have existed on this planet, I have been a non-vegetarian, and like most of my peers, I simply cannot comprehend that I might take up a vegetarian. Although, I have recently increased the ratio of my vegetable intake than my meat intake. Even though my taste buds aren’t happy with this fact, my body surely is, and I have definitely seen changes such as increased activity levels.

On a professional level, I haven’t really given it a thought if I will ever incorporate more vegetables than meat. But surely it is an area of interest for me as i lack a lot of knowledge and skills to cook something that is both good and does not include any animal products.

Recipe- Mushroom and Basil Soup

One of the most simplest things that i have ever learnt to make. Almost like a broth, it is a thin soup, but also has a bite to it. It is tasty, it is vegan and also, it is heaven on a cold day.

YOU WILL NEED:

Picture not to scale. Only for reference.
  • Ginger – about 1 inch
  • Garlic – one clove
  • Thai Chilly/ Birds eye Chilly – one
  • Onion – half of a medium size
  • Carrot – one of a medium size
  • Mushroom – a handful (6-7)
  • Basil – a couple of sprigs
  • Salt – to taste
  • Pepper – as per required

PROCESS:

Picture not to scale. Only for reference.
  • Thinly slice ginger, garlic, chilly and onion. Cut the carrots into medium sized pieces (does not need to be accurate). Cut the mushrooms into quarters.
  • Set aside basil towards the end of cooking.
  • Shift all the ingredients (Except basil, salt and pepper) into a pot and fill it with cold water. The water should be 1 inch above the vegetables.
  • Keep this pot on a slow heat and let it come to a simmer gradually. At this point, tear up the basil with hands and add it to the pot.
  • Boil the soup for 2 minutes and add seasoning as per requirement.
  • Do not boil any further as basil will lose its color and it will start going brown.

OUTCOME

The recipe is pretty straight forward, with all ingredients available at nearby stores. Although, this recipe was meant to be prepared with Thai basil and not normal Basil. This proved to be a challenge for me as it was very difficult to find it near my area of living and hence, I went ahead with the normal basil leaves. There is a completely different flavor profiles to either of the basil leaves and so, the soup was not as good as it would’ve been with some fresh Thai basil. As I am far away from home, I definitely have picked up a few skills in my culinary profile such as managing in a small working environment. Would I ever make the dish again? A sure yes, but with a little tweaks here and there.

Reference

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Published by theoryof.food

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